Coangler Tips for Pro-Am Draw Tournaments

[CuradoKev]

All,

I put together a list of tips for other coanglers based on my own experiences fishing the BFL the last 3 years and boater friends of mine. I don't own a boat so I will always be a coangler  I'm always answering this question so its easier to have it one MS word document. This should give coanglers a good start on information:

COMMUNICATE - A lot of problems can be ironed out with a question. Like after the boater misses a fish "Do you mind if I throw in there??. I've offered my baits up first thing in the morning; by saying "If you need anything just ask?. This lets the boater know that you are willing to exchange baits. Then if the boater kicks your butt, the boater may be more willing to lend you their baits When in doubt about a cast or anything else - JUST ASK!!!

Be on Time ? During the pairings meeting, give the boater your cell phone number, lodging information and ask the boater what techniques they?ve been using. I have contact cards listing my name, email and cell phone number to give the boater. On tournament morning, arrive ten minutes earlier than what the boater said. Sometimes I?ll even call them when I get there to get an idea how long they?ll be. Personally, I?m never relaxed until we are both sitting in the boat after boat check. After boat check is a great time to discuss some of things presented below.

Gas Money - Offer gas money even if the boater is a jerk, it's just want you do. Twenty dollars is an old rule that should be abandoned. I start with forty dollars in small bills, a twenty, ten and two fives. This allows the boater to give money back to you without having to make change. In the BFL Michigan Division, the runs are long so forty dollars is a starting point but I bring fifty dollars. Some pros give it all back and some give ten dollars back. The amazing thing are the coanglers today that still offer nothing, it just boggles my mind.

Licenses - Have all the required licenses for your navigable waters. There are a few coanglers in our division that don't buy Canadian licenses. Don't put your boater in the situation to tell you to sit down the whole time because they will be in Canadian waters. Boaters don?t like to do that, but they have to be able to fish the spots they found in practice.

Tackle and Rain Gear - Bring no more than five rods and one tackle bag. I bring a big tackle bag from Cabelas that holds twelve trays. I've seen some coanglers bring the bag I have plus three other bags of tackle. There is no need for all of that extra tackle. Also, bring your own life jacket and rain gear. You want to make sure the life jacket you have fits and it is a quality jacket. I don?t want to be dependent on the boater?s jacket when I?m bobbing around in the middle of Erie. I only bring 2 bottles of water and beef jerky for lunch. You are there to fish and win, not eat a buffet.

Treat the boat like it is your own - I've been yelled at twice for being too clean this year I'm always picking up old plastic lures and putting them in my trash bag. Pretend that the boat is yours and treat it that way. Mistakes happen like putting a hook in a seat, if you do put a hook in the seat tell the boater after the tourney. You do NOT want to distract the boater?s focus during the tournament so wait until later.

Keeper of the Fish ? Check with the boater in the morning, do not make my mistake. Since I'm a coangler, I always take the responsibility of keeping the fish alive. This year being my 3rd year in the BFL, I had a boater take exception to me checking on his fish. It never occurred to me to ask the boater first. It's expected by all my weekly boater friends, so I never asked before. So ask about the boater?s fish before you assume (like I did) it?s your responsibility. When in doubt, don?t check the boater?s fish.

Lure Breakoff - There are times were you will have to break off a lure, so don?t throw anything you can?t break off. For the simple fact, if you get hung up you should NOT expect the boater to screw up his area because of your bad throw.

Leaving Spots ? Be Ready!! ? Tell the boater ?Let me know three casts before you are ready to leave, please? so that you are ALL READY to go when the boater sits down. The boater should not have to wait for you. I?ll ask the boater before I have to do a long rigging job like a dropshot rig or respooling a reel ?Are you staying here for a few minutes?? This helps me decide on my next move.

Handheld GPS Etiquette - Bring a handheld GPS so that you have spots IF your boater asks you. I?ve been in situations on LSC/Erie were I?ll be asked if I have areas and it comes in handy. Also, I?ve been in the middle of Erie when my boater?s GPS goes out. DO NOT HAVE YOUR GPS ON unless your boater knows you are turning it on. It?s called courtesy and trust on your part. If in doubt, ask the boater during the pairings meeting before bringing the GPS on the boat.

Tobacco Products and Drinks - Any use of tobacco products should be cleared by the boater, keep your spit and ashes over the boat. Plus, keep coffee out of the boat or any other staining drink. Drinks should be sealed ie. No cans.

