Fishing Football

[Bobby Bass]

Fishing Football

I have been playing fishing football for about 25 years now I guess It was shown to me my a friend who was taught the idea of it from his dad so I can't take credit for it. There was a form of it on ESPN this past winter. Fishing football can be used for any species of fish and it works really well when you are fishing new waters. This makes you go out and and look a lake over instead of just cruising a shoreline. The idea is to take your boat out and dividing your fishing time into two halves and those into two quarters. Any length of time but we usually use the 4 hour fishing trip giving you 4 one hour quarters. With a flip of a coin you decide who will fish first or 2nd. You  must have a good working knowledge of your boat, ( need to trust your partner)

On my boat we have a metal plate screwed unto the front casting platform, here we have a kitchen timer attached. At the beginning of a quarter the timer is set for 30 minutes and started. When the timer starts the driver of the boat has control of the boat till the timer goes off in which case the backseater and driver trade positions. Here are some basic rules to fishing football you can add or delete them.

1) Fishing football has two halves and four quarters.
2) Front has total control of the boat and determines where you fish.
3) Backseater can not cast forward of the middle half of the boat. Front seater can cast anywhere including behind him.
4) When the front seater wants to use the big motor to change locations all he need say is"        MOVING" the back seater must stop fishing and be ready to move. When the backseater is safely seated the front seater may start motor and relocate. 
5) Front seater can not announce he is moving if the back seater is fighting a fish.
6) If timer goes off while frontseater is in a cast he may finish his retrieve.
7) No time is charge for the changing of positions, front seat to back, back to front moving rods.
8) Timer starts for next quarter when equipment has been transferred.

You can decide if you want to go by weight of fish caught, length, numbers. That is up to you own contest rules. Of course if you are back trolling then the back seat would have control. Have had a lot of fun fishing this way, you share the boat and no talk of the front seat out fishing the back seat. Also makes you a better fishermen as for half of the day you pick the spots. Hope you can give this a try.