Fishing etiquette?

[bassfshin24]

So last night i was out on pool 2 and finally started getting into the smallies. i was fishing down a rock bank when another guy comes driving by me and cuts right in front of me and starts trolling down this bank about 5 ft off of shore. Ive been fishing for a long time and was just completely shocked that this guy did this. He literally started trolling about 10 ft in front of me. once he got to the end of the bank he turn around and came back straight towards me. What are your guys view on this? i know the waters open to everyone but have a little common courtesy..or least start fishing behind me! Sorry im just blowin off some steam!!!

[Dylan33]

If you were stationary, I have no problem with what he did. If you were obviously moving up the bank working the shoreline, then I have a problem with it, but am not surprised.

It seems that the ratio of true fisherman/outdoorsman that understand the outdoors and how to act to complete a-holes is getting worse and worse every year. There are so many stories taht are exactly like what you described it makes me sick, not to mention the amount f trash that is left on the shorelines and landings.

Long answer longer....the other guy was in the wrong, it'll happen again it sucks and there is nothing we can do about it.

[igotworms]

I probably would have shot him with a crossbow...or maybe threw a trident at him! Don't sweat it. They're acting like that on the roads now, obvious by the recent body count. Once summer comes near, everyone is out for themselves!!! But I'd still recomend the trident idea...

[bassfshin24]

Yeah if i was wasnt movin then id be fine with it but he clearly saw me moving up the bank...foot on the trolling motor. Oh well all i can say is im glad im not like that guy. There were a few shore fisherman as well that saw me catching a few fish and proceeded to move right in the middle of the shoreline i was fishing...thats when i called it quits for the night haha. ill just have to make it out in the early morning where i dont have to deal with that.

[zepman]

Happens to me and I'm sure everyone all the time. I just consider most of these guys hacks and it makes following them and catching fish behind them that much more enjoyable.

[Urbanflyguy]

Yep its rude and not surprising.If he would have been trolling the rocks farther down from me and at least making an attempt to be polite i would have just let it go but purposly fishing ten feet infront of me more than once is not forgivable to me and I would have been mad too. With my short temper I may have thrown some rocks at him every time he decided to be rude. After all he was in a boat and mobile hence could have fished any structure on the river where as your limited on foot and if you where working the boulder hill at ford dam that even worse. I wont even fish with in 50 yards of another guy on the river, yes its all public waters but theres no need to be a jerk just because. But then again i woulda thrown rocks

[bassfshin24]

urbanflyguy---i was actually in a boat trolling the bank and he cut in front of me....anyway it sounds like it happens to a lot of people and ZEPMAN i did end up catchin like 4 fish right behind him.

[DTro]

10ft has to be a slight exageration. You can have more than that seperation in the same boat

If you are 10ft away from me in another boat, I better know you really well, or we better be fishing at RedWing

[bassfshin24]

haha...my buddy told me i should have asked him if it would have been easier to just fish in my boat. but 10ft my have been a slight exageration...it was probably 12ft.

[Larson15]

That is bad etiquette. Regardless if you were still or slightly moving he should of been no where near you, especially going in front of where you were obviously fishing the bank.

[NTW]

I've seen quite a few of these rants online. It must happen alot and I must be lucky to not have had too many of these experiences. I think it'd be fun to have a new forum topic for you to 1) take a picture 2)post it and tell the story.

It'd be fun to see where else he shows up or if anyone else has had a problem with the same guy. That may prove out the few bad seeds theory...

And P.S. I am getting really jealous of those who are able to fish the waters that are open season. Sucks waiting... If we had open season I could've made a few afternoon trips to local waters at least.

[EBass]

That sucks, did you say something to him? I'm normally a laid back guy, but I think I we would've exchanged some words. 12 feet! Cripes! I'm getting upset thinking about all the times it happened to me.

Good thing not everyone is like that guy.

[serpent]

I had a pan fisherman anchor about 10' away once. His buddy said "aren't you kinda close to the other boat." Driver said "I don't care." Happens more often than not.

[bassfshin24]

No i didnt say anything. Im a laid back guy myself and i was about ready to burst but i figured it wasnt really worth it. didnt want him to ruin my good night of fishing...even know he did a little. if i go down there again and i see the same guy and does the same thing then i might have a little something to say

[olski]

Don't know for sure but I might have bounced a crank bait off his motor or at least when I left may have accidently drive across his line.

