was i to close?

[mrpike1973]

so tonight i was slow trolling a fairly hot spot another boat was about 1 1/2 casts from me waved to me i waved back. i slowed up and anchored by the drop off. the other boat started to move somewhat closer to me. we were quiet then he said any reason why you stopped there i said i had got some pike last night there. he said he was bass fishing and wanted to fish the bottom. i said sorry i'll move along. and very quickly did. i dont feel i drove right up to him and stopped in front of him. i didnt want to cause trouble now days you never who is out there. he didnt swear or anything like that neither did i. i felt it was civil was i wrong? if so please tell me i have fished many years and had people run over my anchor rope got it in there prop had one boat bump in to me etc felt i was pretty cool about it. this sure bugs me usually i can let it go but here i am

[hamms-scooter]

I always look at it reversed and if you are cool with it being in his shoes then it isn't really your problem. You handled it good though

[skee0025]

IF he was already there and you got within 1 1/2 cast lengths of him, then yes in my opinion you were to close.

[ANYFISH2]

This is tough to say as opinions will very greatly.

If someone would have done the same, and you where the other guy, would you have be bothered?

In my opinion as long as you didn't cut in front of his troll you are fine. With you being anchored your taking up a cast lenght in all directions. Other's shouldn't be upset as they have the rest of the break to fish or rather the rest of the lake.

I think you handled the moment perfectly.

[Mike89]

I too, think, you did it very well.

[Ufatz]

If you pulled up and around him and then dropped anchor right in his path I can understand why he might be a bit upset. To start fishing within " a cast and half" of another boat IS pushing it a bit to my mind.

How about you?...don't YOU want a little more privacy then that?

It's hard to judge these situations. And the guys remarks about "wanting to fish the bottom" make no sense.

Sounds like an unpleasant event for both of you. But I can tell you this: when a bass fishin' boat is working along a shoreline, weedline, rushes, pads etc. you can really get their attention by roaring up, cutting in front of their direction of travel and breaking out rods within 150' of them and proceeding to fish the stretch they were obviously going to fish.

You DID handle things correctly.

[Down Deep]

I guess it depends. If I'm sturgeon or walleye fishing on the Rainy River in the spring there is no way I'm not going to have plenty of close company. On the other hand if I'm out on a mid-summer day on a lake with just a few people fishing here and thereI have much more expectation of being left alone. If I'm already on a spot a cast and half seem to be under 100 feet and not much if I'm anchored off, but if I'm on the move around a point or reef that's way too close. If you weren't there first then you should have moved along especially since your tactic was to anchor.

[erikwells]

I'd say it depends on the spot too. I fish a small lake where there is a small sunken island and I used to get upset when someone would come close 1 cast range. But the spot isnt that big and it's not a secret so I have learned to accept that I don't own the lake.

[20lbSloughShark]

I don't think there is a problem, he simply asked if he could try deeper fishing.

[paceman]

It is hard to say for sure without more details. Was he also trolling, drifting.. were you working the same breakline? Who was there first? what is the size of the lake? the spot your working? How long is 1.5 casts? It seems to me that he could have easily trolled around you since you were anchored and not said a word..

[3andadog]

My rule of thumb: If we can both cast to the same spot we're to close to each other.

Other factors are how big is the lake, is there other sructure similar to what you're fishing available, are you fishing the same way as other boats in the area (trolling vs anchor).

1.5 casting lengths is just too close for me. But on the flip side I've seen guys trolling huge areas and claiming it as their own.

[Comit 2]

It happens to me all the time. I expect it. When it happens to me, I move on. The last thing I want to do is show them how and what i'm doing. Plus it most not be a good spot if I'm willing to give it up.;-). I leave for a while and if they are still there. I may come back just to do it back to them.

[amateurfishing]

I had similar incident on gull this weekend, wife & I were on a break line around an island with no one in sight. a Lund boat shows up with 5 adults in it and just off the break line. they proceed to VERY SLOWLY troll/drift right in between us and the island & next thing I know guy fishing off bow lands a cast 10 yards from me, I told wife loudly how much of a moron he was as we were anchored and I decided to light up a cigar to "smoke em out", they did not leave but did back off a little after that

[Hawg]

Too close

[Doufish2]

If I pull into an area where I want to fish a shoreline and someone is in a little deeper water anchored, I will always ask them if it is Ok to go between them and the shore.

