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Thread: Anyone run into rudeness or competition on the water?

  1. #1
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    Default Anyone run into rudeness or competition on the water?


    Sort of a loaded question, but I ask this because only in the last couple of years have I begun freshwater fishing again in earnest. In years past, I've run into fishermen who apparently think they are in competition for the most fish or best fishing spot. On occassion I've run into rudeness and sometimes reckless boaters. Even recently I was casting around a fallen tree (and had been for some time) when a boat with a couple of fly fishermen worked their way up right next to me and began working the same spot I was working. I'm having a hard time figuring out just how to deal with that.

    Has anyone run into rudeness or hostility on the water? The kind of rudeness or hostility that stems from over-competitiveness? What do you do about that? Any experiences out there?

    By the way, is anyone here a competitive fishermen (in the sense of belonging to an organization that promotes tournements with money prizes)?
    Regards,
    Rowland

  2. #2
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    The tournaments I fish state in the regs you can not fish within 50 yards of an anchored boat ....to be considered anchored the trolling motor MUST be in the up position .
    I guess the Up postion is for clarification , I've yet to have a boat in the tourny fish within 100 yards , and my motor was down even though the anchor was dropped .....of course I'm fishing crappie and catfish tournies and we're a better breed of fishermen than to crowd one another .

    I guess this must be a real problem for guys/gals on the BIG lakes , I haven't had too many problems . On occasion .....but nothing real bad ....I've said before most of my problems come during the hunting season when I'm set up for geese and fishermen don't understand that a shot gun "Scatters" and that 50 yards or closer in my decoys is gonna be a problem . I really hate them motoring through my spread too since I've been there since 2a setting up and drinking coffee !! I really get cranky when I have 100 birds locked up and landing and they are throwing their dang lures while they are anchored in the landing zone !!
    Jim McIntyre
    [email protected]

  3. #3
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    Default We usually start a conversation

    We fish small lakes, so when all the crappie and bluegill folks are tied up or anchored next to cover, the bass guys are forced to move in and out of those areas. Everybody keeps it friendly as a rule. When we're anchored on the channel edge about forty feet from shore, the bass guys have room to cruise along the edge and not get in our way. We ask them how they're doing if they don't ask us first.
    The way we look at it, it's a public lake and everybody else has as much right to fish as we do. We try to keep out of the way of shore fishermen and we stay at least a casting length's distance from some body in a boat. If we get too close, we apologize for not seeing their bobbers.

    We also compete for space with canoers, kayakers and sailboats. The only time things have gotten really testy have been at the ramp with the sailboaters, who seem incapable of tying up their boats at both ends so they don't swing out into the path of someone else. - Roberta
    "Anglers are born honest,
    but they get over it." - Ed Zern

  4. #4
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    We have probably had more trouble with rudeness when we were not fishing in a tournament. I think the tournament fishermen have an understanding of what it is like to have their space invaded and therefore try to avoid doing that to others. However, we have had people before in the past see us catching fish and they will come up right behind you and follow you where ever you troll to. So, that sort of annoys me sometimes. But, it doesn't happen very often.

    If I am not fishing in a tournament I really don't let anything bother me. They can come take my spot for all I care, I know I will be able to find more fish somewhere else, of course I am trolling most of the time anyway. I don't let it bother me, because first of all there really are some ignorant people out there, and I assume they don't know any better.
    I won't be at work........I'm feelin' crappie today!
    ><)))*>

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roberta
    The way we look at it, it's a public lake and everybody else has as much right to fish as we do.
    That's the way I see it. 99 times out of 100 if you start talking you can usually strike up a good conversation, which totally removes any hostility. Occasionally you come across a jerk, there's really nothing you can do about that, but in my experience those guys are the exception, not the rule. Almost everyone wants to talk about how they've been doing and tell you about the big ones they've caught recently.


