An Ethical Question

[RK]

Hiya -

Since we have a mix of tournament and non-tournament anglers here, I thought I'd describe a situation that occured last weekend while I was out bass fishing, and see what all of you thought...

So I'm on a lake near my cabin in Northern MN, getting a couple hours of bass fishing in in the morning before I had to go in and get some work done. There is apparently a tourney coming up on the lake because there were a lot of boats out pre-fishing (you can sort of tell when someone's pre-fishing vs fishing for the heck of it - lots of slow cruising looking at electronics, scoping stuff out with a camera, cruising in the shallows standing up and looking, but not casting...pure scout mode...).

So I'm casting cranks to a small weed point that's pretty off the beaten path and not on any map - just sort of sticks out of a piece of blank shoreline. I rarely see another boat on it. It's not a great spot, but usually good for a fish or two.

While I'm fishing it a boat with a pair of guys comes by at about half throttle - barely on plane. While there right by me, maybe 40 yds away, I hooked a fish, and a 3 lb or so bass comes flying out of the water. As soon as these two saw the fish jump, they came off plane and threw the motor into neutral. Ok, so I gave them a spot they may not have found on their own. Oh well... No biggie.

I fought the fish, lipped it, and unhooked it. When I went to release the fish, I see that the boat has come closer and turned so I the passenger side's toward me, and the passenger is looking at me through a pair of binoculars.

Now, they'd idled close enough to see what I'd caught (the thing jumped twice more, so it was farily obvious it was a decent bass), and probably at least generally what I'd caught it on. It was fairly obvious I was tossing a crank. If they needed binoculars, they really wanted a close look at what I was using.

For some reason, being checked out through a pair of binocs to see what I was using made me absolutely furious. Is this what "pre fishing" is these days? Glassing other anglers to see what they're catching fish on? If they'd have motored up and asked me what I was doing, I would have told them whatever they wanted to know about the lake. And I could have told them a lot of pretty useful info. I've bass fished on that lake for 20 years. I like visting with other anglers and I'm pretty willing to share info if someone's polite enough to strike up a conversation. But the intrusiveness of being watched through binocs really got to me.

When I got done unhooking the fish, I turned around, dropped my drawers, and mooned them. I bet I haven't mooned someone since about 9th grade. But I figured if they wanted a close look at something, they could take a gander at my skinny white butt. The passenger put the binocs away rather fast, and they suddenly had the urgent need to be somewhere else - they roared off.

Instead of having a pleasant conversation with another angler, they got me furious, and they had no more information that the fact that I managed to catch a fish on a perch-colored fat rap...

So am I unreasonable in being irritated that someone would actually watch me through binoculars to see what I was doing? Is this a common practice with pre fishign these days? I've had run-ins with other anglers before that were pretty overt about just wanting a spot (not just bass mind you, but walleye and muskie anglers too)...stuff like someone idling up, punching in a GPS icon, then leaving, or following a trolling run punching in a GPS trail. But this one seemed over the top in rudeness to me.

Be interested to hear some thoughts on this...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Central Bassman]

LOL that is cool that you mooned them LOL… I would of paid money to see how fasted they put down the binoculars….LOL

This has happened to me mine of times on Tonka… Guys are always pre-fishing for something on there and I have been watched many of time throw Binoculars. Most of the time it really doesn’t pay to say anything to these guys because they don’t care, But what I have don’t is just put the rods down and starting eating a sandwich or just sit there and wave to them. I don’t think you were out of line in any way, There is TWO MANY tournaments series going on now days and most of them are just buddy buddy tournaments, but they think they are fishing for the Bassmaster Classic. I guess in all, im a tournament angler but really respect other anglers on the water. This is never going to cage because I know I can catch bass with out having to watch someone else catch them throw binoculars.

[EBass]

Way to go RK!

[ikeslayer]

wow i didn't see the story going to mooning. that is unfotunate. i would be willing to guess that it would have been in their favor to talk to you. with the amount you, RK post i am sure you would have made it worth their while .

ike

[Trouthunter]

chill out dude, with all the rants on this site about people not being courteous enough to give anglers room, they might have thought they were doing you a favor.

