Thread: How close is too close?

Bumping my boat is unacceptable and will ruin the fishing day for both of us. I've only had one fellow get close enough for me to talk to him. I was catfishing and he was bass fishing. Most of the lakes I fish are big enough that folks stay out of each other's way.

My pet peeve is folks running by a tied off or anchored boat at full throttle. It's rude and inconsiderate. But even worse are the ones who try to slow down but don't. They'll throttle back to the step and set up a huge wake while they're waving thinking they did me a favor. If I'm running and am less than 300 yards from a parked boat, I slow to idle until I get by them.

There's two old boys that fish the lake where I do most of my fishing. They are both 89 years old. They fish every day. They are exclusively crappie fishermen and make a run up the lake and back. They are probably on the water for two hours a day. They fish with shiners and will run up to a tree, fish for three to five min (most times less) and catch a fish or not move to the next tree. I don't think they've ever gone home with less than a meal or two. They always slow down when passing a parked boat and most times when simply meeting another boat. It's just old fashioned manners.

Boat ramps.... The State mandates water and boating safety courses. They need to forget that and give classes on boat ramp etiquette. Since I retired I won't hardly even go fishing on the weekend. People are nuts and something about boat ramps brings out the nuttiness even more so. One Saturday afternoon the boys and I pulled into the cove where the ramp was. We had fished all morning and were coming in about the time the jet skiers were waking up. There was a big wad of people and trucks and trailers milling around by the ramp and there was a fellow standing next to his boat just past the end of the ramp. I asked the boys if they noticed anything odd about the situation.... After a moment or two #1 son pipes up, "That guy must be about 12 feet tall!" Yep, he was standing on the roof of his truck. He was in the boat and his wife was backing him into the water. She hadn't been doing it to his satisfaction and he'd been yelling at her. She finally had enough and got out of the truck. Of course none of this diminished everyone else from launching or loading in amongst the tow truck and the 15 helpers that showed up, beers in hand.

When I launch, even by myself, I can get the boat in the water and tied off (out of the way) in less than five min. If i've got some one helping, less than a min. Same with loading. But I don't have to get out after I've backed in the water, get life preservers, ice chests, fishing gear, kids, etc... out of the truck and put them in the boat, then see if the motor will start, try to back out and remember that I didn't unlatch the bow, etc, etc, etc.. all while the radio is blaring...

So, I guess, for me, Anything that happens with anybody on the lake on Saturday or Sunday is too close for me.

When I was working, I'd go to a convenience store every morning. It really irked me to go in at 7:00 Monday morning and there'd be some guy gassing up his boat, heading out. I'd mutter under breath that there aught to be a law.... but that someday, someday, I'm gonna be THAT GuY...

Now, I'm THAT GUY and I whistle and give a hearty "Good Morning" to all the poor slobs trudging off to work on Monday morning!


Alan

if your rod tip touches my rod tip I would venture to say you are in a bit tight
but to be sure I have had it happen more than once
heck on docks if you move to measure or keep a fish you now no longer have that spot
and if you ketch fish in a spot more than twice and someone sees you and likes that spot
it becomes his or her spot the next time you visit as well …..