Use Common Scents When Ice Fishing

OK, I'll come clean.  I'm not talking about ice safety, although it's a topic for another day.  I'm talking about the use of scent on your fishing lures to further sweeten your lures, to tempt finicky fish to bite while jigging for panfish through the ice.  I'll talk about a few that I use during this post, but I'm not endorsing those particular products.  There are others out there that are probably well worth using.  The point is, use them when the bite is tough.

Use common scents...like Smelly Jelly, to put more panfish like this slab crappie on the ice.  This one was caught on the open water, but Smelly Jelly resulted in more bites than when we didn't use it on this trip.

Most ice anglers that jig for panfish tip their lures with some sort of bait.  Waxworms, maggots (commonly called spikes), mousees, perch eyes, or belly meat are commonly added to jigs to sweeten the offering.  The panfish are not actively feeding on these baits under the ice until you introduce them.  In other words, schools of maggots aren't down there swimming around.  So, why do they work?  Scent and taste.

It's no secret that taste and scent are closely related senses, especially to fish.  Sweetening your jigs with these baits will not only draw strikes, but keep them hanging on.  So, when things get tough, obviously, toting these baits on the ice with you is a good idea.  I always carry a container of spikes and waxworms with me on the ice.

However, over the past ten years or so, soft plastics have become increasingly popular for targeting panfish through the ice.  One advantage to using soft plastics is that you don't have to stop fishing to add bait to your jig during a hot bite, and the soft plastics last through a lot more fish than a maggot or waxworm.

I personally started using them over twenty years ago, dropping Bass Pro Shops one inch Squirmin' Grubs down the hole for willing perch, crappie, bluegills and bass.  Later, the now famous Ratso and Shrimpo lures iced many a pannie for me on the ice.  But as good as these lures are, there are times when fish won't touch them.

Soft plastics like these have become popular fished through the ice.  The blue and green ones in the center of the picture are Ratsos, and the two below that are the Bass Pro Shops Squirmin' Grubs.  But sometimes these just aren't good enough by themselves to draw strikes.  A little bait or scent added to sweeten them up might draw strikes or get them to hold on longer when they do.

One way to sweeten them up is to add bait, but another way is to dab some Smelly Jelly, Fish Formula, or Bang on them.  These aren't the only scents that work.  Some people make their own concoctions, and one common theme seems to involve anise oil.  Garlic is also a quite popular additive.

Many years ago, some soft plastic manufacturers discovered that they could add scent to the lures during their production or packaging.  It was as simple as adding salt or liquid scents in the package, but other companies, like Berkley, added scent to their plastic formula with their invention of Powerbait.  Other lure manufacturers mixed salt, garlic and other additives in their plastic formulas.

Even more recently, specialized formulas were not only mixed into the plastic formula, but also added to the packaging, storing them in jars and literally soaking the soft plastics in their secret formula.  Berkley Gulp, Gulp Alive products, Yum soft plastics, and Trigger X have produced complex scented and productive soft plastics.

The plastics to the left are Berkley Powerbait, to the right are Gulp and Gulp Alive products.  All are scented and will draw strikes or get panfish to hang on.  The company claims that these lures outproduce live bait.  I don't think that's always true, but there are times when it seems that way.

More Berkley Powerbait and Gulp products.  I always bring these on the ice with me.  There are times when these outproduce everything else.

Gene Mueller, retired Washington Times Newspaper outdoor columnist and outdoors blogger praised the use of Smelly Jelly just about every winter in his fishing reports, touting the advantage given to anglers that chose to use it.  Gene is also likes using the Berkley Gulp and Powerbait products.  My memory isn't what it used to be, but I'd say the odds are pretty good that it was his newspaper fishing reports that turned me on to using scent in my younger fishing days, and I've been using it ever since.  If I had to sum up what I learned from Gene about the use of scent in two words?  It works.  By the way, be sure to visit Gene's wonderful blog, Gene Mueller's World of Fishing & Hunting.

Gene Mueller showing us the benefit of using Smelly Jelly, his favorite fishing scent.  Nice slab, huh?  