    Quote Originally Posted by Roberta
    We try to keep out of the way of shore fishermen
    Speaking as a shore fisherman, I really appreciate boaters with this attitude. I fish mostly at a small lake that has very few areas that can be accessed from the shore, there's just too much shoreline growth to be able to get close to the water in very many places. Usually the boaters stay well out of my way and give me plenty of room. Sometimes they just come up and fish right in the spot where I'm fishing giving me no choice but to try to cast around them. Hopefully this problem will be a thing of the past soon. I was just given a small aluminum boat & trolling motor (perfect for the lake where I fish). I have a problem with the title, but once that's sorted out I'll be a shore fisherman no more.

    -S

  6. #6
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    Noone owns the water, or a tree. I may be fishing the tree today and the boat that comes up may have fished it everyday for the previous week. Does it annoy me? Yes it does , but I generally strike up a conversation. They may actually tell me of another place to try.
    In competion one just has to share the water. In a recent tournament it seemed like all the fish were in one creek. There were 50 boats fishing that creek and you could talk to several boats near you with out raising your voice.
    If someone is FIRST anchored ( they can't come into a bunch of boats and anchor and expect the distance to be observed) their space is respected. Otherwise I just try to leave a respectable distance and try not to cut someone off from a trolling path. Sometimes the creeks aren't 100 yds wide with bends and turns. You just have to keep your cool and treat others as you expect to be treated.
    I fished a tournament last spring and found some fish in a place on Thursday morning. I was the only boat there. I did not fish there Friday. Saturday morning when I went there in the tournament there were 22 boats at starting time and more came during the day.
    I fished a bass tournament 30 yeards ago on Smith Lake Ala. and boats were virtually tied up bow to stern in one creek throwing crank baits accross a creek channel. My point being that getting along in tight quarters is not new.
    In competition, in order to win, you have to fish were the fish will bite. Everyone knows that and are usually pretty nice about it.
    When I am fishing for fun, I give others a lot of space. If someone doesn't do the same for me I just try to be friendly and then move. I don't let them spoil my fun. It is fishing, and while catching is fun, I enjoy finding fish and will
    rarely fish the same spot two trips in a row. I believe there are fish everywhere and they can be caught if the proper technique is used. That to me is the challenge.



  7. #7
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    [QUOTE=GABoy]We have probably had more trouble with rudeness when we were not fishing in a tournament. I think the tournament fishermen have an understanding of what it is like to have their space invaded and therefore try to avoid doing that to others. However, we have had people before in the past see us catching fish and they will come up right behind you and follow you where ever you troll

    GABoy;; It's better they follow behind rather than cut in front of you like I've had-um do.

  8. #8
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    [QUOTE=CrappieLips]
    Quote Originally Posted by GABoy
    We have probably had more trouble with rudeness when we were not fishing in a tournament. I think the tournament fishermen have an understanding of what it is like to have their space invaded and therefore try to avoid doing that to others. However, we have had people before in the past see us catching fish and they will come up right behind you and follow you where ever you troll

    GABoy;; It's better they follow behind rather than cut in front of you like I've had-um do.

    Well, I must admit that has happened before too....where I have had to come almost to a complete stop in order to let them pass. But, really it doesn't bother me much at all. It's all part of the game.
    I won't be at work........I'm feelin' crappie today!
    ><)))*>

  9. #9
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    If I come in on someone fishing up a creek, I'll go several hunderd yard's futher up the creek and start fishing, This way it gives them plenty of room to fish to me. by the time they get to where i started it's been 20 or 30 minutes, so chances are some fish have come back in the same spot. if the creek is to small or short I'll either leave or go to the other side.I have never cut in on anyone fishin up a creek nor pulled up an dropped anchor right beside them. But I have had it done to me a few times.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by CrappieLips
    If I come in on someone fishing up a creek, I'll go several hunderd yard's futher up the creek and start fishing, This way it gives them plenty of room to fish to me. by the time they get to where i started it's been 20 or 30 minutes, so chances are some fish have come back in the same spot. if the creek is to small or short I'll either leave or go to the other side.I have never cut in on anyone fishin up a creek nor pulled up an dropped anchor right beside them. But I have had it done to me a few times.
    Agree - SAME HERE!
    I won't be at work........I'm feelin' crappie today!
    ><)))*>

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