Bashore Shares Co-Angler Advice

Host of Reel Talk Fishing and Professional Angler Brian Bashore shares some insight for Co-Anglers fishing or wanting to fish the National Walleye Tour.  

What is Reel Talk Fishing | With No Limits?

I'm Brian Bashore, Professional walleye angler and owner of The Walleye Guys Guide service. I am here to reel you in with captivating stories, expert tips, and interviews with some of the biggest names in the fishing community. So, sit back, relax, and let the drag scream!

Brian Bashore (00:01.39)
Hey folks, thanks for tuning into this episode of real talk fishing with no limits today. We're going to keep it just kind of simple. We've got something big planned for you next week, but we can't record it till tomorrow night. Cause we're waiting on some information, kind of a fantasy fishing predictor type deal for the upcoming NWT event at Red Wing. And that'll air next Monday. So you definitely want to stay tuned and see that we got our official non -official, stats, analytical.

guy on a local pro, we're going to break it down and kind of break down some predictions and why and what the upcoming upcoming and WTA red wing might show. So that'll be next Monday. So today you're just going to get me going on, not a rant, just some information to pass forward to some of you all on some things that are on my mind. Some things I'm thinking I need to share, that maybe help help you out with a couple of things you got going on.

just some questions in your head about how some of this stuff works. And I want to get down into it just on the coangler side of things. So anybody new looking to get into the NWT for the season, NWT National Walleye Tour, pro or code, right? We've got two ways to sign up. Codes are 500 bucks. I'm pretty sure our codes are set for the whole year as big demand form. But there can only be as many codes as there are pros.

and I don't know what the numbers are for Red Wing yet. 140 I think we had for Erie. Usually it will come down from there. It's always just a big tournament. A lot of locals get in it. So, but questions, I get a lot of calls from guys who got in or DMs, whatever, but they got in for the tournament and they want to know what to expect as a coangler. So I'm gonna give you the expectations from the pro and what we expect from the coangler and then some things the coangler just needs to know to bring. So I'll just lay this out there on the table as a pro.

I do not want the co anglers in my boat period. It's nothing against the co anglers. I just rather this be pro versus pro and not have to worry about it's an advantage or a disadvantage to who you have in your boat sometimes. And you're responsible for that person, right? Safety. So like here we got big waves come up. It can just kind of mess with your mind. you used to really struggle as, as I'm a full -time guide of having that guy in the boat and thinking, okay.

Brian Bashore (02:28.046)
I got to get him on, I just, I got to entertain him and get, get him on fish. then that's not the case. So the bass world does this as well. A great post this morning from, from Theron Asbury as he is a coangler on the BFL or the bass open side. and his pro wrote a message about what, what a good coangler was and his actions. And now he conducted on himself as the co is what everybody should strive to be. So,

But like I said, it's nothing against the coanglers. And I can tell you now that that aspect to our tournament isn't going away anytime soon. And it's good in many aspects as well. Right. I think this show had maybe nine Co's from previous years that moved over to the pro side. So that's kind of the process, that I think we all like to see, it's a good evolution, great way to learn absolutely wonderful way to, to learn these new bodies, waters, new methods. You get a jump in with one of these pros boats, you know, what.

You could be a my boat. You could be in a whore's boat. You're going to be a sprinkles boat, whoever you're going to learn something different from everybody on how they do things and how they break things down and why they do it. I never did that. probably would have done better my first year on tour if I did. but there's also something to be said just for jumping in, you know, head first and learning the hard lessons, the hard way sometimes.

But as a co, like I said, that's not going away anytime soon as, as the walleye trail, we fish in pretty big waters. so number one reason it's not, it won't go away is the safety aspect of having another guy in the boat. Now, whether that guy's a co or a Marshall, you know, who knows? you know, so having another person at a boat that can hopefully help on a man overboard situation, if that were to arise, and just, you know, safety, someone else has got a phone and something happens, or if you break down.

That guy's actually able to be picked up by another pro and put your fish in a bag and still bring those fish to weigh in. Why the pro floats around his boat all evening waiting for somebody to come get him to, you know, bring them oil fuel or a tow in whatever it may be. That which happens more often than you, than you may think. And it's, you know, a lot of times something simple, but it just happens. So, another aspect of it is the financial side of it. The Coe's fund the pros championship.

Brian Bashore (04:48.398)
Okay. They have a smaller entry fee. They have a smaller payout. but a lot of their money goes towards the pro side on the payouts and we all want more payouts. only way to get that is obviously keep the Co's and you know, their, their money funding it somewhat a percentage of it, not all of it obviously goes there. They have their own payout. you know, we're finding more sponsors and non -endemic sponsors, but none of that is near as easy as it may sound. I know these guys, we're at Bass Pro Cabela's are working diligently.

Walleye Federation trying to find these companies to support this, to make things bigger and better. You know, so it's more beneficial for the anglers, but it has to be more beneficial for the sponsors as well as the public out there. So we'll get into that a little bit later on how we can maybe grow some of this. So, but so co anglers, they're fishing. That's the way it is. But things to need to know as a co angler is you don't really need to bring anything. You're allowed, according to the rules, to bring your own broad and real.

Usually when you get paired up at the rules meeting the pro will tell you You know Don't worry about it. Okay, if they're trolling or something like that, trust me. Don't worry about it. Use the pros gear Especially if they're trolling they're all set up the way they like it. You're a guest in their boat You're getting a two -day guided trip in a sense But in this also senses, it's not their responsibility to help you to catch the fish

They obviously wanting to catch fish and they want to catch fish because the total weight of the boat is what is calculated. You don't have individual weights. So, but their goals and just to go catch a limit of fish, their goals to catch the five biggest fish. So, but you are allowed, I always tell mine that, Hey, if it's a jig and bite, I'll be like, you're more than welcome to bring your own, you know, jigging rod. Cause you know, jiggins, a sensitivity game, a feel, and if you're super comfortable with your rod and you have a good rod.

go ahead and bring it and use it. So you're a little bit more confident. I will go over that rod and reel when you show up, I may cut some line and put a new leader on it or put a different jig or whatever it is versus what you have on it. But that's the business end of it, but I want you to be comfortable. Otherwise, don't worry about it. If you're in my boat, you're running St. Croix, you're getting the best rods out there. Not a big deal. Bring a life jacket. So.

