BFL Tournament

I just got back from the BFL in Prairie. Had my worst day of the season, fishing some weed-lines and wood near Lansing. Boater was nice guy but felt I was treated unfairly as a non boater. Seemed like he was fishing parallel all day long, makes it really hard for a non-boater to get to any decent water when your fishing “backwash” or out in the middle of no where. When I confronted him he told me to “cast behind the boat.” Has anyone else experienced this in a tournament? Is there anything I should have done? Just looking for some advice. I love fishing BFL but this is the first time I feel I didn’t have a fair shot.

Thanks Keith

I have never had a problem with any of my partners when I was a non-boater fishing BFL, some have even became very good friends. I really do enjoy the BFL format and the quality of their tournaments. However I have never had a partner backend me or fish within 5 feet of the bank. I would be very angry also.

Good luck in the upcoming tournaments Keith!

Did the slop bite pick up yet, i look forward to doing alittle slop fishing when i get back to the river.

Ryan

In the BFl you don’t have to front end the guy in the back since he is not supposed to cast past the front windshield. i hate to say it but there are many times in fishing where parallel is the only presentation that will get you bit. Yep it sucks, but thats how it goes sometimes. Did you have any fish from practice that he would give you an hour on? I suspect even if he needed one fish he might have taken you up on the offer. As for your results… I am surprised, you always seem to catch fish. I was practicing for a tourney in 2 weeks on pool 9 and found the fishing awefully good. I suspect Fitzpatric did well since he was in eyes sight while I was loading the boat. I figure my best 5 would have went an honest 16-17 on Saturday.

jc

Thanks for the insight Jeremy, I did have some fish going in 9 but my partner choose not to go to them. We stayed up for about an hour, then we locked back south.

As for not casting past the center of the boat, the rules must have changed since you fished BFL. The tournament director made it very clear you can cast anywhere you chose.

I feel backing off the weed line or bank 10 feet would have allowed me to fish and still allow him to keep his bait in the strike zone 90% of the time. I’m a co-angler, not an observer, I could have taken a nap in the back of the boat and been just as effective. Sometimes covering that deeper water at the end of your cast may even pay off. I can’t count the number of times I have caught fish at the very end of my cast just because I fish the lure all the way to the boat.

To make a long story short, if I had the money and the boat maybe I should just go boater when I get a little more experience. Fishing BFL as a non-boater has taught me a lot. Just hope next tournament goes better.

Ryan, we didnt fish any slop but i saw plenty of boats filled with duckwart. Someone must have been doing something in the weeds

I’ve had pretty good luck as a non-boater so far (knock on wood). Once last year I was shut out for quite a while when my boater repeatedly cast at stumps with the bow of the boat pointing at them before I got a shot, but like I said most of the time I have had a far shot. They do definitely have an advantage. I think some would be more than happy to let me upfront after they get some fish, but the rules don’t allow it. My brother-in-law’s first tournament he was totally shut out. A co-angler could report them or refuse to sign the card if it was blatent that they didin’t let you fish. I agree with JC about casting parallel to cover. I have had a lot of success doing it this year, but if I take someone fishing with me I don’t do it much. My son and I can both cast from the front without much trouble. Ryan, the slop bite is getting going. Prefishing Wednesday and Friday I had fish keying on shad in the pads. Yesterday I finished in 15th place and got my first BFL check . My boater had better angles than I did, but I was able to put fish in the boat.

I just checked the BFL results… It seems Brian Fitzpatric took 7th place with 13lbs… I guess I am a little surprised. I must admit I feel a little bad. I was on a spot that he blew over looking at. If I’d have known he was interested in this all he would have needed to do was stop and let me know. I do know the river is free game to everyone. I must admit that I was surprised to see him up as shallow as I was fishing. Good old Ritter won the durn thing. He must have had some obscure fish since I didn’t see him all day. My guess is that he stayed down on 10. From some if the reports from last weekend I suspect the first one in Garnet lake was in goood shape. Good job basspack!!!!! You have to start somewhere so you now have your goal set… 14th place or better!!! I am pulling for ya!
Good Job all.
jc

