Worst Fishing Etiquette You've Encountered?

[fishblitzer]

Was fishing a big tournament once and had 4 fish in the livewell. Weigh in was about an hour away and I had to grind it out all day for the 4 fish I had. Pulled up to some nice structure in 8-10 feet of water. A fellow club member saw us fishing this area during practice and he saw us stop there for our first stop after launch. He comes flying into this area and only throttles down once he is within 30 yards of us. He jumps up to the trolling motor, puts it down, and starts cranking the same structure. I didn't say anything, I was focused on making a limit. On the second cast he catches a 2 pounder and immediately leaves to go weigh in. It was his only fish that day.

I stay and don't catch anything, weigh in 4 fish, and miss the cut by 8 ounces. I will never forget that. He weighed in that 1 fish, which didn't do anything for him. And I missed out on making the cut.

[Cgolf]

Worst I have ever seen was somebody was impatient and checked out their brain when they fired up their bass/musky boat. I fish a lake with a shallow narrow sandbar between the two bodies of water that you can run on plane in good conditions, gets to about a foot or so. Well this day we had solid 3 foot stacked waves as I was pulling in the lake to fish and their was another small boat ahead of me. I heard a boat coming to the sandbar and a 21 footer on plane ran between us, I just couldn't believe it, especially in those conditions. When I saw these guys bass fishing later I never did see them catch anything so maybe karma caught up to them.

A funny thing did happen this year on the same lake. Since I was windy I did some dock fishing. I have a rule that I don't fish docks that people are out on, or near. But one dock I pulled up to fish someone had their birdcage out on it, and I ended up not fishing it because the crazy birds raised holy heck when we got close to the dock. Not sure I will ever see that happen again lol.

[the reel ess]

I'm sitting anchored at a spot casting toward the bank. And I'm easily close enough to hit the bank. I'm anchored because the window of opportunity at the spot is very small. A couple feet either way and you don't get a bite. A guy trolls into the cove and trolls right between me and the bank over the spot he knows I'm fishing. I just keep casting at him with a T-rigged worm. He has to pick his trolling motor up to avoid my line and he says to me "It's a big @#$! lake." I let him have it (verbally-I did not back off and leave the spot) and hit his motor with one more cast. I said "Yeah, and you're the one squeezing your boat into 15 feet of it!"

Another time, same place, and old man in a jonboat drives right up to the bank with his motor running! He lets a kid out to pee, waits on him and drives away, never cutting the motor. It's maybe 4' deep at the deepest part of this spot.

I've had tourney fishermen and other bassboats run from the back of a narrow cove out at full throttle. I can't understand why they don't start fishing at the back if they're going to ruin the cove for everybody else. I've had tourney guys tell me to leave a spot or just not fish one so they can win their tourney. I don't care about anybody's tournament. It's the only Saturday of the week for me too.

If you get on a school of something like white bass or stripers, all bets are off. people will just about board your boat to get to them.

All this is why I bought a kayak and started looking for smaller and private waters.

[Tracker22]

Tell me this...sometimes I paddle up to other fishermen and strike up fishing conversations (I'm really trying to find out what's  biting). Most are glad to talk, others are standoffish. I never stay but a minute. Am I wrong for interrupting them?

[soflabasser]

I have seen a lot of poor fishing etiquette throughout the years.Some of the worst offenders are the poorly skilled fishermen who will cast over where I am fishing since they saw me catch a fish.They usually don't catch anything decent while casting over me,yet I often cast again and catch another decent fish with ease.Another example of poor fishing etiquette I see too often is the desperate boaters who drive their boats less than 50 feet away where I am bank fishing since they saw me catch something(they always leave angry when they see me catch another fish while they can't catch anything to compare to my land based catches).None of these people come up to talk to me,they just rudely start fishing where I am fishing, but it doesn't surprise me anymore since some people are very desperate to catch a fish.

[JPascavage52]

36 minutes ago, Tracker22 said:

Tell me this...sometimes I paddle up to other fishermen and strike up fishing conversations (I'm really trying to find out what's  biting). Most are glad to talk, others are standoffish. I never stay but a minute. Am I wrong for interrupting them?

Not wrong at all, some people are just standoffish idiots, who think that giving one iota of information is too much "spoon feeding." As long as you aren't asking for their secret spots, or a thousand questions, there's nothing wrong with conversation. People who are jerks about it worth getting aggravated over.

Reminds me of the Fish USA forums a few years ago. Seemed like every time I put up a report, there would be some idiot PMing me telling me how I just "spot burned" and put 20 guys on that spot, and I wasn't even giving that much info. 

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, JPascavage52 said:

Not wrong at all, some people are just standoffish idiots, who think that giving one iota of information is too much "spoon feeding." As long as you aren't asking for their secret spots, or a thousand questions, there's nothing wrong with conversation. People who are jerks about it worth getting aggravated over.

Reminds me of the Fish USA forums a few years ago. Seemed like every time I put up a report, there would be some idiot PMing me telling me how I just "spot burned" and put 20 guys on that spot, and I wasn't even giving that much info. 

Then again, a lot of people get a kayak to get away from the masses and don't want you to paddle right up to them while they're fishing. Speak to them from a distance first. If they're inviting, go up and converse. I speak to a lot of people while kayak fishing but rarely do I get close to them. Only my buddy who is on the trip with me, if there is one.

[gim]

I can feel all of you venting about your misfortunes on this thread!

Most of my poor etiquette experiences on the water come from jet skis, pontoons, wake boarders, tubers, etc.  I call them Recreational Riff Raff.  They take way too long to load and unload their boat, don't care where people are fishing, and they're unsafe about it.  I actually target days when rain is in the forecast during the summer months to avoid them.