Brian Bashore (07:10.862)
We used to always have to carry them. Most pros are still going to carry them for the co anglers, but co anglers come in all shapes and sizes and we may not have a life jacket that fits you. So recommended that you bring one of your own. If it's a inflatable one, just plan on wearing it the entire time. A lot of new rules out there require you to do that. Otherwise, just get a zip up, you know, one that you need to have on when you're on plane. So those are really the only two things you well, you can bring a small cooler. Most codes bring a backpack.

which is perfect backpack. You can stick some food in it. Most all these boats come with a cooler or pro will have something in their boat so they can, you know, if you got some drinks or a lunch or whatever, throw in a cooler, you don't need to bring a big cooler. You don't need to bring stuff. One backpack, you can shove your rain gear in it, you know, or put your layer down into your backpack throughout the day. You know, if you got a couple of baits, you want to throw in there, what have you, but you can fit just about all you need in a small backpack. That's I would say 95 % of the other codes are bringing.

and it's perfect. It doesn't take up a lot of room in the boat. You got what you need. and you're set. Good to go. So, but your responsibility at that point, once you're in the boat is to fish out of the back of the boat. If you're trolling, you're both probably obviously out of the back of the boat, but with forward facing sonar trend, a lot of the pros are in the front, you know, trying to scope the fish and that's great. And some guys have it set up where they got the shuttles, I shuttles in the back on poles that allow the coangler to go ahead and do the same. Some not so much.

if you got someone upfront was really good at it and they have it hooked to their main screen on the back, I would just sit in that driver's seat and watch, pay attention to what that guy's doing. This year we have smaller limits due to, party fishing regulations and what have you. So, you know, when you box four fish, red wing, you're done. You're box three at green Bay. You're done. You box five at Scott Cuyah. You're done. So you may not even be fishing that long. let's sit back and learn, take all this in,

Some of the pros are gonna allow you to come up to the front and look over their shoulders on the same screen. Some are not. They don't want you casting at those fish, because if you've done this, you know, you can, you can spook them. You get one shot. You know, these guys are really good at pitching right to them. So, you know, be prepared for that, that you just may be in the back of the boat blind in a sense, or maybe you're dragging a bottom bounce or a rig or something back there and heck, you may catch more fish. So, I mean, that happens plenty, you know, more often than not.

Brian Bashore (09:38.03)
that a coangler may, you know, whack a lot of the fish, just cause you're doing something different. So we've fished without, without Ford facing Sonar for plenty of years and everybody caught plenty of fish. it is a different game now. So just, just be prepared and anticipate that at the bass world, you know, it's the captain of the boats up front, the amateurs in the back for whatever reason, or the boater, they call them. A lot of guys seem to think that it's okay to cast over the guy in the front.

They're bringing in their own individual fish. So you get to fish the back of the boat, pros fishing the front. Usually the front's going to get to the first, the fish first or your scope and then you can see them. So a lot of guys want to be upfront and have a better chance. As a guy, I fish out of the back a lot and in tournaments, I'll give my coangulars the front because I'm just so used to being in the back. Yeah, you can, you can, you get to the first fish, but doesn't mean you're going to catch them first. So, so just, just respect that and understand that's what you're getting into.

not a bad thing, not a bad thing at all. So also, netting fish jig bites pretty simple. you know, if a pro hooks up to a fish, he's just going to pull that wall. I write into the net. Okay. But don't stab at the fish. Get that way for him to say, get it come in the water away from the fish or from the side and come up or down underneath it, you know, up and under it, trolling. I prefer the net to fish. That's when you get a lot of them and I guilty as it as well.

the, you know, holding the netting back, otherwise you hit that water and guys stick that net in the water too soon. And that netting flips right out in front of the net. And now you got your net and your crankbait all tangled up and the fish is not in the net. You're going to lose it. most time you're going to lose it. So a lot of guys will hand the rod off the code. So just real, I got it, you know, real right to the boat. Just, just listen, pay attention and watch what it, you know, he or she's doing and pay attention. So, tips, it used to be.

never say a tip, but you know, we're there all week spending a lot of time and money on gas. This isn't the case for every pro, but, Anthony used to do a really good job of reminding people that and say, Hey, feel free to, you know, appreciate the fact these guys have put a ton of time and money into this, throw them a little gas money into the day. that goes a long ways. A hundred percent up to you. Some of the pros may not accept it. That's, you know, a hundred percent up to them. It's just kind of a common courtesy type thing, whether it's a 20 or 50, a hundred dollar bill, whatever it may be.

Brian Bashore (12:01.678)
Gas ain't cheap if you haven't noticed. So, and we do spend a lot of time and a lot of gas every day, to get you on these fish, obviously get ourselves on these fish. but you're going to benefit from it as well. And, trust me, we were the pros. We're going to remember those guys. either way, you know, it's, it's not, it's just a, it's a common courtesy type thing is, is all that is, don't share information. Don't be telling your, your pros or.

buddies or whatever, or what you did that day. You can tell anybody whatever you want after the tournament or, you know, going through the second day, don't tell the pro on day two, what the pro on day one did. The pro shouldn't even be asking you that. if you were to slip and tell me that as a pro, I don't care. I'm going to go fish my fish. I can't catch other people's fish. So it doesn't, doesn't really matter to me, but that's not the case for everybody. So just be diligent. Jeff goes over that in the rules well, and makes it clear not to.

