Fishing Etiquette/Courtesy

[Dan Mawer]

I just want to see how frequent this is happening in the metro area for others. I fish the west metro (mainly Waconia) and find that there are a lot of people that just don't understand being courteous not only on the road but it translates to the water. Yeah I get it... a lot of people/relatively small bodies of water, but do people have to come within 50 ft of my boat to get to their spot on a 2k acre lake? Or do they have to follow me around from spot to spot and then try to get in the way of my obvious drift over a reef? Go buy a book and do some research on musky fishing - instead of thinking that buying a 40k boat/expensive rods/reels (I am jealous) & latest hottest bait that everyone uses and then following me closely spot to spot is going to bring you instant musky gratification.

I never got into musky fishing/fishing in general to compete with other people and bully people on the water who have smaller boats. But "how you like me now?!" when 8 casts into opener I have a 45" in the boat and all you can do is watch from afar because you don't have a clue...true story for 2008 opener I just had to brag cause I was ecstatic!

Seriously I know it's a fact of life but why is it such a hard concept to grasp - respect other people on the water everyone has to deal with not having the free run of the lake. I think most musky fishermen are willing to help others out atleast a little if someone is new to the lake or sport.

By no means am I saying all or most people are even like what I've talked about but there are some...anyhow thanks to all the courteous fishermen I've encountered on Waconia/Metro.

[The Dogger]

When I fish the metro I exspect most people to be complete idiots - cut me off, drive by really close, etc...

Two situations stand out the most to me. Once on Tonka I have 3 guys fly up to me and where I'm fishing (in a crestliner - hope he reads this) to tell me that they are new musky guys and just caught a 48" fish. They literealy drove on top of me, and on my spot to just tell me this - they didnt even pull up and start fishing - which is what I was exspecting. I was so astonished I could barely say a word. They literally just seen a random person fishing for muskies and had to come tell them. What the F! Go get ur head examined. Meet me at the lauch and I will be more than happy to talk to u then.

Situaiton #2: Two weeks ago on Eagle I have a guy in a 619 Ranger (I really hope he reads this) who I have seen a couple times out there. He "appears" to look like he knows what hes doing - has the musky rig, gear, etc.... I know its a small lake and there are guys all over each other, but never once have I ever in my life of fishing been blocked out so bad - as I am working directly down the weedline he is coming out from the launch, he gets to the weedline about 75 yards in front of me in the direction I was heading. He definetly seen me as he was watching me the whole time as he trolled out. He then stops and puts down the TM and starts fishing in my same direction, I could have almost put a cast onto his back deck. He looked at me and I gave him the arms in the air "are u serious" look. He just sat there with a dumb look on his face. I turned around and went back the other way. What an one-who-thinks-I-am-silly I hope he reads this as he needs a lesson on what courtesy is between REAL musky fisherman. (Dont confuse this with anyone else out on that lake - this person knows who they are) Like I said I expect this stuff from 99% of the people on the lake but when I see it from guys who shoudl know better it just amazes me.

[JRedig]

Already this year i've had a waterskier run over my lure/line and had my line caught in a prop by another fisherman "running the gap" between me and a sailboat about 30mph.

The skier saw the lure in the water and dropped. Got in his boat, came back over to have a chat. I was threatened with him calling the police if I ever cast that close to him again, he will press charges for "endangerment of his safety" because of them big hooks. My lure was on a retrieve long before they came in that close to me, I did not cast at him. I laughed in his face and asked if he was serious and if I should call the CO for him, i have his number on my phone and we'll let him decide. (i know the CO in the area well too) I had been fishing the area for over an hour before they even showed up to ski and the lake was wide open with maybe 2 other boats and plenty of room, but they had to run around within casting distance of my boat. I advised him next time i'd be trying to hook them/him if they ever came that close to me. He left without saying another word.

