You have got to be kidding me.

[minnow_03]

Today I went with a couple friends to go walleye fishing. I had not been out to this lake since first ice, but one of my friends has a spearing/walleye house in 18ft of water, so him, two other friends and I went out. I brought my portable and set it up about thirty yards from his house. We set up a couple tip ups with one right between us and drilled about 25 holes so we could move around if they were biting. A half hour later a guy drags a house out and sets up between us, EIGHT FEET FROM OUR TIP UP. (we measued after he left) We walked over buy him and said he was kind of close. All he said was "I fished here before so." When it got to be prime time he even got out and fished in holes I had drilled. I could not belive it. Although he may have got what he wanted because I will not go out there again.

[Sandmannd]

That's insane, but some people just don't care. I doubt he was an FMr, haven't met one yet that would do dump like that. I would never fish out of drilled holes if there is still someone out there. I have fished out of holes that were left, but even that's pretty rare.

[BobT]

I agree, to put himself that close to your tip-ups was a bit rude. I question the issue with using holes that are already drilled. Some guys seem to enjoy drilling holes. Does that mean that because you swiss cheese an acre of ice it is suddenly off-limits to anyone else. Sorry but I don't think that is any more fair than the guy using holes you drilled. How does he know that you drilled them and they are not just some holes left by someone else?

Bob

[brianh]

In some lakes the fish don't have fins, they have feet and stand in the same spot for days @ a time.

[Doop]

How rude. What the guy should have done is not fish so darn close first of all...but if he was going to fish out of already drilled holes...and you were obviously the one who drilled them I would have at least asked and struck up a conversation.

Just because a guy drills a bunch of holes doesn't mean he's the only one who can fish them....but it would be nice to at least ask I would think.

[kwiggy]

I am assuming that minnow didn't drill holes across the whole lake, therefore claiming it as his. 30 yards from house to house isn't very far away and would be easy to have 25 holes in that area if you were hole hopping. I think the guy was wrong to just use the holes. What would have happened if he started pulling up fish after fish as minnow was getting skunked in his other holes?

At the very least, the guy should have acknowledged if it was okay minnnow. I make this point thinking that all of these holes were relatively close to minnows mini village. I relate this to casting my lure next to another guys boat.

Legally, the guy was okay. Etiquettely, the guy was wrong.

Is there such a word as etiquettely?

[andrew chadwick]

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[crappiekiller1]

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[crappiekiller1]

Just wish some ppl would do their own homework for once and find them therselves. I understand fully for ppl who have bigger familys and dont have all this time to find a spot, but maybe ask before putting the house down. i appreciate that better and get along with them better

[JohnK]

Hard water or soft, some people never change. That guy is probably the same one who will come right up on your boat and start casting or trolling across your lines too.

[Borch]

I know you guys are kiddin but Holy Moly.

I know it can get a bit frustating with how some folks just move in on a guy. But I just won't let that behavior ruin a trip for me. In fact, some of my favorite trips have been when someone moved in on me as I was catching fish and still didn't catchg anything.

My point is that I just don't get enough time on the ice to let someone else ruin it for me. I'm out there to have a good time and I do even if I don't catch any fish and others are inconsiderate.

I hope your next trip goes better.

[ZEEK1223]

I have had my permanent house on tonka for a couple of weeks now. I dont have a problem with people drilling holes near my house, but dont drill one 2 feet from the door. yes it's true,went out last Sat and there was a fresh hole drilled 2 ft from my front door. Who are these people? With that being said 9 out of 10 sportsmen I meet out on the ice are all friendly and polite.

[art321]

I fish a rather large lake but it only has a few good spots. My wife and I were on one of those very small but productive spots. It's not a real well known spot but if 4 guys set up on it it would be full. Anyway, we were heading to the spot. Saw someone else on it. Not too big a deal. First come, first served. We tried to set up a bit away from them but still try to stay on the rocks. They had drilled a mess of holes to guage depth or hole hop. I had a hand auger and was looking at one of their holes within easy tip-up range from where we set up. I simply asked if I could use it, they said sure and we all had a good time and no bad feelings. We all caught fish. Just ask first to get it on the table. If they say no, although legal to do so, why go ahead and drop in on it. Move on.

Then there was the time, smae spot. We were out first. Some guys come up and set up just 10ft from my tip-up and 30ft from our portable. I was a bit disturbed but made up for it when I caught fish after fish on the tip-up next to them. Never saw them catch a fish and I was running out of my portable every 5 minutes. It's a small hotspot and I was on the spot on the spot apparently. Now that is funny.

