Posted by Woody on 2002 AM:

Tournament Fishing from the "Back" of the boat

I would love to read about Strategies, Techniques and overall plans of attack from Tournament Fisherman with regards to fishing "The Back Seat."
Thanks,
Woody

Posted by Hooked Solid on 2002 AM:

I could be mistaken....

Woody,
I believe our own Joe Pido is in the process of writing about this exact topic for Scully's"Angler's Chronicles".
Maybe one of them will chime in and tell us if this is the case...><>...HS

Check yer mail.

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Posted by joe pido on 2002 PM:

well...sort of...Paulie

But I believe Ray asked me to write about my experiences as a back of the boat angler, not strategies. And the article has been up for a couple of months now. Ive been in the club tx scene for only 2 years and quite a neophyte at it.

If only Mr Don Heller had a PC...or does he?...LOL

Im at work right now, but Ill put my own spin to Woody's question later...

Joe

Posted by JOHN G on 2002 AM:

Woody's question is an excellent one: there must be tons of guys on here who fish as non boaters in clubs....would be an informative and interesting read if people would elaborate on this.....C'mon, I know you have had to deal with this situation!

JOHN G

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Posted by Scully on 2002 AM:

I am officialy asking

Mr Pido

As one of the clubs premier "back door men", lol I would greatly appreciate it if you would, in your spare time. Write an article for the "Chronicles" regarding your mind set when fishing with a partner.

Woodsman, as you know we fish all "Team Tournaments" so the preperation and game plan of a non-boater in my club would be a great deal different than if the non-boater was in competition with the boater.

Joe, I still think you could handle this however.

Ray/Scul/Blue.....call me anything but late for dinner.

Posted by joe pido on 2002 PM:

Im on it, Ray

joe

Posted by Al Hager on 2002 PM:

some of the thing i do to help my fishing from the back of the boat .I allways have a 7ft. spining rod with me with 8 to 10 lbs test line. I like to used it to make exter long cast.I also like to used a diffrent lure or color then the boater is useing. If we are working a shore line I will cast to spots that the boater does not.
This is just some of the things I do to help me from the back of the boat

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Posted by JOHN G on 2002 AM:

Al, thank you for your thoughtful reply, there should be many many more...... JOHN G

Posted by Todd Miller on 2002 AM:

Hmmm as to the longer cast from the back<<<<< it has helped me in the first two early birds of the A.B.A same lure as boater but lighter line and longer cast we had two early birds for the 2003 season of the aba and i placed third and second in these two tourneys plus a 6.21 big fish in one of them.. i must admit the bigger fish wanted a certain cadance of that chug bug and if you didnt infuse that certain retrieve it was small fish keepers that ate the chug bug but if you ripped that bug and made a complete frenzy of tha bait and then stopped it well that whats the bigger fish wanted. but the lighter line also cost me two fish in the 8# class.. but i,ll take third and a second and big fish any day on KY lake.. ohhh by the way anybody else that fishes the A.B.A tha nationals are here this year !!!!!!! ohhhh yeah !!!!!!currently to this date in the army division i sit in 6th after two tourneys and that is from the back seat

Todd

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Posted by Seth V on 2002 AM:

Woody-

I fished the BFl as a backseater this year, and posted a Tx report after each one, you may want to check them out.

In general, you must be ready for anything. One day you may go flipping heavy cover, the next finness fishing in 30' of water. You don't have control. That said, do NOT try to match everything the boater is doing. Stick with what you have confidence in, just be sure you bring enough equipent to cover all of the major possibilies. I brought my entire boat with me, and the night before pulled the equipment that I thought I would need baised on my prefish, and conversation with my boater.

The basic needs:
Flippin stick
Cranking rod
topwater/jerkbait rod
misc casting rod
skipping rod
misc spinning rod

The most rods I will take is 6, so some days when you are not really "on" fish it can be a struggle. Keep the tackle simple, usually 1 tackle logic bag is plenty. Also, even on a sunny day, do NOT forget good rain gear.

