Civility among ice fishermen

[Bureaucrat]

I wanted to get a pulse from the ice fishing crowd on everyone's perception of civility while on the hard water. I'll tell the story below, but for now...

*How far away would you stay from someone to respect their current spot, or how close is too close to set up next to someone?

*Would you consider it civil to, without asking, start fishing in a hole another person drilled immediately after they move to fish another hole 30 feet away (working a small grid area around your house) without asking if that person is going to return? (Everyone was hole hopping out there.)

We were fishing an area that was pretty popular over the weekend. We set up on the outside edge of the group, about 50 yards away from everyone else. We put down our permanent and then began drilling holes around the outside to do some hole hopping.

I get to my second hole outside and begin catching fish immediately. A group of guys drive by and see my fish next to my hole, immediately turn, and pull their truck within 30 feet of me. They start drilling 20 feet away from me.

As soon as my hole goes cold, I move over to my next hole which is only 30 feet away. Before I got to the next one, a guy walks over to the hole I just left and starts to fish it. Well they caught one, then they proceeded to swiss cheese the ice to within 20 feet of our house. They never spoke to us. Not even a "Hey, you gonna fish that hole again? Mind if I try it?" I would have gladly said "yes I'm coming back, but go ahead and give it a shot."

I realize I don't own the water, and I don't feel entitled to a spot if someone else is already there. But is it not reasonable to expect a certain "halo area" of respect when on the water? Or am I just a scrooge?

[ZachD]

Had the same thing happen to me friday.. I was one of the only guys out there and had my hub set up... I was out hole hopping as there were many holes that were open from days prior I look back to see some guy drilling 5 feet from my house and drilling tons of holes all around it.... funny thing is my house was set up in about 1 foot of water because I was just using it as a warming shack...and I put it over by no holes because I didnt want it flooded... He didn't catch any thing and moved within 10 mins and went over by the other house that was set up across the lake... I just don't get people If he would of talked to my I would have told him where the fish were...

[GIANT1]

Its all about Ethics and some people don't have that any more

[CANOPY SAM]

I'm not so sure about the role of ethics in this discussion, but common courtesy, and manners seem to be a thing of the past.

If there were people set up on an area I wanted to fish, I'd simply go up and ask them if it would be okay if I punched a few holes around the area. If they said no problem, I'd punch a few holes, but wouldn't get any closer then maybe 25-30 feet at the very closest. If they said no, I'd move on.

Zach, did the guy drilling next to your house bury his auger blades into the bottom?

[ZachD]

I don't think so it was a foot of water under the ice so i doubt he reached the bottom through all the ice out there but maybe hopefully he hit a rock or two... Like I said though if the guy would have talked to me I would have told him to fish at the hole right next to me.. I had the fish stacked and would have not cared if someone was next to me keeping the fish intrested in staying in my area

[fishing tech]

A holes are what I call them. If people ask I share if they pull up and start using holes I drilled or drill to close to me I will fire up my auger and drill in their area until I run out of gas. If I see someone fish where I want to fish I don't even ask, I go else where.

[20lbSloughShark]

I personally don't mind people coming and fishing by me. Its rare someone just drives up, and starts fishing a hole I drilled without talking to me, but what do I care? I can only fish one hole at a time. Once I leave a hole, I have no intentions of ever coming back to it. I think I'd care even less if everybody was hole hopping. No harm is being done. What I hate is when people just come driving through your set up without a thought. There is no excuse for that, all your doing is scaring fish, and risking tip ups or other gear.

[amateurfishing]

I had plenty of people stop and ask me how the bite was at my hole this season, would show them the fish I iced and talk for a few, not one ever asked to join me or came close to intruding, however....

the one group that did not speak at all that got close to me as I was sitting on my 5 gallon bucket on a completely empty lake did circle me twice within 30 feet with their doolie hemi 30 ft shack set up proceeded to let the whole neighborhood out of the truck and drop to within 20 ft of me, I caught some small ones then went on my way as that is not my type of angling crowd. Im all for a party and having a good time but if im the only one on the lake there are plenty of other stops they could have made.....go figure

[ZachD]

I had plenty of people stop and ask me how the bite was at my hole this season, would show them the fish I iced and talk for a few, not one ever asked to join me or came close to intruding, however....

the one group that did not speak at all that got close to me as I was sitting on my 5 gallon bucket on a completely empty lake did circle me twice within 30 feet with their doolie hemi 30 ft shack set up proceeded to let the whole neighborhood out of the truck and drop to within 20 ft of me, I caught some small ones then went on my way as that is not my type of angling crowd. Im all for a party and having a good time but if im the only one on the lake there are plenty of other stops they could have made.....go figure

That reminds me Last time I was fishing rush I was hammering the crappies I was a lone ranger out there in my portable when went outside and looked around a group of 4 trucks with ice castles who were all together literally boxed me in. I had to get one of them to move there truck so I could drive out of there and the guy told me he though I was going to be there all night....

[JakeJ_Mn]

I don't mind a little company so if someone comes closer than 10' I will remind them of the law, otherwise I don't much care.

I bought a new sled this year for several reasons - one being able to go when it snows to places the truck or atv will can't take me. The other to be alone if possible.

In nearly 35 trips on the sled this year, most on LOTW, I have only had closer company on the popular spots which is expected.

[PurpleFloyd]

Seems to be lacking more and more in the population in general.

[Bureaucrat]

Here's my point:

I drilled all those holes so I only had to drill once, and then keep quiet the rest of the day. I don't know if the sound even matters when there is 40 inches of ice, but it's my personal preference to get it done and put the auger away.