So if these scents make a difference on the softwater, it stands to reason that they should make a difference on the hardwater too, right?   I think that these scents not only cover our human scent, or scents that give off a negative reaction to fish, like tobacco and gasoline, but actually attract them in some cases.  And, they seem to cause fish to hang on to soft plastic lures longer, and even ingest them.  So, they must taste good to the fish too.

These were just a few of the nice yellow perch and pickerel that I caught during my first use of Berkley Gulp on the ice several years ago.  Since then, I've not only used their soft plastics, but have also dipped my other soft plastic lures in their Gulp Alive scent to sweeten my offerings.

Bluegills like this one will chomp on jigs with soft plastic trailers sweetened with scent as well as jigs tipped with waxworms or maggots.

I'm not saying that these products are the answer all the time when fishing is tough, but it doesn't hurt to give them a try.  There are times when they could turn your day around on the ice.  Success while using them will give you added confidence in the use of soft plastics through the ice at the very least, and could put more fish on the ice and into your frying pan.  So, please use some "common scents!"

Fat Boy's 2012 Year in Review

Happy New Year Everyone!  

I hope that 2013 brings you the best outdoor experiences possible.  For me, my hopes to have an even better fishing year are promising.  In fact, I can pretty much say that for all of my outdoors activities.  One way to jump start my fishing year would be to have some ice to fish on in 2013 since we were ice free last year.  The upcoming winter forecasts are promising, and ice is building as I type this.  While I wait for ice, it's also a good time to reflect on 2012.

Now that I look back, about the only things that didn't happen for me are that I didn't get to ice fish, and I didn't put some deer meat in the freezer.  Fortunately, my 2012-2013 hunting season is still open, and I have late archery opportunities ahead.  Other than that, I had some great fishing times with some great people.  I have been fortunate to have some great fishing buddies, some that I've fished with for many years, some that I've recently been fishing with, and some that I have yet to fish with.

I managed to meet and fish with some guys for the first time.  Here, Jeremy Tyson (foreground) and Ed Lewandoski on a recent outing.  Not only are they awesome and knowledgeable anglers, but nice people too.  I'm looking forward to fishing with them in the future.

I'm going to keep the typing to a minimum here, and trust me, my diarrhea of the keyboard is tough for me to control.  So, this post will be picture heavy with a few captions.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.

I had the pleasure of fishing with Bob Franko a couple weeks ago.  Bob is a fishing guide on the Susquehanna and will definitely put his clients on fish, whether it's smallmouth, walleye, or musky fishing.   I have his website linked in the right hand column. 

I've had the pleasure of fishing with Shawn Reardon (right) this year a couple times.  He's another fanatic angler and a really good guy.  Pictured left is Mike Schiffbauer.  I haven't fished with Mike, but probably will some day.  He's another top notch fisherman.

Blast from the past.  Here's my friend, Rodger Moran, that took up fishing not long ago.  I haven't seen Rodger for several years.  He didn't used to fish, and we lost touch.  But he found me on a fishing forum after recently taking up fishing, and we've had some fun fishing this year.  Now he's hooked on this addicting habit!  Good to see you again Rodg.

Here's my friend Bob with his eight year old fishing prodigy son and fishing buddy, Carson.  Any fishing buddy of his is a fishing buddy of mine.  Carson landed his biggest bass on a trip this fall.  Nice fish Carson!  This was a banner year for Bob too.  He also purchased a new boat, the boat of his dreams, a Riverpro LoPro.  I now own his old boat!

Of course, I can't leave out my best bud, Howard Boltz.  We've been fishing together since the 80's, and this year was a great year for both of us.  We've caught a lot of nice fish over the years.  Here, Howard sports a chunky largemouth caught while fishing out of his boat this year.  I look forward to many more trips in 2013 with Howard.

A new fishing pal, Rocky Droneburg, shown here with a fat largemouth bass.  Rocky and I fished a couple times together in 2012.  I hope to get out with him again on the water.  What a great guy, and a heck of an angler too!

Here's my friend Dave Roberts sporting a fat largemouth that he caught this past spring while he fished out of his boat.  Dave and I have had some great spring fishing trips.   This year, I hope to have him as a guest on my boat, since our favorite lake together is my home water.  Now I have a craft to invite him to fish out of.

