My Lure Usage By Others

[mayerryan]

just wanted to get everyone's opinion. So often I will go fishing with friends and they will help themselves to my tackle that I keep on my boat. It kind of irritates me because they are perfectly capable of buying there own lures. What is everyone's take on this?

[stk]

Find some new friends?  I kid, I kid, but one thing to ask yourself do these friends do the same with other consumables?  Come over to your house, eat your food don't chip in on drinks or bring something over?  Offer to pay for your gas on your boat?

if a friend invited me, and offers stuff it's one thing, but I still give them gas money or buy dinner later after the trip or help in some way.  Just the right thing to do.

[papajoe222]

I would say it depends on how experienced they are.  If they only go fishing once or twice a season, or are just getting started, they are pretty much in the learning stage.  In that case, it is their way of sifting through that process.  If they've been out with you on more than one occasion and still don't have a few of each type of lure they intend to fish, I'd tactfully say something. Three strikes and they get to fish from shore.

[S. Sass]

Most cases we will split the expenses to a satisfactory level without hardly a discussion. But its almost always I supply the soft plastics for everyone and I tell them to use the lures as I bought them to be fished. They aren't big into hard baits. But I know my friends and they may not replace the lure they lose but they will compensate with gas money if we use my truck or they will buy drinks, lunch, etc. My friends are all up in their years like me and we all know what bills and expenses are.

We already culled the so called friends (users and abusers) long ago.  As you age they are easier and easier to spot. 

Most of my circle are 20+ year friends. 

[bigturtle]

if it irritates you, its taking enjoyment away from your fishing trip. you need to figure out a way to stop them.

[bigbassin']

When I go fishing with others, we typically have a system where it's no big deal if I use a friends lure or vice versa (with the exception of swim baits, etc. that are likely to snag and are expensive.) It's not uncommon for me to tell a friend to go in my tackle box and tell them to throw something if I think it would be productive and I know they don't have one. If someone loses a lure it's no big deal since I figure if it's not a topwater I'll eventually lose it, however it's an unspoken rule that the lure will be replaced even if the owner says not to worry about it. I could see this being an issue though if it's only a one-way system.

[Bluebasser86]

I loan baits to people all the time, especially if they're biting something they don't have. As long as they know I want it replaced (in most cases), if they lose it or break it, it doesn't bother me. 

[mrmacwvu1]

I was lucky enough when I was a kid to have people show me what to use and how to use it. They would let me use their baits and if I liked it would go buy my own. Now that I have my own stuff and make enough money I have no problem giving my baits away. Hell I would lose them eventually anyway. I get more pleasure out of people catching fish and learning to love the sport that I have loved for 30 years now than I do catching them myself. Hopefully my friends that I have taught to fish will one day teach their kids how to fish and so on. To me its worth a few lost lures.

[Deleted account]

If you don't want them to use your tackle, put on a pair of pants and tell them so. Problem solved. 

[deaknh03]

1 minute ago, reason said:

If you don't want them to use your tackle, put on a pair of pants and tell them so. Problem solved. 

What makes you assume he's fishing without pants? That could lead to an unwanted sunburn.

[Hurricane]

Suggest to them before the planned fishing trip that they should go get some of the lures that you use because you don't have enough to share...

[Jaderose]

When me and my buddy are fishing we pretty much have an open tackle box policy.  If he has something I'd like to try, I'll use it and vice versa.  Only rule...owner gets first dibs.  If I want to use something, I say so.  If he was getting ready to tie it on..he says so and vice versa.  We don't keep anything and we don't worry about lost lures...although we do try to get them back and we do replace for the most part.  Plastics do NOT count

 

[Wbeadlescomb]

I only fish we 2 or 3 different guys. There aren't a whole lot of people I want to spend 8+  hours in a boat with. Usually we split the gas or one of them pulls my boat or I pull theres. If they need to use a rod I'm not using or if I'm wearing them out on a certain bait I'll let them use one of mine. I do like to make them squirm though before letting them get one.

[ww2farmer]

They way I look at it is..................if your a guest on my boat, anything I have is available to use. I want my guests to have a good time too. If they break it, lose it, etc...................so what. Fishing stuff can be replaced, getting a friend mad at you, or them not having a good time because your being a selfish jerk about fishing tackle is stupid. I do appreciate people who ask first before helping themselves, as I would always ask first myself if the roles were reversed, it's just the way I was raised............but I usually make it quite clear that they can feel free to help themselves to what ever they want to use.

