NWT

[Rowdie]

All their faces look like they need better hats, sunblock, or those face covers.

 

[walleyeman_1875]

Do you think the NWT will eliminate the co-angler from the tournaments next year. Struggling to understand why there is a prize pool or co-angler champion when they typically don’t ever hook a fish.

I could see some traction with replacing it with a “spectator” option where you pay the same entry fee to watch first hand….max of 4 spectator per boat.

Maybe make it a fantasy auction type set up where spectator can actively bid on which angler they can to tag along with…..I dare say I’m on to something

 

[Rowdie]

Just call em net boys.

 

[SLE]

Co angler never putting a line in the water or doing anything productive is trash.

 

[SLE]

Idc who the co angler is, but it might as well be a nd big horn lottery draw………….

 

[Rowdie]

There are a few pros that have their co cast out the back. You'd think they'd have a few deadline lindy rigs ready to cast out when they stop to cast at a fish. At least in situations where you're not throwing back 7 lbers. No matter, being a co is playing the lottery anyway you slice it.

 

[zoops]

Wonder how many boats will be piled in by the dam intake the next couple weeks??

 

[guywhofishes]

Wonder how many boats will be piled in by the dam intake the next couple weeks??

Annoying for the SCUBA shore divers, I reckon.

 

[Traxion]

Just call em net boys.

High pressure net bitch is what I’d say.

 

[guywhofishes]

It should be that one fish in each day’s limit needs to have been hooked and retrieved by the co-angler.

The issue then becomes - how would you like to draw a shiite co-angler?

Handicap system applied to co-anglers?

What a mess everything becomes at that point.

 

[zoops]

I would imagine most co-anglers are fairly competent fishermen; I’ve wondered why the pro doesn’t put an ffs on the back of the boat for them? Don’t want them casting at the same fish?

 

[guywhofishes]

I would imagine most co-anglers are fairly competent fishermen; I’ve wondered why the pro doesn’t put an ffs on the back of the boat for them? Don’t want them casting at the same fish?

fairly competent gal versus fairly competent guy = gal gets her butt handed to her by guy

 

[Traxion]

Guys I know who have fished noted that many guys had portable FFS in the back. But not all. I think you’re there to observe and learn mainly. In the old days the pro would often be the net guy. I’d hate to lose one at the net for one of the leaders.

 

[guywhofishes]

All their faces look like they need better hats, sunblock, or those face covers.

Good luck avoiding skin flush after three 10 hour days outdoors - regardless of protection.

 

[zoops]

I’m sure the 5 fish limit with no cull factored into it. Seems most other events that I’ve seen the co does fish and pretty common for the pro to hook the fish and then have the co reel it in. Imagine that’s when they can put more than a one man limit in the livewell.
But yeah, seems pretty dumb to have a co angler champion when they don’t even put a line in the water.

 

[xFishSlayerx]

Imagine being the co and going to net a 9 pounder and ya bump er off with the net right at the boat on a tough bite. Be a long day in that boat.

 

[Bauer]

I pre-fished with 3 different pros over the week leading up to the tournament, 2 of which stayed at my home for 10 days. I opted to not handle a rod for those days either to maximize the potential to learn, and boy did I ever. I filled in a lot of voids in my FFS game. All 3 of the guys finished in the top 12 and all of them ended up catching their fish for the tournament in under 18' of water and as shallow as 6. I don't disagree that some were deep as I did see it myself, but the entire field was not. The number of fish on the east end spread through the water column is staggering right now and it's really cool to be out there fishing. Jerk baits in 6' with these full-of-fire walleye is an awesome change of pace to the usual bottom bouncer or jig bite going on out deep as per years past.

Many of these Co's are also here to learn. Kristen Meyers, the CO for Issac the last 2 days was doing just exactly that and now has her 2nd iron trophy of the season and has made a lot of money doing it as well as bragging rights to being the first woman to win on the CO side in NWT history. Yes, it's a crapshoot on the Pro draw, but the wealth of knowledge gained is pretty incredible and you could tell by the questions she asked on the livestream, that she was perfectly content to be doing just that.
Nearly every Pro is having their CO do some sort of fishing if they choose to want to, so it's not like they can't, but you can expect to not be given first chance at the fish unless you are lighting it up, meaning if you have one on the screen and are getting ready to cast at it, the pro is likely moving on without you, you just adapt and keep plugging away.

Sounds like some big changes coming to the NWT with rumors all about, but I won't be surprised to see the co-angler becoming even more of a marshal, as per the rules, than a co-fisherperson. They now have a top 80 field locked in for 2027 knowing full well they may or may not get to even hold a rod.

 

[Sluggo]

I pre-fished with 3 different pros over the week leading up to the tournament, 2 of which stayed at my home for 10 days. I opted to not handle a rod for those days either to maximize the potential to learn, and boy did I ever. I filled in a lot of voids in my FFS game. All 3 of the guys finished in the top 12 and all of them ended up catching their fish for the tournament in under 18' of water and as shallow as 6. I don't disagree that some were deep as I did see it myself, but the entire field was not. The number of fish on the east end spread through the water column is staggering right now and it's really cool to be out there fishing. Jerk baits in 6' with these full-of-fire walleye is an awesome change of pace to the usual bottom bouncer or jig bite going on out deep as per years past.

Interesting info. Curious if you think a person would have any luck fishing that shallow bite if you didn't have FFS to locate the fish? In other words, would just cruising along casting the shallows be a fool's errand (for me)?

 

[shorthairsrus]

Get rid of the co angler. It makes no sense.

 

[risingsun]

Interesting info. Curious if you think a person would have any luck fishing that shallow bite if you didn't have FFS to locate the fish? In other words, would just cruising along casting the shallows be a fool's errand (for me)?

No bigger fool than one that does not try. Done it for years and years long before the advanced electronics. With the advent of side imaging it only made it easier to find targets to throw at.