While untangling my line from this guys engine I asked him why on earth he had cut through there so fast. He told me he didn't feel like driving around myself or the sailboat. As nicely as possible I asked him to be more aware of his surroundings on the lake. He shrugged and asked me "what do you mean?!" I explained I was fishing there and didn't appreciate having to watch my casts to not hit boats speeding by. He told me to find somewhere else to fish. Basically at that point I lost it and it turned into a [PoorWordUsage] match with me ending up telling him to F off and I left the area.

<argh> stupid people <argh>

[Dan Mawer]

I don't get why those d-bags would have to tell someone - if I'm by myself and I get into something big I give my buds a call/text on the phone - but come on 3 people can easily pat each other on the back. As for the second guy I'm sure he knew what he was doing he just thought for some reason that he was more important than you and that you should get out of his way. D-bag would be served right to have the same thing happen to him at prime time and have someone pull out a big one right in front of him - I think it's hard for some people to see both sides without going through both sides. You were the better person in that case, my anger would've made me so tempted to long bomb something heavy at his boat or just camp out the spot and fan cast towards him if I thought it was good.

I really think this stuff is everywhere it's just that on larger lakes there is less opportunity for contacting others. But even Lake Vermillion is just getting r-tarded with people everywhere like this. I hate to say it but I really think there should be less dnr promotion of fishing/boating and more about fishing/boating etiquette. But that will never happen, and even if it did there are always those people.

And since I'm ranting recreational boating is an abortion. Whoops did your boat just pass too close with a couple of kids on a tube...well it looks like little Timmy is bleeding from the skull with a big just of hooked wood stuck to his head. Whoops that's just what i think I'm not violent so I don't follow through with my thoughts.

Anyhow what lakes you frequent Dogger?

[Dan Mawer]

I would love to say that there should be no recreational(tubing skiing) boating allowed on any lakes but I realize yeah unfortunately we have to share with them. It does seem that most rec boaters think we fish through a hole in the bottom of our boat so hey no big deal. JREDIG it would've served that pompous skier to get hooked so he would lookout next time - cause that is the only thing that will hit home with him. Our society just doesn't know how to share/treat natural resources! I'm gonna have to think up another different post as I get more [PoorWordUsage]'d when I think about this stuff.

[DHanson]

Funny that you bring this up now because my last time out muskie fishing I had a similar experience. Now, I am by no means a metro fisherman, and no offense, but I never wanted to be one. My brother moved to the metro area and with gas prices the way they are, he has been forced to fish the metro area lakes more. I live in the St. Cloud area and even though it's not real far to the north, I still have done 99% of my fishing NW, N, or NE of St. Cloud. The first time ever on Minnetonka and it was a Sunday and it was a beautiful day! Got out at 5am (we were fishing a small tournament) and it was a great morning, no muskies caught, but we had 3-4 follows. We had intended to fish all day, but boy that wasn't happening! Starting at about noon it was a circus on that lake, nothing I had ever experienced before. We could not even fish if we wanted, the constant boat waves were unbearable! My second time to Minnetonka and this was on Monday last week (not yesterday) and the boat traffic wasn't as bad, but again starting at noon it got pretty busy again. More busy than lakes that I usually fish on a weekend! Anyways, later that night is when a guy in a huge white fancy boat decides to drive inbetween our boat and a buoy that was 50 feet in from us. We had been casting in towards the buoy the whole time and this guy who had plenty of time to see what we were doing and where we were casting because we seen him driving slowly towards are direction for the last 500 yards. The crazy thing about it was there were no other boats near us and all he would have had to do was go around the outside of us. Common sense right? Well, when he got just about in the middle of us and the buoy, I launched my brand new pacemaker directly at the front of his boat! He sees this lure flying in the air and immediatley slowing his boat down to a halt while driving over my lure. My intention was not to hit him or his boat, but to scare him off of even thinking about doing something like this again and maybe he will get the idea. At this point there were a few words exchanged between my brother and the guy in the fancy boat. He basically told him to show more respect to others on the lake, and just because you own a super expensive boat does not mean you own the lake. The guys response was mind boggling. He didn't understand why we would even confront him about the situation and basically he didn't care! He had too much money and he had that stuck up attitude to go along with it!