I am sure no one ever recieved an "I'm sorry" from a tailgator after flipping them the bird, just not sure what good could come from mooning them. Sure it might generate a laugh, but with all the nuts out there, is it worth it?

sorry man, not going to get a thumbs up from me.

BD

[RK]

Hiya Trouthunter -

That's why I posed the question...and I can't disagree with you. It's totally out of character for me. I was wondering if I was just getting overly cranky these days.

Actually, if they'd have pulled up and started fishing the spot it probably would have bothered me less. At least they'd have been trying to see for themselves what was going rather than just spying through binos. The intrusiveness and sneakiness of that just drove me wild... Probably not the way I'd react if I thought about it for long, but I didn't...

RK

[cjac]

Hi Rob,

Here's my Freudian take......displaced and pent up anger at the guy on your own lake that follows you around finally came to a head. You've mentioned him a few times. Simple as that, you go to get away from that clown only to find someone staring at you thru binocs. There, done with my psycho-analysis.

They may have well thought they would set you off more if hey approached than just kept their distance. Little did they know you're more than happy to talk to anyone. However, the binocs would have creeped me out too.

Dropping the drawers is pretty darn funny though, if I did that I'd likely get a couple treble hooks fired at me.

Drew a crowd this weekend on a metro lake with a nice tiger (thanks for the hot sunny day tip by the way), but it wasn't all bad. A boat with bikinis came to see!

Chris

[Ufatz]

One more of the disgusting aspects of convincing people that fishing for money is a part of the SPORT of fishing. I don't blame you a bit-they could have used a little tact.

[JP Z]

RK,

Nice to hear. Problem would be if someone else saw and took offense. They would then take down your license number and report you for indecent exposure and you would get a ticket (happened to a friend of mine, cept he went to take a dump in the back of a VERY secluded bay only to find that well through the trees was an old couple swinging...)

[Ray Esboldt]

I like the mooning. Nice touch. I may have used colorful language, but mooning gets point across much better.

I am a fence sitting hypocrite when it comes to tournament fishing. I participate in a fair number of tournaments every year (big and small, more small nowadays) and have for almost 18 years. I like the allure of taking someone elses dollar for something as trivial as fishing. I don't care if anyone knows who I am or where I finished. Fishing and ego to me seem like a bad mix. With that being said, if the world of tournament bass fishing ended tomorrow, I would care less. So, yes, I am a hypocrite - I participate, but don't really care about their preservation.

If I were prefishing your lake (or anyone else's), the last thing I would want to do is find out what other people are doing. That is a sure recipe for failure. If you cannot figure things out yourself, what are you going to do when plan A goes wrong?

So, Rob Kimm, your penance for this outrageous act of disrespect to bass tournament anglers is to fish the FM bass fishing event August 11th on Big Marine.

[ocf1]

Those 2 guys sound like my mom, "go over there and see what there using and fish there when they leave" well HECK NO, I enjoy the challenge of finding fish ON MY OWN.

[skink]

Another Ethical Question:

My family's cabin is on a great bass lake, none too huge, but a lot of 3-4 pounders. We own lakeshore that includes a great little bay known around the lake for the bass there. There are several other fishermen on the lake that stroll right into the lilly pads, destroying them for the time being, and keep EVERY BASS they catch. I bite my tounge. These guys come within several feet of our shore with no regard for the natural habitat. I only keep my mouth shut because the habitat will always grow back and the bass population will be fine. It's also a question of how close one should fish to private shoreline. Thoughts?

[ocf1]

If they pay taxes it fine, not sure about the habitat though.

[vikingmeatwad]

Thumbs up from me, there are plenty of losers on the water like that, good job for making them aware that what they do is annoying.

[JP Z]

skink,

according to the DNR they pretty much own up to the OHWL so really a boat could come and bump up on your shore and be within their limits.........annoying yes. But legal, I believe so.

[Prairiefire]

Bassman is right on with the comment that a lot of people fishing small tournaments are way too intense. It's supposed to be fun. There are people pre-fishing for a week at time for club tournaments. If they still have to resort to stealing other people's spots it says something about their abilities. Maybee they should take up golf.