Talking during tourney time ? I talk more than most, but keep your mouth shut once the tourney starts unless it pertains to netting, casting or keeping the fish alive. Especially until the boater gets their first fish in the boat. Everybody is more relaxed and jovial when limits are in the boat.

Bed Fishing ? Let the boater fish their bedded fish. You need to fish for other prespawn or postspawn fish by using techniques that cover the area. If you are near the deep water break, then senkos or other finesse techniques work well. Do not sit down in protest and whine, focus hard and keep fishing.

Guided Trip? ? No its not !! The boater is not your guide and your fishing against all the other coanglers. So do your best and keep focused. It?s a draw event and you have to adapt to the draw. Remember if you don?t like it, then pay more money and fish the boater side.

Pay attention to the boater in the first hour ? You get a good idea of how good they are at flipping stumps for example quickly. If they miss some, then pitch to them and hit the targets the boater misses. If they are really good (vacuum sweeper) and cover all the targets, then switch to finesse and fish your strengths. I?ve had situations were the boater has the right bait but moves so fast, it allows me to hit targets the boater was missing. This allowed me to catch fish with the same bait the boater was using.

Focus, Focus and Fish your Confidence Baits ? We are hear this clich? all the time ? NEVER GIVE UP! ? But it?s true and if you fish for points, every bite counts. The fishing game is all mental so try and stay mentally fresh on the water at all times.

I hope these tips help you out and above all, have fun!!!

Feel free to email me at: curadokev at yahoo dot com

Best Regards and Happy Fishing,
Ckev

[Skip Johnson]

You hit the tips right on the money but heres what you didnt add.

whan a boater has a courtious co angler the boater feels better about helping the co angler bring fish to the scale or grabbing an expensive lure from a snag.

If I miss a fish the co angler should not throw or ask to throw on a missed fish until its obvious that Im done or I say to throw there even if that fish is towards the back of the boat, I will always follow up on a fish I located!!!
When I have an overley aggressive co angler pick off a fish while Im re rigging my bait I dont have a problem keeping him out of position for the rest of the day.

Also at partner pairing you might want to tell the boater you have spots gps'd or ask him if you should bring it cuz on the big lakes you CANT get onto my boat with one even if you say its off!

[CuradoKev]

Good stuff 

There is no doubt I'll miss some of the finer points since we all have horror stories both good and bad on some of the topics.

I probably could have gone into more detail on some topics. I tried to relay that communication is the key and hopefully in your followup fish scenario, the coangler would ask.

Thanks Ckev

[Skip Johnson]

ckev you realy did do a good job and you did cover the points I brought up for the most part, its tempting to just print it and give it to my co's at pairing but I dont think I actualy will.

would you believe I had a guy actualy pour orange juice down my floor drain this year in my skeeter:o

[CuradoKev]

LOL - I've heard some crazy stories..

If you gave this to a coangler at the pirings meeting, he would probably freak out.

I would only do it AFTER they tell you - I don't have canadian license    Then I would give it to them 

Ckev

[Revtro]

Another note I'd add would have to do with scents.  I know many guys (myself included) who prefer co-anglers not bring scents onto the boat.  While some co-anglers are careful, many more are not and make a huge mess on the boat. 

Another note:  Don't hit my boat or motor cowling when you're casting!!!  I hate it when careless co-anglers smack leadheads into my cowling and chip the paint or worse, hit the getcoat and chip it.  That's almost as bad as hooking the seats.

Last note:  Don't grab the windshields for balance.  They can't handle the weight and will crack under the pressure.  I tell every co-angler this as soon as he gets on board.

Good tips Kev.  I read a great article in the ABA mag last year that said many of the same things.  I especially liked what you said about gas costs.  Co-anglers seem to forget that you have to tow your boat as well.  And oil ain't free either.  $20 is like nothing...especially on big water.  I always come with at least $40 when I fish as a non-boater and will sometimes offer more if fishing St. Clair and the boater ends up running a lot. 

Oh... I just thought of another one... Give the boater the $$ up front.  Boaters hate having to ask for gas $ at the end of the day... especially if they failed to get their co-anglers on fish.  Don't make your boater ask for the dough.

[MBell]

Another note I'd add would have to do with scents.  I know many guys (myself included) who prefer co-anglers not bring scents onto the boat. 