Not to share any of that information. that's kind of in a nutshell about it, but really just pay attention and take, take what you can from the experience and learn, you know, and then share that with your friends. And hopefully if you get into one or two, you're going to want to sign up for all four, you know, what are the, there's, there's kind of different levels. There's guys who sign up for all four that are, you know, young guns trying to move up and into this wallet world fishing and make a career out of it.

or, you know, fish the NWT level. And then there's some that it's just their vacation. Four or five weeks a year. That's what they plan. They travel. They've been doing this for a long time. so they, they know the ins and outs of it, but they don't have aspirations to fish on the pro side of it. I know plenty of who have done the co -side and went to the pro side and did it once or twice went. Newt that's a whole different game. It's a different mental game. it's pretty easy to jump in the boat with somebody and go fishing, but it's not the same game when you're.

you're in command of that boat and you're the captain of it. So it's a little bit more, a little bit more, a lot more pressure and just there's a lot more that goes into it than just having someone taking you fishing. So.

Brian Bashore (14:10.958)
If you get the opportunity to travel with some pros, jump all over that. Now, maybe you don't have the vacation time or whatever, but get in as many days as you can with them on the water or practice, but also understand that it's practice and they're probably not going to go hammer on a pot of fish. They're going to move around a lot and fish a little and drive a lot. You're going to catch one here, catch one there, catch two or three. You're going to try out a dial or something in.

And you're out of there and you're going to move and you're going to try to find, you know, half a dozen different spots that are producing things, try to identify that pattern, whether it's a type of bait, a type of technique, a water clarity depth, you know, just whatever it is on the system. And then coming up with a Mississippi and these river systems, you're going to be throwing everything at them and doing a lot of different stuff. But the same method may work at several different locations. So you just have to, you know, get a couple, pay, pay attention and share things that you see with them throughout the day, two things that are.

happening on the water, you noticed a rise or a clarity issue or maybe you were, you kept catching them on your side of the boat and you weren't doing nothing. You were sat the rod down to take a drink of your soda or what have you. And then you, then you got bit, right? So they wanted less action or you're pulling a three way and you're pumping your rod and you're getting bit on the pump. Or you notice that you keep catching weeds on your side of the boat and not the other side and you're getting bit. So obviously they're on the weed line, just a lot of little things and details that you can help.

Help that pro and share that information with them there because they're gonna be helping you the whole time and just giving you Nuggets left and right on why they're doing things So don't be afraid to ask questions now term of day. It's perfectly okay to ask questions get to know your pro You know offer bringing some ice is a great thing on top of the gas money You know, but Let them tell you where they're gonna meet you in the morning at the boat ramp or at your hotel or a parking lot

somewhere where you can leave your car or truck and jump in with them and hopefully you can back the boat in. Makes things a lot smoother. If you can't, please start practicing that. And yeah, yeah, that's, you know, there's a lot of things you can do to make the day go better. But number one thing is just don't be nervous. When you get a nervous co -engler in a boat, that's the worst because you're a wreck.

Brian Bashore (16:26.734)
You're helping anybody do anything. Your best bet is just to sit down and not touch anything personally. I get it. Maybe you're excited, you know, and that's that kind of nervous, or you're in some five foot waves and rollers and it sucks and you're scared. If that's the case, tell the, tell the pro that and they'll make, you know, an adjustment if they can, or they'll do it needs to be done. but when you're so nervous, you can't put a planer board on, or you can't make a remotely close to an accurate cast. or you're just, you can't, you just, you're just a.

Mess it's it's no good for anybody and at that point the bro is better off having you just not fish They may give you a bobber with no hook and say throw it over there. I don't know There's this it's it's the worst thing when a guy is so nervous that he just can't function we're no we're just we're all just people we're all just out there fishing trying to have a good time and catch five the biggest fish we can that day So we're not any better than anybody, you know, we're all just guys and gals fishing so if you

are in Chase's boat or a whore's boat and you're starstruck. I get it. And you maybe have a little anxiety, but trust me, just relax. These are all really good dudes. Okay. They're there to help you as much as they can do a point. So just take some deep breaths, relax and just do it. I hope you already know how to do, but ask them questions and pay attention to them as well. So you can try to mimic exactly what it is they're doing, or maybe you have your own way of doing it. It's your local from a fishery and, and you're

cadence or whatever, you know, works, then you do what you need to do to catch your fish there. So I don't think they're going to tell you no. they may want you to run a particular bait. You run the particular bait. So, but that's it. Just don't just, just relax, have some fun, sit back, take it in and enjoy it. So, yeah, that's probably about it for the coangular side. a lot of the pros I think are on the same page is we love to have just some head to head.

stuff without the other guy in her boat, because it does become a handicap sometimes. So not so much. I don't think anymore that we have such a big demand for the Co's that a lot of these guys that would get in for one tournament, you know, their wife would sign them up as their birthday present and he's 85 years old and whatever the case is. And not that the guy can't fish, but you're making an 80 mile run and you're going to be on your feet pitching and jig or casting crank all day. That takes a little bit of physical stamina and ability to handle that.

Brian Bashore (18:51.918)
Speaking of run, so as a co, be prepared to go in rough water and drive along ways and not to fish a lot sometimes. If you don't want to do that or you can't handle that, or you have a physical inability or a medical condition that doesn't allow you to do that. Don't sign up. Okay. It is nothing but a problem. they got to find a replacement to last minute. It just, just don't do it. This isn't for you. Okay. Fish a local tournament.