[chief]

RK,

Before I can voice an opinion on this particular situation I must know the following:

The lake name?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Your address at this lake?

Where you see yourself in five years?

Your mother's maiden name?

Your blood type?

The last time you saw the doctor?

Where exactly you're experiencing discomfort?

The exact size of the crankbait?

Your reel's gear ratio?

The names of three non-business aquaintances?

Rod's make and model?

Any advanced degrees you might have?

Line type and size?

Religious affliations?

When did you first.................?

[RK]

Quote:

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Hi Rob,

Here's my Freudian take......displaced and pent up anger at the guy on your own lake that follows you around finally came to a head. You've mentioned him a few times.

Drew a crowd this weekend on a metro lake with a nice tiger (thanks for the hot sunny day tip by the way), but it wasn't all bad. A boat with bikinis came to see!

Chris

---

Hey Chris -

You know, I've only seen Bubble Boy a couple times this summer. Actually talked to him at the local hardware store this spring. Funny conversation - he said "we're on such a lousy fishing lake. I've fished it for 8 years, and I've caught 4 walleyes..." I just smiled... My neighbor and I had caught probably 30 that morning...

Cool on the sunny day deal. Weird, isn't it?

Ray - I'm sorta like you with your attitude toward tournaments, although I don't fish them personally. I don't have anything against them per se. I just don't enjoy them all that much. The competitiveness is the opposite of why I go fishing I guess. Besides, I'd hate HAVING to fish for one species. When I start catching crappies on jigworms, out come the tube jigs, and if it were a tourney, money on the line or not, I doubt I could stop myself...

About Big Marine - you know, I may actually be in town that weekend (be the first weekend I'd be in town since early April.) If I am, be fun to do. Have to mooch a boatride from someone though - my boat'll still be up north.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[RK]

Quote:

---

RK,

Before I can voice an opinion on this particular situation I must know the following:

The lake name?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Your address at this lake?

Where you see yourself in five years?

Your mother's maiden name?

Your blood type?

The last time you saw the doctor?

Where exactly you're experiencing discomfort?

The exact size of the crankbait?

Your reel's gear ratio?

The names of three non-business aquaintances?

Rod's make and model?

Any advanced degrees you might have?

Line type and size?

Religious affliations?

When did you first.................?

---

[TNFL]

I would say both parties involved left with negative feelings about the other.

A few weekends ago I went out to a lake to prefish it for "my club/league" (ohhhh no). And there happened to be a tournament going on. I thought I was being couteous by not digging into the fish, and mostly observing from a ways back. I did converse with a few T-guys when they passed me. One guy gave me advise about the guy fishing across the bay (he won a T on this lake the weekend before). So I T-motored my way towards the guys area to see what he might be doing differently. Now, I didn't have binocs and I stayed far enough away so I couldn't tell what he was using. But I figured what depths he was working and learned something about the lake that I transferred to my league night.

As far as some people thumping thier chest about, "I find my own fish" etc. thats talk. Why are you on this sight then? Have you never asked about advice on any lake, or techniques? We come here to learn, because obviously we as individuals all have more to learn?

RK, I probably would have called you (at the moment), well what you were showing them(A). But it would have made for a funny story for years to come. So, don't feel bad, because those guys are probably having a chuckle about it now. At least I would be.

[ocf1]

TNFL,

I was just saying that i find my own areas. I take in information from this site and use a lake map, I dont want to go looking for other peoples spots, I want to find my own.

[DinkADunk]

By using binoculars they were respecting your space and not interfering with your fishing. I imagine it did give you the willies but it was less obtrusive to your fishing than coming over for a chat. I enjoy steelhead fishing with a fly rod and am very comfortable fishing for an audience

[turn_in_poachers]

Quote:

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RK,

Nice to hear. Problem would be if someone else saw and took offense. They would then take down your license number and report you for indecent exposure and you would get a ticket (happened to a friend of mine, cept he went to take a dump in the back of a VERY secluded bay only to find that well through the trees was an old couple swinging...)

---

What lake is this???