I gots a question for ya’s.
Now i’ve read where non boaters fish the non boater side because they don’t have a zoomer,but I know of a few guys that fish non boater and they have bassboats.
Now my question is do you non boaters that fish the BFL fish for experience(please define experience) or do you fish it in hopes that you’ll draw a good partner and learn spots???
I have scheduling conflicts and am unable to pre-fish so I just drive to tourneys Fri. night,fish Sat. and head home to work on Mon. I hooked up with a boater for a guarenteed spot and will probably fish boater in the next year. Yes I also do it to learn some “other” areas to fish. There still is no way to guess where the fish will be unless you do some pre-fishing.
I have to say that being a non boater is the best way to learn how to fish and spots as well. Learning spots and then exploiting them is not what the best of the best anglers choose to do. Its an honor thing where we all take pride in the fish we find and catch. Sometimes we get dirty looks from other anglers even after going into an area that another boat left. When you do this, as long as you were looking for a spot like this or are checking fish you have found previously, then in my opinion you are an honorable fisherman. We can not control the people who fish the fisherman but I pride myself of knowing the fish I fish are the fish I found.
Case in point. Last weekend at the Team Supreme tourney I was getting ready for a tourney this weekend. I was fishing unique sets of vegetation and Brian Fitzpatric was using one that I consider my favorites. After he left I stopped and checked to see what would be there waiting for next week. In doing so he drove past heading back down stream and I got a glare and I am sure the boat conversation was that of spot stealing. I can understand there feelings have been there myself but I know that this I found those fish a week prior and the fact that he found them as well, in my mind, makes it fair game. Anyone who knows me is surely to know that my behavior is honorable and just. I just hope things like this don’t grow out of control.
On the same note.. The guys who won the TS tourney last week were supposed to have been watching the Howlands and in doing so ran to the spot they saw them first thing in the AM beting them to there own fish. If this guy found these fish legitimately then I feel it is fine however this same person is known to have pulled up to other bass boats while driving his john boat to go over other anglers spots. While I can not proove anything I feel this behavior only hurts the sport and takes away from your accomplishment…
And just to be clear…
IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT, DONT CALL PEOPLE AND BRAG ABOUT IT YOU CREEP!!! Yea, I said it.
If I see you an the water I will be sure to drive over your fish.
jc
Good point Jeremy,
Fishing as a boater you always have that thought in the back of your mind that you hope you don’t catch your non-boater where you took them, EVER! I also take great pride in the fish that I find before a BFL. I work very hard, putting in long days and when I get home, analyzing why I either found them or I didnt. After you get past that you wipe the slate clean and start all over. I have alot of respect for the guys who work as hard as I do and harder to find their own fish. Even the guys who put in the long days do not find fish though, so you can easily go from feeling like a hero to a big fat zero.
I’m new to the river and boating in general. A couple of weeks ago My wife and I were out on pool 4 trying our luck on a wingdam. I had droped an anchor upstream and we were casting to the front of the damn. I caught a bass and tossed it back and another boat had pulled in between us and the wingdam and were fishing the spot. The honer system
ain’t what it used to be……. 
A 1 oz spinnerbait careening off the side of the hull will usually get the other boats attention.
About this honer system….
I am going to be going out on the river with a guide (Dustin) in a couple of weeks. The only reason I am doing this is to learn where to fish and pick up any new/different techniques for fishing the river. Does this go against the honer system? I have my own boat and will be using it all I can. If this is not playing fair then I won’t do it.
About this honor system….
I am going to be going out on the river with a guide (Dustin) in a couple of weeks. The only reason I am doing this is to learn where to fish and pick up any new/different techniques for fishing the river. Does this go against the honor system? I have my own boat and will be using it all I can. I told Dustin straight out what I wanted to do and why. If this is not within the honor system I won’t do it. Another question along these lines…
When out on the river looking for a place to fish I spot people catching fish. If I go there when they leave and check it out is this wrong? If it is then how the heck do you ever learn where, when and with what to fish? I hope I don’t sound too stupid about fishing. I have done a lot of it and on rivers as well but they were much smaller and much less crowded. Is there a site to go to that spells out the honor code. I plan to be here for a while and would like to do it right.
Since I try to fish the BFL (as boater), I need to throw my two cents in.
As a “rookie” in fishing the BFL, a non-boater would be the way to go. Maybe for a couple of years. It’s a great learning experience. You can learn so much from different boater you draw. And of course, you learn different spots to fish.
It is sad to say that some of the non-boater do use the boaters spots for other tourneys and just for fun fishing. I’ve had a couple of non-boaters that shown up in my spots before. Usually with a buddy of theirs that fishes as a boater. I guess thats where Ethics come into play.
When I fished as a non-boater, what I tried to learn is what different ways everyone was fishing and how. What they threw in different situations. Not so much spots as where on the river. But like spots of grass, pads, slop, wood etc. What worked for bait and what didn’t.
If a non-boater or boater steals “spots”, how can he really become a good fisherman. What happens say in the BFL a guy makes the Regionals. How do you think the “spot stealer” will fair there. I would guess not to well.
But if I ever find one of my non-boater fishing a spot of mine, he better be in a faster boat than mine. Only time I ok this is if he asked. I have a couple guys I won’t take to some of my “honey holes”, for that reason. And they do fish the BFL. Too bad…
But if the guy is trying to learn the river, or how to fish in tournaments the back of the boat is a great way to go.
Being a non-boater and per-fishing with someone who has fished tournaments before is a great way to learn also….Even though Pitbull will disagree with you on that….Right, Mr. Pitbull.. 
lol….You’ve stated that in many other post before. 
I guess it comes down to how you want to be looked upon by your fishing peers, and ethics. Are you being a non-boater for the benefits of learning the right things. Or just being a “spot stealer”. Too bad this does happen even on the boater side of any tournament….
Well like I said just my opinion… 
In reply to MDP,
If you’re not infringing on the other boats right to fish, then by all means, wet the line. If someone is in a spot catching fish and they leave, that spot is fair game. Should they come back, it’s their loss. I’m not saying to follow boats all over to find their spots. That’s not ethical.
If I was fishing a wingdam and left it to go somewhere else, and another boat pulled in there, I see nothing wrong with that. The guy that pulled in on you was out of line, period.
What you told Dustin was the right way to go about business. I’m sure he’ll treat you with the utmost respect and you’ll have a great time.
I agree that fishing as a non-boater is a great learning experience. I fished as a non-boater for three years when it used to be the Red Man. I did it simply to learn the river. I have never fished a spot that I was taken to in the Red Man. You can definetly learn so much about how other people fish. I can see by the way fishing is going this year I may have to team up with someone to show me how to catch fish again.
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