I found the temptaion from the back of the boat to fish faster then the front seat guy, but I did best when I slowed down. In general you are fishing for "used water" fish. Try to watch his casts, and not cast in exactly the same location. He throws on 1 side of a stump, you hit the other side.

Probably the toughest situation to be in is dock fishing from the back. You have 2 choices, fish the docks behind the front seat, or fish out to the open water. In most cases, the open water is dead water, and I did better fishing docks behind the boater. Sometimes however, there is a good weedline or other structure you can focus on and have a completely different tactic. If it is a good dock fisherman you are behind, there won't be much left for you, a similar situation is flippin heavy cover.

Seth V

Posted by jofish on 2002 AM:

This is a good one, and is something to kick around through the cold months.

Joe

Posted by Scott C on 2002 PM:

Woody,

I fished in EEBA with the BIG guy Bernie (Lastcastme) What we did was approach every event as if it was a doubles. I also Fished 2 events with Frank (Broadbill) Now you probably know the nature of EEBA and Bernie, Frank and I are SOLID believers in the friends first concept as well as all our members...so.......it didnt matter where either of us sat as long as we helped each other catch fish. We pulled up parallel to every target and he would fish one side of the target and I the other. If it meant that one of us had to alter the way we casted to it then thats what we did. Bernie happens to like fishing the pads and I love to skip under trees and get in deep...so for us that worked perfectly. We pulled up between the shore and the pads and he fished the port side and I fished the starbord or if room permitted we went stern to bow giving us both a nice radius at our respective targets. We are both righties so this worked out nicely. Sometimes we would just pick a target....pads lets say and he would take the best angle and i might work the open water or weedbeds behind the boat. Other times we would back into the shore and he would give me the entire shore line and he would do the opposite. Of course there were times when we casted at the same target and tangled lines during the cast resulting in that terrible "SNAP" sound as one of our lures flew off into the abyss.......I have hooked his ankle...and he has hooked my cap and flung it into the water.....I cant tell you how many times we could hear each others bait as it whizzed within an inch of each others ears.........but we laughed at every near miss and adjusted accordingly.........and we ALWAYS cranked in fast when the other had a fish on to ensure that nothing within our control would result in a lost fish for the other........we always netted each others fish. I did this with Frank as well and also Mike D when I had the pleasure of fishing with them at different events.

Dont know if this is what you were looking for but a boat has a front and a back and if managed properly between the partners you would never know the difference.

Of course if I were fishing to feed my family things would be different but thats not what I do......good thing cus they would be skinny mofo's !

SC

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Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 AM:

Mr Pido

As one of the clubs premier "back door men"-OUCH!!!!

I'm surprised my partner didn't chime in and tell you all how I always give him no angles and backboat him and complain about everything else.

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Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 AM:

Woody, it is easy if you are in a partner tx. Then you can discuss a plan and implement it out on the water. If you are just a non boater and in a singles event, you are pretty much at the mercy of the boater. I do not like that format at all. We eliminated it prety much in my club even though we had no incidents last year.

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Posted by Sea Jack on 2002 PM:

I don't think that the "guy in the back of the boat" is at such a big disadvantage. First off, in tourneys where the two anglers actually complete against each other- the old BASS Open style- the nonboater has control of the boat for half the day. Some rules actually specify that the nonboater is entitled to run the trolling motor for half the day. So, getting backboated shouldn't be a big problem.

In my case, I rarely get up front to run the trolling motor, rather I'll looking for patterns in practice that give the nonboater an advantage. Throwing spinnerbaits or flukes in open water or finding a place to drag tubes levels the playing field. In fact, I think the nonboater is at the advantage, because he doesn't have to fight the trolling motor.

Even target casting doesn't necessarily need to be a huge disadvantage. Unless the guy in front is an absolutely exceptional angler, you should be able to hit targets that he could not reach or ingored. You just have to realize that he is not going to catch every fish he passes by. By using lighter lines you should be able to sneak that bait deeper under cover(skipping) and to draw a few extra strikes.

