I did something completely foreign last week: I went fishing with a buddy, but this time I was in the back of his boat. I hadn’t fished as a co-angler in just about 10 years and to be honest, I didn’t know what to think about it. But I have been in a little slump with my fishing lately and my friend knew it, so he essentially demanded that I hop in his boat, enjoy the day and get back into the groove of things. He knew what I needed and he also knew that I was too stubborn to admit it. I needed a day of fun fishing.
When we pulled up to the boat ramp well before sunrise, it was a bizarre feeling. I got out of the truck and just kind of stood there not knowing what to do. I have my routine etched in my brain for launching my boat hundreds of times per year, but I didn’t know his and I didn’t want to get in the way.
The bizarre feeling continued as we arrived to our first spot. It looked awesome; this dude puts his time in and I was certain we were going to catch fish. But not even thinking about it, I fired my Fluke out in front of the trolling motor and he just giggled. It was pure instinct to cast in front of the boat and I had no intentions of cutting off the poor fella. After a profuse apology and some good laughs, I began to settle into my new role for the day. I have to admit, too, that it was pretty dang nice. I didn’t have to worry about anything. Stand up, cast, catch fish, sit down, eat snacks and cast again. Not a bad gig!
This single day on the water made me want to share some tips that will help you catch more bass from the back of your buddy’s boat. I won a state championship as a co-angler more than a decade ago and this day brought back a lot of helpful lessons I’ve learned along the way.