Do something, just, just don't do it. This is not for you. Okay. I know that when talking to very small percentage of you, but some of you aren't aware of that and take off and it's blowing 30 or 40 and tournament directors make the best decision they can with the weather that, you know, the information that they're given and when they decide to send it, we're going and the pros they're going and they're going to go and they're going to push those boats to the limits.

And, it's not the most comfortable ride. It's not the most comfortable conditions. And I've gone as far as two hours, one way in a boat ride. and yeah, that sucks, but if you're making that kind of run, trust me, you're going to catch fish. They're only going there because they know they can get them and they can get them quick and they're good ones. So just understand that's what you're getting into. pay attention to how they're driving the boat. What are they doing? How are they cutting? I mean, there's a lot to learn just by sitting there. Granted, you're maybe holding on for dear life, but just pay attention to those little things you could learn.

So much, so much, but completely be prepared for those types of things. And if you just can't do it, cause you got a bad back, you know, maybe you get blessed with two nice, beautiful sunny calm days, but don't. No, that it's not, don't count on it. Okay. Last year we're seasoned and we got, we got a lot of that, but the takeoffs can be rough and wind can change the weather is unpredictable. So if you have itches, you feel this had a back surgery or, or whatever it may be, do not sign up for that year.

Cause it is not to pro's job to cater to the needs of the coangler in the boat. Okay. If you have a, whatever, a medical condition, whatever, let them know about anything it is that you do have so that they know how to take emergency response or actions to that. In case you happen to have seizures once in a while or you're a diabetic, you know, have a game plan, let them know where your, you know, whatever your medical devices are that you may or.

Brian Bashore (21:13.582)
may not need in case of emergency. A lot of guys will have a first aid kit obviously in their boat. But things things has happened. There's no reason you can't fish if you have you know certain conditions by all means just let them know what those are and that you have your shots or your getting think you know glucose or whatever it may be in your backpack and so they know where to get it. So alright that's enough on the co -england and stuff like that on the

So when you move over to the pro side, understand it, it's a, it's a pay to play thing at this point, top 40 make it to the championship in points. So points are big and they changed us a few years ago to where the points matter outside of the anger of the year. which is great to make a championship. That's a entry fee is paid for by qualifying. It's not as easy. It used to be, you need to catch fish every day. You can never zero, you can zero a day, but you can't zero a tournament. You'll never make up those points. So if you miss a tournament, whatever, just.

You're not going to make it. It's going to be really hard press unless there's like a really bad early season tournament where half the field zeros, then you still got a shot.

I think that happened to the Detroit river a couple of years ago. so on another note, just as, as a whole, there's so many, information out there. So many podcasts in the bass world is just a kind of a mixed jumble mass. And we had some issues last year in the walleye world over the last couple of seasons. You heard the whole fish and weight story that made national news and WT had its own little hiccups last year. We've got new management this year so far so good.

You know, when something new happens, there's going to be learning curves and a process. And I think we, we worked through a lot of that and have a lot of these issues resolved. and so far so good. So, but we just got to stop the negativity and I'm as guilty as anybody. Cause we all fishermen love to complain. I make a lot of noise, but it's because of trying to help the sport and help the tournament organizations. There's a lot of stuff that goes on that the general public doesn't know.

Brian Bashore (23:14.03)
that a lot of pros provide input and then when they're asked for it, and they provide it when they're not asked for it, whether it be through surveys or, or conversations with tournament, you know, directors and ownership organizations. And sometimes it's taken and sometimes it's just kind of falls on deaf ears. But there's more that the ownership or director side see that the tournament, the anglers don't see as well, right? The backend of the business side, the finance of it. And.

Ultimately, if there's no money to run these things and there's no tournaments to complain or participate in. Right. So, but just kill this negative noise on who's cheating, who's doing what, who hooked the fish here, who caught all the fish, didn't call coal part, whatever, all the crap. Bass world is making plenty of noise on it and it's good and bad. Right. It's obviously raising the awareness, which we made plenty of noise on it. And while that world last two years.

And changes have been made because of it. and if there are errors and things that come up, trust me, there'll be plenty of more noise, but ultimately we want to provide a better platform and a better experience for the Co's and the pros. And if it's better there, it's going to be better for everybody watching. Right. And now there's plenty of people watching that want to take it to that level, but if they see all this negative noise about it, they have no desire to do it. They're those, you know, stay with their little local tournaments, which is great. And please start there. and never even leave there.

promote those, support those, those are fun clubs, leagues, whatever it is. I mean, you're just going to learn a lot at that level, no matter what. So fish those always fish those, but just kill the negative noise. Right. You know, Gerald Swindles graded a PMA positive mental attitude. It's not easy with all the noise out there, but you know, and it doesn't mean you're going to win and be the best out there, but you can go in there with a good attitude.

But it's also your responsibility to report things when you see things that aren't right. Cause if you don't, you're just as guilty as the person that did it. this has been going on a lot more, exposed lately in the password. A lot of that is because of the podcast platforms, the social media, everybody's got cameras in their boat, all of these things. So if, and a lot of time it isn't, it's the anger's fault that maybe broke a rule, but it's not always these fisheries have some pretty confusing rules sometimes.

Brian Bashore (25:38.126)
And it's just a matter of kind of just not knowing or understanding. Once again, no matter what it's your fault, own it. You know, and you can only play naive so much, but it's your responsibility to read the rules, read those local and state regulations. It's also the tournament director if they do know stuff to put that information out to the entire field. Because it's not uncommon to talk to one.

conservation DNR person and then another one to get two different things. That's how confusing sometimes these regulations are in fisheries, especially when you deal with like boundary water, Canadian US, Minnesota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Things can get a little kind of confusing or you're dealing with bait situations, transferring bait, you know, across state lines or is it okay on the water? Take your boat out. Where do I buy it from? Blah, blah, blah. There's just a lot of things. So if you have information, give that to the tournament director.