I had the pleasure of fishing with Steve Pilkerton (left) this fall.  Also pictured are Rocky and Tony Ashby.   Steve is a very analytical angler, much like myself.  We didn't figure the fish out that day, but it was fun trying to put together a pattern.  I hope to fish with all of these guys in 2013.

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Here's my friend, Steve Kelley, who also had a monumental year.  He purchased the boat of his dreams, and it paid off for him.  In this picture, he proudly shows us what I think is his personal best largemouth bass.  I was honored to be fishing with him out of his new boat on that day.  What a historic moment for both of us.

My friend, Rusty Dillon, with a largemouth bass caught last year.  Rusty loves to fish.  I hope to have him out for some fishing in 2013 where he'd have a chance at a personal best bass.

I had the pleasure of fishing with my friend, Mark McWilliams this past year several times.  Here he is fishing out of his boat with a nice Smith Mountain Lake smallmouth bass.  Mark and I had some great trips together.  I need to get him out on my boat in 2013 for some different species.  How about some walleye fishing Mark?

Here's a picture of my friend, Gene Mueller.  I have yet to fish with him.  In fact, I have yet to meet him in person.  I actually met him on-line as a result of this blog.  He's a great guy, and I've already learned a lot from him about writing and fishing.  Thanks Gene.  Here's to a great 2013 and meeting and fishing with you some day in person!

Here's my buddy Jim Cumming, also a guest author on a couple wonderful Fat Boy Outdoors posts.  If you like small stream fishing, you need to check them out.  Jim and I learned a lot together over the years both on and off the water.  I haven't fished with him for some time now.  We're planning a trip on the ice soon to fish together.  I look forward to that very much.

To read Jim's fishing articles, here are the links:

Small Stream Magic...Going with the Flow
Small Streams...Arctic Style

Please take the time to read these outstanding articles.  I'm sure that Jim would be happy to hear if you enjoyed them or not, so please post a comment at the end of each post providing him with your feedback.

Two other people are interested in fishing with me in 2013, my wife and daughter.  I really look forward to those trips.  I nearly fell out of my chair when my wife told me that she wanted to go fishing with me!  Those pictures and experiences will be subject for future posts, hopefully in 2013.

I purchased this boat from my friend, Bob, in the summer of 2012.  I had so much fun taking "her" out and have already had some memorable fishing trips.  2013 looks to be a very promising fishing year.

So you may have noticed what was most important to me in 2012, and what will also be the case in 2013.  The basic theme of this post is that my family and friends are most important to me, more than the fishing or outdoors activities that I do.  Those activities are a means of enjoyment and fun, for sure, but sharing those experiences are what it's all about.

That said, I've caught some great fish this year with help of my fishing buddies.  I'd say that, without them, I may not have caught most of my bigger fish this year.  Here's a recap of some of the best fish that I've caught in 2013.

Here's my first snakehead ever, a 36 inch toothy nasty looking beast!

I caught a ton of nice bass this year.  Here's one of my biggest in 2013, a fat Tidal Potomac largemouth.

Here's another nice fat bass caught this past spring.  I caught so many nice bass this year, it was hard to choose which pics I liked most.   These last two I guess are my favorite ones.

How about this slob yellow perch?  I hope to get a bunch of these on the ice this year.

Here's a nice chain pickerel.  I caught a bunch of gator chainsides this year.  These guys are like mini muskies!

This isn't a very big striper, but it was fun catching lots of them like this in 2012.  I hope to get some sow stripers in 2013.  Until I get one of those, there are plenty of ones this size to keep me entertained.

Well, there you have it.  A Fat Boy's Outdoors year in review.  Here's to a wonderful 2013 and a Happy New Year to all of you.  Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope that you enjoyed my work on here.

What Makes a Good Shore Fishing Buddy? Part II

In my previous post, we discussed various aspects of what makes a good fishing buddy from the perspective of a boat owner.  Many of the traits you'd look for in a fishing buddy apply in all of those situations, but what this post will cover will be those not discussed that may be important to shore anglers. I'll throw in wading as shore angling also, because there are similarities.  This is part four of a five part series, links to the fishing buddy tips are at the end of this article.