The most important thing is to be very comfortable with your casting, you may only get a few great opportunties in a day, but if you can hit the mark everytime, you should be able to take full advantage of what you are given.

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Posted by Scott C on 2002 PM:

Well said future Prez !

__________________
Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

Spawn till you die
ESBA

Posted by jofish on 2002 PM:

I agree with Sea Jack that the guy on the motor has an extra job to do and sometimes it is quite a job at that + Non Boater
They have the opportunity to pick where and when you fish you can suggest but some get red in the face, except in State TX'S then yes it's 50\50 +Boater
Boaters have the Angles when fishing Shore Lines+Boater
Boaters have the rods lockers and storage, it's the "back seat" for rods and terminal equipment+Boater
But the question was about What you are going to do on the water and How you are going to do it!

Joe

Posted by Sea Jack on 2002 PM:

jofish,

You're right about the actual question on the post, I was just making some commentary.

As far as technique, here is one thought process that I go through during the day. There is a lot more to it than what I have here, but it's a start.

::

I anticipate that there will be very little argument to the idea that confidence is a major component to successful angling. However, there can be a heated discussion on whether changing patterns and techniques during a day of fishing are founded in confidence or desperation. Basically, a tournament angler must find the balance between confidence and stupidity in terms of sticking to a specific presentation.

Knowing when to adjust is an important aspect of tournament fishing, and its value comes in an even higher demand when one is fishing from the back of the boat. This can make the difference between catching a good limit and being skunked for the day. The basic rule for nonboaters is to throw something different than what the guy in front is using. This guideline works because the fish that ignored his offering may be more interested in a unique technique. In the beginning of just about every tournament, I will be fishing differently from my boater. This could be a slight difference, or something drastic. I might throw a Spook behind an angler fishing a Popper. Following a jig fisherman with burning a spinnerbait is another example. However, there may be a distinct reason that the angler is throwing the jig and that will be painfully obvious to the guy in the back of the boat.

My general rule is that if the front angler puts two fish in quick succession in the boat on the same technique, I will switch to a similar technique. The pattern is obiviously is working. If the angler is flipping a jig, I might Texas Rig a tube or worm. After this first adjustment, if I'm still getting beat up good, I will make sure that everything in my setup, presentation, and mindset are identical to the boater. It is important to ask questions at this point. Among the most important are questions about what he is doing different from the norm. Speed of retrieve, targets, type of strike, position of the fish on the cover and other such questions will help you understand exactly what is going on at the time. I feel that understanding what the fish are doing will increase an anglers confidence and thus make him (or her) fish with the anticipation of catching.

This situation can lead to a sticky subject. If the fish are being caught on a specific lure that you do not own, do you ask to borrow one from your boater? In my experience, this is not a taboo and most anglers are willing to open their boxes if they are sitting on a hot lure. You may want to clarify this at the beginning of the day; however, by offering anything in your box should you happen upon a hot lure. If an open door policy is established, you won’t need to hesitate in asking for that “purple and pink garlic scented spinnerbait” that you just ran out of.

This second adjustment should produce fish, especially if it is a technique that you are familiar with. This style of adjusting has everything to do with confidence out on the water. By fishing in the same manner as someone who is nailing fish, you will be using his confidence to produce for you.

The only problem comes when the fish are being caught on a technique that you are not familiar with. Perhaps even when throwing the same bait, you still just can't seem to buy a bite. With your confidence shot, you may not want to stick with something you don't have faith in. There are two options here. First, you can stick it out with what is producing, attempt to learn to fish the new technique, and try to add a new weapon to your arsenal. The other choice is to fish how you know how to fish. Do what you have confidence in if all else fails. If you get skunked, at least you’re doing what you love.

The main idea is just make slight variations of the presentations your boater is fishing to see if there isn’t a better way to entice those fish. Sometimes there are better ways, and sometimes there aren’t, but it rarely hurts to experiment a little bit out on the water. Just keep in mind that you don’t want to sacrifice catching fish by trying to be overly independent.