So he can verify and then share that information with everybody as far as any regulations or changes Wisconsin's made some changes this year early on on the limits of fish and These things are constantly evolving And not everybody's you know has the situation awareness of what's going on on the fisheries or in the industry so So share that information as you get it, but be more

positive, a lot of stuff around Ford facing Sonar, right? That's the hottest topic it is all year. It's the deal. It can, I mean, it doesn't catch fish, but anglers that are really good on it can catch fish. and there's no doubt about it, but it's not going anywhere. It's another tool in their toolbox. While it's legal, while it's available, which it may be forever. Get good at it. If you want to compete, if you're not going to embrace this changes, it's like side imaging, just like mega 360, all these things have evolved over the years.

Well, I have it in my boat. I have two of them now and let me just tell you you still got to catch them You still got to get them in a bite It takes it's a still a very unique skill set to master it and the control of it and the speed You know if you have it on your trolling motor versus a pole it is not easy So the guys that are doing really well been doing it for a while and they're very good on period Not say you can't catch fish without it the traditional methods still come into play

Brian Bashore (27:54.606)
more often than not, and then understanding fish patterns and where do they relate to certain things. Certain time of year is obviously helpful to put you in the right spot. So you can't, you don't just drive around the lake all day with your forward -facing, just trying to find fish. A lot of the fish being caught are fish that weren't targeted because we're learning new things about where some of these fish are versus what we thought. Well, I said it, I've never seen a walleye read the Walleye Insider magazine. So just because we think that's where they're supposed to be and what they do doesn't mean all of them are there.

These big fish are sitting in spots that you would have never thought of so I'm a shallow water guy I try to always start very shallow and can catch fish shallow 365 days a year so and when they're there they're there for a reason and that is to eat

It doesn't mean the big ones are always going to be up there, but more often than not, if you, you can find some shallow water fish, you can catch them. you know, so we kind of covered the cheetah for facing, you know, it's not, you know, while that world's a little different than the bass world by a long shot, we can't really compare the two, but bass, you know, watching the bass open or the bass elite here right now. And, you know, they kind of set the bar and the trend and they do an awesome job running their production, but.

This, that's a huge, huge business with a lot more money behind it. But wallets right, right there in the, in the second tier of that kind of stuff. And it's not, you know, we don't have a qualifying platform to work your way up to the top tier. It's a pay to play. so it's not, you know, it's a rich kid sport and the bass world, cause you gotta have 40 ,000 and entry fees and blah, blah, blah. And it's not quite that, that much, but you got to work your way up and it's not cheap. So if you're looking to make a living at this, have another job.

cause you'll notice most, almost all the walleye pros have other jobs, work for people, own small businesses or big businesses. and that is able to fund it. Our entry fees are half of what the, you know, the top bass guys are paying, but our, you know, payouts are half of what they get as well, unless we win. So it is not, it's not cheap. but you're doing it for the passion. You do it because you love to compete. You do it because you love just being competitive and the sport of fishing and everything that evolves around it.

Brian Bashore (30:05.838)
yeah, it's, you know, that's why I say start out on the Coingler side and learn a lot. otherwise it's pretty expensive learning curve, but if you're going to afford to do it and you have that disposable income in that time, then then go for it. But as you heard on the, some of these previous podcasts, Kemos and Candle, you'll have a business plan when you're going into this thing, how, you know, what am I going to dip into? Where is this money coming from? understand that the sponsorship game is not like most people think it is.

It is not, nobody pays you to go fishing. People that pay you to go fishing are your clients when you're a guide. And that's that, if you can do really well, if you're top of the tier right now, like John Hoyer, Dewey, Tom, when will be some of these guys are just doing good and have, you know, in spring, it was that guy for quite a while. you know, made, made some money. One, you can make some money when you're winning tournaments in a top one, two spots, but you're going to have to win a couple of years to make enough to survive.

You know, a lot of people, these winnings and the tax amount on a winnings is different than much other. if you do win, get a good accountant to go over stuff. Cause now you get the boat and you get to find a way to pull that sucker home. And whether you keep it and use it or you sell it, you're going to have some gains to deal with.

Which is a good problem to have. So I rather have to figure that out than not have to figure it out. but have a game plan. obviously, you know, go over that with your family. If you're a single guy, gal living at home, got a good job, got a lot of vacation and you're thinking about it, do it. Now's the time for you to jump in and experience all this until you have the, the family and the mortgage and all the other obligations that come with the realities of life.

that make things a little more difficult to do this period. not that it can't be done by all means, but when you don't have to worry about your business or what's going on at home, or, I mean, obviously you still have family and parents and siblings, but just, you know, in the lawnmower break and or the kids school stuff or whatever, not having to deal with those issues in the back of your mind or, you know, solve them. I'm fortunate to have a great foundational home. My wife is able to handle them, take care of all that stuff, but it still took.

Brian Bashore (32:19.31)
Time, right? Still learning curve to understand that how out of reach the pros are when they're on the water. A lot of times, cause they're horrible cell service at a lot of these places and, or it's rainy and it's crappy weather and your phone's put away or I mean, yes, we can deal with it. And guys have had a load up in the middle of night, run home, fix something, come back or miss a day or two of practice or put off a day or two because something, you know, catastrophic was happening at home. And that's just going to happen. That's just, that's just life the way it is. Family, family's first. So, but.