[metrojoe]

 Originally Posted By: Borch

I know you guys are kiddin but Holy Moly.

I know it can get a bit frustating with how some folks just move in on a guy. But I just won't let that behavior ruin a trip for me. In fact, some of my favorite trips have been when someone moved in on me as I was catching fish and still didn't catchg anything.

My point is that I just don't get enough time on the ice to let someone else ruin it for me. I'm out there to have a good time and I do even if I don't catch any fish and others are inconsiderate.

I hope your next trip goes better.

Great point Borch. It would have been nice to have a little consideration and give everyone a little elbow room, but the hardwater season is short and my time on the ice is even shorter. Might as well enjoy it and be happy your not that guy.

[sparkydm]

these situations are so frustrating, but borch is right. often you can find humor in other's antics. for example, yesterday i took my dad out to orchard lake and we got set up around 12:30PM. fishing was terrible but it was great to be out. at about 3:30 4 guys i'd say were maybe 19 or 20 years old came roaring up to the "village" on snowmobiles. they had a new looking clam6800 and proceeded to set it up. when i say "set it up" i mean swearing and throwing stuff and yelling at each other. it was very funny. next came the auger part. more swearing and yelling. we were laughing loud enough in our porty for them to hear us. that got them mad at us which made it even funnier. they finally got that auger to run, but it wouldn't cut ice. it took 2 guys with all their weight to make 4 holes. at least 5 minutes per hole. more laughing from our porty. i got on my phone and called a buddy who has a house about 50 yards away. told him to bring everybody to watch. he did. soon there was a small crowd watching all this and those guys were [PoorWordUsage]ed! one big loudmouth screamed at everyone to leave. my buddy calmly replied that they didn't come over to watch them, they came to see me and you just happened to be trying to set up 15 feet from my friend's porty! best time on the ice in a while!

[Rick]

I dislike being crowded as much as the next guy and when they pull up and start outfishing it can be frustrating. You must remember the lake is not private property. Drilling holes all over does not make them yours. There are laws/rules that cover this situation and placing their house within 8' of your tip-up is not cool. However, 10 yards would be within a persons right even though irritating.

Consider the fact that the guy may very well have scouted the lake out and after days or hours of searching found the spot close to you, previously. I would hope no one would begrudge him coming back to his spot and fishing within the legal distance guideline. If not then it's time for you to lobby to change the distance law/rule.

It's a public lake he doesn't need to ask your permission. Be friendly and talk with him. Better a friendly situation rather than a tense stand-off where you don't enjoy the fishing you came out to do. Who knows, you may even learn a thing or two from the encroacher and enjoy your day out fishing.

[Kodiak]

maybe they had the spot marked on their gps...i have had this happen to me a couple times, i come out to one of my spots that i have "scouted" for and marked it on my handheld and have gone out too find someone sitting near it,,,,i will set up every time as long as i am not right next to them shoulder to shoulder...the lake is public and as long as you are not making a racket i dont see the problem with it.

[folke2000]

Borch is absolutely right....Why let someone else ruin your fishing trip. I just don't understand why people are so quick to get angry with each other. I for one go fishing to have fun. If I meet a couple of new friends it makes the experience even better. Yesterday, I went out to get the ice house ready for some friends to use, and helped a guy put his loaded fish house into his truck. Ended up talk'ing with the guy for a good 10 minutes and learned a spot or 2 from him. Seemed to be a great guy. So, relax and enjoy yourself. Life is to short to let these little things ruin your day.

[Shack]

I must have not hit "Submit" last night. I had a post right after BobT.

I will repost it in a short, like Rick said the lakes are public property. Even though common curtsy should be for most, but what is one doing in his or hers shack, that makes them need that much privacy?

I fish a local lake that is very small. The main structure is also very small. I am with in 3-8 feet of other fisherman at times. The crappie bit is good enough, that I have never had an issue with anyone, during the set up time or fishing. Point is, most people do not even notice a fisherman close by when the fish are biting. The only time you get to notice things like this, is when the fish are not biting. At that point, if it bothers you that much, the next best thing is to move to another spot. Do not get me wrong, I like my privacy as much as the next guy, but I figure privacy goes out the window when fishing. It’s just like going to a Vikes game and making every one around you sit 5-6 seats away. See how far are going to get doing that? They have as much right to sit with in inches of you, as the guy on the lake fishing 8’ from you and the lake is public property.