__________________
John Siejak

"It's not the fishin' that brings in the Sacajaweas!" - L. T. Smash

To email me: Bassin303@aol.com

Another WNY Bass Site

Posted by tubeking on 2002 AM:

Ive been on both sides and ive come to one conclusion.If you dont like the way a guy is fishing or if u feel a guy is hitting all the good spots or he is throwing the same lure you are then go BUY YOUR OWN BOAT.ive been on the back of many boats and have outfished the guy on front using thesame lures as him.The one bit of advise i can give is use lighter line this will give u an advantage.i think the advantage comes more in that u r forced 2 fish 2 the boaters speed.even if he fishes your water he will fish it the way he wants.as a none boater i would get fustrated if i was forced 2 fish fast or not 2 my prefrance.Now as a boater ive realized that i should of been happy just getting a ride.if i bought the boat pay for everything that breaks and take care of the boat u bet im gonna want to fish the way i like 2.non boaters try fishing with someone new this year with a diffrent style than yours.it makes u a better fisherman.I fish with lpbassman quite often and we fish totaly diffrent.he fishes shoreline with the trolling motor on high.he makes 3 casts 2 my 1.sometimes it drives me crazy but it has also made me a more versitile fisherman.so when we prefish a tournament we find the fish fishing as fast as leigh can and when it comes 2 tournament day i slow down and catch all the fish(lol BANTAM) sorry leigh.he has a 17 foot express with a 24 volt trolling system.You have no idea how fast he realy fishes.it produces 4 him.sometimes i dont know how but it does.well the moral of the story is non boaters have no right to complain.they should be glad they have a ride.(thanks leigh for alot of them)It is like someone taking you shopping and you r mad because he does 50 mph instead of 55.Boats are alot of head aches,controlling boats in 20mph winds is even worse.hey that non boater thing wasnt half bad
GOOD FISHING DENNIS

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Posted by Bass Rat on 2002 AM:

FISHING FROM THE BACK

Although I fish mostly as a boater, I have fished several Tx as a non boater. In addition, as a boater I have observed the problems & successes that my backseat partners have experienced. There are IMO 3 basic typed of Tournaments. They are partner tx's, club singles Tx's and open draw Tx's. Due to the fact that partner T's are a team effort,and most guys reading this don't fish big event draw t's, I will mostly address club T's in which you are fishing against your boater partner. With that here's my take on tournamant fishing as a non boater.

Be prepared for any situation. For the most part you will not have control over 2 basic things. They are where you fish and how fast you fish. So bring an assortment of bait & takle to match the situation you may be put in. Don't just rely on your strong methods or favorite baits because you might not get the oppertunity to use them.

Another very important point (which I think is frequently overlooked by the non boater) is use your head about how much gear you are bringing aboard. This can be a problem weather it is to little or too much. Usually the later is the case. I would suggest you bring 5-6 rods, 1 tackle bag & 1 modest size duffle to hold your rain gear/lunch/sunscreen and other small items you may need like medication. (By the way painkillers and stomache meds are always good to have.) Your partner will appreciate if you pack lite- not like your running away from home. ( I had a partner bring 12 rods and 3 carry ons onceHe fished a crankbait all day. LOL ) On the other hand if you bring too little gear you'll wind up bommin hooks,baits & sinkers all day.

I would suggest to watch your boating partner carefully. ( why not you have a perfect vantage point to stare at him). This is good even if the boater isn't catching anything. If that's the case now you know what not to do. Try to use a method that compliments his as a follow up. Like throw a worm behind his jig or a grub behind his spinner bait.

Don't be affraid to fish the outside. If the boater is hogging up the shoreline throw away from the shore. The first break or outside edge of weeds is not a bad place to put a bait.

Another big problem I find, for boaters and non, but especially non boaters is that they get tunnel vision. What I mean by that is that we get convinced that ALL the fish in the lake are 10-15 feet in front of the bow of the boat. Don't get caught up in that.

