Tackle Organization for co-anglers

[BassinBandit]

How do you guys go about decieding how much to take when fishing as a co-angler. What has worked well as far packing enough to last w/ enough to make nessicary changes. Also what rods and how many would you suggest.

Thanks,

[zooker]

well it depends on the lake
what there biting during your pre fishing day/s help eliminate alot of guess work..

i have fish a tourny with as few as 3 rods -done this several times-and as many as 7..

prior lake knowlage is a must.. find a couple colors they want. a a couple baits they want. and use them..

i use 1-2 tackle bags depending on the above. if i can get away with it just one bag 7 plano boxes..

zooker

[JB]

I take 5-7 rods with me, it depends if I want to use a spinning reel or another spinning for lighter stuff...most of the time I take 4 baitcasters and one spinning outfit....and be careful never to step on the boaters rods!

[lizardsrule]

Man I always have too much stuff rotfl. The one thing that I reccomend is your favorite rig/technique, that you carry 2 of these rods for a quick pick up from a lost bait/lure. When you are passing up good looking spots I hate to be retying during that time.

Lizards

[hackattack]

good point lizards, i would make sure you have a healthy supply of you confidence baits as well; sucks to run out of them!

[betursweetbass]

I'd take me a little back pack and have as many of my favorite cranks and plugs and what nots in it, along with plenty of plastics and scents. I'd take my all of my favorite rods, if storage space was not a problem. If space was limited, I would take 2 Baitcaster's and one spinning, and I'd take something to eat and drink. I would also have to take a great deal of patience since I almost never fish from the back of the boat....

[BassinBandit]

Thanks Guys I really appreciate it.

[bassnman30]

Get a small size box and put your favorite baits in it. You may wish to take baits out of your main box. (You can put these baits back after the tournament).
I take no more than 6 rods and sometimes less. The more rods that you take the more hassle it is to find the right one.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by bassnman30

The more rods that you take the more hassle it is to find the right one.

just add to this as a non boater it is ALWAYS the rod on the bottom of the pile. that you are trying to untangle and use..

zooker

[commanche]

i know what works for time of year and lake i am fishing,so, i usually only take 2 RODS..spinning/baitcaster..

i carry very small bag ,like lizards, i carry only 1 color,spinnerbait, i color,topwater, i color..

usually i will throw only 2 baits or 3 all day..example, lizard,spinnerbait, topwater..thats it..

its fun to watch some with all those rods and bags of lures..

learn to use 1 lure and 2 rods and learn the patterns for that time of year,you will be a better fisherman..been at it for 45 years..been there, done that..

[K-Driz]

A boater tried to rip me a new one during a tournament because I had 5 rods and 2 small tackle boxes, even though he had a 21' boat. Like anything could ever be in the way on a boat that big (yeah right!). But anyways, I probably won't ever bring more than 4 rods and one tackle box with me during future outings. If the boater ain't happy, nobody's happy.

[PowerBass]

Im gonna be entering as a non boater in one or 2 events. Heres what Im taking. One cabelas Pro Guide 3600 Tackle box. It hold 6 3600 boxes, has comparments on sides, I can put my scents, extra line, sammiches, and drinks. Ill also be taking 4 rods, 6ft MH Spinning, 6ft 6in M Cranking Stick, 6ft 6in M Caster, 7ft 6in Flip Stick(or sub it with a 6ft 6in MH, if not on a flippin lake) Communicate with your boater, find out his/her plan, and work with it. If your going for smallies, then tackle choices will vary somewhat.

Heres Baits I am taking regardless-
Spinnerbait- 3/8 oz- White and a Chartreuse to start with
Crankbaits- Im taking Bandit 200's. They run 6-8ft deep, and are smaller profile. Remember your fishing behind the boater, who most likely will be throwing something bigger. Give the fish a smaller profile for more bites
Rat L Trap- These baits are limit getters when going gets tough. I have of boaters tying them on and going on high on the TM for the last 3 hours if they have no bite. Covering water looking for active fish
Topwater- This varies on time of year. Spring, Im taking a Popper, and a Buzzbait, Summer I am bringin spooks for schooling bass, Buzzbaits for the shallows
Jigs- Black and Blue is always true. Im packing a few different sizes, 1/8 oz up to 3/4 oz. Ill also have a few Green Pumpkin Jigs.
Jerkbaits- These are mainly seasonal. No need to carry after spring, or at least until fall again. Early Spring, Ill have a dozen or so on me, in different sizes and colors. These baits shine in clearer water, so the clearer the water, the more options Ill have with me.
Soft Plastics- Here is where storage can be a pain. Take the basics. Youll Want- One Pack 5 inch Stick Baits(Green Pumpkin or Blue Flek), 1 Pack 7 inch Ribbontail Worms(Green Pumpkin is my favorite), 1 pack 4.5 inch Finnese Worms( hey can you tell the color? Thats right green pumpkin) 1 pack tubes(Green Pumpkin), 1 pack of creatures baits like a paca craw thats in what color?(green pumpkin) Remember this is just a basic idea. Water clarity can vary the color choices. Grn Pumpkin however is the best all around IMO.
Hook- Your gonna need hooks now too. Youll need EWGS and J Bend for the plastics. Range from size 1/0 to 4/0 in my box. I pack of each should be sufficeint for 8 hours. Weights, youll want bullet weights ranging from 1/8 oz to 1/2 oz. more or less depending on depth and cover. Your also gonna need treble hooks to replace bent ones on your cranks etc

