Co-angler Tournament Strategies

[CarlWBL]

I'm thinking about fishing a few circuits as a co-angler this upcoming season, and I'm curious what pros and co-anglers alike recommend for co-angler tournament strategies. For example, lure selection, bait placement, and other things that will help a co-angler be as successful as possible when competing against other co-anglers in other boats.

Thanks

Carl

[ikeslayer]

hey carl {Note from admin- sorry links removed,} cut and paste is legal though---

Most of what you see on television or read in magazines about bass fishing is focused on the guy standing on the front deck. You can log on to BassFan.com and read about the exploits of pros and how they overcame the thrashing waves of Erie or picked apart the endless miles of Toho grass to commandeer a win, but you never hear much about the guy who made it happen from the opposite end of the boat: the co-angler.

The life of a co-angler is a not-so-glamorous one. They work the same hours and endure the same conditions as their front-end counterparts. And on top of that they're shouldered with the unenviable task of trying to pluck a bass from behind the equivalent of a human seine fishing at the front of the boat. But most back-of-the-boaters will tell you that the experience of fishing as a co-angler is a learning experience like none other, and that's what keeps them coming back.

Jess Caraballo started competing as a co-angler in the EverStart Series (now named the Stren Series) in 2003. The Danbury, Conn. angler worked his way to the front of the boat as a Stren professional in 2005. A year later he joined the ranks as an FLW Tour co-angler. And in 2007 he earned the title of the FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year (CAOY).

Caraballo's gained a wealth of information from his years next to the outboard. He's learned where to go and what to throw, but more importantly, he's learned the virtues of dogged preparation and proper co-angler etiquette.

Prep Like a Pro

Caraballo doesn't just show up and expect to leech off his pro's knowledge. He goes to the lake to practice ahead of time, just like the pros do.

"I always like to have an idea of how the lake is going to fish beforehand," he said. "You can show up and get an idea from listening to what people are saying, but there's nothing like actually being out there and seeing the lake and how it fishes."

He said you can perform recon from your own rig, or you can do like he does and hook up with a pro fishing the event. Obviously, if you're a newcomer to the co-angler game you won't have the connections to ring up a pro for some pre-fishing, but he said if you're willing to be patient and stick with it, that'll come.

"One of the best ways to network is just from your draws in tournaments," he noted. "I do a lot of pre-fishing with Gabe Bolivar, and that's how we met. We hit it off on the water and after the day was over I said, 'Hey, if you're ever looking for somebody to do a little pre-fishing with, let me know.' Since then we've become good friends and anytime I'm at an event we'll practice together."

But no matter how much time you put in on the water before the event, as a co-angler, you're always at the mercy of your pro and how he wants to fish. That's why Caraballo said it's important to talk to your pro the night before to at least get an idea of he plans to fish. This is where exercising a little etiquette and courtesy can go a long way.

"When I talk to my pro the night before I don't grill him about the specifics of his pattern," he said. "Word travels fast in these tournaments, and you can't expect a pro to just tell you every little detail about how he's fishing.

"All you really need are the high points of how he's fishing. Ask him if he's shallow or deep. Is he fishing timber or grass? Is he fishing points or creeks?

"Even if the pro tells me exactly how he's been fishing, I try not to think about it too much," he added. "I've learned not to try and duplicate what my pro is doing. I just want to know the basic pattern, that way I can fish it the way I want to fish it with baits I have confidence in. Just because your pro tells you he's been catching 100 fish a day on a jig doesn't mean you should automatically throw a jig. Evaluate the area and figure out how you would fish it if it were you up there running the trolling motor."

The Imaginary Line

The quickest way to get on a pro's bad side is to start casting to the front of the boat. Of course, depending on how you're fishing and how fast the boat is moving, there's a lot of gray area as to how far forward a co-angler should cast. Caraballo said just use some common sense and a little courtesy, and you'll be fine.