Fishing from shore often offers some great fishing.  Having a fishing buddy to share that with enhances the experience.  The following suggestions may ensure that you and your fishing buddy enjoy the experience even more.  Here, my fishing buddy, Howard Boltz, sports a chunky largemouth from a shore fishing spot that we learned together over the years.

So what specifically would I look for from a shore angler?

I think that one thing all anglers have in common is that they want to catch fish and have fun doing it.  So some of these traits will focus on helping your fishing buddy catch more fish, while others are more ethical in nature, both will earn you respect as a fishing pal.  So, let's get started.

1)  If possible, don't disturb a good fishing hole.  A quiet and stealthy approach to a fishing hole will improve the chance of fishing success for both you and your fishing partner.  If you're wading a river or stream, don't wade through it with reckless abandon.  Keep to the shore as much as possible.  Try not to stir up too much silt.  In some situations, like when fishing a gin clear brook trout stream, being stealthy could mean approaching on your hands and knees, keeping a low profile.  If you spook fish, chances are they won't hit for some time.  If your fishing buddy shows you a new spot, if you go in and spook the fish, it will most likely be the last spot that he shows you.  Wade or walk carefully and quietly to get into casting position and access the spot.  Doing so improves the odds for both of you.

Wading a river or stream is a fun way to catch fish.  Approach fishing holes in a stealthy manner and you both can catch fish like this.  Wading through a hole like a bull in a china shop will spook fish and make for a long day.  Quiet and careful wading is the key.

2)  Share the spots, and don't be a spot hog.  If you're fishing small water, try the leap frogging technique as described in my last post, but from shore or wading.  If you hit the first spot and get the first cast in, then let your fishing pal get first crack at the next spot.  Alternate every other hole.  If you know of especially good spots, work it out so your fishing buddy gets first crack at some of them.  If you are both working a good hole, and there is room to do this, alternate casting positions every now and then so that both of you get the most out of the hole and catch fish.

One of my fishing buddies, Bill May, with a fat shore caught largemouth bass.  Bill and I learned many fishing spots over the years and worked together to find and catch quality fish like this.

3)  Figure out the patterns together.  It's not a competition, unless, of course, you stage the trip that way.  If you're on fish and your fishing buddy isn't, help him out with some suggestions on what is working for you.  Maybe, if you have enough, offer to let him or her use lures that are producing.  That's probably why I carry way more fishing tackle than I actually need on my shore fishing trips, just in case my fishing buddy needs my help!

My fishing buddy Rodger Moran and I worked together to catch fish like this smallmouth bass all day long.  Figuring out a pattern together and sharing information could improve the fishing for both you and your fishing pal.

4)  Don't ruin a good hole with a snag.  If you snag an inexpensive lure, break it off so that you don't ruin the hole.  If it's an expensive lure, wait until you fishing buddy has a chance to work the hole before you wade in and get your snag, or work the water into a froth in your attempt to free your lure.

5)  Swap fishing locations.  If your fishing buddy shows you a good body of water to fish.  Reciprocate by putting your buddy on a good place to fish.  Also, keep the spots between you and your closest friends that you trust that won't put the entire world to it.  Making a secret honey hole public is a good way to ruin that hole for good, and lose a fishing buddy.  Obviously public waters or well known spots don't really apply to that last statement.

I put my friend, Mark McWilliams, on one of my shore fishing holes and put him on some nice bass.  He was kind enough to take me fishing on his boat, sharing this shore spot with him was the least that I could do.  Sharing fishing locations is what fishing buddies do.

6)  Take turns driving and/or offer gas money.  Sharing in  a good fishing experience also means sharing in  the efforts and expenses to get there.

7)  Help land big fish.  Learn how to properly net fish, and offer that skill when needed if doing so applies to the body of water and type of fish that you are fishing.  A helping hand, or net, could help your fishing buddy land the fish of a lifetime.