Now for other essentail gear-
Rain Gear- Your gonna want something that you can put on in case of a sudden rain storm. I have frogg toggs, they stow very easy, and take up minimum space. Ask your boater if he has a compartment you can store them in, if not make room in your tackle box.

Cull Tags- It is not up to the boater to supply you with cull tags in the tournament. I reccomend X Tools Cull tags.

Golden Rule- Most boater have a ruler, but I would bring your own too, in case they forget.

Your gonna need lunch, so pack some food as well. Ask your boater if they would like anything. Remember going the extra bit, will make them happy that you offered. Word of mouth travels fast I heard too. Ill be asking my boaters what they want for sure.

Gas Money, it is a nice gesture to the boater. I am gonna be giving my boaters 25-30 $ regardless. Maybe more if we run far.

Have fun, and learn a few things.

[everettvet]

I am by no means an expert in the co-angler area. I fished my first tourney this past weekend. I was lucky in the fact that I was able to practice with someone on Friday with a lot of tourney experience. I carried twice as much tackle on Friday than I did Saturday. After the draw for the tourney I was able to talk with my partner for Saturday. Without asking too many specifcs, I found out if we were going to be shallow or deep, staying within Kentucky or making a run to Tennessee (Kentucky lake crosses the state line and I don't have a TN license) etc. The more you find out from your partner, the more you can narrow your tackle selection. I carried 2 spinning rods and 3 baitcasters. I carried a duffle bag with 4 plano boxes, Rain clothes, food and drink. We had a plan for getting the net before we cast the first bait so there was no problems. I had a blast. I learned alot those 2 days.

By the way, if you have a hand held GPS, leave it at home. You might have an unhappy pro if he notices one in your bag. There is a lot of good info on this thread. There are several articles on FLW outdoors that discuss different things about being a co angler. Good luck!

[zooker]

very good set up the net-remembering it's the boaters problem - having a working net is a must.. yeah i have had to REPAIR a mans net in the middle of a tourny.. 30 pound power pro works wonders on a rotted out net..

zooker

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by PowerBass

Jerkbaits- These are mainly seasonal. No need to carry after spring, or at least until fall again. Early Spring, Ill have a dozen or so on me, in different sizes and colors. These baits shine in clearer water, so the clearer the water, the more options Ill have with me.

Jerkbaits are not Seasonal, they work year round in clear water. Just ask KVD! PowerBass, I see your still in High School? How many tournaments have you actually fished as an Co-Angler. Seems to me that you should be asking for advice, not giving it.

[HOG Ranger]

Originally Posted by Miguel

Jerkbaits are not Seasonal, they work year round in clear water. Just ask KVD! PowerBass, I see your still in High School? How many tournaments have you actually fished as an Co-Angler. Seems to me that you should be asking for advice, not giving it.

Nice first post, do you always insult someone because they may have a different opinion than you do?

[carolina-rig-01]

when i asked my boater in my tourny last week "what kind of fishing he was expecting" he said "if you have it, bring it". so i did, i packed as compact as i could but kept in mind that i didn't want to be on the water wishing i would have brought something. when we met up before the tournament i told him that i brought a lot of stuff and if it was too much he could just tell me and i would downsize. i think you should offer this if you bring a lot of stuff, it lets him know that you are considerate of how much room there is in his boat and you don't want to over take all of his space. in my case, the boater actually cleaned out some storage compartments and they were mine for the day. as for gas money.... it's our club rules that you give the boater $20. i gave him $25 and bought his breakfast, if you make a long run to your fish then the price should go up. most of these guys were co-anglers somewhere along the way and they can understand what it's like.

[jooleyen]

Originally Posted by zooker

just add to this as a non boater it is ALWAYS the rod on the bottom of the pile. that you are trying to untangle and use..

zooker

Lmao Zooker. This runs true for EVERYTHING.

[brushhog]

Originally Posted by Miguel

Jerkbaits are not Seasonal, they work year round in clear water. Just ask KVD! PowerBass, I see your still in High School? How many tournaments have you actually fished as an Co-Angler. Seems to me that you should be asking for advice, not giving it.

I'm 37 years old and there are kids on here 20 years younger than me that I've learned a lot from - lighten up and open up... You might learn something from these kids!