[updecreek]

D hanson was that New pacemaker a wood one or plastic? If it is plastic how does it compare to the wood ones?

[DHanson]

Plastic. I have no idea because I never owned the wood one. I always have used a top raider, but this year I thought I would try the pacemaker out. I bought the large sized one too and man that thing is loud! I think it is going to catch some big fish on big water!

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

On a recent trip to LOTW for muskies we had 2 boats me and my dad in one my uncle and his friend in the other. We were fishing a large rockpile that sticks out into the main lake a ways with a shallow 2 or 3 foot boulder saddle in the middle of the 2 rocks. As we both start working into the saddle some one-who-thinks-I-am-silly decides he is going to blast his 250hp verado on a ranger threw the shallow saddle which is maybe 25 yards between the two rocks. He goes blowing by us within casting distance for both of our boats in the shallow saddle and the look on the guys face as he went blasting threw there with a sarcastic wave as he hits his prop on a rock! Finally someone who thinks he can get away with being an one-who-thinks-I-am-silly gets punished! He kept going even after dinging his prop up because he was embarrassed. Luckily for him its a high water year or his lower unit may have been gone. Oh and I forgot to add there was a large channel on the outside of the second rock where a boat the size of a semi can go through in 70 FOW but he had to try to be a smart a$$

A good example of what can happen to morons!

Ryan

[cherokee]

There really isn't much in the metro, especially on tonka. I limit myself to early or late or on really crummy days. Although I did catch one in a figure 8 one afternoon when I had a skier buzzing right by me as well as a woman in a boat porpoising all over the place. It was almost line a scene out of caddy shack or something like that.

Got to love the boat with all the professional stickers on thinking they own every musky spot. Hey buddy, most good spots on a lake are known by the fisherman and it really is not your spot. Take turns. If someone is on it, move to a different spot or get in line.

Also the rich old guy in his too big of boat for small lake tonka. Arrogant and very dangerous.

Good luck fishing and try not to salute too many of these jerk-baits.

[cjac]

We all have stories I'm sure, but let's keep them PG rated as this is a "Family" oriented site and not try to use codes for cussin'.

I could go on as well, like the Mastercraft that came so close on Sunday that I could tell ya the eye color of the driver......even with sunglasses on!

Point is...it's a part of Metro fishing. Simple as that. Some do not mean harm and are simply unaware, that's your chance to POLITELY educate and inform if you wish to do so. Some to be blunt are 1/2 in the bag and don't care. If it gets confrontational.... bail out. I don't want to hear about anything bad happening to y'all. We joke about flingin' lures at people, but in reality it's not the best idea. I've had success with the 10 second lay on the horn......admittedly not the wisest thing to do, but like y'all I had to do something to let off steam, yet legal and makes a "statement", if you will.

My recommendation: Fish early, like dairy farmer early (RK at 4:00AM comes to mind) or late, suck it up, or stay off the lake.

For the guy that cuts you off: catch a fish in his rearview mirror. That is a sweet feelin'!

Good luck to all this weekend and the next couple weeks with high traffic, keep tempers low, be safe and have fun!

[LaPorte_MN_IA]

Ok so let's talk about what really should happen...

I'm going to a spot that I know well and fish often. I'm not stopping to fish just because someone else is there. But... someone is already fishing the shoreline. Do I need to completely abandon my intentions of fishing a spot? Or, can I fish out the second drop? Can I go 100, 200, 300 yards down the shore and start working in the same direction as the other guy? Should I go in behind the guy and fish it for a second time?

Sure I could abandon the spot and move on to the next milk run spot but... what if someone is there also? I could spend all day chasing someone else's tail???

[cjac]

Good question, great one really.....