C'mon I get the no spike-it rule but scents.  What's next, no fish!  Your boat though, so you make the rules but that may be over stepping you bounds to ask a co-angler not to use scent at all.  Not trying to be mean just my opinion. 
-Matt

[Skip Johnson]

Actualy I kinda gotta agree about scents I have had a co angler put a bit on the edge of the boat so they could roll theyre bait in it also ive seen too much spray into the wind and watch it blow right into the boat, thats stuff I wouldnt do to my own boat so why should I have to allow someone else to, Id rather have the orange juice in my bilge!
gotta agree about the cowling chips too cuz sorry doesnt fix the chip and I have never had a co angler tell me he would pay to have it fixed! accidents do happen but I have had guys do it more than once per trip and I do get pretty wound up by the third time.

[canvsbk]

You guys are killin' me with this one
I'm trying to be nice here, not a smart alick.

If a co angler isn't happy with his ride the normal response I see is a suggestion for him to buy his own boat. A reasonable thing I guess.   
The stories always shown here and else where are about the co angler. Believe me the stories from co anglers I hear can also be quite entertaining. (I do kinda like the OJ in the bilge story )
My question to the boaters would be - if the co anglers are such slobish jerks why do you continue to fish draw tournaments?
I've had co anglers tell me their boater demanded they stop fishing for the day as soon as they got their limit. The tales of boaters with out a clue are endless. A boater with no net in the middle of Burt angrily asked the back seater why HE didn't bring one. I know a guy who never drew a BFL boater that caught a fish last year. What should he demand??
I just don't think demands and ultimatums are the way to carry on any kind of relationship - in or out of a boat.
I'm around guys who have fished with some of you and all the rest of the big guns over there, in almost every case they say good things about the day. But not always.
I am neither boater nor co angler - (I choose to pick my own misery) but I always find your stories quite entertaining. I'm old enough to remember a kid named Kevin that belonged to the Kalamazoo Outcasts that nobody wanted to draw as a co angler 'cause he always beat his boater. (The kid flat owned Gull Lake.)
And then there was the old timer in a Redman tournament on Eire I had as a boater. He told me he wished he'ld brought his bible along. I asked why and he said in the time it took me to get that fish in the boat he could have read all of Psalms!
Have a nice holiday folks.

[Jmcfarland]

 I guess this is why ive never really pursued draw tournaments as a co-angler at a higher level As a group it sounds like were buttheads.

[MBell]

Don't let these threads scare you.  Of the 10 or so FLW events I've fished as a boater 9 of the co-anglers were great.  The one guy just had no personality which made for a long day.  The rest were great, because they were there to have fun as well as compete.
-Matt

[Skip Johnson]

In 29 years of fishing draw tournaments I have only drawn a couple jerks the fact is Ive drawn alot of great guys, the point is alot of guys even some of the nicest guys jump onto a $45.000 boat that a guy spends his last dollors on and time polishing and dont realise that spray scents have oil in them and couse dirt to stick to the carpet cigeretts burn the carpet and chips in the cowling look awfull and lower the value of the boat!

All of my boats have shown more wear in the back than the front and the front gets 5 times more use, I know a couple guys on here who can vouch for me that my pedastal base got wasted from a 300 lb plus co angler last year and a 3 inch slice on the back of my seat from a tackle box.

I used to fish team tournaments but I like fishing for my own fish so I have to fish draw tournaments.

I didnt post on this thread to bag on co anglers, I wish there were more co anglers willing to put up with fishing out of the back of the boat I know from personel experience that fishing as a co angler can be difficult and frustrating too but at the end of the day the co angler doesnt have to tally up dollors worth of damage!

[djkimmel]

I still think the day will go better in the long run if a thorough discussion is held, preferably the evening before, about the following day's plan and expectation. I do not, however, believe it is a one way street. It can't be.

I prefer to try to approach it somewhat like a team to a certain degree. If I don't cover something the night before, it is only because I forgot. I also listen because as a boater, I dictate the fishing locations and pace of the day as I want to (depends on how it is going for me in the end as I'm sure it is for some of you), but I'm not the 'boss' telling the co-angler what to do and when to do it in all aspects.

I really like Curado Kev's write up and he has given me permission to post it as a resource article which I will do. The topic is one of the top ten among the things I get asked most often.