"I see a lot of co-anglers who go out there and they have a mindset as if they're competing with the pro," he said. "They'll cast up to the front of the boat and try to hit targets that the pro hasn't even made a cast at yet. That's really the wrong attitude to take in as a co-angler.

"I want to go out there and win and go home with a check, but the main reason I'm out there is for the learning experience," he added. "When I pay my entry fee as a co-angler, I look at it as if I'm paying for the knowledge I'm going to learn from my pros. It's almost like a guided trip, but you have the opportunity to win some money."

About not interfering with the pro's presentation, he said: "A lot of guys get caught up in the idea of trying to fish new water at the front boat. They get so wrapped up in which spots the pro is hitting and trying to put a cast in front of him. If you'll slow down and just pay attention to what the pro is doing, you'll notice little areas that he missed or left open, and you can hit those without having to mess him up.

"I never cast in front of a pro unless they specifically tell me too," he noted. "For example, I was fishing with Chris Baumgardner at Wheeler and he was fishing chatterbaits down a bluff bank. We were moving pretty fast and he said, 'You better go ahead and cast in front of me or you won't be able to fish.' In a situation like that, it's alright. But otherwise, you're better off if you just slow down and try to pick the spots the pro missed.

"And once the pro realizes that you're not going to try and jump ahead of him, they'll usually loosen up a bit and position the boat in a way that gives you some better angles. A little courtesy will definitely go a long way."

Notable

About his approach to netting fish, he said: "A lot of guys freak out and worry about knocking a pro's fish off. I take my netting personally, and I just treat that fish as if it were my own. You can't be timid when you're netting a fish, you have to go get them. I've only knocked one fish off in all the years I've been doing this. As soon as I see a pro step back to set the hook, I'm going for the net. Some pros will tell you that they'll just net their own fish, but otherwise, I'm ready to go as soon as they set the hook."

[CarlWBL]

Thanks.

[ikeslayer]

wow your quick

[Bass Whacker]

when I'm sitting in the back of the boat like what was said in ikeslayers post look for those little things the the pros ignore like when your fishing a dock alot of times people consentrate on the end of the docks I will throw shallow almost to shore on the dock. Also i like to look for a completely different presentation if they are throwing jigs on a deep weed line i always pull out a crank bait and try to get on those more active fish that the guy in the front isnt targeting.

[CarlWBL]

To anyone:

If the pro is front ending you, would you say something politely to him, or just let it go?

[Bass Whacker]

If you cant fish I know I would say something but make sure your polite about it and most guys are pretty understanding will do what they can. And if it persists dont give as much for gas money.

[lookincalifornia]

just bounce a spinnerbait off his outboard!

[Ray Esboldt]

Aren't most of the local Pro/Am style events constructed so that both anglers fish as a team. I wouldn't worry about getting "front-ended" under that scenario. Who cares who catches the fish.

[CarlWBL]

The circuits such as MFBA and the Weekend Series are co-angler vs co-angler, pro vs pro. These are the ones I'm looking at. If it was a pro/am event, it would be dumb to not help out the back of the boat.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Carl_WBL, in events like you are saying, you should have control over the boat for your 4 hours. When fishing some structures or covers, you cant help but "back boat" the guy in the back. Its not like the person is doing it to hose you out of fish... Wind or just the area fishing make it impossible to give both anglers a 50/50 cast at the area... But as stated, you should have control over the boat for your half.!

[TB Basser]

Most guys are great and don't back boat you. But there are exceptions. Years ago I was fishing in the US Invitational on Tonka. Had two great, big time stick's the first two day

and sat in 13th place going into day three. They paid top ten

on the co-anglers side. I pulled a not to be named pro on the

third day who was in 115th place on the pro side and completely

out on the running. He back boated me all day and then with a

1/2 hour left in the day went out to the middle on the big lake,

started putting his equipment away and says there you go, you

have a 1/2 hour. I was so angry I could have strangled him. Biggest jerk I ever met. I fished a number of Pro/Am's for a number of years starting back when the Silverado first started

out and that was my only bad experience locally. My point is it does happen but for the most part it is a great learning experience and a lot of fun.