If you came up on a spot and I was there and said "Hi, which way are you goin'?" I'd be very appreciative and tell ya and maybe give you a general report. If it's a small hump or weed clump or something I'm working hard on a hot fish I may be a little less open, but a shoreline or weed edge I'd chat with you. But that's just me..... granted I'm a little more used to the Metro scene. LOTW or Mille conversely I may be a little more hesitant.

If you sit cast-to-cast + a cushion distance distance behind me, no worries. You catch one, I would ask myself..."Why didn't I get her to go?" Or "Why didn't I hit her harder?"

Unless the lake is named "cjac" lake, I don't own it. Approach it right and you'll be just fine. After all, we like to talk, right? If not this HSOforum and forum wouldn't exist!

[joeyquicksand*]

With that theory, then fishermen should be upset if they themselves are fishing with another in the boat, because the guy up front always gets the best, and first cast location, right?

Too bad I havn't figured out a way to get a standing deck and storage spots on a one person jetski, i could get in to the shallows, AND get to all the locations quick.

[Dan Mawer]

I created the original post for this thread and it was my intention to see how many others experience the exact same thing on a day to day basis. I gotta honestly say I do exactly what cjac says fish the off hours that most people won't and have had some success. But I really think the problem exists when people don't stand up for themselves about it in a CONSTRUCTIVE manner-hate to say it but in some cases the only way people get things through their heads is when confrontation or bad things happen. And by the way joking about something doesn't mean it's our intention or something we condone! As for LAPORTE's post I think that's really taking it to the extreme...it's not going to be a black and white issue...maybe the best way to think about it is say to one's self would I like it if the situation was reversed? Yeah you can't read minds but what I'm saying is don't pull up 50 feet down the shoreline and camp out when you see me working that way or start moving towards me you know- my main problem is when people get too physically close with their boats. Really is 100-200 ft too much to ask on a 1500-2000 acre lake with 30 boats? Thank god I don't fish 'tonka

[cjac]

Yep Lets...., we all experience the same stuff, both Metro and out-state. We all need to step-up, bite the bullet at times, and look at as if you taught one angler the "right way" as a good day, but doing so in a good way.

Metro muskie guys almost need to somewhat resemble the Metro deer population, and develop the nocturnal/early AM mentality....and wait for October!

Good stuff, feels good to vent, but let's move onward to bigger and better things, like a reports of a Metro muskie from underneath a dock!

[PropsterII]

Had to chip in with a good one. Hunter and I are fishing in front of the swimming beach on the east side of Tonka, working slowly along. We see some guys pull up to the beach in a couple vehicles, strip down, and jump in while their buddy unloads a kayak. They start swimming one by one in single file about 50 yards apart, and every one of them swims in front of our path within a cast distance - I had ot shut down the tm and just watched. The kayak is following behind. That was bad enough, we just stared in disbelief, though I had to talk Hunter out of landing a bulldawg on their head. But then I realize they're going to swim across the lake, no flags or markers up for boaters to see them. About halfway across I see one of those big yachts coming down the pike and thought this could get interesting! He saw one of them at the last minute, slowed down and veered around. I just shook my head. You can't fix stupid.

[MUSKY18]

I used to get really mad when someone would cut me off, but spending some 16 months in Iraq kinda changed my perspective. Now I just laugh, shake my head and keep right on fishing. I have even just followed them along, keeping to myself and watching them look at me like "Why is he following us?". I try to never cut anyone off and will often start at the opposite end of weedline and make sure I go wide and deep around them when we meet so they can keep fishing if they were on the weedline first. As CJAC said, catch one in their rearview mirror. Case in point......me and my brother were fishing Mille Lacs one day, when this big fancy Ranger and two clowns come trolling by so close I could have jumped into their boat. They gave us a look like what were we doing in their way. Being the nice guy I am (this is pre Iraq) I nodded, landed a nice fat 46"er and showed them the fish and the bird. Don't know which one caught them more off guard?????