The more hyper -focused you can be on what you're doing and understanding your surroundings is just going to make you that much better. So when you have less responsibilities in a sense, and less financial obligations, do it, jump in. You're seeing a lot of younger guys at a bass circuit. You're seeing some younger guys in the walleye world. That's, that's where you need to be. The earlier you get started at it, the better, because you're going to elongate your career. You're going to learn more. You get the learning curve is so much faster now with all this.

information out here like this and YouTube and what have you. It's at your fingertips however much time you want to invest in it and take that in. You're going to learn a lot, a lot faster than we used to. So that is a, that's your tip. Okay guys, if you're young guns with less responsibilities and the financial ability to do this stuff, get in there guys, gals, it doesn't matter. There's very few women doing this and there's no reason there can't be a lot more.

You know, Marianne Hussey set that bar years ago. We've had a few on the coangular side and we can, there can be more. There's absolutely plenty of room for women on the pro side and the co -side. I know we've had some in the past. We've had some bad experiences. I, if that ever happens, please run up to me and tell me, and we will address that. And many of the other pros will as well, because that is just unacceptable. We want everybody into this sport. Okay. the more they join, the more the fish, the better this thing grows.

The better everything is. So that just moves us into where's the tournament fishing and industry moving into the future. Good question. Right. If we all knew our economy is maybe not as good as many are making it sound right now. You've seen the boat companies have laid off a lot of people, but prices are coming down a little bit. a lot of that is they're not, they're just not moving them right. Prices, boat prices are high. It's expensive, because the cost to create them is expensive. COVID screwed up.

Brian Bashore (34:39.694)
world in a sense, industry was great because everybody was going outside buying campers and boats and what have you. Now that that it's done, right? A lot of those people are still out there, but the price has skyrocketed simple economics. It's applying demand. And when you can't get materials and you have to pay all this extra tariffs and imports and all this type of stuff, it just goes up. So we're looking at expensive boats, expensive interest rates or higher interest rates. you don't need a new boat.

Okay. There's you can, a boat is a boat. there's obviously new boats are awesome. There's a lot of awesome things in it. And I put my nitro through hell at Erie, going through these big waves and it handled great. I love it. Handles a big water good, you know, it's still in one piece didn't break anything. You know, a smaller boat isn't you were, it was unfishable situations like that. So, but once again, be smart, make that that's part of your plan is what can you afford? What do I need versus what do I want?

We all want the greatest, biggest thing out there. That's got the best, biggest motor, the most electronics, the Gucci gear there is, but where you fish the majority of time, you know, that 22 footer may not be very feasible and you maybe you need a 1920 foot boat or a lot of even smaller. So, just, just be smart about that. Industry is it's not in bad shape by all means. They're still moving plenty of tackle and some companies are doing better than others, but that just.

depends on what they're selling them, kind of where their price points are at it. But like I said, nobody pays you to go fishing. So when you're trying to hit all these people up for sponsorship stuff, you got to understand what it is you're getting into and understand that you are, you're a salesman. You're the additional outside sales rep for that company in your, in your area. Okay. So there's local, there's regional, and there's national levels on all this, all these things. But that's what you are. You're a sales rep.

Obviously if you do great at tournaments and get a little extra media coverage, that's a bonus. But as a guide, when you can put products in people's hands every day, you know, four or 500 people handle that rod or that reel or that, that lure. That's, that's great. Right. They get to fill that line. See it cast. That's, that's big show up at stores, right. When they have events, shills, spring fishing, collecting bass pros, you know, spring fishing classic, go there and work the booths. Get to know those local and regional reps.

Brian Bashore (37:01.294)
That's what's going to get you through the door and don't expect a whole lot. We all have to start at the bottom. So I love everybody's like, I'm sponsored by so -and -so. No, you're not. Unless you're getting a retainer type paycheck of some sort and you're not a sponsor, you're a pro staffer. You're an ambassador for that company. That's great. That's where you need to start. cause it's getting dollar bills is a whole different thing from them. So, but you got to really show some value in return. Why should somebody give you a few thousand dollars? Have you moved?

10 times that for that company to make sense, right? So, our industry isn't in bad shape. It could be better, but it's going to do this roller coaster with the economy, just how it is and how it's always been. So, you know, stay true to your sponsors. If you got to take a cut from whatever it is, understand that that's a financial decision on their behalf. Either one, you're not, you know, they're not getting enough return out of you or just overall their cells are down and that's just where they're at. So, in that case, you should just be glad that they kept you on at all.

it's, it's just business, right? You gotta look at everything with the, through the glass, you know, looking glass of a business perspective of it. Cause that's what it is. So, and he's cause you win your little local Derby. It doesn't mean a whole lot to him because most of those don't have any media. There's no press. There's no press release coming out. There's no followup. A little Facebook posts that 400 people saw isn't moving the needle.

As anglers as pro anglers to be the top of your game. And you'll see this, the bass guys have got this figured out and several of the walleye guys are getting on board with it as we are our number one media outlet is yourself. You need to create your own YouTube, your own social, your own website, your own newsletters, your own pie, whatever it may be to get that word, that information out there, your brand out there. cause nobody else is going to do it for you. if you went to tournament, take full advantage of that. When the few media outlets are reaching out to do interviews.

or somebody wants you on a podcast. The answer is yes, because now you get a chance to share your knowledge and obviously, you know, plug all your sponsors. Cause you want it using something that has to do with them, whether it's your active target graph or your crush city lure, right? That's, that's what you're doing. So, that's, that's up to you to do those things and, take full advantage of it when those opportunities arrive. Take it because.

Brian Bashore (39:20.814)
You're kind of old news after the next tournament, somebody else takes that spotlight. And if you're lucky enough, it's you again. All right. And you're going to get more and more coverage. So, that doesn't happen as much as it used to a long time ago. We had a lot of reporters would show up, but that was all before social media when it was all, you know, ink in the magazine and you wouldn't know what the tactics were to want a tournament until, you know, a month or two down the road. So.