My take on hole popping, is once my self and gear are away from that hole, I am not fishing that hole no longer. If someone wants to use that hole, go right a head.

Last off, again, it’s a public lake. Be prepared to share an area with a fellow fisherman. I never understood why some F.M.’ers and sportsman take such an offence to this kind of stuff and post about it. I kind of get a little power trip, when I pick a spot and someone set’s up right next to me. It makes me feel like I know what I am doing and someone is willing to follow the path I am on. I just hope it’s the right fishing path to be on????

Good luck!!

[sjburnt]

.

[BobT]

30 yards from house to house isn't very far, agreed. But 30 yards is a looooong way to cast a lure in the summer. Also, it is a known fact that most people severely underestimate distance over an open expanse. Ask any bow hunter about this so unless they paced off the distance my guess is they were likely further apart than 30 yards. I could be wrong, though.

Unless minnow had a notice posted on the lake, I imagine the newcomer didn't know minnow and his friend were fishing together. Also, he would likely not have been able to determine they were together by the names on the houses even if he did notice the names because they were different unless one of them licesnsed both. I for one rarely pay attention to who's name is on which house.

Note that I agree that it is rude to set up in close vicinity of someone else and it would be rude to use holes that someone else has drilled for themselves. At the same time I also think it is just as rude to pepper an area full of holes and expect everyone else to stay clear. After all, it is open to the public, is it not? I don't like crowds any more than the next guy but as long as you are far enough away not to get our lines tangled, that is fine. That is also typically less than about 30 feet, not thirty yards.

Bob

[McGurk]

On others fishing out of holes that you drilled: How are they to know that someone hasn't left for the day? If there isn't a tip-up in it, gear near it, or within 25' of a person, I'd say it's fair game. I happily drill holes while scouting, and if someone is out hand-augering a hole, I'll usually let them know they can fish around me in open holes or I can pop some holes for him/her/them.

On being on a spot that someone goes directly to: How are you to know that they haven't fished there before? Doing homework on a map, remembering spots from summer fishing, and GPS coords will put multiple people on the same spot. There would be no shantytowns if it wasn't a likely spot that produces for people. Be respectful and respect will be given back (in most cases).

On distance between fishermen: This has been covered before (and I'm sure will be covered again). Don't force your way into a pack, and don't jump on top of another's house. I usually make a quick walk around where I want to set up to see if others mind if I set up there. In most cases they will not only allow you to fish there, but give you a quick rundown if there are any fish to be had, how they are fishing them, and how they have done so far. I have learned more about lakes this way than any summer scouting that I've done: hidden humps, structure, weedlines, and local fishing tactics.

If you are on the receiving end of getting elbowed in on; go and ask how they're doing, and just show that you are aware that they are there. Most of the times coversations started friendly will only get better, and coversations started rudely will only go downhill. Pay it forward. You have no more right to the fish while on a lake than I do sitting at my computer right now. The only space you have actual rights to on a lake is the area you are currently set up on. The comfort zone is just from respect.

[Tom7227]

If you read through the posts here it seems that there's a clear choice - get angry and let it burn you up, or accept it and act in a friendly manner.

Maybe it depends in part on where you are. On a Metro lake in the middle of a 'town', or out a ways where there isn't much pressure. Are you sitting on top of a small piece of structure and it's one of the few places on the lake?

If you accept the point that you can drill a bunch of holes and then lay claim to them you aren't dealing in the reality of human nature and don't know much about what the regs at least lead you too if they don't say it explicity - no one owns any part of a lake and so it's open to everyone.

[GoFish4]

While this is always a hot topic I think it really depends on the body of water you are on. If you are on a big lake with limited structure it is expected. You have to be tacktful and not set up in someones lap. There is ALWAYS more then one spot that is producing fish. Small lakes limit "deep holes" or other areas so crowding or "shanty vill" is bound to happen. But on Lg lakes like Winni and Red I can't beleive how much people look for crouds!! You limit your own chances when you jump on each other. Think about it.....if you are a fishing neutral fish why would they be where the noise is? Or if there are 20 bait rigs in the water what is your chances? Go somewhere where your bait is the only option for active fish. Perch and Walleye when active are going to strike what is close and if you are the only option your catch and bite rate will be much higher then when you are nestled into a croud. Just my 2 cents.