I am going to be fishing a tourny next weekend at a lake that has some good fish on beds.  I have been known to work a fish for 30-40 minutes, even longer if I need to, but here is my dilemma.  I will have a non-boater with me and if I see a good fish that I want to try to work for.  Is that fair to him and what should I do.  Help with this one please.

Thanks,

Deadeye32

Boater makes all decisions during the time on the water. Have a frank conversation with him the night befoe explaining how you intend to fish.

As a non-boater myself, I think if you are working a fish for more than 30-45 minutes, you should let your co-angler make a few casts at it... Yeah, maybe the coangler gets the bite, but at least you learn what worked for the next bed you roll up on.   :D ;D ;D

Have your back seater fish the deeper water with a C-rig and soft creature. Instruct them make long cast out away from where you are targeting the bed fish and slowly retrieve the C-rig, stopping for a minute to let it rest, every 5 feet or so. This not only keeps you back seater busy, he may catch the big females holding in deeper water and/or discover another deep bed fish.

WRB

Coming from both ends of the boat during tournaments (boater and non-boater), I have a different viewpoint.  Yes, the boater controls the area to fish, but unless you are an Elite, realize the co-angler is there to also fish and enjoy themselves.  If tournament anglers don't care about the co-angler, then they should not be fishing draw tournaments!  Personally, I would never work a fish that long if the co-angler doesn't have a chance to catch fish from the back of the boat in the area I'm in.  Also, if I can't entice the bedding bass to bite my lure, I will never move on without allowing my co-angler to get a couple of casts at the bed.  The rule I go by when a boater is, what would I reasonably expect if I were the co-angler right now?

Coming from both ends of the boat during tournaments (boater and non-boater), I have a different viewpoint. Yes, the boater controls the area to fish, but unless you are an Elite, realize the co-angler is there to also fish and enjoy themselves. If tournament anglers don't care about the co-angler, then they should not be fishing draw tournaments! Personally, I would never work a fish that long if the co-angler doesn't have a chance to catch fish from the back of the boat in the area I'm in. Also, if I can't entice the bedding bass to bite my lure, I will never move on without allowing my co-angler to get a couple of casts at the bed. The rule I go by when a boater is, what would I reasonably expect if I were the co-angler right now?

Good thoughts; however, depending on the number of days being fished and the amount of prize money and entry fees, a boater may well decide to move on and come back either later in the day or the next day to try to catch the fish. If he intends to return to that bed at a latter time I seriously doubt that the boater will allow the co-angler a shot at that bed. JMO. Personally if I had spent 2-3 days prefishing locating bed fish I would not allow the co-angler a shot at that fish unless it is late in the day, I am out of the running,and/ or the co-angler has a shot at drawing a check. That being said I have gone out of my way to help all of my co-anglers to catch as many fish as possible.

I agree with fishfordollars.  I try my best to help my coangler out, but if I spent days prefishing and I found the beds I wouldnt let the coangler give it a shot unless there are extenuating circumstances on the last day of the tournament. JMO.