[Cecil]

You don't get any "front-end" time in the Weekend Series tournaments. You're not even allowed on the front deck other than to net or fight a fish. I wouldn't say anything unless something is said to you, for some of the pros they don't have enough control over the boat to even back boat a co-angler. They just aren't experienced enough. Pro's have paid many thousands of dollars to fish these tournaments and they have the right to the fish first. If you have NO shot at the fish, then I can see your point. But, there is no reason that you shouldn't be able to get some casts in. I would be leary of the Weekend Series simply because they are on the rivers and that is a lot of shallow water fishing and makes it that much more difficult as a co-angler. There will be a lot to learn though as most of these guys have a lot of experience on these rivers. Giving the Pro less gas money will burn A LOT of bridges that you may need further in your career. Don't be that guy!

[mamohr686]

It really depends on the time of the year your going to fish. I fished an FLW everstart event on the mississippi a few years back and had a terrible experience as a non-boater. It was the spawn period on the river and the fish were basically on the bank. The pro put his boat about 6 inches from the bank and casted the bait off of the nose of the boat. I had the choice of casting behind the motor in the stirred up bottom, or the deep water on the other side of the boat. He used the excuse that he wanted to keep his bait in the strike zone. I did make the mistake of casting over the imaginary line that went halfway through the boat, and he did request that I didn't do it anymore so our lines would't get tangled. He didn't know that about 4 ft off of the bank, was the underwater break-off and timber that held the fish. He should've caught on when he rammed his Trolling motor into a few of them, but he was too concerned with protecting his water. I only caught 2 12" fish and 3 or 4 short fish in the 2 day period before the cut-off. The pro Jim Short didn't even catch a limit both days. I wasn't exactly a great bass fisherman at the time, but I could've easily caught a limit burning a spinnerbait down the bank and made the cut (with the no-cull rule weights are usually low on the river). I was being a jerk and when he started fishing a long and narrow submerged island. I casted over the island and fished my spinnerbait through about 3-4 ft of untoched water before I had to drag it over dry land to the boat. If I got hung up he wouldn't go over my bait so I could free it, and told me to cut my line. He was also kinda ticked at me when I didn't aggressively net his first fish. He had a 2 lb fish by the boat and gave it some slack right before I was going to net it. The fish made a last run and cranked the outside of the boat. It's a miracle that it didn't get knocked off, but I didn't have to worry about netting any more of his fish after that (per his request).

If I had to do it over again I would've fished the deep water very slowly by deadsticking a senko or similar lure, hoping to pull it over a bed.

At the end of the day I helped him wipe down his boat, and I didn't offer to help with the gas.

The above article is very good. I pretty much was hoping to compete and take home some money, rather than learn some new techniques. I did everything wrong, and it turned out to be a bad experience. If you want to take home money, then fish some local or team tournaments. If you want to fish as a co-angler with the big boys, go with the attitude of paying money to observe, learn something new, and hopefully catch a few fish.

[Ray Esboldt]

I see. I was under the impression those worked the same as the help each other events.

I don't think it would be all that much fun being just a net man in the back. I would rather pay for a guided day of fishing with someone.

[bryguy247]

Carl that was a great question. I signed up as co-angler for the weekend series, and was kinda nervous about it. You never how it will turn out. Everybody had great info to share! Thanks

How many poles/tackle should a co-angler bring, you always want enough, but I don't wanna get in anyones way either?

[bigsmallie]

Carl, I have done the pro side of circuits for a few years. It is not split 4 hours for each person, that is more of a bass club format. That said, the pro has put many hours into prefishing, hotels, gas etc. and he is going to run the show. Unless the format is combined weight, than you will get front boated all day. But being a co-angler, your all in the same position. What I would recommend, is fish slow behind your pro. Senko's, tubes, etc.....just fish slow. Just do the opposite of your pro, unless he's really nailin them and there's plenty of fish. Most pro's know where to throw, due to prefishing, so watch where he hits the water, and you hit the in between area's. Last of all, remember that he has put in the time to find the fish, has the boat, and has done all his homework, good or bad. Try and learn as much as you can, and don't bad mouth him or short him on the gas, even if he is a jerk. You may someday be in his position. Good luck to ya!