JC not sure if I got what you were saying about casting in front of the windsheild. There is no such rule in the BFL. The only thing a non-boat cannot do is cast from the front of the boat. He can cast anywhere he wants. The boater cannot cast from the back as well. Once either one has a fish hooked they can play the fish from anyplace in the boat. As for the guy going along the bank. I would suggest a couple of things. The first is like he did was to talk to the guy. Second is if he continues to not give you suffient fishing space is to zing one up towards the front or cross his lines. (depends how upset you are)..Last is simply not sign his weight slip, and tell the tournament director what happened. Unfortunately this happens way to much in some of the tournaments even to some of the higher profiled fishing gods….As a non-boater you do not have to put up with not be able to fish decent. But some guys are like that..Don’t let them continue to get away with it. You pay your money to. And fishing did stink…They dropped the water…..Plenty of small fish for the future though…..

I just looked up the regs and you are correct. It seems to me that this has been explained a couple different ways. I am not sure where the casting past the front got stuck in my head but I am confident I didn’t just make it up.
If I cared more I would research it a little. Anyway, it seems I am going against the norm as usual. 2 weeks ago everyone was touting how well they got bit while I was shooting blanks. This week the fish Gods were giving up fish on every spot I checked while others are struggling. –Go Figure-
I guess the Draw Partner thing is one reason I like Team fishing. At least if I am out and the fish aren’t cooperating I have good company. –grin-
Did you fish this Doug?
Jc

Rough check shows over 60 limits weighed. Looks like a person needed to be on the right ones for sure. Ounces mattered quite a bit. From my limited experience on Sunday I would say that a lot of fish had sore mouths. That back boating thing used to be easy to cure in the old Red Man format, give me a good half day: I give you a good half day. Being backboated is a bad feeling, almost helpless and sure can put a person on edge. Can’t catch them where the mow the grass. Depending on the serverity I would consider not signing the weigh slip and spoke with the director, doesn’t get your day back but may help someone in the future.

Ah, the good old days…
Back when you were front ended you would finish your day by keeping the rear of the boat on the bank while you used the trolling motor to mud up all his water and make sure to keep him moving tree branches out of the way. Someone should ask old Jim Harbough about days like this. -lmao-
jc

BFL had plenty of limits..smaller fish by the tons. I myself caught with my partner over 100 fish. Most in the 12 inch range. I got a 10 limit but had live well problems and had 3 die. I felt so sick I didn’t want to weigh in. I’ve had nothing but problem with my “new, used” Ranger livewell. They are to small and shallow. I liked my Nitro’s better. My problem with Saturday, I had no idea they would drop the water like they did. My big fish said see ya… And the little ones said Hello….Another lesson learn..Anyone else tired of struggling…or is it just my luck…again..and again…

All I know is I prefish with Bob alot, and some how or another I always manage to catch or shake at least a limit. I sat in a pad field all day Sat. at 11 a.m. I only had one fish, by 2 I had almost 11lbs and took home a trophy and a check. Why? I didn’t tick my partner off all day, I was patient with him and by the end of the day he was helping me finish my limit by staying a few more minutes so I could get my last couple of fish. Try worring less about how your fishing and figure out how to fish under those conditions. Being back doored is just part of the game. So cry yourelf a river, build yourself a bridge, and get over it. Well your at try figuring out what you did wrong, instead of how your boater wronged you.

Good Job!!!
What place did you get?
How far down do they give out trophies?
jc

I don’t think the point of the post was to “cry a river”. But rather the poster was looking for suggestions on how to deal with the situation. I don’t feel being back doored is part of the game. I don’t think I could sit up front and continue to fish knowing my partner has no place to cast. Are their any BFL boaters out there that have any ideas to improve the situation?

Congratulations on your success SecretSquirel. Sounds like a very good tournament for most anglers. Wish I could have been there.

