All elites have to have a camera running at all time from back of the boat or at least showing the pro, if it stops they have to call Lisa T and let her know. Happened to me when I was with Wesley Gore last year. She ok’ed it but got it fixed for next day. Just keep’s integrity just in case Marshall’s miss something or anything else.

Cos should have paid their fair share for gas. They have nobody to blame but their own no boat having arses.

This is destined to be a problem. with 200+ "Pros" running around without a marshall or non-boater. With so many of these "Pros" attempting to qualify for the Elite Series the temptation to bend and break rules will be stronger than ever. Good luck keeping go pro's running the entire duration of a tournament on 200+ boats, cameras break, fall off, overheat, die...That would be the first move a cheater would make, call the TD and say "my camera has died", then it sounds like they let them continue their day.

Polygraphs don't hold any weight in court for a reason. Sure its a tool, but it could also falsely incriminate an innocent person. If the stat Beartrap threw out of whatever 15% error is correct, thats terrible.




I didn't realize co anglers didnt have boats or pay for gas

Right.

I don't think I've had the pleasure / displeasure of fishing with anyone that I would call my worst. I've had some interesting experiences, but never considered them worst.

Funny experience:
We had a club tournament where everyone had launched and my co-angler never arrived. Me being the director called the guy who was assigned to me as he wasn't there. About 1/2 hour later, my phone rings and he's on the road to the lake. I stay near the ramp and start whacking them pretty good. My livewell is full when I get a call that he's at the ramp. I make a short run back to him and pick him up. He was so hung over that when we took off he went blue and started to heave chunks over the railing. We get to our spot and I start culling. He lays down on the back deck after 20 or so casts and goes back to sleep. He slept most of the tournament and only woke to drink water after churning the lake.

I did manage the win that day, I awarded it to him chumming the waters.

avid, thats a funny story! that co gave you some cheap entertainment

I've fished with that guy before. And I've been that guy before.

I've owned a couple boats in my lifetime but basically have not had the finances needed to afford it. Now that I can, since my cancer I don't have the equilibrium needed to stand on the front deck and run a trolling motor without losing my balance. I see the comments by Steez and WAWI and wonder what kind of tournaments you fished and who you drew? I fished ABA RAM Series as a co-angler. I fished with a lot of different boaters and got along with 98% of them. I paid my share including upping what I gave them if I made money. I was ALWAYS on time. I didn't bring everything I own. I told the boater at the beginning of the day to give me a heads up when we were going to make a move so I wouldn't hold them up. I was more than willing to break off to not hold things up although most of my boaters were okay about going to get hang ups. I adapted to whatever the boater was doing. I never complained about where we were or how deep or anything they did. It was my job to adapt to all of that and I never put in two cents about where we fished unless I was specifically asked. I was always ready to net their fish and asked at the start of the day if they had a particular net technique they wanted from me because everyone is different. It was a great education and a lot of those guys I fished with are still friends. Most of the guys that fished as co's did much the same so you guys must have gotten some bad apples.

As for my worst experience, it was Day 1 of the 2 Day ABA Championship. I drew a guy I had never met. We made the run to Kickapoo. Started just on the other side of the bridge. I caught a 13 incher in the first 10 minutes and he gave me a look. From that point on, everywhere he wanted to fish, he would pull the nose of the boat to it, make his casts and then troll right over the top of it. He was bound and determined I wasn't going to catch anything until he had his fish. About four LONG hours in to the day he says to me, "I don't understand it. I was up here on Thursday and Friday whacking them all day long. Good ones too!" He had sore lipped most of the fish he needed for the weekend. Finally hooked a big one, but it went under a piece of wood. I had the net out. He came up on it but he couldn't get to it. I told him give it some line and if it swims out of there, I can net it. It was maybe 18 inches of water. He gives me suspicious look, pulls on it hard again, breaks it off and a 5 pounder swims away. Fool. I zeroed. He caught 2 for 4 pounds. He was lucky I took him to a dock I liked on the way back and he caught those. He was a first class jerk. The really bad part was they guy who was leading for Co-Angler AOY drew him the next day, zeroed as well and did not qualify for the Ray Scott. All he needed was one fish. Never saw that arsehole again. I was better for it

One of my best friends… we call him VanDamage. Guaranteed to put atleast 2 reels out of commission and is half deaf so everyone can hear him cussing all the way across the lake.

I fished the Bassmaster Opens one year as a co. I was speaking about myself. I am a horrible co angler. As for now…I have one fishing partner that I like. If he can’t fish, I’ll go solo. You’ve met him. He’s a great guy. His bad thing is he likes to dance on the back deck…and he’s about 6’2 and weighs 250. He’s starting to crush the livewell lids and bilge lid.

Greatness. Luckily for my partner, I don't dance

I ain’t kidding. Play some Micheal Jackson….and the boat starts bouncing.

The worst I had was a co that pouted every time I caught a fish. And I pit him on fish! He was catching fish but still got grouchy when I locked up. It was chore to get the net too apparently. I didn't worry to much about it but when I hooked like 4 or fish fish in a row that I boat flipped so he could just mind his business he literally sat down in his seat and nitched to himself. A co on a place like lake of the pines in the winter with 12 or 13 pounds shouldn't really b*tch and grumble. However, when I looked back about an hour later cause I forgot he was even there the dude was still sitting there pouting pretending to dig through his tackle. I started laughing a little, then a LOT. I don't know why I found it so funny at that moment but I was almost historical. I collected myself and then noticed he had started fishing again. Gawd that's funny. His little pouty face hahahahahaha

I was fishing the ABA Ooen series on Texoma one year and had my co kneel for the national anthem inon the back deck of my boat. We never spoke the rest of the day and he never caught a fish. He commented at the end of the day that I did not operate the boat to where he had a chance to catch fish. My only comment was, actions have consequences.

Dude took a knee- what a goober these folks are so uneducated and easily manipulated.