For many anglers, fishing as a co-angler has been the start of a tournament career, but those opportunities will be more limited in the future after a change at B.A.S.S. (BASS)
Forward facing sonar (FFS) may have claimed another victim as Bassmaster quietly announced in late December they will no longer have co-anglers or back-of-boat fishermen in their popular Bassmaster Opens.
B.A.S.S. said that participation in the program slumped significantly during and after the COVID years. They did not say this, but this is also about the same time many more tournament anglers bought and began to use FFS.
The all-seeing sonar illuminates hundreds of quality open-water fish that anglers never knew were there before, and catches have shot up exponentially in events where the habitat and timing put the majority of fish offshore.
But in events where the boater is taking most of his fish via FFS, he’s not fishing the type of water where the back seater has a shot at fish on structure or drops or bait schools—he catches few fish and has no shot at interesting water all day long. He basically sits and watches the boat-owner fish FFS bass.
So, he doesn’t sign up again.
Alternatively, if a remarkably generous pro lets a back-of-boat angler throw a few shots at the available fish on screen and catch a few, the scales quickly get out of whack because not everybody has a backseater and most assuredly are not sharing FFS fish.
A co-angler could become a significant liability, rather than a potential backseat asset finding fish the pro might have missed.
(To be sure, some boaters are generous with co-anglers, leave the console graph running so they can see bottom structure and fish and generally consider them a partner aboard. But when the boater has big money and a ticket to higher competition levels on the line, having that extra rod aft can be less than appealing.)
Some anglers also said that the co-anglers occasionally spoke out of school, revealing a technique or a spot they had observed to other competitors.
And the boaters in these events rightly point out they pay much higher entry fees and face all the expenses and worries of buying and maintaining the boat, which obviously has to give them sway in how a day on the water goes.
In any case, the Bassmaster Opens will no longer have non-boaters.
Backseaters or co-anglers have fewer opportunities to catch bass in most events, but the rise of forward scan sonar has brought the challenges to the fore.
But B.A.S.S. has plenty of other affordable tournament competitions where backseaters will remain a welcome part of the bassing scene, continue to have learning opportunities, and perhaps in a few cases make their way into the ranks of the pros.
“It was a tough call,” says Hank Weldon, Bassmaster Opens tournament director. “But, now that we have a home for our co-anglers in the new B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifiers, it just makes sense. These avid anglers will still have the opportunity to compete at a high level and our Opens pros will be able to pursue their dreams in a league that couldn’t be more fair … or more competitive.”
Co-anglers will continue to have opportunities to win big prizes, both in B.A.S.S. and MLF events, organizers say. (MLF)
The “other” tournaments are affordable as bassing competitions go: Bass Nation entry fee for a national qualifier is $400 for a boater and $200 for a co-angler. There are four national qualifiers through the B.A.S.S. Nation. Anglers can have an opportunity to make it to the Bassmaster Elite Series and the Bassmaster Classic through qualifying for the B.A.S.S Nation Championship. See full rules here: https://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-BASS-Nation-Rules-Final-1.16.24.pdf
The 2025 Bassmaster Opens will kick off at Clarks Hill Reservoir on Jan 23-25 (Full Opens Schedule), while the first B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier will be held at Pickwick Lake March 12-14.
Major League Fishing also has a continuing co-angler program, with big prizes for annual top rods. See details at www.majorleaguefishing.com.
— Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com