Now you're getting that information pretty much real time and can go out the next day and try to mimic what it is, which is cool. how can we make some of this stuff better moving forward? live coverage is obviously big. I'm watching the bass elite series right here or was it just airplane just kicked off. that's great. So we tried some of this on NWT, here he wasn't great conditions for it.

It's really tough to get good internet or satellite signal sometimes, especially if you try to fire it up before you head out, because going 50 and cloud coverage, it's just, it's a challenge without having a cameraman in your boat. I will try this again at Red Wing. I think what I found the best versus I have a T -Bone Bowl internet. But really just, if you got good cell service, stick your cell in a camera, phone holder, and you know, and set it up and let it roll.

The problem is if you lose reception or you lose connectivity, once it turns off, you're off. and honestly, you don't want to be messing with it when you're trying to fish. but if we can share more information, as I said before, Robert, Robert Cardenas does a great job of, the social media and getting the interviews out there for the NWT and, you know, doing as much as he can. He brings his boat to tournament sometimes, to try to get out there on the water as well. but we do have cameramen in the boat.

Right. That is the production crew. So they like to snap some photos and send those in throughout the day and try to keep people updated best they can. A lot of that is, you know, it's weather and conditions dictated. It may be rainy and nasty out and they got, you know, you just got to put some of that stuff away so you don't ruin it. But the more of that, the more you can see on the water, whether it's trolling or maybe it's exciting, maybe it's not exciting to you.

Brian Bashore (41:31.438)
but you can see it and kind of see what conditions are doing and why we're doing it. And if a guy is, you know, trolling is easier because you can really kind of talk to the camera a little bit versus if you're up in the front of the boat, cast and whatever you're going to, you're going to see at the back of their head and maybe you'll, you'll kind of recognize an area or watch their cadence and see why they're doing what they're doing. But it's going to be hard to get much commentary on, on some of this stuff. But nonetheless, some of the guys are trying it and hopefully it gets better. We should have.

I don't know how the cell service and stuff works in the Red Wing area. I think it's pretty good. and conditions should be pretty good because it doesn't get super windy down there. So, green Bay's a whole different story when we go there, but so that'll dictate a lot of that, how that moves forward. And then maybe that will evolve over years. you know, tour of gold, those guys have been reducing for the last year, like two years now, or just one year. And they just be the second year and they've added a couple of anglers to it. So that's pretty cool.

There's obviously a lot of, you know, if there's some money behind that, whether it's the code of lit, whoever sponsors it and puts it on is, you know, putting a lot of time and investment into it and they do a great job producing it. So those types of things are what's going to help a lot of this stuff grow. but the reality is this is a cheap, none of that is cheap. And most of it that you say, English producer as you know, themselves are getting paid to do it, right? They're just doing it to, for brand exposure and you know, maybe their sponsors are, but in my case, I do.

Everything by myself, my wife's a photographer and she's able to do stuff. That's great when she's around, but she works full time. the podcast, my videos, this is all done right here. There's no production guy. There's no company. It's 100 % me, which takes a lot of time and there's, yeah, no one's paying me to do these things. So, but they're platforms to use for your partners and sponsors out there to get their name out and their brand out. And hopefully that all works twofold and everybody benefits from it. So.

Bass Pro Cabela's NWT I got written here. I don't remember why I have that written there, but, I will say that, Bass Pro owns a lot of tournament circuits and then most of this stuff wouldn't be happening without their support or without Johnny Morris, you know, financially backing some of this. There isn't a ton of money to be made. but there is money to be made. And if it's not making money, then it's not going to be out there. but it really.

Brian Bashore (43:54.126)
Only way it does make money is by the sponsors and partners that, that support it. So support those companies, you know, Toyota is big on fish and Bass Pro obviously is big on fish and Cabela's, and a lot of the lure companies, you, if you watch the Bass stuff, you'll see, you know, brought to you by Hummingbird, brought to you by Garmin, brought to you by whoever it is, Rapala, St. Croix, you know, Bass Pro opens, these are title sponsors are putting a lot of money behind that because they support it. And obviously they support anglers and the more anglers, the more product they have to sell. So support those companies.

Because I could go into a long rant about how the tax dollars work on that and how that comes back into conservation. And it's a two -fold system, whether you're hunting or fishing. The more you spend, the better things get on and out of the water. Now every state's a little different. You may have an opinion on how your state agencies manage their finances, which we all have, which is great. And share those opinions with them. So whether you are right or wrong, it's yours and you have an open forum to let them know where and how. And many times you are.

Probably right. but they can't be everywhere all the time and nobody knows the bodies of water better than the guys and gals that spend every day on them. So biologists get to go take samples and see things, but trust me, nobody knows it better. I hear it all the time on Lewis and Clark that, this, this, and that I'm like, couldn't be further from wrong. Here's exactly what's happening. And yes, there's a lot of fish in this system, but just cause you didn't catch in your gill nest doesn't mean it's there's no fish there. You just had your nets in a crappy spot. So, but.

There's a reason they put them in certain places too, right? Science has, you got to same location over a certain time of year. You don't want to put them where every fish is at and then get skewed numbers. Cause you're like, we caught a ton of fish. Well, that was 60 % or 70 % of fish in the population of this lake or that one area. So of course it looked good. You want to catch fish that are moving through certain areas. But so support those companies that support the tournaments, the support fishing as a whole in the outdoors. Cause that's going to end.

long your career in the outdoors by those companies being, being healthy and full. I think, and WT is growing. It's grown good. We went through some, some times last year, but so far this year we're good. and, and they're already making some, some moves for next year and some, some changes. it's just things are going to constantly evolve. So, as we continue to provide feedback.