How about someone tackling this from the other direction - from the co-angler's perspective? Done right, it could only add to the issue, possibly improving things for everyone. Anyone up to the challenge?

[Durand Dan]

I fished quite a bit as a Co-angler in the BFL and Everstart series. I did this to learn new techniques and new water for a resonable price. When I drew the boater I was going to be paired with the first thing I did was give him an envelope with my name, hotel and cell phone written on the outside and gas money inside. After that the boater would sometimes discuss the tatics for the next day. However this varies from person to person. I've fished with some that would give no info what so ever. And I found in some instances that they didn't have any to give. There are boat owners and fishermen and they are not the same in many cases. My best experiences have been fishing in the southern states. Most of the guys were very helpful. Some of the bad times include being left with water 20 to 50 deep as the boater completely cuts you off and being on the back of a boat which has the trolling motor at 100% all day long. My only answer to this is Carolinia rig. I realize the the boater pays a larger entry fee and  wants to win back some cash. I would just ask that the Boat owner be a little considerate of the co-angler. Although he spend less it might be because thats all he can afford. And he would also like a chance to make some money.

Since my experiences I have quit fishing as a co-angler. But it was educational and I never gave up any of the boaters spots. I did on one occation have a boater that went directly to the area were I had fished the day before with someone else. I was worried I would be accused of giving up that information. I told the guy at the end of the day just so there would be no backlash.

[Revtro]

Perhaps I should clarify regarding the scent issue, since it was brought up.  I tell guys that I'm ok with MegaStrike, since I use it myself and it doesn't make any kind of mess.  I even offer to share it with them.  My main concern is the spray types which get everywhere and can damage the plastic screens on your electronics and the liquid types that can spill.  If it's a paste, gel, or some other kind of less messy product, I'll usually just ask the guy to use it over the side of the boat and as long as he honors that and is careful, I don't have a problem.  If that's "over the line"...  then I'd have to defer to a previous statement which I completely agree with.. "it's my boat".  However, to illustrate that I'm not meaning to get in anyone's face about this, (truly I'm not) let me say the following to clarify.

When I have co-anglers on my boat, I always offer them to come fish with me in the front.  I share spots with them.  I never back-end them.  Recently, while catching keepers and upgrading my limit using Senkos, I offered some of my lures and even hooks to my co-angler to help him out so he could bag a decent limit as well (which he did).  Once, during a tournament I fought the wind all day which put my co-angler in the best casting position, and me in a bad position.  But not once did I leave a spot where he was catching them because I was angry about it.  In fact, when I asked him to run the trolling motor, he was the one who refused.  On most occasions, I treat draw tournaments more like team tournaments and really try to help my co-angler and work together as a team, never imposing my will unless he is a jerk. I really try to make conversation during the day to make the other guy fell welcome.  I help him net his fish.  I help him keep an eye on his fish in the livewell.  So again, if asking for a co-angler to treat my property with some respect (even though he may think it's too much), I think it's neither over the line or too much to ask for in light of how hard I try to treat the co-angler like I would like to be treated if I were in his place.  After all, whether anyone agrees with me or not, it's my boat...therefore my rules.  And personally, considering how few things I ask of a non-boater to be aware of, I don't think I'm all that unreasonable.

But I do agree that this conversation shouldn't scare people away from draw tournaments.  These complaints that boaters are registering are from comparatively VERY FEW incidences.  Most of the time, guys that have fished on my boat have been great and there were absolutely no problems at all.  This thread is only meant to address POTENTIAL problems with those few inconsiderate types out there who just don't understand things from the boaters point of view...that's all.  None of this is meant to bash non-boaters in general.  In fact, it's quite the opposite if you think about it.  Most co-anglers are great guys, so if we can help educate them a little about the feelings of the boaters, things will only be that much better.  And I agree that it goes both ways.  I am VERY interested to hear the opinions of non-boaters about they way they would like to be treated when in a tourney.  I really do want to do my best to treat them right, give them a great day on the water, and help them do well.  I'm not interested in laying a bunch of rules on them... just having a good time doing what we all love to do. 

PS.  Dan, I'm sending you that ABA article I mentioned.  It covers this stuff from both the boater and non-boater perspective and has really helped me treat non-boaters with greater respect and consideration.  It's a great read. 

