I just returned home to New Jersey after fishing Bassmaster’s first Tuesday Night LIVE team derby. Four randomly selected teams of Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series anglers competed for three evening hours on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake.
It brought back the fun of fishing I experienced as a kid, and the enjoyment I get when fishing with my teenage son, Vegas. The short, high-energy Tuesday Night LIVE event also reminded me of lessons I learned years ago while fishing team events and as a co-angler.
I was paired with Florida’s Drew Benton, who’s an awesome dude. I’ve been competing against Drew for 15 years but had never fished with him before.
I learned a lot from Drew, which is one of the benefits of fishing as a team partner or a co-angler. He is a sight fishing master, and he put on a clinic during the tournament. I decided to ride in Drew’s boat because he had marked four nice bass locked on beds.
Riding with Drew was reminiscent of when I started my career in the early 90s. I often fished team tournaments or as a co-angler and learned how to catch bass from used water.
Streamline your tackle
When I fish an Elite tournament, my boat’s lockers are stuffed with 30 rods, 30 storage boxes, 10 containers for soft plastics and countless weights and hooks. Before I boarded Drew’s boat for the Tuesday nighter, I streamlined my tackle, just as I did years ago.
I limited myself to the basic tackle I needed for that body of water. If you take too much stuff, you go crazy trying to stay organized in the back of the boat.
When I used to fish in someone else’s rig, I’d pick four to six rods that allowed the most versatility. Half would be spinning and half casting. I brought six rods with me when I fished with Drew.
Hours before the tournament, I pared down to my most basic, proven baits in very basic colors. I packed a limited supply of Berkley baits, including the PowerBait General, the Chigger Craw and some Squarebull crankbaits. I also brought a variety of Missile jigs.
As a team partner or co-angler, you should bring your own pliers, line cutters, culling system and livewell additives. You can’t count on your boater to have these things. I put these items in a small duffel bag.
Backseat strategies
More important than streamlining tackle is how to approach your fishing day when you’re not in control. As a co-angler, you don’t make decisions on where to fish. Your job is to maximize whatever water the guy in front leaves you.
This is especially challenging when the vacuum cleaner on the front deck is setting up on docks or scoping out in the abyss. Do not let that discourage you.
I used to enjoy the challenge of scrapping and clawing to get bites as a co-angler. In a sadistic way, I got a kick out of catching bass that my boater missed. I focused on the fun of overcoming adversity and not the negatives I had to cope with.
I had to be conscious of what the angler in front of me was doing. That allowed me to hit anything he missed and to show the bass a different bait or presentation.
During the Tuesday Night LIVE derby, Drew would Power-Pole down on a bed, often in the back of a pocket. While Drew worked his sight-fishing magic, I would cast a PowerBait General stickbait rigged on a 1/16-ounce Berkley Fusion Wacky jig head to the bank on both sides of the boat.
I stayed positive and focused on combing the banks. I made casts six inches apart, as if I were slicing with a pizza cutter. By maximizing what I was able to fish, I contributed two big bass to our 15-pound, 7-ounce limit. We would not have won the tournament without them.
Backseat bait selection
Finesse fishing is usually your best option as a team partner or co-angler. The Tuesday night event was a great example of how light line and a finesse plastic bait can make you a more productive backseat angler.
Then again, there are times when power fishing with a casting outfit can pay off. In that instance, you can use speed and a fast rate of fall to trigger bites from bass that reject what the guy on the bow is throwing.
For example, if the guy in front is casting a traditional 1/2-ounce skirted jig, I’ll throw a 3/4-ounce jig that sinks faster. I’ll also work it with quicker jerks to get a reaction bite.
I’d also fast-twitch something like a Berkley Stunna jerkbait or burn a Molix Waterslash spinnerbait to rile a bass into action.
You can learn more about how I maximize my fishing time at www.mikeiaconelli.com or www.youtube.com/c/goingike.