I think you did the right thing for your situation.

[TruthWalleyes]

Happens quite often. Not catching fish, look at GPS and pick a new spot, upon traveling to new spot notice someone else is fishing it. I then pick another spot. I look at it as a challenge to find fish in new waters.

If i ever think i might be intruding on other's fishing, i go fish elsewheres.

...

To close.

Now, rainy river last weekend of walleye is a different story. That's just plain crazy traffic and something that you need to tolerate in order to have a good time.

[FM_Mike]

IF he was already there and you got within 1 1/2 cast lengths of him, then yes in my opinion you were to close.

+1

Mike

[Wanderer]

+ 2 ^^^^^^

Passing by and fishing by trolling in that situation is just part of fishing but "IF" he was there first and you pulled in and dropped anchor, then yeah, that could be annoying.

But it sounds like it all worked out just fine.

[dfv87]

Key here was everybody was civil. I commend you both for that. the reality is my idea of close and yours might be different and soem people think you being on the same lake is too close. What can you do? I think you were fine but that is me.

I was trolling at dusk last weekend and my buddy and i were talking so i did not notice a couple bobbers off a dock... until the guy comes running from the cabin yelling about them. I got it out of gear in time to avoid the major mess but had to lift my motor up to get it off the lower unit. It did not wrap up but the hook caught. Once free, all was good but the guy was a "richard" when i said sorry. I mean HE had unattended lines out at dusk and not lighted ones. I did my best not to comment back and I just left on my way. As you can tell it still doesn't bother me and I have been able to let it go... NOT!

[20lbSloughShark]

I didn't realize people were so uptight. I love when people move in and chat with me. I have no problem sharing what I'm doing, or what has worked. In general I tend to be more laid back, and don't care what people do, however I'm not scared to speak my opinion. The worst I've had happen was someone ran over my tip up. I went over and confronted him, and he paid me for it. Don't sit back and think smoking a cigar will get your point across. Most of the time people simply make a mistake, and are genuinely sorry for it. Guy moves in too close, yell "can you move back a little ways, please?" almost every time they says sorry, go around you, and life goes on. That's my little rant about the whole "passive aggressive" approach.

[Stick in Mud]

Key here was everybody was civil. I commend you both for that. the reality is my idea of close and yours might be different and soem people think you being on the same lake is too close. What can you do? I think you were fine but that is me.

I'd say this is about as wise an answer to any question you'll find on an online discussion forum. Personally, I would've been annoyed with what you did, but civility goes along way in these kinds of cases, as "too close" really is subjective.

[Pat K]

My rule of thumb is, if I'm wondering if I'd be to close I probably would be and pick another spot

[delcecchi]

My opinion depends on time of year and the spot. In the spring especially there are well known spots that attract packs of boats. And there are some well known community spots on many lakes that one shouldn't expect huge spacings.

[not_nuf_time]

I had some Bevis do that up on Alexander this weekend. Was motoring a long and casting to shore along a stretch and this guy in a big Lund proceeds to motor up, drop trolling motor and here he comes casting along the same shore I was moving up. So of course I picked up and moved on. What bugs me about this is, it's kind of like rage drivers the guy probably is use to guys in other boats picking up and leaving. therefore he won his aggressive fishing maneuver. And keeps doing it. It wouldn't bug you if there was a bunch of other boats fishing the area, but when no ones around, go past where the other guy is fishing and start behind him and work the other direction. Or get there ealier, No Budgin in Line.

[Grum]

It all depends on attitude, if it is a well know spot I expect that others will want to fish there and thats fine by me, but it does get a little annoying when someone "leap-frogs in" in front of me when trolling or casting and moving up a shoreline. most of the time I will just move on. But there are times, if no kids are present, I will gladly join in the game and just smile and wave while I leap around in front of them.