Being a good net man could make or break a trip.  Here, one of the best anglers and net men that I know, a fishing buddy that taught me how to properly net fish and the importance of being good at it, Jim Cumming, nets a fine steelhead for another fishing buddy of mine, Steve Kelley.  Fishing buddies working together like this make for awesome lifetime memories.

8)  Don't crowd.  If your fishing buddy is on fish in a hole, don't crowd him or her.  If your buddy offers to let you in on the action, that's fine, but still give your friend some elbow room and don't cast into your buddy's spot.  Casting into your buddy's hole without permission, or cutting your buddy's cast off by crossing over the spot are both taboo.  And, never intentionally cross over their line.  If you do that on purpose, you may wonder why your fishing partner is no longer your fishing partner.

9)  Learn together.  One of the great joys of fishing is to discover new fishing holes.  When prospecting for new holes, two people doing the research may allow you both to obtain useful information faster than one person doing the research.  This may be internet research, using Google Maps, or taking the drive to spots on non-fishing days to scope them out.  Also, figuring out how to fish new spots are also a great experiences for the both of you.

Mark Sirko (right) and I posing for a steelhead double.   Mark is one of the best anglers that I know, and put me on some of the best fishing that I've ever had in my life.  You couldn't ask for a better fishing buddy.  All of the qualities of a fishing buddy that I've written about are exemplified by his actions in the most professional manner.  I'm forever thankful.

10)  Stay in touch with each other.  It's nice to share the experience with someone and work together to fish.  Doing a disappearing act, leaving your fishing buddy behind, is not cool.  If you agree to work separately, that's a different story, don't just disappear.  Sometimes splitting up is a good tactic to developing a pattern and is a productive approach.  Just make sure that your fishing buddy knows what is going on and where to find you.  This is also a good practice for safety reasons.  Electronic aids help with this too, cell phones, radios, etc. will allow you to stay in contact with each other.  These aids may help in figuring out where the fish are if you're both working a large body or multiple bodies of water.  One last point on this, staying together also allows you to take pictures of each other fishing and of each others fish.  I wouldn't have many of these nice pictures if it wasn't for my fishing buddies.  If you spread out too much, you may not capture a great fishing memory on film.  Memories last a lifetime, but a picture of one of those memories makes that memory even more special.

My fishing Buddy Bob Barber fishing for steelhead.  Scenery shots like this wouldn't be possible without the help of a fishing buddy.  Being too far apart wouldn't allow for quality fish pictures like this one either.

These ten suggestions will help you and your fishing buddies remain that way, and improve your fishing success as well.   Working together is a great way to discover new fishing waters, fishing techniques, and new fishing patterns.  Working well together when your fishing with someone the first time may expand your overall fishing horizons and get you a new fishing buddy.  Being considerate of the person that you're fishing with will ensure that you both fish together again in the future.


Also, let's try something different.  Feel free to participate.  Please use the comment function if you have anything related to this topic to add.  Thank you in advance!

As mentioned in the first post of this series, this is a four part series.  Here are the titles to all four parts.  As each one is published, you'll be able to click on the text and take you to that document:

Part I - What Makes a Good Fishing Buddy (from a boaters perspective in general)
Part II - What Makes a Good Shore Fishing Buddy
Coming soon:
Part III - What Makes a Good Fishing Buddy (from the perspective of a non-boater)
Part IV - What Makes a Good Ice Fishing Buddy

Check out these Shark Tooth Crafts

We could debate who the number one fan of shark toothin' at Myrtle Beach is for some time.  Obviously, it's me!  Well, then again, maybe not.  I may have found someone who loves it more than I do.  Actually, she found me.

After reading my post, "How to Find Shark Teeth at Myrtle Beach", Stephanie of South Carolina not only posted a comment to the blog, but also found a way to contact me via email about her passion for this wonderful hobby.

Stephanie agrees with my approach to helping other beachcombers or people that ask what we're looking for.  Like me, they never turn down the opportunity to share with children, showing them how to find the teeth, give them information about fossils, and even give them teeth as examples to help them find them on their own.