I had that happen in a tournament, was fishing a piece of wood (the only one around) my partner hooked a good fish and it stuck the hook into the tree and came off.

I went down the bank 100 yards or so to let things cool off turned around and headed back to the tree. I hear a boat coming so I put the trolling motor on 100 and he set down on the tree when I was about 30 feet from it obveously going to it.

So I packed up and put the pedal to the floor. Not sure but being as close as we were to each other I might have caused a pretty good wake

But I'm not bitter. HAHA

[OLY]

Its funny because I was out on pool 2 last night as well and i was fishing bass and had a couple of guys in a bass boat blow by me and start fishing the spot I was working my way towards. It was obvious the way I was going and what I intended to fish but they jumped in front of me and fished it anyways. I just ended up going to where they were before they cut me off and caught 3 smallies and a sauger off of a stretch of riprap that they obviouslly didnt fish too good they were to worried about getting to where I was going.

[Cecil]

Its tough to say how much room to give someone when they are going down a weedlind or shoreline. Techinically if the guy is going another 100 yards and you go 70 yards in front of him you are cutting him off.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I agree with Cecil, its kind of a grey area. How much is enough? If I start on a shoreline, but plan to fish the whole lake.. technically everybody would then be jumping in front of them. Few people want to fish "used" water. I usually dont get bent about people jumping in front of me. If anything I fish harder.

However, if I was trolling and someone started trolling a mear 10-12 feet.. it might crank me off a little.

[Craigums]

Ive had a guy jump in front of me before, I didnt let it bother me, I just started up the outboard went 10 yards infront of him and continued on my way...do that a couple times and they will get the picture

[Cecil]

Yeah, I feel confident enough that I can fish behind a lot of fishermen. The tough part is when you set down about 40 yards from a good spot to work up to it and a guy stops right on top of it. Oh well, guess next time I'll go right to it!

[bassfshin24]

Usually if i see someone fishing a shoreline i want to fish i will go to a different spot and fish that until that person is done. if they stay there the whole time then i guess too bad for me. im sure this will happen again sometime, maybe not as close as last night but i guess its over and done with.

[mabr]

Ive got a funny story now, (Not at the Time). This is on Lake Harwell SC. Me and my partner are in a 70 boat tourny which isnt that big on this lake for a weekend.Theres typically at least 3 this size. Were fishing a bank when another boat comes up and sits down in front of us withing a decent cast and starts fishing the same direction we are. I turn the TM on high hum get within 20 feet lift the live well covers and ask if he wants to cast in here as well. Guy starts to get smart with me, I calmly pull TM motor up set down at console, start motor, trim big motor almost out of the water and idle away in a circle and gun it. I was alot younger then but it sure made me feel good. They werent in the same tourny we were in or else i would have DQ'd them. But it sure made me feel good looking at the 2 wet a--h--- who had no respect.

[cjac]

Yeah, I feel confident enough that I can fish behind a lot of fishermen. The tough part is when you set down about 40 yards from a good spot to work up to it and a guy stops right on top of it. Oh well, guess next time I'll go right to it!

Agreed on both points, I like the attitude of "I can fish it better", and the thought of hitting the spot on the spot from the get-go if it's that big of a deal....

Muskie fishing it can actually be an advantage at times. A guy will cut ahead, raise a hot fish, and not adjust the presentation accordingly or throw back with something else. Call it sloppy seconds but hey, if someone wants to show me a hot fish...I'll take it!

Above all, I fish for the fun, not the frustration. People cut me off at the grocery store too......

[bucketmouth64]

Not only are some fisherman dumb, but then you have to contend with the non-fisherman; the pleasure boaters in their pontoons. I don't know how many times they have gone between me and the shoreline or area I was obviously casting to. Ok, maybe I have to give them a pass because most are retired. But still.

[Ufatz]

Hey....watch yer smart mouth about old retired guys. My guess is most of us know more about fishing and etiquette than most of the dink-a-doos screaming up and down the lakes.

Don't mess with old retired guys. We can get mean! Ha!!