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Al Winco

http://www.snyderboats.com/readingrivers.htm

Fishing in a "DRAW" tournament format requires good preparation and a complete understanding of the rules. Some of these "DRAW" formats (2 people chosen at random fish together in the same boat) require the boat owner to offer the rider (draw partner for the day) the front of the boat plus trolling motor controls for 1/2 of the scheduled tournament day. A pro-Am draw format does not give the rider any time whatsoever in the front or on the trolling motor. Having the personal experience in the Red Man Circuit as a boat owner, let give all of you considering this type of fishing some advise based upon my personal experiences on the draw-type tournament circut,16 years ago.

1- Be respectful of the boat owner when you meet-if you smoke, ask if he objects to smoking in his boat

2-Ask how much tackle and rods you are permitted to bring-and don't abuse his wishes and clutter -up the boat with needless tackle boxes &more then 5 rods.

3-If the rules require the owner to give you the front for 1/2 of the day, Discuss this BEFORE the tournament begins and let him know if you are interested in taking the front.

Don't take the front if you have limited experience with a trolling motor on a big bass-boat ...especially in windy conditions and rocky bottoms...some trolling motor props cost $40.00 each!

4-Be extremely respectful of his boat, trailer and tow vehicle. A compliment hear and there won't hurt.

5-Offer the owner gas money-some rider fees are pre-set and in the tournament rules

6-Discuss the landing/netting of fish (if nets are permitted) BEFORE the start of the tournament. I witnessed a boat owner ridiculously berate a rider

@ a Wallenpaupack tournament for missing a fish that was NOT ready to be netted yet. There was 5 other tournament boats around for all to hear this ridiculous rant from the boat owner. I yelled over to the owner, "Yo Guy, give the rider a break and net your own fish next time". He looked at me and promptly shut-up. He did apologize after the tournament.

How to fish from the back of the boat-and maintain peace w/the boat owner

1- Don't cast forward past the windshield in the boat unless he gives you permission to do so-pay attention to his techniques

2- If the owner is running the bank with a spinner bait, do the same with a different model and blade configuration.

3- If he is fishing a jig, pay particular attention to the EXACT spots of the structure he is casting to and choose the opposite side or a different part of the structure

    (He'll usually miss or leave a few spots open-if your watching instead of complaining to yourself about being boated).

4-Don't try to worm fish if the owner is fishing fast with a crankbait or jerk-bait

5-Address any and all uncomfortable situations immediately with respect and a pleasant tone of voice.

6-If you show the owner your fishing ability quietly, He'll notice quickly and you may be surprised at the results.

7- Approach the situation with an open-mind and you will learn a great deal...and have a great day.

8-If you are unfortunate and do end up for the day with a pretentious, ignorant boat owner, tell the tournament officials (after the weigh-in) about the situation.

    Tournament officials want to know this. A possible dis-qualification could follow if the boat owner broke any tournament rules.

9- Even if the owner didn't catch the winning weigh of the tournament, thank him for the learning experience.

Compliment the boat owner by following the above suggestions and you'll both have a good day. You just may meet your next best friend. I had a full flippin' deck in my 20' Tournament bass boat and if the rider was respectful, I always invited them up onto the front deck. Although offered, I never had a rider who wanted to take the front and trolling motor. Remember, if you don't like being a rider take the financial plunge and buy your own. The cost of a tournament bass boat today with a 200-225h.p. and all amenities plus a strong V-8 tow vehicle can easily exceed $70,000.00