Why is it so hard....

Why is it so hard to find a fishing partner? I've posted in the partner finder on here with not much success. Am I the only one that lives and breathes bass fishing? I have my own new boat, been fishing tournament's my whole life; however, I did just get over taking a 5 year hiatus due to traveling for work all the time. I now own my own business so I go when I want and my wife is awesome because she couldn't care less if I went everyday. I guess that's what 25 year's of marriage does. Since I'm just getting back into bass fishing after a break I'm a little rusty so don't know a lot of people and we just moved to Rockwall a couple of years ago. Anyway, i know a lot of you fish with your sons, daughters, wives, friends from the past, but it shouldn't be this hard. I'm a retired Air Force veteran so I'm not a psychopath or anything.


Billy

Join a bass club, a lot have non-boat partners to pair you up with. You will find some that you don't want to fish with again and you will find some that make lifelong friends and great fishing partners.

Best of luck to you and thank you for your service!

I might be interested. But I don't live and breath bass fishing. Still working but have a lot of PTO built up.

Thank you. I just have a bad taste from bass clubs without a partner. I joined one a couple of years ago before I got another boat and went to all the meetings and never got partnered up.

I still work as well and don't expect everyone to be able to go whenever. I've been blessed over the last 2 years to be able to start doing that.

Do some research, all bass clubs are not the same. I would be happy to fish with you some time but don't tournament fish much anymore. Did it for many years, just not my cup of tea to fish them all year long anymore.
Now, I go when and where I want and enjoy my time more

As it should be!

I have asked a couple people, who have mentioned wanting to fish, on several occasions and they have not been able to go.

I'll keep asking and one day they will be able to go.

Just fish solo. I do it about half the time. It’s mo funner that way.
When I have a co-angler/teammate/partner, I alway feel like I have to keep them interested and wind up fishing too fast. When I’m on my own, I like to make 8-10 cats at each target(if I feel like the fish are there).

However, I am in the same “boat” as you...semi retired, fishing 2-4 tourneys a week if I can find some. Wife is great with it. She only asks when, where, how long, partner or solo. Then she says good luck!

If you keep up with the tourney finder threads, you’ll find a place to fish for money. When you do that, you’ll meet folks and begin to network with the guys/gals that will actually benefit your cause.

Don’t give up, and get that new boat broken in.

Same for me.

I've been fishing solo and don't mind it. Like you said you can fish your own pace, but would like to fish the larger partner tournament trails.

Find a tournament, post on here you are looking for partner for that tournament. Post in bass section and you will get bit.
I posted in off topic I was looking for a 1 time Friday night partner. Bazztex came and fished it. We have probably fished 50 tournaments since that post.

What color is your boat?

Red/black Nitro Z20.

I don’t like to try to make small talk with people I don’t know. I’m not very social. Love fishing with my kids or solo.

That’s me don’t fish tournament s much but love to bass fish.

These days, everyone is a pro so a fishing partner is like a sacred vow. Everyone is so worried about keeping their spots secret. Partners come and go and unfortunately, they are going to take your info with them and vice versa. I personally don’t care about that as much. That said, I would never try to fish competitive team tournaments with someone who didn’t have a boat. Prefishing should be done in separate boats. Also, it’s got to be someone I have fun with. Lots of dead time and slow fishing can be overcome with laughter

It is hard to find a good partner. In a four year period I logged a little over 1,100 trips to Fork & Monty. All of them were with clients or friends or both. Many of those folks are still friends today, some very close friends. It is hard to find someone you are compatible with tho.

They need a Match.com for fishing partners. My advice would be to meet them for lunch before you spend the whole day with them.

Talk about things like:

Are u good with ur partner fishing next to you on the front deck? A lot of guys are not.
Are u good with ur partner netting ur fish? A lot of guys can't do this well.
Are u good with ur partner backing ur boat trailer? A lot of non-boaters can't do this well.
Are u good with ur partner running the troll motor? A lot of non-boaters can't do this well.
Are u good with ur partner using ur tackle? A lot of non-boaters do not realize how expensive tackle has become.
Are u okay with ur partner eating the food u brought because they didn't bring anything to eat or drink?
How much $$ do u expect ur partner to pay for his share of fuel?

Keep up the search man. You'll find one. Rockwall is a great location.

I hope you know that this was a joke.

I know lots of fishermen. They always want to go fishing. You know the line; "We ought to go fishing sometime." When I call and ask them to go, they have something to do.

I think you’re spot on. I’m with the mindset to prefish in separate boats, but having fun and laughing makes up for a lot.

Thanks Ken. I think ideally it would be someone with a boat and experienced.

Know exactly what you mean.

I’m fishing a series this year.

My partner is a 20 year old boater from my local club.

I invited Him to fish a open trny last year and we got along well so I asked Him if he was interested in this series.

I would definitely go the club route for your search. Or start asking the guys you see regularly on the lake.

Could also be because there is a raging pandemic going on the past 10-11 months?

Well stated!

There are more people on the lake than ever! 7 days a week.. look at the shelves of Academy, BPS, etc... Look at the new boat and truck inventory at the dealerships. There isn’t a top brand crankbait or Chatterbait these fish haven’t seen. I don’t think that’s the issue here lol!

Yeah, that has definitely kept people off the lakes....

I have some friends that I would let do any of those things. But meeting a random fishing partner, no way on any of them.

Not off the lakes but from wanting to fish alot with someone they dont know...

Being on the lakes has nothing to do with this guy asking why he can't find a tourney partner. He is asking why he can't find a partner, not why there are so many people on the lakes

True. Also has the poster won some tourneys? Won some club events?

I have. Just last year a friend of mine and I fished the TTO corona classic and finished in the money both times. Jackpotted a few tourneys and won some money. Before I retired from the Air Force, I was stationed near Shreveport and finished in top 3 AOY for the 4 years I was stationed there. I’m not saying I’m a pro. I do know how to fish for Bass using every technique and I think I’m knowledgeable, but it is nice having a partner to bounce ideas off of and celebrate when you get a chance to do well.

If your accomplished a club or trail fishing solo will be your best bet to meet like minded individuals.

Most guys probably don’t want to get out of their boat but if your in a club and they’ve seen your skills via results maybe someone w a smaller boat would be interested in partnering up and fishing more.

I’m not opposed to fishing out of other’s boat’s as well. In fact, I would prefer switching off.

Is Media still the best for solo trails?

If you were closer I’d hit you up. It is hard to find someone that is as Passionate as myself.

billynjuls, check your private messages.

Billy, Trickster that replied to this message is a great guy and a pretty good fisherman who spent several years with us. Hope you contact him

I think he means people may not want to spend 8-10hr in a boat with someone they do not know well.

Sorry, but for me there is no substitute for the peace and quiet of fishing solo. Get up at 4 a.m. on a weekday, drive a couple hours, fish from 6:30 a.m. til dark, I do eat a sandwich in between spots, stop at a drive thru for dinner on the way home. Many people think that is crazy (It is) but I love it. I don’t have to worry about someone else showing up late, listening to their views or problems, or them answering cell phone calls for business or a nagging spouse, or wanting to leave early. Cell phones do take great pictures if you want to share your catch with someone. Anti Social? No, just don’t want anything to interfere with my weekly fishing trip! 😃

That part is nice, especially the nagging spouse or wanting to leave early. My friends used to hate fishing with me because I refused to leave until I caught a fish. We'd be out there all day and you could tell they wanted to leave, but nope, not till I was done.

JC Outdoors does a solo series at Fork, I'd for sure be a good source of what not to use or do if you were to fish it. I'll be the dude that fishes but probably doesn't "participate " in weigh-in other than watching