A few months back, many of you read a post I wrote on co-anglers, which spurred some spirited debate on both sides. With the 2015 season coming upon us, Id like to address some additional co-angler issues once again, and hopefully, it will make your experience in the back of the boat more productive and rewarding. Remember, that your co-angler experience is what you make it. Over the past 30 years, Ive fished with over 1000 co-anglers, so Ive got a pretty good idea what they go through mentally and emotionally during a day of competition. The biggest thing that will give a co-angler a bad attitude about their pro, is when they fail to accept the pattern a pro has chosen for the day. A prime example would be when a pro chooses to parallel a bank tight, with a moving bait. Any good angler knows, that in order to generate the strike, this is the angle you have to approach it. You cant do this with a 45 degree angle and expect to catch much. When a pro is on this type of pattern or any other pattern that is a tough angle for the co-angler, that is when you see how an individual in the back of the boat makes the best of the situation, or chooses to complain. Some co-anglers with a negative mindset will immediately label their pro as a jerk.....and may even want to consider protesting their pro for not giving them prime water..... while the co-anglers with a positive mindset will realize their pro is doing what they have to do, and make the most out of what they have to fish. It doesnt matter what your pro wants to do. If you catch a fish out of the back of the boat, and clues him on to a new angle....hampering you as a result.....that is just part of the game. Like my retired U.S. Army Ranger buddy says....adapt and overcome. If you experience a bank paralleling situation, dont complain, but make the most of it. Cast directly out the back of the boat. You have a ton of water to fish, and your angle is the same as your pros, just from a different direction. Ive seen this work many times. I was fishing riprap one time in Alabama, and I was a couple feet off the bank, making long, parallel casts. I told my co-angler to cast behind the boat, and if he got hung up....no problem, Id go back. He did, and wound up catching a limit bigger than mine that day, and Ive seen this over and over. Same if you are fishing in any tight spot. There is always water to fish. It might not be the water you want to fish, or the angle, but there is always something. The key is to use your creativity, experiment with the water you DO have available to fish, and dont let yourself get frustrated if your pro is not fishing how YOU would like him to fish. Over the years, Ive had a ton of great experiences with my co-anglers, and have made many lifetime friendships with them. Like all other long-time pros, Ive also had a couple times when my co-anglers attitude kept them frustrated and disappointed with the day in the back of my boat.....again, its all about attitude. Heres a few tips Id like to leave you with, to make your experience better next year..... 1. Accept your pros pattern for the day....even if it makes the day tough for you. Do your best to adapt. 2. Fish the water YOU have to fish, and quit focusing on the fact that your pro is not giving you the best water. 3. Learn from your pro. Pay attention to what is generating strikes for him, and try to duplicate it with your own twist in your water. I always pay attention to my co-angler is doing. If I see him catching fish on a certain color or bait, certainly that is going to get my attention. 4. Ask your pro for advice on how you can catch the fish better behind you, given the techniques you are fishing. 5. Realize most pros are out there to pay mortgages and support their families. That is their priority....not positioning you to catch more fish out of the back of the boat....this reality needs to be respected the same if you were in the front of the boat in that position. 6. Drop the attitude that you cant learn from your pro, or you may be a better angler than your pro. You may well be a more skilled angler than your pro, but you have chosen to enter as a co-angler, not as a pro. My good buddy and 2012 BASS AOY Brent Chapman told me a couple months ago, he would like to fish as a co-angler on some FLW events, just to learn from some other people. If Brent can still learn from the back of the boat, Im sure any of us can too. 7. If you go into each with the mindset of being a professional co-angler, and the only value you place on the event is how your finish, you will be in for a big letdown over the course of the season. However, if you have the attitude that you are there to learn and have fun, then regardless of the pattern your pro is on, your experience will be educational and rewarding. Best of luck to all!
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 15:12:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015