02-15-2013, 08:37 PM
I fished a lot with the Bass Anglers Federation. They are a great group. Great experience from the back of the boat.
They are affiliated with both FLW and B.A.S.S. so you can fish the federation events with either.
Just show up to one of the meetings at BPS, and sign up. It's that easy. Really cheap too. You can go fish a tournament or two before you have to pay membership dues (which are pretty cheap anyway) just to see if you like it.
Just remember - as a co-angler, you are expected to chip in on gas, and those boats can really guzzle it, so bring at least $40 to give your boater for gas. If you guys are making huge runs across the lake, you may need to bring more.
As a co-angler, you want to bring 3 combos with you.
1) A crankbait rod
2) A Jig rod
3) A drop-shot rod
You can do everything you need with those set-ups.
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwaters all on the crankbait rod.
Toss jigs, texas rigs, carolina rigs, and senkos on your jig rod.
Drop-shot and shakey-head fishing with your drop-shot rod.
Keep your tackle selection minimal. You don't want to carry unnecessary gear. Bring a small tackle tray with cranks and topwaters, a small pouch with your spinnerbaits, only the soft-plastics you actually plan on using, etc. If you can't fit it all in a small backpack, leave it at home.
You need to bring your own life-jacket. The 5 dollar orange PFD will not cut it when you are on a boat that can and will go 70+ mph. Invest in a nice one.
Good luck man. You will learn a ton from those guys. Let us know how it goes!
[signature]
They are affiliated with both FLW and B.A.S.S. so you can fish the federation events with either.
Just show up to one of the meetings at BPS, and sign up. It's that easy. Really cheap too. You can go fish a tournament or two before you have to pay membership dues (which are pretty cheap anyway) just to see if you like it.
Just remember - as a co-angler, you are expected to chip in on gas, and those boats can really guzzle it, so bring at least $40 to give your boater for gas. If you guys are making huge runs across the lake, you may need to bring more.
As a co-angler, you want to bring 3 combos with you.
1) A crankbait rod
2) A Jig rod
3) A drop-shot rod
You can do everything you need with those set-ups.
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwaters all on the crankbait rod.
Toss jigs, texas rigs, carolina rigs, and senkos on your jig rod.
Drop-shot and shakey-head fishing with your drop-shot rod.
Keep your tackle selection minimal. You don't want to carry unnecessary gear. Bring a small tackle tray with cranks and topwaters, a small pouch with your spinnerbaits, only the soft-plastics you actually plan on using, etc. If you can't fit it all in a small backpack, leave it at home.
You need to bring your own life-jacket. The 5 dollar orange PFD will not cut it when you are on a boat that can and will go 70+ mph. Invest in a nice one.
Good luck man. You will learn a ton from those guys. Let us know how it goes!
[signature]