Finally, I would suggest to approach the Tx as non boater with the attitude that YOU have the advantage. Yes, the non boater certainly does have advantages, use them. Here are some. You get to consintrate on just your fishing all day. You never have to worry about trailering your boat to or from the lake. you never have to worry that the enine doesn't sound right. No worries about hitting a rock or log . All you have to do is fish. So fish and have fun.

I know there are a gazillion other points that can be made, but this is my take on some of what I find to be important.

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bass,bass,baby!

Posted by Scott C on 2002 AM:

A few things I didnt mention in my post. I may have a different situation than some reading this and here is why.
First, Bernie and I have never really disputed each others ability to find fish. We both have confidence in each others confidence and use it to our advantage. Not from a winning standpoint always but from a enjoyable day on the water standpoint. Last thing either of us want to do is go fishing and be frustrated with each others choices in positioning and targets. We also use the follow up technique, he throws one thing and I throw something that may compliment it or just something completely different. We have stumbled upon patterns this way and then both caught fish using that method.
Another major factor I overlooked is that I control the position of the boat at least half the time....sometimes more. Berns boat has 2 motors...and we go full throttle with both to get where we are going and then just use the rear to position, and occasionally the front when I am tying, changing baits, or on windy days etc. We always communicate when a position change is requested and have never had any disputes. And we dont fish fast...our waters are small so its not like fish are far away at any given time....we try to completely pick apart areas before moving on. Again this is not big TX fishing and there is no money involved....just a chance to brag a bit and maybe get your picture splattered across the internet.....so the most important thing is to enjoy the company, learn from each other, and then maybe have a chance at a win for either of us or both in a doubles event. Oh yeah......both our tackle boxes are open to each other and even other members of the club....as theres are as well.

SC

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Spawn till you die
ESBA

Posted by Dominic on 2002 AM:

Successful fishing from the back of the boat definitely has a lot to do with techniques and adapting, but I feel the most important aspect is the mindset of the angler in the back. I have always fished as a boater and then decided to fish the NJ Fed. as a non boater on some of the bigger bodies of water, due to the size and speed of the boat I had at the time. I didn't do as well as I had expected that first season and I think it was due to me thinking I was not going to do well because the boater was fishing a different style or area or pattern that I felt wasn't the right thing to be doing. Before, I was always able to control the outcome of my fishing. By this I mean, I was fishing my patterns, my style and my confidences. Now, everything was left up to someone else. By not having a positive attitude and confidence in my boater, I felt I took myself out of some opportunities that should have been better. This mindset I had was from previous experiences fishing from the back and never (I mean never) doing well.

The best advice a non boater can take is to go into each tourny as a learning experience and have an open mind. Don't get caught in the "I'm getting screwed" mindset. Make the best of every situation.

As far as back of the boat techniques, don't fish the same lure as the boater unless he's doing very, very well. If the boater is fishing a worm, fish a spinnerbait or crankbait. If he's fishing a spinnerbait or regular crankbait, throw a Rat L Trap type bait.
It also might pay off to scale down or up, depending on his selections. Some good back boat lures are soft jerkbaits, topwater and buzzbaits, smaller cranks and spinnerbaits. If he's fishing very methodical, then you can too. Small worms and jigs and wacky rig style baits will produce some good bites.

Team tournies and draws are two very different formats, but the same things apply. In a team event, you might see your partner doing well and you can't catch anything. This also plays with your mind, even though the team is doing well. In draw type tournies, it is best to talk to your partner before hand and see what and how he is going to be fishing. This will allow you to bring the right tackle (lures, rods, etc) and not be caught off guard and aggravated. Also in a draw tourny, if you have fish to go to, tell your partner. If you don't, you definitely will not be asked if you have anything going, unless he has absolutely nothing himself. Most draw tournies allow both the boater and non boater equal time on the trolling motor. More times than not, this is not going to happen. Not many people ask to run someone elses boat, even if it's in the rules. It is your right to go to your fish for 4 hours regardless of what anyone says.

