How to Succeed as a Co-angler
6 tips for fishing from the back deck
(Editor's note: This article originally ran on Nov. 23, 2015.)
Fishing tournaments as a co-angler is a great first step to take toward a more advanced level of competitive bass fishing. Not only do you get more time on the water, you often end up fishing behind some very experienced anglers that can teach you some valuable lessons. Though the point of fishing as a co-angler isn’t necessarily to make money, doing well certainly makes things more fun. Former co-angler and current FLW Tour pro Jason Johnson and standout co-angler Bryan New have combined co-angler earnings that surpass $200,000. We leveraged them for some tips on how to find success from the back of the boat.
1. How to Pack Tackle
While boaters have the luxury of being able to bring almost everything, the need to downsize a tackle collection can be a challenge for first-time co-anglers. Johnson and New have slightly different approaches, though their primary plan has always been to bring confidence baits.
“Most of the time I just took a doubled-up Walmart bag, and that fit about all the tackle I needed,” says Johnson, who took a very minimal approach. “I always had a drop-shot and a shaky head, a Plano box I could put a few crankbaits in, a small Plano box with my terminal tackle, and plenty of packs of the soft plastics I needed.”
New doesn’t mind taking up a little extra space and thinks he likely brings a little more tackle than most co-anglers, but he still takes pains to stay efficient.
“I have two different tackle bags I use,” he says. “I have a bigger one and a smaller one that I take based on what I think I’ll need in the tournament. I like to keep it in the floor by my seat. I use Duncan Clear View Bags for my plastics – they’re basically heavy-duty zipper bags. I’ll have one for each type of bait and put them in the bag. Then I carry one deep Plano tray with the hard baits I think I’ll need, two small Plano boxes for finesse terminal tackle and regular terminal tackle, and a bag of jigs.”
Both experts emphasize going light on hard baits and heavy on soft plastics and finesse stuff. Additionally, New likes to label each box and bag for extra efficiency.
2. What Rods to Bring
One way to determine how many rods to bring is to talk with your boater the evening before. Often, he or she will give you a good idea of what you might need. That said, always be prepared for other eventualities
“The seven-rod limit on Tour was more than enough for me,” says Johnson. “Half the time I would only take three or four rods – two spinning rods and a baitcaster or two.”
If limiting your combos is a challenge, Johnson suggests bringing fewer rods but extra reels. Changing reels is a handy way to quickly swap a rod over to a different line type without re-spooling, and it’s nice to simply to have a backup in case of some malfunction.
Again, New likes to bring more tackle than Johnson.
“Eight or fewer rods is the way to go. Any more than that is a headache,” he explains. “When I fish as a boater it doesn’t bother me what a co-angler brings, but as a co-angler it really complicates things if I bring too much.”
Again, New recommends that every co-angler bring two spinning rods except in extraordinary circumstances (like fishing in Florida in certain circumstances). He also keeps his rods in Rod Gloves all the time, only taking one off when he’s actually fishing with that rod.
3. Other Stuff to Have Along
Besides tackle, there are some other important items to have along:
- A PFD that fits
- Cull clips, a scale, a culling beam and a measuring board
- Fizzing needle and weighted fin clips to care for deep-water bass
- Snacks and water
- Rain gear
- Sun protection
4. Do the Right Research
Though you don’t need to be an expert on the fishery to be successful, a little research into the type of fishing you’re going to encounter can be handy.
New likes to know the basics of the lake: water color and forage. Beyond that, he usually brings his confidence baits into battle rather than trying too hard to discover the different regional preferences.
Johnson would often look up local tournament results to get a goal in mind, and if there were any local baits that do well, he liked to at least know about them to be able to use something in that neighborhood.
5. How to Fish Behind a Pro
Catching fish behind someone else is typically the biggest challenge a co-angler will face.
“You can’t fish for the same fish they’re fishing for,” says New. “They’re either not going to bite, not there or already caught. I’ve learned over the years that there are a lot more fish in places where you wouldn’t think they would be. They might not be as big as the ones on the bank, but there are lots of fish off the bank either on little drops or just suspending.”
Still, there are times when it pays to use the same technique as the pro.
“If a guy is going down the bank throwing a topwater and he’s stroking them, I’m not going to do it just because he’s catching them,” New says. “Only if I realize he’s leaving stuff that has a chance to have a fish on it will I pick one up.
“If I was on a ledge or fishing up north on a flat where it’s wide open I would absolutely change if he’s stroking them. When they are roaming all over the flat or ledge that’s a good time to change. I won’t always change to the same thing, but I will change to a similar bait.”
For Johnson, the approach was always to simply to get really good with finesse tactics and stick with it.
“On some of the Tennessee River lakes when you’re fishing close to someone I’ve seen co-anglers cast two times and change baits, trying to find what’s working,” reveals Johnson. “They’re just killing their fishing time. You know they’re going to bite a drop-shot or a shaky head eventually. Keeping your head down and just staying focused is key.”
6. Have Fun
The primary goal of most any day on the water should be to have fun. A positive attitude, confidence in the chosen techniques and the ability to avoid falling into a mental rut will go a long way toward a good day on the water.
More co-angler advice from Todd Kline