Brian Bashore (46:17.838)
And like I said, anytime some, something new happens or new management or ownership takes over, there's immediately going to be some changes and it's going to take two or three years for a lot of that to unfold and kind of get leveled out. But we definitely could see and need some changes. We need the media covers, right? The bigger, the more that is, the better it is for all the anglers and everybody out there. I would personally, and many other pros agree we would like to see some new bodies of water. One, because we want to see some new bodies of water. Secondly, is that's going to bring a new demographic or new.

population of anglers in that are going to sign up. We allow local sign up for each one of these cause that's, you don't have to qualify. You just got to pay to play. But if we're in Colorado, Arkansas, Nebraska, where Montana, you're going to get a whole new group of guys that are in gals that join in and may say, Hey, that was awesome. I'm going to do it again. and that's going to help grow it.

Yeah. So there's a lot that goes in between us, picking those locations and the schedule also comes down to time of year. And then it really comes down to, unfortunately, in a sense is what community is willing to pay or how much or who's able to pay the most because the more money ownership or the circuit management can get, the more money they can reward or the better things they can do. Right. They can pay, they can add another person to help with more media coverage and do, do a lot of stuff. It's, it's a business and it all boils down. It's a dollar and cents game. we're there to.

to take advantage of the platform they give us, go have fun doing it and hopefully do good and walk away with more money than you showed up with is usually a pretty good gig. but nonetheless, you learned a lot and had a good time. aim is another good circuit out there that is doing some good stuff. You're going to see some more of that catch, photo and release. a lot of local tournaments are going to that. It's just a good way to keep those fisheries healthy. It keeps it pretty simple. You can do it on the water. You catch your photo. You.

But your fish, you know, everybody's got the same bump board and measure your fish, throw it back and that measurement converts to weight. There's a lot of apps out there now that people can load real time and you kind of know right where you're at. It keeps it kind of streamlines it and keeps it simple. yes, there's something to be said for bringing those fish in and having a crowd and seeing it, but these local tournaments don't, aren't really getting big crowds anyway. so that format works pretty good. yeah. And you know, when they're doing it, it's not super expensive.

Brian Bashore (48:33.646)
But you know, the less entry fee, the less reward on the other end. So there's a balancing act, but you're also not spending a week of off work practicing. You're taking a day or two. A lot of these tournaments are on Sundays. so you can have Friday or Saturday or just Saturday to practice. And it's a one day or, which really works great for local, you know, area. It's a great place to learn great stepping stone. And once again, most, all these tournament anglers are pretty good people and a lot of them will share information with you. Not all, but many.

But the best way to learn stuff is to fish these tournaments. Whether you get whooped or not, you may have been 20 feet from the guy that won it. And later you'll be like, well, I know what they did. Or they were doing the same thing that you were at night. You were just off the bite or they were on a current scene that you couldn't get to. And so you watch them and that, and now you know, right. You learned from it. So, AIM's another great, great place, another great circuit to get out there and get your feet wet and start. A lot of, almost all of these are team things. So splitting your costs, splitting your expenses.

Splitting your winnings, the decision -making process. You got to figure that out, but you'll, you'll figure it out. But a team partner is a, it's a, it's a, it's a challenge to get someone you can fish with really good like that. but it's also fun. So, I think that's probably about it for the Bouchoirs branch and top takes of what's going on in our walleye world in our season coming up. Really just wanted to get a lot of that Co -Engler information out there for you that are thinking about diving in, jumping into that Co -Engler side.

Please do it, but do it with, you know, with expectations of long runs, rough water, maybe not fishing a whole lot, maybe not catching many fish myself. None of this doesn't mean it will happen. It could be a beautiful calm day that you fish a half mile from the boat ramp and you're in the back of the boat pitching jig and you're on a reef and you just waylay into them all day long. That happens as well, or you're flip bobber and whatever it may be. But it's not always like that. There's the other side of things.

you know, maybe you're the net man. Maybe you're that guy's cameraman or something for the day. but it's still a huge opportunity for you to learn a ton. Like I said, it isn't going anywhere. Bring a router to case you want it or the process. Yep. That's what we're going to jig or something like that. You bet. Bring it. you're allowed to bring it regardless, bring your own life jacket. So it's one size doesn't fit everybody. offer up some gas money.

Brian Bashore (50:59.438)
Bring your own lunch, bag of ice, whatever it may be. I just understand that you're that guy's guest that day. Most importantly, just take a deep breath and relax and don't be nervous as hell. You both will fish better without it that way. So once again, this is just me obviously on this episode today because we have a good one coming up for you next Monday. So stay tuned for that. It's going to be awesome. We're going to break down Red Wing, going to break down Mississippi, going to break down some statistics.

Over the longevity of the NWT and some predictions from it. So stay tuned. You're going to want to hear that one. I'm telling you now, that'll air next Monday. We're going to record that tomorrow night and tomorrow night being a Tuesday, Wednesday night. And that's it folks. If all along, we've got NWT at Red Wing coming up here in just a short couple of weeks. It's going to be a really good fun tournament. It's a four fish limit, one over 20 inches per boat. So.

You're not going to see 40 pound bags like Erie. You're going to see these 10 to 15, 16 pound bags, but Red Wing has got some big fish in it. And I say Red Wing, I'm talking the Mississippi River pool three and four. There are some big, big walleyes in there, some 10, 12, 13 pounders. So if a guy can get into one of those suckers, that's going to definitely keep you up in the top of the standings. But otherwise you're dealing with some nice under 20 slot fish. and there's a lot of those too. So it's going to be really fun. I'm looking forward to it. Cannot wait to get out there.

And that's it folks. Thanks for tuning in to real talk fishing. I'm your host once again, Brian Beshore. And you can catch this over here on the Walleye Guys Facebook page, Walleye Guys YouTube page and where you're watching it right now. Otherwise you are listening to it on Spotify, Amazon, Google, Apple, all those podcasts platforms were out there and that's about that's a wrap. So stay safe and we will see you on the water.