Ken, can I give you $100.00 and we goto Fork and fish? Thats alot cheaper than a guide and I can gps all of your secret boat winning holes.

Ken catches all the big girls out of the boat lanes, everybody knows this!

Great Reply Fish Killer / Mark I Agree 100%

As a boater you shouldn't expect your nonboater to pay $100. You should charge him for gas used on the water that day. You have to drive your boat to the lake regardless and if you're fishing a draw tournament you are doing so because you can afford to and not rely on a nonboater to pay for your trip. I agree that the nonboater should be respectful of your boat and equipment. But really you own a bass boat to fish and hopefully you bought the boat because you can afford to run it and not rely on nonboaters to pay for all your gas.

I'm a backseater and my thoughts are this. If you want to be invited again, treat the boater well! Half the gas for sure. I like to bring hot food and drinks for both on the water and pay for the BBQ if we stop on way back. This is what I do if I'm invited. As for my draw partner in a club tournament, I gotta say it depends on the boater. I still bring the snacks and drinks and usually pay the tournament fee for both takes care of the gas. My thing about doing more depends on if the boater even thought to ask me if I had a preference on where to fish or was I just along for the ride. Some boaters get funnel vision on positioning the boat for their casting direction and surrounding the back of the boat with impossible angles without any consideration.C'mon really?! I guess we can chalk that up to them not knowing the expense of the backseater. Non boaters aren't suppose to complain, but then we are expected to plus up on the expenses to be considered good sports. KMA!

Getting a little negative here, but I understand the $20 spot don't cut it either. I look at seasonal partnerships differently as we'll. I know owning a boat is expensive. I will help with the purchase of a Hydrowave or Talon or other needed accessories like tackle. But this is a seasonal partner.

When considering expenses, consider the investment in a fishing relationship with a friend, tournament trail partner or draw partner. I'll rely on my character to answer to my reputation as i know i do do those thing mentioned in the writeup. To those draw partner "boaters" out there that expect the non boater to provide the higher mathematics to be considered a good guy better think again!

3 Scenarios here:
1. You pick up your non-boater at Dennys and drive 100 miles to the lake and he fishes the tourney with you. First he pays 1/2 the truck gas to get there and back which at 10mpg should be 20 gallons at $3.50 or $70 divided by 2 or you can use the 55cents per mile rule which will be $110 divided by 2. $55 at the most for the truck. Say we are fishing Monticello. Well $10 or 15 at the most will cover his 1/2 of the gas/oil.
2.Same lake and your non-boater drove up with someone else and prefished yesterday and stayed. Boater is on his own for his truck but perhaps $25 would be fine for the days fishing. Non-boater who drove up yesterday with another guy already paid for 1/2 of the other guys gas to get there anyway.
3.Draw tourney for ABA Weekend Series or BFL..$40 per day will cover more than 1/2 of your expenses for gas/oil that day. The non-boater has no obligations to help you pay to clean your boat and he has no say so as to whether you go 200 miles or 2 miles on water. The boater should know that if he goes 200 miles, he is out a lot of gas money.
4. Federation Draw Tourney..Non-boater finds fish the day before about 100 miles up the river. Boater find fish 2 miles from ramp. Well, the non-boater does have control of the boat for 1/2 of the day and if he wants to go 100 miles for his 4 hours then all of the gas is on the non-boater(and the shame for wasting the day) well that should be a whole other subject.

I think a lot of the deal is that they are willing to offer to help with some of the daily costs. I do not think most expect someone to help "pay" for their rig, $50-100 wouldn't help with the actual cost of most boats. An offer is a huge deal, to me anyways.

But there are people in our world that are takers, they think that they are owed or flat just don't care to even offer. Luckily I have not ran across too many folks like that. The respecting and taking care of other's property like it's your own should be a given as well...

You are missing the point!! IMO, no one is "charging" or asking "please fill my boat and truck up"! It is the attitude of "he/she has a nice boat and truck, he can afford it" that is the issue! I think most people get it!

Selective reading skills. Ken said if the trip was over 50 miles. So, the $100 would be for gas, food, drinks and ice AND restaurant on the way back which is just about right.

I think this covers it pretty good. There are definitely those that have the attitude that "since you have a nice truck and/or boat, you must have lots of money", and expect you to pay their share as well.

What does it matter if I was going to the lake anyway or if I could afford to fish a draw tournament, does that mean the non boater should ride for free?

it's the new governmental "bass fishing assistance program" or BFAP for short, moto:

"You Catch, They Pay"

it's the new governmental "bass fishing assistance program" or BFAP for short, moto:

"You Catch, They Pay"

[/quote]


Greatness!

I was just having some fun with the group...Ken and I know one another, we have fished togehter on a couple of occassions...Were good, thanks! Ken, if for whatever reason were not can you please send me an invoice for the balance ...Thanks Brotha!

I tell ya, I'm a "charger". But, I'm also a pretty good 'expectation setter". I usually email about 4-6 of my good buddies on the rare occassions I can get away from the family and fish and I let them know I'm looking for anyone that's ready and able to fish Saturday AND that can split the truck gas with me. I always buy the food, beer, and boat gas, but I REALLY won't go if I can't find somebody that will help me with the expenses. In St. Louis, you're going to drive at LEAST 120 miles to get to good water in the state. So, it takes me at LEAST $120 total in the truck, let alone the $20-$40 in the boat for that day in gas, another $15 for beer, $10 for food, a launch fee, some oil, etc, etc.

What I do is tell em I'll have the truck filled up when we leave. I just ask that they fill it up at the lake before we head home. If they can't/won't do that, I just simply don't go. I know I've read many comments saying "I'd go anyway", well NO I WON'T. I'm not a tournament pro/hopeful like many of you. I fish tourneys, but my pleasure fishing has to take a backseat to parenting three teenage girls, being a husband, and being a good employee. So, fishing is a luxury. I think it's fair that I ask for SOME help in the expense.

But, I agree with many, setting that expectation up front in your invite clears it all up. My invites always come with, wanna fish? And, can ya help me get us there???

We're good bro. You do owe me dinner tho. You invited me to your house for dinner and I asked for a rain check so in my mind you still owe me!