She shares her shark toothing passion with the love of her life of fourteen years, Joe.  She says that he is the greatest, hard working, kindest man that she knows (other than her Father), and adds that he is her best friend.  Joe prefers to dig deep into the sand, to create a hole, to get down to shell layers that aren't under the eye of your average daily beach combers in hopes of finding larger shark teeth.  Stephanie will also dig, but also prefers just walking the beach, using her eyes to browse the shell beds, along with other techniques.

Fellow shark toothing fanatics Stephanie and the love of her life, Joe, share the passion of fossiling in the beach.  Stephanie also made this frame from her beachcombing finds.  I think this is one of the coolest things that I've seen that incorporate beachcombing finds.  Nice work Stephanie!

Joe shown here digging a hole searching for shark teeth at Myrtle Beach.

Stephanie enjoyed all of the tips that I offered, but also adds one of her own.  For night collecting, Stephanie highly recommends the rechargeable Stanley SL5W09 5 Watt LED Spotlight.  I might have to invest in one myself.  Maybe I should drop a hint to my wife about this potential Christmas gift!

Together, their biggest find was a large beautiful great white shark that Joe found under a pier, after working hard and digging deep for his prize.   And, she also said that about three years ago, they found over 1,300 shark teeth at Myrtle Beach in a fifteen day span.  That is a lot of shark teeth!  Over the years, they've found all kinds of fossils including shark vertebrae, sting ray barbs, and various fossilized shells.

Stephanie and Joe's best Myrtle Beach find.  Check out this awesome great white shark tooth!

Like me, Stephanie and Joe really enjoy the Discovery Channel's Shark Week.  She feels that sharks are one of the most intriguing animals, a passion for these amazing animals that she's had most of her life that inspires her collecting and crafting hobbies.

Stephanie made this pumpkin.  Think she loves sharks or what?  Wow, that is awesome.

In addition to collecting at Myrtle Beach, they enjoy collecting shark teeth and other fossils at Edisto and Folly Beach.

Stephanie and Joe found these teeth at Myrtle Beach.

These shark teeth were found at Folly and Edisto Beaches.

I put my best finds in Riker Mounts and display them, and store the rest in various containers.  What do they do with their finds?  Stephanie enjoys making various crafts out of her shark teeth and other finds.  When she shared the pictures with me, I thought that they were amazing and just had to share them with you, with her permission, of course.  I've posted them below, and I hope that you all like them as much as I do.

Stephanie has some real talent with her beachcombing crafting skills.   Just look at this beautiful frame.

Stephanie made this shadow box to display a megalodon tooth.  Right now a great white shark occupies the space in the box until she finds a meg tooth.  Pretty cool!

Here's another beautiful frame that Stephanie created.  Nice pic of her and Joe too!

Here's a wreath that Stephanie created out of "sharks eye" shells, shark teeth, and other beach finds.  It's not finished yet, but already it's a work of art.   How appropriate for this time of year!

What Makes a Good Fishing Buddy? Part I

Some of us prefer to fish alone, but many others prefer to fish with a fishing buddy for many reasons.  It could be for companionship and sharing of the experience, or to combine fishing experience to maximize fishing success, for reasons of safety, or perhaps some other reason.  Whatever the reason to fish with someone else, there are qualities that anglers look for in a fishing buddy.

The next five posts will explore many traits that anglers look for in a fishing buddy.  This post, part I, will discuss what boating anglers look for in the perfect fishing buddy.  Part II will expand the discussion from the perspective of musky anglers.  Part III will turn the tables, and explore this topic from the perspective of the non-boater, what they look for in a good fishing buddy that controls the boat.  Part IV will talk about what it takes to be a good shore fishing partner.  And the last Part V will be a timely topic, what it takes to be a good ice fishing buddy.

What makes a good Fishing Buddy?  
Part I, from the perspective of a boat owner.

As a boater, here are traits that I look for in a good fishing buddy.  If you do all of these, chances are you'll get invited back on my boat.  After I display my list, I'll throw a few more based on comments from fellow anglers and fishing guides.  If you don't get invited back to fish on someone's boat again, you might want to see if any of these things apply to your behavior while fishing out of someones boat, and adapt accordingly.  These are not in order of importance, because to me, they're all important.

