Me and a partner both have our own boats and both fish BFL Ozark as co anglers. We prefish together and never feel like we have enough days to prefish. It has everything to do with being versital, but if you can prefish it can only help. It gives you an idea of what pattern the lake or different parts of the lake are on, so when tourney day comes your not figuring out a pattern, your throwing a lure you are absolutely confident in. I have had several different boaters. Some have been really nice, some really late, some really knowledgable..most have always tought me something. I haven't gotten one that has back seated me yet though. Most have helped to try a let me get one keeper, after that I'm not too concerned about the boater helping me, but think it's a team effort. If one of us does well that what counts. I always give him gas money, help him load/unload, net what ever it takes. It's a good step to learning and getting into tournament fishing from our own boat eventually. I fish just because my boat is too small and wouldn't feel fair about taking a co angler in a lil 17ft/100hp bass boat with one live well. I would try to mate up with a boater looking for a partner wanting a lil help with gas etc.