If you live long enough and you love fishing, you will go through periods where you get burnt out or yearn for something different. So went my tournament fishing year of 2008. The normal boat deals that were the mainstay of many a guide or tournament angler were not as plentiful in 2008. We would often work sport or boat shows for major boat and motor manufacturers in exchange for using the boat for the year, and selling at the end of our commitment agreement. Promotional arms of companies, money and promotional programs that went with those companies were cut deeply in the struggling economy. So in a nutshell, I found myself in a situation where I did not have a tournament boat for 2008. So I was faced with a situation. I wanted to fish competitively, but I did not have the boat to do it. I am used to being a “Boater” as opposed to a “Co-Angler.” Well, I figured when life serves you lemons, you may as well make lemonade! I decided to make it my goal to make the best of my fishing tournament year by trying to show (To myself.) that a proficient co-angler can make a difference. Well, that was what my head was saying. LOL! My heart wanted to fish! And I was going to learn how to do it out of the back of the boat, which was strange territory for me as of late. I made it my mission to learn to fish effectively in a situation where I was not in control. Maybe I would be using equipment or techniques that I am not used to. Maybe I would be fishing out of boats that I am not familiar with. Maybe I would be fishing with people I didn’t yet know. All the above turned out to be true.
Anyone reading this can fish as a co-angler if you so desire. The two major trails out there to do this would be the FLW Tour and League. The boater or “Pro” is in charge of the locations and presentations that they and the co-angler will be utilizing during competition. The co-angler pays half of what the boater pays, and competes for cash and prizes separate from the boater. If you want, you can offer up time to help a boater “Pre-Fish” for the tournament, and help out with traveling and bait expenses as well as lodging and food. Most boaters welcome the extra stick in the boat. It really becomes quite an extended family when you start to get to know people. While it may seem expensive, if you think of what you may pay for a guided trip, it may make a lot more sense to fish in this type of format.
If a co-angler really wants to take it to the next level, they can do some research into the lakes the Trail will be fishing. You can find out what little idiosyncrasies each lake has, and educate yourself on how to catch those fish. You may find that conventional concepts may not apply if you are going to be successful. If you are not a wing dam aficionado on a river system, you may want to find as much information as you can as to how to fish that type of structure. Maybe it is trolling an open basin, or a cabbage bed in search of local secretive walleyes. Whatever the game-plan, learn to do it. Practice it. Chances are some variation of what you learned will be put into practical application during the tournament. You can then cross another accomplishment off your list of things to learn in regards to competitive walleye fishing if that is your wish. Otherwise, you can just show up with a lunch, and jump in the boat, fish and learn with a boater and compete for the chance at winning hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
If your plans include bringing your game up to the next level and eventually fishing as a boater, co-angling is definitely the way to go. After your tournament take down notes on techniques, locations and comments the boater may have made during your day on the water. Watch how they play the wind and handle the boat. Take notes on the type of bait they use and why. Take note on the rod, reel and line selections and ask why they like them. Take notes on the boat and motor. Was it aluminum or glass? What did you like, and maybe even more important, what didn’t you like? Maybe you will make the comment “If I was going to do this, I would….” Did you like the four-stroke or the direct injection two-stroke? What type of electronics were used, and how did the boater use them to your advantage? How did the boater care for the fish? Did they live until the day’s end and through the bump tank? What time of year was it? What type of structure were you fishing? Could you duplicate this on other lakes that you are familiar with? All of these questions and more specifically the answers create and invaluable data base for you in the years to come. The experience can be what you want to make of it. At the end of the season, you can reflect and ask yourself if you have learned anything. Chances are you will have, and you will have met a lot of new friends along the way!
With the 2008 FLW League season drawing to a close, I find myself sitting in 3rd place in the Minnesota Division. In September, we will be competing in Winona MN for the chance of winning a new boat, motor and trailer as well as cash prizes! Memories of a great season of fishing are mine for keeps! I have learned a tremendous amount in this all too short open water fishing season! And with the luck of the draw, maybe I will get that right combination of boaters to get to the championship round and compete for that new boat!