Thread: Help me out

Doc,

If they were that close, why didn't you ask them to back off some if you were there first? That would have been my first comment for them..

Shane,
I did, I even said with the breeze and all the other variables I hoped I didn't bang into their boat. Their response "you need to get I-pilot". Ethics and etiquette are on the downslope anymore. I really don't know what some people think anymore, I remember some years back a boat pulling in on us and almost hit our boat launching their anchor. Some you can explain things too if you want to hear yourself talking. Honestly, I'm pretty nice, I can find other places and usually do, it's not worth it to me. I'm not into passing more laws, we've got enough, but an 18' boat in 22' of space and accountability, I just don't know anymore. I really believe that's a practice of theirs, just run somebody off.

Sportsman (if you can call them that) have started ruining the outdoor experience. I see that same thing happening in waterfowl hunting. I do not fish piles much anymore because of people crowding in all the time. I miss out on some pretty good fishing, but if I want to be elbow to elbow I just as well work. Society and ethics is are going down hill in my opinion.

Originally Posted by crappiedoc

What would you do? Yesterdays fishing adventure was different, somewhat infuriating actually, I got to the lake late for me. I pull up and it seems everybody else took the day off. I find a pile and start fishing, kinda slow but I start catching a few crappie. Then the next boat arrives and the next, both seem to want to basically board my boat. One tosses an anchor and drifts back into me, the other polishes my prop. Then after a bit the prop polisher asks if I'll quit smoking because it offends him Which all it did was make me smoke more, actually lighting one off of the butt of the last, my bloods boiling literally. I catch a dozen to their zero's and just can't take their sportsmanship any more, so I pull out a bit. I ask my prop boys if I can get their phone number, which gets them defensive and I leave. Off for some walleyes, which I was heavily BLESSED in yesterday.

I'm totally in agreement with your sentiments posted here. All very reminiscent of some earlier postings this year on the Kansas board.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...ml#post1757361

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...ml#post1769963

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...ml#post1773990

For various reasons I have great interests in seeing just where this post will eventually go since there seems to be a very broad range as to what is considered proper fishing etiquette on fishing public waters in Kansas. Just might be a opportunity for someone to write a book on proper fishing etiquette.

Originally Posted by crappiedoc

What would you do, I'm posting here hoping they're lurkers and read this. It upset me

Now as for this part IMHO I would think if those other fishers are both unconscious and inconsiderate then there is not a snowballs chance in Hades anything will ever improve their habits and now if they are only just inconsiderate then perhaps there may be some hope for them if by chance they are literate lurkers on here and wish to be considered as ethical fellow fishers.

I often wonder in situations like this whether one should just keep their mouth shut like you did and leave these types of folks to believing it's o.k. to do repeat performances on others, or explaining to them that what they were doing was unacceptable and risking the situation escalating to the point that I blew my top and lost my temper.

My son and I went to a spot one time where some guys were wearing out the sand bass and I asked them if they minded if I fished a little ways up the bank past them (they were pulled up on the bank fishing in one spot). They said heck no, they didn't mind, and even asked us to pull up right beside them. I wondered if I was following the rules of fishing etiquette by even asking them if they'd mind and not just finding another spot.
It bothered me the whole time until I eventually just moved on and found another good spot.
I've had the same observation as you, though. It seems people are becoming oblivious and either no idea what manners are, or don't care.
When I was a kid, my dad and I actually had some guys pull up next to us and throw their leg over our boat to keep them stable in the current. Eventually, someone else came up and actually started throwing across our boat. One of them had their line over my dad's ear and that was when he explained to them that enough was enough.
Some people are just nuts......there's no fixing stupid.

I would have left the prop up ran it into there boat and said sorry I dont have a I pilot so give me some room. take a sharp knife and cut there stinkin rope. If they are lurkers, there are some of us that haven't gone threw anger management classes. Then put the stereo on with some of my sons rap and crank it up. but first I'll take there boat ID numbers and post them with a few choise words so everyone will know to watch out for them. But if I was catching fish and they weren't I would have ,and I have done this, say you can see that they dont know how to catch fish anyway so if you want this spot take it .I have several more. Sometimes people just make it impossable to be a nice guy.

Yeah, crappie doc. I think you did the right thing. Unless your fishing a huge brush pile, there usually isn't room for more than one boat, plus like you said with the wind and trying to maintain boat position you're bound to knock boats especially if they drop one anchor and their boat is swing back and forth.

I guess I'm lucky, or I fish locations no one else wants to, but only had one guy that approached the spot I was fishing and asked if i wouldn't mind if he fished it also. I said sure, come to find out he works for the same company as I and both learned a thing or two about fishing. With him on one side of the pile and I on the other you could tell the fish were just swimming around the brush. I'd catch a couple, 5 min later he'd pull up a couple, then I'd catch a couple, then repeat.
Otherwise, if someone is fishing the area I'd like to I just keep moving on, I always have a plan B, C, D, E, etc, etc.

I believe u need to keep a super soaker in the boat filled with gasoline... soak em down if there that close and refuse to quit smoking. Maybe flick ur smoke there way when ur done. I personally like the 50 foot rule but if someone is polite and ask to get closer i rarely tell them no just becuase they went about it the right way. I can tell ya this if i was pissed enough to leave i wouldnt wanna be the quy polishing the prop!!!