I’ve been a part of both boater and non-boater participation in tournaments. If your boater is fishing parallel to the bank, why couldn’t you cast parallel from the back of the boat? Or try a different technique and make the most of a difficult situation. The reality is… a boater has paid his higher entry fee, spent lots of money pre-fishing and is taking HIS boat to fish HIS fish. In the first everstart of the year on lake vermillion I fished as a co-angler and on the second day of the tournament, my boater spent the entire day sight fishing. I just made the best of it and still caught a limit by casting out in deeper water on the other side of the boat. Unfortunately, that’s part of the game. If a co-angler doesn’t like it, I’ve always felt you should enter as a boater then. Granted, anytime I’ve fished as a boater in BFL, I always try to make the day enjoyable for my co-angler and I’ll help him out as much as I can, but I am NOT there to handicap myself to help him catch more fish. I’m there to win! It sucks when you get back-boated, but if you really want to always have the upper-hand when fishing from the back of the boat, you have three options: 1. Pay for a fishing guide 2. Enter only team tournaments 3. Spend the money and enter as a boater.
Just my 2 cents worth…

Now when you guys say parallel from the shore, do you mean 1) the long side of the boat is parallel to shore? or 2) the nose of the boat is pointed toward shore as you move up or down the bank?

Gunny,
Sorry to hear about your backdoor situation at the BFL. It sounds as though you have already gotten some other views and suggestions on how to handle it. I think most non-boaters have had this situation occur to them at least once. I went from non-boat to boat to solve that and the other troublesome issue of deciding where to fish and when to leave.

Im sorry but I think SecretSquirrel has it right. Be Patient. Let the boater do what he set out to do and 95% of the time they are more than happy to help you out. In the LaCrosse tourney I had a really good guy in the back of my boat but would not listen to me on how to catch the fish-I had a limit and he blanked. In Prairie I drew a guy who was 68 and hadnt weighed a fish all year. I had a good limit and he only had 1 fish, we went back to a spot and I told him how to fish and gave him all the room in the world. He Finished 6th.

Keith,

Just about anyone, that has fished back seat a number of
times will have a “horror” story, or two, about being
front-ended. It is tough when it happens, but it is
just another one of those things you have to block out
when you are fishing. Loosing a big fish, or having some
system fail on the boat, fall into this same set.

When I have fished back seat, and I get pinched off from
the bank, I use the wash of the prop, or flip into tiny
holes, in thick cover, or drag a weightless plastic behind
the boat, or something to pick up a fish or two. Nothing
moves the guy at the foot control away from the bank
faster than pulling a few fish from under his boat

Just recently, while fishing with JC, whom is the worst
front-ender I have ever fished with…Just kidding!
We were looking for his long lost bass buddies, he
was holding pretty close to the bank, and I dropped a
jig, into a hole in the brush, that he had just trimmed
his motor out of, and rolled the best fish of the day.
I failed to execute well on stearing the fish out of
that cover, but this is a good example of not focusing
on what the boater is doing but focusing on what the fish
might be doing. Fish do learn to feed off of boat
movement, and prop wash. Use this idea to fish right
under, or around a boat, or through a cloud of silt raised
by the trolling motor. Keep your mind in the game, and
look for any opportunity that you get, and make the most
of it. If you do, you will surprise yourself, and your
inconsiderate partner for the day, on just how many fish
he let get by

Big Bass Bane

I fished the BFL Sat. also as a boater and made some wrong decisions early in the day. We locked up to pool 9 and fished some cut banks where I have caught good fish in the past but all we caught were short fish. I thought with the water dropping the way it had that the fish would pull out of the shallows. We locked back down to pool 10 about 11:30 and fished some super shallow water in the middle of the day and ended up with 3 keepers but one was a good one. 4lbs. 1oz. Big bass was 4lbs. 2oz. so I just got beat out of the big bass pot. I just ran out of time because we had to weigh in at 2:15. I debated with myself about staying in pool 10 but I guess hindsite is always easier. My coangler got 3 keepers also by fishing different baits than what I was using. It was the best he had done all year so he was happy.

S.S> I think the intent of the original post was to let off some steam and ask for advice. If you continue to fish as a co-angler you will get a boater that is not as worried about helping you out. Often times they will keep pushing hard to get a kicker fish. I’m sure any of them would kick himself for ever if he let you fish his spot and quit while you caught a 5 lber. I’ve had good guys that were willing to let me fish most of the time, but I’ve also been in the boat when their pattern wasn’t there and they scraped hard for one or two fish and I was pretty much left out. If it bothered me bad enough I’d quit, but I enjoy the competition (mostly with myself), the chance to fish new ways and places, and the comradery.