Should I expect to have to drill one hole at a time to ensure I get to fish it without an altercation?

[leech~~]

I try to stay as far away from others as I can when I fish and will only try others old holes long after they left. I will say that if there is what I would call a "circus event" going on. Trout opener on the small ponds, a hot crappie bite in a small area on a lake that everyone found out about and is fishing elbow to elbow. Then it is more of a open game of people moving around hole to hole feet away from each other. Even then I never just go up to other peoples holes that they have drilled unless they walk away from them. For the most part I never go to these circus events in the first place.

[Pat K]

Here's my point:

I drilled all those holes so I only had to drill once, and then keep quiet the rest of the day. I don't know if the sound even matters when there is 40 inches of ice, but it's my personal preference to get it done and put the auger away.

Should I expect to have to drill one hole at a time to ensure I get to fish it without an altercation?

Ethics wise I wouldn't fish a hole that another person drilled without asking them. Legally you can only claim the 2 holes you have lines down and a 10' radius around them.

[CANOPY SAM]

Here's my point:

I drilled all those holes so I only had to drill once, and then keep quiet the rest of the day. I don't know if the sound even matters when there is 40 inches of ice, but it's my personal preference to get it done and put the auger away.

Should I expect to have to drill one hole at a time to ensure I get to fish it without an altercation?

You've got the right idea. Get em' drilled, then stay as quiet as possible.

And no, to your last question. No one should ever just walk up to, and start fishing out of holes you drilled, and you wouldn't have been out of line to ask them to drill their own holes.

[BLACKJACK]

I try to stay as far away from others as I can when I fish and will only try others old holes long after they left. I will say that if there is what I would call a "circus event" going on. Trout opener on the small ponds, a hot crappie bite in a small area on a lake that everyone found out about and is fishing elbow to elbow. Then it is more of a open game of people moving around hole to hole feet away from each other. Even then I never just go up to other peoples holes that they have drilled unless they walk away from them. For the most part I never go to these circus events in the first place.

You hit it on the head, some types and times of fishing its a common 'accepted' practice of crowding -- hole hopping for spring sunfish, spring crappie fishing where boats crowd in, you and I might not like it but to some people its an ok practice. Only way to avoid it is to fish odd times -- not on the weekend -- and off the beaten path lakes. Problem is that once the crowding gets to be 'accepted' at one spot, why isn't accepted all the time?? I know I don't like it....

[20lbSloughShark]

IMO, if your style of fishing is drilling 40 holes at a time, expect company. Thats got to be 10 minutes of constant drilling at least and taking up a 50-100 yard radius. Nothing wrong with what you do, but try drilling 5-10 holes at a time. Maybe you will find you don't have to swiss cheese a lake, as long as you can find fish.

[CANOPY SAM]

The slough shark does make a pretty good point. Just because you've drilled enough holes for 20 people to fish thru, over a football field sized area, doesn't mean you "own" that spot. I don't think that's the case here though.

I can certainly see where someone might do that though? Punch a ton of holes with the intent of hole hopping all of them over time, which essentially might impede others from fishing the same area.

Obviously, in this case, a conversation would be required.

[DrJuice1980]

If your area of holes covers a rather large area and I'm going to that spot you'd get a thank you from me, I wouldn't have to ask. I'm sorry but if you think you can hoard a spot just cause you drilled there your civility is in question. Id have to see the area first though for that to be my true feelings.

[ZachD]

Im going to invest in some thin ice signs and put them around my ice house

[Trev]

I love it when guys pull close and have nothing to say. That's proof to me they know they are in the wrong. Happens on ice and in boat. These people need to catch fish so bad they make themselves into fools and they know it. If it starts to bug me I may say something then leave. unlimited spots to fish in Minnesota and North Dakota.

[20lbSloughShark]

Maybe they just don't have anything to say. Heck, if I talked to everyone I saw on the lake, I would never be able to fish. There's nothing wrong with silence. There's not enough of it in this country.

[ukefish]

We went out to Ballentyne this year and did great on Northerns and sunfish! But the next time we went to go a local didn't like us being there and covered up the entrance piled high in snow and iced over. It is a public access as well. Someone finally came and plowed it but by the time they plowed it it was already after the windy days and the whole road was caved in with snow. I'll admit though when people leave an area and are way away I'll go fish the holes they where, and am usually successful. I usually catch a few fish, mark it on the GPS, and go to the spot next time I go.

[20lbSloughShark]

Nothing gets me going like lake shore owners who control "their" lake. Thats all they are, lake SHORE owners. They have no right to pile snow at the public access, or tell people they cant camp at a private lake access. But that story is for another day. I think its funny when people yell at you for casting near or under their dock. I just wave and cast again.

[fisherman-andy]

If your area of holes covers a rather large area and I'm going to that spot you'd get a thank you from me, I wouldn't have to ask. I'm sorry but if you think you can hoard a spot just cause you drilled there your civility is in question. Id have to see the area first though for that to be my true feelings.

I would tend to agree with this. I think the most civil manner would be to use general common sense. Yet this is something that not everyone has???

I will try to avoid being near anyone or any setup shelter. But when it comes down to it and if needed if im at least 20ft away or more from you I dont care where you are. I am drilling a hole or using a hole that is open and unoccupied. If im within 20ft of you I will respect your space and not come any closer.

People who drill tons of holes across a span of a large area should not be complaining. You dont own the lake. In part it is you who should be civil when when doing so. If you have a radius of 20 feet around you that is more then generous. The law states only 10 feet from raising a shelter.