The main thing is to keep an open mind and communicate with your boater or partner.

Dom

Posted by joe pido on 2002 PM:

pretty much all has been said

All very good points on this thread, from the small tx guys to the big tx guys. I dont think there is the need for that article, Ray, ...

Joe

Posted by Bass Rat on 2002 PM:

Ah Joe, What a cop out! Throw out a few ideas. I know this thread didn't cover everything.

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Posted by Lpbassman on 2002 PM:

YO TUBEKING,

I got rid of my 24 volt trolling motor and installed a Tohatsu 9.9. Better get a seat belt next time your on the back of the Xpress.
PS: Mention my bad luck Tourney day on Bantam but you did'nt talk about the 16+ pounds I had when we prefished--ouch, that day still hurts.

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Posted by JOHN G on 2002 PM:

now this thread is getting the attention it should have all along, excellent men!! the Woodster has been doing a grinding 5 day late night marathon work schedule, when he catches a breather this weekend, he will probably respond to all of this.....

JOHN G

Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 AM:

I have a solution to being back boated.....it involves burying a DB22 crankbait in your selfish partners ass!

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Posted by Bass Rat on 2002 AM:

quote:

Originally posted by earthworm77
I have a solution to being back boated.....it involves burying a DB22 crankbait in your selfish partners ass!

EW, The only problem with that is that it is a long walk back to the ramp from the middle of the lake.............LOL

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Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 PM:

Yea, but lets hope the boater can swim!! LOL

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Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 PM:

Or use this line..."oops sorry, since you nosed yourself in to fish those docks, I thought I'd cast a crankbait to the openwater, didn't mean to bury the Gammie trebles in your ass cheek"!

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Posted by Dominic on 2002 PM:

Now your on the right track, polite yet firm.

Dom

Posted by JOHN G on 2002 PM:

now Im dying again over here.....great laughs earthy....... JOHN G

Posted by tubeking on 2002 AM:

Sorry leigh and it was over 16 pounds.

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when u r fishing as slow as u can slow down some more.It takes a great fisherman to catch a lunker it takes even a greater man to let him go

Posted by Bass Rat on 2002 AM:

quote:

Originally posted by Lpbassman
YO TUBEKING,

PS: Mention my bad luck Tourney day on Bantam but you did'nt talk about the 16+ pounds I had when we prefished--ouch, that day still hurts.

You 2 crack me up

__________________
bass,bass,baby!

Posted by tubeking on 2002 AM:

we love u 2 nick,by the way when we gonna fish together

__________________
when u r fishing as slow as u can slow down some more.It takes a great fisherman to catch a lunker it takes even a greater man to let him go

Posted by jofish on 2002 PM:

What you are saying is to me the most important point, is not so much as to boat control, but mind control. Yes if your out of position and nowhere to throw, you are SOL. But keeping an open mind so speek only works If the new pattern you're useing is comfortable for you. If you crank, crank, crank and the boater starts doing docks yes you only have a few shots, but if you start going down and dirty jig, senko, worm or spinner bait and you're not familar or comfortable with these you better learn soon. It's as always what you have comfort in. The more the merrier. But if you're useing what normally works for you and you can't buy a fish and you're working at it, but no go. The other guy is useing a senko and you have some but!! you try it will take some time to adjust. These are just some of the Trails that you go through. Useing or adjusting and staying positive in it. It is a mind game. there were many good points in the other replies. Making adjustments and not being defeated is key. You don't have to re-invent the wheel to do this. Stay focused plan what you're going to do do it and if it does'nt work and the other guy's pattern is try to find out why? Speed, depth, color, contour, size, line size, shape. We can go around and around about why and why not.
I fished a state tx with a very good guy. As a matter of fact as we were leaving the dock someone yelled out to me that I was going to get an education. I didn't know what to expect. I had asked him the night before How he liked to fish, he said jig. I am not such a great jig guy, I called it down and dirty, for a lack of a better term. Not that I have any against jigs, thay probably produce bigger fish. We started in a large weed bed with spinner baits. After a couple of fish each his being bigger, we moved to where he want to jig. I in the meantime I'm throwing a spinner bait which produced some nice fish, to which he was now getting off his game. He said I was confusing him And if you know me that is not hard to do! After that I started useing an Ika texas style which brought in a good weight. He continued to use his jig, and did well. I adjusted and didn't lose that much his weight was +.75 to mine. I consider that a victory knowing Who I was fishing with. And I even caught one on a jig. He had belly laughs for me.