[rmcguirk]

Most of the friends I have taken fishing don't really fish often, so I have to supply pretty much everything, from rods to tackle.  Generally speaking, they get to use my lower-end gear.  Fortunately, no one has broken anything yet.  But as to lures, I don't buy expensive lures anyway, as experience has taught me that the pike around me seem to know expensive from cheap.  At bottom, though, if I have a guest out, I want them to have fun and catch fish, and I'd rather lose a few lures than be a bad host or lose a friend.  However, if that "friend" was a constant moocher, he probably wouldn't get out too often. 

As someone above said, though, I've reached the age where I've weeded most of those people out of my life...

[tstraub]

Guest on my boat tend to fall into 2 categories people who rarely fish and I supply everything including rods, reels, and all tackle.  Or my In-laws who bring all of their own stuff.  With my father in-law it's an open tackle box policy if something's working and one of us doesn't have it we are free to borrow.  Whatever it takes to fill the livewell.  He often rigs my kids rods with his tackle if they break off.  

My boat runs on battery power only so never any fuel to buy.  The only lost lures that bother me are the ones I lose to bad knots.  My kids are still learning to tie good knots I know I need to let them do it so the get better so I usually let them tie hooks for plastics but I tie the hard baits and frogs.  

Tyler

[bassguytom]

I don't mind sharing tackle. Usually guys that know what they are doing have their own tackle and guys that don't fish often I will set up and change as the need occurs. Never really had anyone go through my tackle box  or baits except my kids. 

[Ratherbfishing]

I am happy to share my baits so long as they know they have to replace any lost baits.  And I generally tell them what baits cost-so they don't think they can get away with paying a buck to replace a 6 dollar crankbait.

[primetime]

I enjoy giving someone a lure or showing them a technique that is working so they can do well, it is more fun if both people are catching fish, so I don't mind sharing at all, but I like to get a "Thanks" which most people do. I don't make a big deal if someone loses a lure etc. and usually it comes back around, one day they will have a bait that is working that you don't have...I leave my tackle open to anyone fishing with me, and all I ask is that you put things back in the right spot and do not mix colors of soft baits to prevent bleeding. If it wasn't for people sharing tackle, I would of struggled at times during college and High School when fishing was not something I was preparing for during the week or night before...I was lucky to have an older brother and a bunch of friends who always shared and the bottom line is catching fish is way more fun if both people are having success, it is not fun  when one person is killing them and I would expect help if I am the one struggling and usually if you don't lose more than $10 worth of baits it is not a big deal, but I know when someone is trying to just get free stuff, and yes, that ticks me off, but if that is the case it is an easy fix...

back boat em...Make sure you can cast further, and if fishing a weed line, make sure he can't reach and is just a few feet short and not getting bit..When he asks to move the boat closer, tell him you either get real estate or tackle for free..learn to cast further....If someone is overdoing it, they probably don't know how much some stuff costs, best approach is to simply get the problem out of the way and ask why they don't have any tackle? Go from there, but usually most people just don't realize that a bag of 6 soft baits can be $6....Usually if you give someone a lure, you end up learning something anyhow, I learn more from new angler's without preconceived notions than experienced guys many days...I love when someone doesn't care about walking the dog, and I insist that they "Have to"...only to end up landing the biggest fish of the day slow rolling a spook or fishing it like a jerkbait....

[lo n slo]

i used to fish with a guy who ALWAYS seemed to run outta something, hooks, weights, plastics....it got old. so i developed a "loaner series" of said tackle, mostly bargain bin hooks and worms. "here ya go pal", as i handed over another worm hook, with a grin. made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. it's what friends do.

[YoTone]

next time just take one lure for the whole trip but dont tell them till after youre in the middle of the lake.

[blckshirt98]

I think it would depend on the friend.  If it's someone just starting out and doesn't have a lot of tackle or doesn't have a focus on what they like/want to throw, i can see them rummaging through your tackle to see what you have.  Now if it's a seasoned angler and they're just being a cheap-ass...you should try to find a way where they're no longer on your boat.