well now I know why its hard to get on tournys

[driftercn83]

I posted yesterday have had 34 views and no answers I am really interested in becoming a back angler.

:shaking:

[BassDood]

I don't know anything about that, but you might consider checking into some of the local bass clubs. Might be a start anyway.

[Anglinarcher]

In the major bass circuits, you just submit your application and money well in advance and show up at the tournament, assuming you have been confirmed. This is, or at least was, the case for the FLW and Bass Masters circuits. I have not been a back seater for 20 years.

Then, the amateur anglers are randomly assigned to the pros, and usually, on a three day tournament, the amateur will be assigned one pro on Friday, another on Saturday, and the Pro fishes Solo on Sunday.

For the local club events, it differs with the club. You need to join a local club, then follow their rules.

I cannot comment on the other circuits, but most of the regional curcuits can be contacted on their own web sites for rules and instructions. You might start there.

In some cases, the events are partner events, in those cases, you need a trusted friend who OWNS the front seat.

[Bigbass Dez]

Drifter , There are a couple of local bass events that you can backseat on and also gain some experience on different lakes across the state . B.A.S.S. Qualifers , this year there were 2 tourny days on Banks june 13&14 and we finish up on Lake Samammish in august .. (your too late this year to sign up) F.L.W Qualifers , Banks lake held the first event just this past saturday on Banks and finish with Back to back days on wa wa in september (too lake to sign up ) ...You can also look into finding a boater and doing some team tourneys like NWBASS (The best of the best) , ABA (the best of the best) or Open bass tourneys hosted by a couple different clubs through out the season .. My advise for you is to let people know that your looking for a back seat early in the year .. and sign up for the Qualifers in advance "they ensure you a boater" ...As for the team tourneys go , you will need to proberly fish with a boater that is interested in doing this with you and make sure that you guys will fish well toghether prior to tourney morning "very important " ...Make sure you always respect the boater Boat , and offer gas money . Backseating in bass tourneys is a great way to gain the skill set and know how to becoming an awsome boater someday ... if you have any more questions or concerns feel free to p.m. me

BBD

[driftercn83]

thanks for the replies
I know about using the tournys but I also want a mentor I mean I am a good bass angler but I lack in the soft plastics and jig areas which are importnant..

[Anglinarcher]

thanks for the replies
I know about using the tournys but I also want a mentor I mean I am a good bass angler but I lack in the soft plastics and jig areas which are importnant..

The key then is to find a friend, a mentor, and then try to hook up with them. This can be tough.

For specific techniques, tournaments are not the best way to go, mostly because if that is not the method the front seater thinks will win, he will not use them.

It appears to me that you don't want to be a "back seater"; you want to be a fishing buddy. That is harder to do. Guys like to fish with someone they know, and if they have been fishing for some time, they probably have fishing friends already. It can be difficult to crack the ice and get into that circle.

For example, I have two who want to go this weekend, but room for only one. Who goes, my best friend, or my adult son?:-({|= Now, the list of want-to-go's is even longer for the year, but I have a job that prevents me from going enough to even complete that list.

[BassDood]

You mentioned lacking certain techniques. I know for myself, to become better at certain techniques, baits, etc...I gathered up what info I could...bought a few, and just went and fished them. I left everything else behind so I wouldn't go back to what I knew had worked before. Jigs for example....I got a few standards, and started using them everywhere, and nothing else. I started catching fish and noting things....locations, the bite, etc. Plastics...there are so many now it makes me dizzy, but I love plastics. I just read up, reports...field tests, etc. try to make sense of it, and put it to practical use on a given lake. To me, it's all a work in progress...a piece of the puzzle...and it never will end. That's one of the reasons I love bass fishing.

[Dustin07]

For example, I have two who want to go this weekend, but room for only one. Who goes, my best friend, or my adult son?:-({|= Now, the list of want-to-go's is even longer for the year, but I have a job that prevents me from going enough to even complete that list.

I have found that even when I have room for more, it's more fun with only one other person. We can comfortably get 4 guys fishing on my dad's boat (it has 8 seats though) and I never really have much fun unless there are just two of us. Me and my buddy, me and my brother, my dad and myself, or even just me and my wife. Any of those are good combo... but a full boat of 4 takes the fun out of it because I don't usually do one method the whole day. I don't troll for 8 hours, I dont' cast for 8 hours, I don't drop shot for 8 hours:-({|= ... but I might try all of those things within 8 hours.:chef:

I also dont' like to sit in the same area for ever if it's not producing........ some guys dont' like to give up....

sorry for the hi-jack... just saying :farao:

[quickfish12]

I've been a backseater for about 4years now. I started with joining a local bass club like has been said before. I found that it was easy enough to find a backseat when I needed one. (most of the time anyway) There are alot of open tournaments around however you will generally fish 6 or so club tourneys a year and this has helped me a great deal. Backseater to backseater good luck.

[Bisk1tSnGraV]

You mentioned lacking certain techniques. I know for myself, to become better at certain techniques, baits, etc...I gathered up what info I could...bought a few, and just went and fished them. I left everything else behind so I wouldn't go back to what I knew had worked before. Jigs for example....I got a few standards, and started using them everywhere, and nothing else. I started catching fish and noting things....locations, the bite, etc. Plastics...there are so many now it makes me dizzy, but I love plastics. I just read up, reports...field tests, etc. try to make sense of it, and put it to practical use on a given lake. To me, it's all a work in progress...a piece of the puzzle...and it never will end. That's one of the reasons I love bass fishing.

That is a good process BassDood! And something that I am going to have to implement. If I feel things are off I will quickly fall back on what I am comfortable with even if its not working on a given day instead of sticking with a technique I want to improve on.

[Desertcreek]

Drifter,

I persoanlly think you are on the right track to learning more by fishing from the back seat. I think the guys that suggested joining a club or any place where the format is a "draw" format is a great idea. I haven't been bass fishing very long at all compared to most of these guys but I have made up a ton of ground in a very short period of time by fishing behind some really good anglers. I have only owned a boat for 2 full seasons ( this being my 3rd) Last year was my first full tournament season and I managed 2 top tens in huge fields.

I attribute 10% of my success to an absurd amount of time on the water, OCD, and an unhealthy amount of cometitive drive. The other 90% I would aatibute to those days I have had the opportunity to fish behind some super studs. In 2007 I fished the FLW event on the Columbia River as a co-angler and got 3 days of fishing behind real pros. I have had the opportunity to fish 4 or 5 days behind a couple of guys who should be pros but just haven't gathered the wontons to make the jump. In total I have spent about 9 days with some exceptional tournament fishermen and probably 200 days alone. I guaruntee I gained 10x's the knowledge in those 9 days than I did in my own 200. I think fishing with somone even if they aren't exceptional fishermen is instructive. I try to fish with a partner every time. Most of the time I can't because normal people care more about there careers and paying there bills than I do.

I am not part of a club but I wish I had started out that way. I would also recomend fishing as a co-angler at the professional level if you can. Whatever you think you know will be drastically altered when you witness somone fish for 9 hours when the rent money is on the line. These guys aren't luckier than the rest of us they are just flat better fishmen than the rest of us and you can learn a lot by watching them. Most of the guys I have met from our local club are super nice and typically they are open to help if you take the right approach. I am by no means suggesting that the only good anglers out there are tournament fishermen. For those of you that are mentally preparing your response to this....just simmer down. Competetitive fishing is what gets me up in the morning and because of that I have gravitated towards trying to learn from tournament anglers. I would love to fish a few days with some great bass anglers that are not tournament anglers but at the time I don't know any well enough to be invited. Geez that's a long response....sorry