I've fished with Howard for many years now, too many to count.  We think alike in our approach to fishing, often putting our heads together to develop a fishing pattern.  He's been a guest on my boat many times, and I've been a guest on his too.   Not only is he a close friend, he's a good fishing partner.  Are you a good fishing partner?

Be on time.  In fact, it doesn't hurt to be early.  Sometimes you can help get the boat ready.  There is nothing more annoying than having your boat ready to go and your fishing buddy is nowhere to be seen.  If you are running late, text or contact your friend, apologize, and let him know your anticipated arrival time and why you're running late.  Many of us have limited fishing time and must fish when we can, so don't waste that time.  Wasting fishing time means fewer fish caught.  If time is money, then fishing time is gold.

Offer to pay gas money and expenses.  I may or may not take the money, and to me, the offer is much more valuable to me than the cash.  That said, in this economy, every little bit helps.

Offer to help with getting the boat ready to launch, launching the boat, taking out the boat, and getting the boat ready to trailer it home.  Again, I may or may not use your help, but the offer is much appreciated.  Even a simple reminder before launching the boat into the water questioning if the drain plug is in, or if the trailer lights are disconnected, really helps.  If you are an experienced boater, I probably will use your help.  If not, more than likely as my guest I'll handle everything.  Still, I appreciate the offer.

Don't leave me hanging.  When planning a trip, I often make tentative plans with full intention of going through with them, but working out the final trip details as the trip nears.  When it’s time to finalize plans, don’t leave me hanging by not answering the phone, emails or texts. Call and firm up plans, and don’t leave me talking to an answering machine all night. If you can’t go, let me know as soon as possible so I can plan to go myself or give someone else a chance to go. I have plenty of fishing buddies that appreciate the opportunity to fish with me out of my boat.  I understand that things happen, but give me the chance to plan accordingly if you can't make it.

Be willing to break off a snag on a cheap lure at a good spot.  If you snag a plastic worm and it's a hot spot, break it off rather than spooking the fish in a hot hole.  Plastic worms are cheap and easy to come by, big fish are not.

Don’t leave your trash in my boat.  Either keep it clean while on the water, clean up your mess after pulling the boat out at the ramp, or clean up after arriving "home" from your trip.

Watch your back cast. I don’t like lures stuck in the back of my head or neck.  I recently fished with Bob Franko of Blackjack Guide Service and his only rule when fishing out of his boat was to not hook him.  Hook the fish, not your buddy.  Nobody likes to deal with that kind of pain on a fishing trip.

Protect my fishing spots.  If I take you to a hot fishing spot, please don't run out and share it with everyone you know or post it on the internet.  If the spot is a publicly well known spot, it's no big deal.  But if I found a good spot that is relatively unknown, I'd rather you not share it with anyone but me.  If you'd like to take someone else, ask me first how I feel about it.  I may or may not approve.  Do I own the water?  Absolutely not.  But I do own my boat and the back seat is loaned to who I choose.  If it's you, it would be wise to honor my wishes.

Share a fishing spot.  If someone takes you on their boat and shows you a new hot fishing hole. Return the favor some day and show them a hot fishing spot.  Sharing spots and information is what fishing buddies do.  It's what friends do.  Trading trips is also another form of this.  Sometimes it's nice to be able to fish and not worry about boat control.

My good friend Steve Kelley with a nice fat Maryland striper was kind enough to invite me fishing out of his new boat this year.  As a fishing partner, I do what the Captain asks me to do.  In return, I receive future invitations.

Listening to Captain Kelley paid off in a future invitation, resulting in one of the biggest largemouth bass of the year!  You can bet Captain Steve will find room on my boat to fish with me some day.  Trading trips is a good way to keep fishing buddies.

Don’t fall asleep on the way home.  This is especially true on a long ride home.  If you feel that you must sleep, ask me first if I’m OK to drive.  I may be tired too and need help to stay awake.  Offering to drive is also a nice thing to do.  The vast majority of the time I'm OK to drive, so more than likely I'd be fine with you taking a cat nap.

