|
Fishing From The Back
By Chris Horton
Well, here I am just a couple of weeks from the start of the tournament
season and I still have not replaced my boat. I have decided to wait on
getting a boat (unless some boat dealer calls of course) and fish from
the back of the boat this year. I have to admit, this was not the
original plan for the 2005 season but a few turns on the highway changed
that. If you read my last article you know the whole story.
This being said, here is a strategy for those of you who, like me, will
be fishing from the back of the boat this season. First, be confident.
Confidence is the number one factor in fishing from the back of the
boat. If you are fishing a team event, remember that you are just that,
“a team”, so don’t get caught up in trying to out fish your own partner.
If your partner catches more than you (and they should), so be it. If
you find yourself catching more from the back than your partner is
catching from the front, your partner needs your help.
Second, be different (until a pattern is developed). I try to do several
things when fishing from the back of the boat. If my partner is power
fishing shallow then I know I can catch some fish that he misses by
pinpoint casts to nearby cover. If he is moving fast, I know I don’t
have the time to fish a Texas Rigged Worm all the way back to the boat
but I do like to pitch a jig to stumps and laydowns in this situation.
In a team event I will try to do something a little different than my
partner until we develop a pattern. If my partner is using a big bait, I
will go smaller. If he is using a small bait, I will go big. If he is
fishing lures that run deep, I will move up higher in the water column.
Keep trying different things until a pattern is developed.
Finally, be the same (once you have a pattern). Once you have a pattern,
don’t be afraid to use the same lure as your partner. I know this may go
against conventional thinking, but how many times have you followed
another boat down a shoreline fishing the same or similar lures and you
caught fish? If your partner is catching fish, don’t worry about using
the same lure. First, he can’t cast to every piece of cover. Second, it
may be the fourth or fifth cast that makes the fish bite. Also, try
presenting your lure at a different angle than your partner. For
example, if he fishes the left side of a piece of cover, you fish the
right. Pay attention to how your partner is fishing and fish the same
lure a little differently. You will pick up some fish that he missed.
Fishing from the back of the boat can be a rewarding experience. This
year I will be fishing from the back of my dad’s boat in the Media Bass
Slot Lakes Division. If you live in Texas, I invite you to come join us.
We get to fish Lake Fork three times. We’ll be the team in the red
Sprint. I’ll be the one in the back.
Until next time God Bless and Good
Fishing !!!
Chris |