Posted by Meg on 2002 PM:

Hey Woody,

Nice thread!

While the information offered here is comprehensive, I do have one thing to add. Okay maybe a few things. As a non-boater, NEVER rely solely on the boater to put you on fish. I always pre-fish and try to have atleast a few productive spots, divided into morning and afternoon areas. The areas do not have to hold winning size (but gee, it helps if they do, but there is confidence in numbers. This is not to say I start the day off saying "Let's go to this spot", but if asked, atleast you as the non-boater can contribute.

I do not ever pretend to be on fish if i am not-that is not beneficial to anyone. If you are going to speak up, be honest.
That is not to say you have to divulge every single fact about an area you want to go to-hey, the boater can come back later and find out why that area held fish.

The boat control issue is certainly complicated. On a windy day, not having to handle the trolling motor can be a plus. On a calm day, fishing docks, yes, the non-boater doesn't have the best first shot, but if you fish docks well, you can always pull something out!

Being positive helps. If you think the boater is always putting you at a disadvantage, well, it just might be time to buy a boat. How many times have you seen someone who fished very well as a non-boater buy a boat, and strugggle for a season? There is a learning curve. Just have fun, and learn, that's what it's all about.

Posted by CUS on 2002 PM:

Depends on the rules

Our club tournaments and NYS Fed events are all individual points, but each angler has a 50% say in the water fished, regardless of whether or not they run the trolling motor.

My advice:

If you are a non-boater and don't know how to run a trolling motor do not run the motor. A tournament is not the time to learn how to do it and your partners $40,000 rig isn't the boat to learn on (especially around docks).

If your partner puts you on fish (whether he is catching or you) then stay on the fish. Obviously size matters in this one.

Get your ASS up front if you need to. Most tournaments I've fished in do not limit a non-boater to the back of the boat. So if your boater is fishing specific cover and is getting first crack at everything: MOVE UP FRONT and ask your partner if he prefers you on his left or right! Now if you are out in the middle of a weedbed and just dipping the holes, or throwing cranks don't crowd each other.

LEARN HOW TO CAST and practice, practice, practice. If you have enough confidence that you can put a bait in places others can't or wouldn't think to, why wouldn't you catch fish?

Establish a working relationship with your boat partner, take the attitude that you want to win, but you want your partner to take 2nd. In a draw event, in order for either of you to do well, you will have to work together. Learn how to talk to people and speak up if you aren't happy with what is going. For example, "Hey, we've been here for 2 hours and haven't gotten a sniff, what say we check out something else or at least move shallower/deeper".

Get out and find your own fish. PRACTICE out of a canoe, kayak, jet ski, whatever you can find but PRACTICE... Also at the pre-tournament meeting don't lie about what you've got or don't got. Speak the truth (BUT DON'T GIVE AWAY THE RANCH), so that your partner nows how to rig the night before.

I've fished club tournaments for 7 years and have qualified for the NYSBCF Club Team Event every year but my first. The past two years I've done it as a non-boater and was club's non-boater of the year both years. I've fished boater on the NYSBCF for 5 years and this year I went non-boater (won Non-Boater of the Year on the Fed). Guess which year I qualified for the NYSBCF Divisional Team??

NON-BOATER IS ONLY A DISADVANTAGE IF YOU LET IT BE!!

cus