Be appreciative and don't take your trip for granted.  Say thank you.  Kind gestures, like offering to pay for dinner, to offer some lunch or food while on board, to offer free tackle, often are well received.  I may or may not accept the offer, but you can bet anything like that makes me feel appreciated.

Bob Barber with his number one fishing buddy, his eight year old Son Carson.  Carson is learning quick about how to be a good fishing buddy.  His Dad is a good teacher.

Be a good friend away from the water too.  I hate being used.  There's more to life than fishing, and being a friend is being there when I need you both on and off the water.  Likewise, as a friend, I'll be there for you.

Most of these things are common sense, about being courteous, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t understand this stuff. Also, everyone makes mistakes now and then. I understand that. It's the guys that make the same mistakes over and over that don't get invited back for another trip.

When I take someone that is new to fishing and boating, I'm a much more tolerant person than many people.  I'm very patient and I will speak my mind to educate you. But I expect you to remember what I've taught you and not make the same mistakes over and over.  If every trip results in me losing fishing time to baby sit you, then I'm wasting my fishing time and you won't be invited back.  Fishing time is like gold, remember?

Mike Schiffbauer, an experienced river angler, can't stand people dropping stuff in the boat and making a lot of noise.  He says that it drives him nuts, and I don't blame him.  I also prefer a stealthy approach.  As a boater, you are doing your best to put the boat in a position for both of you to catch fish.  The last thing that either of you need is to get there only to unnecessarily spook fish because of thoughtless behavior.

Rocky Droneburg, another excellent angler for all species, agreed with many of the things shared above, but added, "I hate being told how to run my boat."  He basically said, if you're catching bass from the back deck, don't sit there and complain that the trolling motor setting is to high.

Rocky Droneburg fishing with his buddy, Anthony Ashby.  These guys are on the same page when they hit the water, and team up to put big fish in the boat.

Almost everyone that I interviewed on this topic agreed that a new fishing partner must be personable, engage in lighthearted conversation, and keep things loose.  Nobody likes tension on a fishing trip.  Most of us are out for fun, so keep it fun.

Another fishing fanatic, Ed Lewandoski, shared his thoughts about this, and they really hit home with me.  "One nice thing at the end of the first time out with someone is if or when they invite you back.  That at least tells you something."

"On the other hand, when someone does complain or ends up being human in some other way, it's good of the boat partner to be understanding. We all might do something wrong, like maybe not a perfect net job, or accidentally dropping something in the boat, or overboard!"

That brings up a good point.  If you break something or lose something, offer to replace or pay for what you broke or lost.  Another professional angler related a story to me how one of his guests stepped on and broke one of his brand new St. Croix fishing rods.  Then, rather than offer to make restitution, he laughed because he felt that all his equipment was sent to him free of charge.  That wasn't the case at all.  If that was me, I'd be sick to my stomach about it and that angler would not be invited back.

I'd like to add to that by saying that forgiveness is a good thing.  If you're a close friend of mine, I can overlook a few of these things as long as I know that next time, you'll be more considerate and not make the same mistake again.  We're all human, we all make mistakes, and we all have the ability to forgive too.

Mark McWilliams took me out on his boat a couple years ago.  That trip snapped me out of a non-fishing funk (I know! Can you believe that?)  I'll never forget that.  I owe him a few trips from my new boat and will put him on some fish for sure.  Here he sports a nice fat bass caught  last spring.  

In summary, if you take the above advice, chances are that if you're invited to fish out of someone else's boat, you'll be invited again and again.

Also, let's try something different.  Feel free to participate.  Please use the comment function if you have anything related to this topic to add.  Thank you in advance!

As mentioned earlier in this post, this is a four part series.  Here are the titles to all four parts.  As each one is published, you'll be able to click on the text and take you to that document for easy reference:

Part I - What Makes a Good Fishing Buddy (from a boaters perspective in general)
Part II - What Makes a Good Shore Fishing Buddy 
Part III - What Makes a Good Fishing Buddy (from the perspective of a non-boater)
Part IV - What Makes a Good Ice Fishing Buddy (coming soon)
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Bob Franko guides on the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.  If you're interested in booking a trip, his website is Blackjack Guide Service.