Best back of the boat bait

[bereabasser]

Im starting fishing the bfl this year as a non boater and i was just wondering for you guys who fish out ofthe back of the boat whats your go to bait fishing behind someone...i was thinking it would most likely be a jig,worm shaky head or something like that

[thebassman30]

yep something finesse would be good.

[Col Forbin]

I always tried to scale down and go a little smaller and slower than the guy in the front of the boat. Sometimes it isn't possible, if he is burning through a cove with a spinner bait. Sometimes it may work out using the same thing - if you get on schooling fish or fishing vertical/deep structure. I always did better with a lightwieght texas rig, shakey head, or senko - definitely fish slower. Jerkbaits, when the bite is on are hard to beat in the back of the boat - just make sure you are really taking your time and getting good pauses in between jerks. That is the best thing about the back of the boat. You don't have to worry about anything but fishing. In the front of the boat they have to control the boat, watch the graph, searching for structure and baitfish, and fish - and they usually rush through the fishing part - which always isn't a good thing. You have the option of really taking your time and working your bait/lure.

The best question to ask the boater at the meeting is how are we fishing tomorrow (not what lures, or where). Some guys like to fish only deep, some guys only fish only shallow, and some guys touch on it all.

I wouldn't spend too much time mapping out spots to go. They usually have their own agenda, and won't go to your spots - either out of pride, principle, aleady having thier day planned, or just overall knowledge of the lake. Keep a good sense of humor too. It is easy to get frustrated, especially when you are not catching fish and place the blame on the boater - which is sometimes the case, but pointing that out definitely is not going to help the situation. .Being in the back of the boat is a great learning experience. I can look back at awful days on the lakes with guys I swear didn't have a clue, but they still taught me something. My worst day of fishing ever was with a pro in the stren series - right in the middle of spawn where 25+ bags were being caught in 1-6 feet of water. He insisted that the spawn had passed and all the fish had moved on to deeper water. I know I could have caught a ton of fish shallow, but weighed in a 2 fish 2 pound bag of Ky bass that were caught in deep water - he didn't do much better. I hated that day then, but looking back I learned more that day about fishing deep water than any other day fishing. I didn't finish in the money, and probably wouldn't have with a good bag that day, so now what he showed me is much more valuable than the fish I could have caught. That is the great thing about the "draw" tournament - Everyone fishes different and you can't help but to learn new stuff.

[Technonorb]

Bud Light and a dip net. Oh.. you said a tournement didn't you, they frown on the Bud Light thing. I'm with all of the above. Go with soft plastics if your partners pace allows it, or Jerk baits. Save the Bud Light to celebrate or drown your sorrows. Tech

[BanditMan]

Match what they use in a slight different size, or work it different. When you start to hook up and they dont. Man they get worked up..

[jcb]

Im starting fishing the bfl this year as a non boater and i was just wondering for you guys who fish out ofthe back of the boat whats your go to bait fishing behind someone...i was thinking it would most likely be a jig,worm shaky head or something like that

As a lifelong back-of-the-boater, I have found the most important thing is not what bait to use, but to watch the guy in the front. Especially if you're fishing shallow, if you can watch where he doesn't cast and work those areas you minimize the disadvantage of being second in line.

Also, the angle at which I will make a cast is a running joke among my boat owning friends.

[mhall]

As a lifelong back-of-the-boater, I have found the most important thing is not what bait to use, but to watch the guy in the front. Especially if you're fishing shallow, if you can watch where he doesn't cast and work those areas you minimize the disadvantage of being second in line.

Also, the angle at which I will make a cast is a running joke among my boat owning friends.

There is what to do.... Good post!!! It just kills me that guys think you can't catch fish out of the back of the boat.

[18'stratos]

I once fished as a non-boater in the BFL. Take with you the minimum that you can. Jigs, senko's, shakey heads, and spinner baits can be fished deep or shallow. A buddy of mine finished in the top 10 last year using only the shakey head. That's all he ever took with him. That would be my go to bait! But take a variety of baits cause you never know where you'll be fishing. Patience is the biggest thing that you need. The first tournament is on Cumberland. Shakey heads and tubes are a must! In my opinion.

[thebassman30]

Col~ Well said!

JCB~ So true...I've had guys give me control of the boat thinking the back was stronger....I usually barb later...maybe we shoulda just taken my boat. 8^) These are typically guys that are 10-15 years older than I with way more experience...so you know I do it tackfully as I could quickly be on the other end of this scenario.


18' Stratos ~ That guy wouldn't happen to be the BPS - Clarksville Legend Derek Crawford?

[jdw174]

If the guy in front of the boat is fishing a spinnerbait, try hitting the same spots he threw to, but use a shallow running CB like a Bandit Footloose or Bomber Square A, or a Baby 1-Minus. You might also try fan casting the area behind the boat with a lipless CB or a jerkbait. If he's flipping plastic, flip a jig or vice versa.

[bereabasser]

yep ive done got my crap ready...rigged with jigs,shaky heads and cranks...cant wait till it

[trent colvin]

My advice is to throw a jig or a buzzbait. I fished as a non boater for three years in the mountain division, and the common thing I heard was to look for 2 or three bites a day from the back. At the FLW s I fished last year, the guys cashing the checks were throwing buzzbaits ALL day, or they were throwing a jig off the DEEP side of the boat. From a co-anglers standpoint, one fish a day will take you to the regional. I won the division in 2005 with a 4.2 lb average per tournament. Throwing a shakey head as a backup goes without saying.