[josh617]

In my experiences as a co-angler, i ve had very little problems with my boaters, most go out of their way to help their co's out, others not so much but as a co you just need to feel your boater out like kevin said. some guys are easy-going and talk non-stop while with other people they may say like 2 words all day. i myself is usually pretty quite until i get my first fish in the boat, but it has nothing to do with the boater, it just has to do with me trying to figure out how to catch behind my boater. i usually carry a medium sized bag containing 6 3700s and i limit myself to what i can stuff into it, and limit myself to 5 or 6 rods which seems like a lot but a coangler never knows what their boater is going to do. all that i ask is to be around fish and to get back on time.

[Jmcfarland]

Im not really scared to go try it guys. I am still a newbie at this whole tournament thing and I really could have used some of these tips when I first started fishing with other guys. I know for a fact I have hit one guys motor cowling with a jerkbait. It was an accident but honestly could have been avoided by me if I had been paying attention. The guys I have fished with have always said I did fine but I will definately keep all these tips in mind. Great thread keep up the good work guys.

[stackenem]

Being that I have only fished as a co in 3 tx here is my input The 1st one I was in I was pretty much backseated for the whole day. We were fishing bedded smallmouth and everytime the boater found the beds he turned the boat so I was stuck out in the deep water with no way to get to the fish. This went on all day the one time I spotted beds that he missed I ask to fish them and he ran to the middle of the lake to rerig. He ended up catching 14 or so fish and I ended up with one LM for the day. I almost quit fishing as a co right there. The next 2 were excellent one on St Clair with fishon who is an EXCELLENT person to fish with. He put us on fish and actually stayed in one area till I had my limit even tho he already had his. He even put up with the bad spinner bait( remember that Kev). The 3rd one was in the TBF on the grand river Where Jon J. Who qualifed in Osh Kosh was my boater and was awesome he helped me greatly with trying to get me on fish He was hammering them but kept trying to get me on them also right down to giving me baits and showing me how to rig them. He did not quit trying all day. 71/2 hours into the tx I still did not have a fish in the boat and he was still trying to get me on fish and in the last 25 minutes he finally got me on enough fish to take 6 th place. So as a co angler that is my story. Some boaters are good and some aren't. Being the owner of a new boat even while fishing as a co. I try to treat everyones boat as I would like mine treated. I always ask about smoking, which I do, and have not been refused yet but I don't stand there with the long ash hanging off the end ready to fall in the boat I don't do that in mine why would I do it in someone elses. I'm just fishing to have a good time winning some cash back is great but the friendships made are what really count.

[Skip Johnson]

I treat my co's the same as revtro its more of a team day and I do get beat by the guys fishing the back of my boat sometimes so it must not be all that bad, I have made alot of friends fishing with co anglers.

Fishing beds is a bit tricky to keep the co angler happy but the best advise I can give the co angler when bed fishing is fish hard and cover ground with a different bait cuz the boater doesnt catch every fish or see every bed and where theres one bed often theres another close by, some fish bed in 6 to 10 ft and the boater rarely sees them in most lakes and quite often there pigs.

[LUMBERLEO]

     I have been on both sides of the fence.

    I had the worst boater possible.  First of all I do have a boat and fish co-angler because I don't have the time to prefish during the week.  I drew a boater one time who at the meeting said I'm so and so meet me at this time and walked away.  I was like whatever so he is not a talkative guy.  We get on the lake and we are pitching docks and he is rubbing right up against them and I mean touching them.  I have fished a bunch of co-angler txs and I don't expect it to be 50/50 I try and be adaptable but I couldn't even cast.  Oh yeah,  I was out 1 vacation day 3 hours driving and gas, 2 Nights in a hotel, food and I even gave the guy gas money.  Never even had a bite.  

     I was also the worst co-angler ever once.  To start off I step the only spot of clay on the bank and step right on the guys brand new carpet.  OUCH that stuff is hard to get out.  I feel terrible so we go on about the day.  I precede to smash my rattle trap up against his Motor.  Now I feel like a complete idiot. Of course I apologized but then not 5 minutes latter I do it again.  I can only imagine how red I am at this point.  I switch to a pitching technique so there is no way hit the motor and then being to careful leave to much slack and hook his seat.  Worst day ever I hope I draw the guy again to show him that it doesn't usually go like that.  

Those our my stories and every other time has been great.  I even drew a guy one time that was none to be real tough on co-anglers and by communicating and telling him I would help him in any way I can, we both had a great day.               Scott