[st.crioxfishin]

I had a great experience fishing as a co-angler on the silverado tour last year. I learned some new things and had a good time. However, not being able to control my own destiny will force me to try and fish some money tournaments on the pro side this year. This may sound bad, but I compare fishing as a co-anlger to the lottery, you may win or you may lose and most of the time you don't have much control over it.

If your fishing as a co-angler for gaining knowledge, then I think its a great idea. Most of the pros are very knowledgible and for the most part their great guys too. I may not succeed switching to the pro side, heck... I may totally stink it up, but I at least want to have control over what I do on the water if I invest hundreds of dollars into entry fees...

[mamohr686]

Most pros will keep one open compartment in their boat for your stuff, and expect all your rods and gear be kept out of the way. On some smaller tounament events the pro may only have a smaller boat. Out of courtesy, I would never bring more than 5 rods so they could all be strapped into the rod saver or organizer on the passenger side. Do not leave open tackle boxes laying around, or take so much gear that you can't put it all in a single compartment or under your feet. If your gear blocks the center by the console(s) you may have a hard time getting to the net.

[Bass Whacker]

yeah dont take my less gas money advice sometimes i forget sarcasim dosnt translate over the computer well. you just have to make the most of it and remember people never catch every fish thats how i like to think theres always some left there for ya

[Cecil]

If you are going into a pro-am tournament as an am to win money or think you are better than a pro and think you should run the boat then you are in them for the wrong reason for sure. Just pay attention and have fun. Even if you have a pro that you think you are better than, you can always learn something from them.

[riverrat63]

i love fishing tournaments as a co angler, i fish the weekend series and the bfl on the wis side i have never had a problem the last 3 years i have been fishing it every pro i have fishet with were nothing but nice, how i got started was hooket up with a guy from my club we fish all of them and i always have someone to get linket with becarful if u fish the bfl thay have a cut off date to linke with some one, when i fish tournaments bring as littal as posibal you dont have a lot of room to pile your fishing gear next to you i have 6 rods and by shimano back pack tackle box more then a nuff room to store stuff, for gas money when we get done fishing i always ask the pro how much he wants for gas i dont think thay have ever asket for more then 30 bucks, and i always let them have the first cast to any new spots just out of respect.

[CarlWBL]

I don't think I could ever skimp on gas money, just out of pure respect. I'm sure that the pros I fish with will be just fine, as I think most pros probably have fished as a co-angler a few times anyway. I'm trying to take small steps into tournament fishing...I started last year fishing in a BASS club and Fishers of Men tournaments. I wanted to get more tournament experience in this year, by that I mean more tournaments, so I thought I would get into a few events as a co-angler to try a few different circuits to see how they are ran and how the competition fairs. I also am trying to save a few bucks, as I do have access to boats, but the lower entry fee entices me. Also, my main goal these few years is to learn as many new lakes as possible. I haven't fished many of the tournament waters that are a bit outside of the cities, so I figure I should save a few bucks to learn these bodies of water better before I start being responsible for finding fish on my own. It's not always possible for me to find sufficient time for pre-fishing, so I hope that the guy I'm with may have some pre-fishing or prior lake knowledge that I can learn from.

Thanks for the continued responses and experiences.

Carl

[Cecil]

Carl,

Have you looked into the Silverado tournaments? These are pro-am team. Nice because the pro wants you to catch just as many fish as he does and the competition level is high. Entry fee is a little higher, but worth it. Also all in Minnesota on good lakes.

[CarlWBL]

Cecil,

I have looked into that circuit. A buddy of mine fished it last year. That might be an option, but not sure at this point, as I would have to sign up for the whole circuit and pay for it all, so not sure if it will fit into my schedule.