Co-angler / non boater struggles, what would you do?

[DrewFlu33]

Or throw one of these creeping along...

https://biospawn.com/products/7-exoribbon

Lew, you are full on board the Biospawn train, aren't you!?

Just giving you a hard time, they're really good baits. I love the Exosticks, swims, Vilecraws and bugs.

[mortonjl]

Throw a Carolina rig or crankbait over his shoulder ahead of boat on outside side of boat. That way if you get hung, he can just swing out for you to get it. If he doesn't want to do that, THEN you start doing same on bank side of boat.

Depending what you're fishing, some tournaments don't let co-anglers cast forward of the seats. BFL for one does this.

[Jesse-C]

Senko

[InseineFishing]

I fished a lot of tournaments as a non-boater. I learned fast that I was fishing for left-over fish or fish that the boater missed. Like so many have said: Go finesse (weightless worm, ned rig, senko, shakey head) but NEVER what the boater is throwing. The boater is not going to hit every target so make sure and see where they cast and hit the targets they miss. I have caught many a nice bass behind a pro where they turn and ask "where did you catch that one?". And everytime it is a target they missed.

Shoot I have gotten to where if I am fishing in the back, I only bring about three to four rods and very little tackle. I make sure one of my rods can be very versatile in case I need to re-rig for something else.

[BassinJax]

Fish for more active fish and if your fishing on the bottom, let it sit longer or use rattles
if the boater is flipping plastics than you goto a jig or a jig skirt with a plastic and let it sit.
sometimes they move so fast that you can't let your bait sit, thats when you have to go topwater or fluke style baits.
No easy answer but I'd definitely power fish ie. square bills and s/b. Its hard man but persevere and stick it out.
Biggest tip is dont get frustrated and let the conditions tell you what you need to adjust. Secondly have a little of a lot and by that I mean, i can flip a manbearpig, as well as t-rig it. So that one bait covers alot of ground..

[mbeachy]

Try a different presentation with the same bait. If he is flipping it T- rigged - pitch back in the same place with a drop shot. Often the bait suspended of 10-12 from the bottom will entice a bite that they were not interested in on the bottom.

[Bassbme]

As someone said earlier, if they are hitting a beaver they will be hitting other baits as well. I'd definitely be fishing a bait that will penetrate branchy cover easily. Most likely a tube, or one of my favorite baits, a Jackal cover craw. I'm not going to want a bait with any kind of ribbon tail or action tail that can get hung up on small branches. I want a bait that is going to get back into cover. I'm also going to use enough weight so my bait will penetrate the cover. I'm not going to be worried about using a bait with a lot of built in action, and I'm not worried about a slow fall. My main concern is getting back in the cover.

That may not be my main concern if I were in the front of the boat, but it definitely is if I am in the back.

[AKFerzy7]

If you're hell bent on flippin behind him, try a power shot. You can also throw it out deep and drag it back. I'd be looking for fish in deeper water that he isn't targeting.

[r83srock]

Some good advice. I fish out of the back a fair amount, although I haven’t done BFLs yet. I had a situation this year where the flipping bite on beavers was ON. They day it needed to be ON it was not. I could get them to bite, but not bite it well. I switched to a small flipping jig and that saved my day. That jig has saved the day for me many times before. I’d try dragging a senko or jig.