I’ve fished as both, but mostly as a boater. I try to treat my non-boaters fairly, but like somebody else said, I’m paying the higher entry, have the bass boat, and am spending three days prefishing. I think if anything I’ve been too “nice” and it has probably cost me some points. But I don’t want anybody saying I’m a dink either. Bottom line is you’re gonna have days like that sometime and remember you’re fishing against all the other non-boaters and some of them are getting “backended” too.

Keith’

Thanks for the help guys. This was my fourth tournament ever, never really experience something like that before. I was disappointed because I fell from the top 10 to out of the top 30 in overall points. Next time ill try some of the stuff you guys suggested. I like the point about catching one under his boat is the best way to get him to back off. I have never really tried the “prop wash” technique talked about in other posts. I got my work cut out for me in Red Wing. Double the points can really hurt or help. See you guys there.

Thanks again, Keith

Well I can say I have been back boated by the best. I fished with Roland Martin on Minnatonka back in 96.He was fishing rock piles in the weeds and we were 100-200 yards off shore. He would nose right up to them and I might as well have taken a nap.Best thing you can do on a lake is rig up the ol Carolina rig and start casting. I was in 7th place after the first day and blanked out there with Roland. The worst part was his big smile when he talked to you while he stuck you out in in the lake

Jhall- I had your co-angler last year. One of the nicest
gentlemen I’ve ever drew. I got the chance to talk to him before the tourney and he still thanked me for a good time last year. Last year I had my limit early and worked hard for him to get his. He only ended up with two, but he sure was grateful that I tried to help him out. I’m glad you helped him out. He’s a real nice guy. Sure we as boaters pay more and most of you expect the best fishing. Me too. And maybe I don’t take some of this a serious as most of you. But when it comes to draw time I don’t want my partner or anyone else around saying to the co-angler “Good luck, you’ll need it with him”. No matter how you feel about how your boater fished, it the word gets out like on this thread about Bob, people will start to question him. And more then likely make the wrong decision about him. You can bet that from now on if his next partner will be leary on fishing with him. And thats too bad. Maybe that is why I’m not as successful on tour yet is cuz I try to help out my co-angler alittle to much. Anyways again like yours, just my thoughts……

Blasts,
I wasn’t front ending you, I was just trying to keep you from making me look like an idiot..
Actually I was trying to get way up in the cover and bank and low and behold ol’randy starts ripping sow’s out of the deeper water. If I were smarter I might have backed off but we both know I am as hard headed as they come.
I enjoyed the fishing trip very much. I hope we can get out one more time before the Bluebills start flying.

SOoo,
How was the week at club smallie?
jc

JC,

The week at club smallie was better than ever. Actually
it would have been right up your alley. We spent a lot
of time in the river channels between lakes. My best was
a 4 lb smallie that looked too fat to swim, but it sure
put a hurt on that hula grub, as it tumbled down the
rocks, in a scour hole below a culvert. This was
one of those examples of being about 5′ away from
the boat, in 4′ of very clear water, and having a
good fish ignore the boat, to clobber an easy meal.
But in general, we got into a bunch of green bass,
holding in the river, near docks. and wild rice.
Out on the main lake, the smallies under and around
docks were very cooperative. The muskies keep the
bass pinned to cover, so they were not too hard to find,
but every tourist with a spinnerbait, or a crankbait,
had educated them to conventional methods. We did a
few things that either looked real, or they had not
seen before, and we loaded the boat, on just about
every trip out.

As for getting out again, if your back seat is open,
ANYTIME you are on Pool 4 to Pool 9, just let me know,
and if I am not fishing a tournament, I will be there.

Big Bass Bane

I fish tournaments as a boater and I just want to say you guys are bad. I will pick where we will fish ,how fast,and all the other variables. But I will not make the non-boater sit in the back and take a nap. He paid his money also. You have first crack at the fish he should get second chance. You know how many of you guys cull. Oh yea thats’ against the law. Boy if I was you non boater that could come in to play.

Just a side note for any of you that are looking at the overall stats for the Great Lake division. they are wrong. If you look at what place you are in for the year. The place number does not go with what place you are actually in. I confirmed this with FLW Outdoors and they will have it fixed in a couple of days. Myself, was not planning to go to the Red Wing Tourney. Thought I was to far out. Actually I’m sitting at 31 and “have to” go…Someone tell my wife that.. Well just an FYI in case you want to make the top 30 for Regionals..I will have a post in the Tournament section also…..