 

[ww2farmer]

The list is endless.....................However, i don't get too mad at the jet skiers, and pleasure boaters, it's there water too, and most of them are not idiots on purpose, they just don't know any better.

It's other fisherman that drive me over the edge. A few things over the years that stick in my mind.

#1...........I was fishing a row of docks that were close together, and had another bass angler set his boat down off plane and start fishing 1............ONE!!!! dock in front of me, the direction I was heading. I came unglued............he left. The jist of my hollering and scene causing was this: First.............there's 30 docks  on this shore line, you want to fish them too........fine, but don't start one dock ahead of me, at a distance where I could have flipped my bait into your back pocket.

#2.......I was fishing an off shore weed bed in front of a stretch of bank that had no homes/dock on it, another guy was fishing the docks leading into this area. Instead of going out and around me and the weed bed I was fishing to reach the next stretch of docks, he puts the TM on high and makes a beeline right into the middle of the area I was fishing. I picked up my punching rod and launched a 1oz punch rig so close to his head it hit the brim of his hat, and gave him the look. I have never seen a bass boat go in reverse under TM power faster in my life. Funny thing is, this guy and I have become friends after this incident, but it has never been spoken of.

#3...... Two wrong don't make a right, and I am the idiot in this tale. Often on my home lake other clubs have tournaments that I have no idea are going on until I get to the ramp that day to fish. Sometimes, I turn around and go to Conesus to give them room, but often I go out and try and stay out of the way of any of the guys in the tournament. On 2 different times, the same guy, from the same club, would follow me around fishing the "bent rod" pattern, and then cut me off in areas I was fishing. So...............time #3 I get to the ramp, see this club is there, and see this guy's trailer in the parking lot. I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine if I come across him................BUT..............it never got to that point. I started crushing fish left and right well away from crowd that day, and had a 20+ lb limit for my best 5. With all the fish in the box, I drove around looking for this guy. I found him, and started making small talk and being "nice". He tells me he is having a rough day, hasn't got a limit yet, has lost a few good ones, and the ones he has are small. I then said..............."well a-hole, you should have followed me around again today, and cut me off like the last two times you were here". Then I pulled each fish out of the livewell one at a time, calling out the weights, and tossing them in right into the area he was casting. I was mighty amused with myself for a few minutes after this, but then I started felling kinda bad, and know I acted like a jerk. To make matters worse, my buddy Tim who is in this club, told me later that guy got all spun out over this and went home early. I approached the guy a year or two later on the water while they were fishing another tournament, and we both buried the hatchet over each others dumb moves, and we have never had a problem since.

[lo n slo]

cool thread

[Skeeter Dan]

My pet pevs are jet skies. I can see how they could be a lot of fun. It sadden me that most people with jet skies have no clue what safety is.  I think most jet skies comes with a dumb ass attached to it.  My ex partner that fished tournaments with me did something that really made me angry. We pulled into a cove fishing dock and boat houses. He was running the front of the boat and pulled up on a dock that had fishing poles and lines in the water. One had a fish on it so he decided to see what was on the line. It was a catfish but if it would have a bass on it he would have took it I would have thrown him off the boat but we pulled the boat with his truck. End of story My ex partner.

[OCdockskipper]

6 hours ago, IgotWood said:

The other thing that drives me crazy, is when I reply to the, "any luck?" question. I'll be honest and tell you if I got skunked, or if I caught a hundred...but PLEASE do not ask me where!

Or when they ask you what you are using.  Not "If I may be so forward & you'd be willing to tell me, what did you use to catch those fish?".  No, it is the demanding "What are you using?" as if you are in the middle of a deposition.  If they had any wits, they could look on the end of the rod & figure it out.

[Tracker22]

More often than not I'm the one telling them what their biting.

[RAMBLER]

44 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

Or when they ask you what you are using.  Not "If I may be so forward & you'd be willing to tell me, what did you use to catch those fish?".  No, it is the demanding "What are you using?" as if you are in the middle of a deposition.  If they had any wits, they could look on the end of the rod & figure it out.

If I've had a decent day, don't look at the end of my rod to figure "it" out.  I've changed lures before I get to the dock.

[BankBassing]

52 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

Or when they ask you what you are using.  Not "If I may be so forward & you'd be willing to tell me, what did you use to catch those fish?".  No, it is the demanding "What are you using?" as if you are in the middle of a deposition.  If they had any wits, they could look on the end of the rod & figure it out.

What bothers me are the guys who offer unsolicited advice and don't understand what I'm trying to do.  My goal (so far unfulfilled as a newbie) is to catch bass on artificial lures.  Everyone around here (literally everyone I've seen on the river) fishes with live bait, be it nightcrawlers, minnows, shiners, whatever.  I try to find a spot away from others but that fits the profile as a good fishing spot (eddies, points, current breaks, etc.) and fish with my gear.  Sure enough, almost once a day, some guy comes over and says, "You gotta get some minnows!  That's what they're biting!"  Usually they're nice guys, and many times even offer to share whatever they're using, and I try not to seem like an ingrate, but if I wanted to use live bait, I'd do so.  Let me do what I'm trying to do.  Maybe you'll catch a bunch, and I won't, but honestly it takes little to no skill to lower a minnow in the water and let it swim.  I'm trying to do something specific... just let me try.

[the reel ess]

11 hours ago, BankBassing said:

What bothers me are the guys who offer unsolicited advice and don't understand what I'm trying to do.  My goal (so far unfulfilled as a newbie) is to catch bass on artificial lures.  Everyone around here (literally everyone I've seen on the river) fishes with live bait, be it nightcrawlers, minnows, shiners, whatever.  I try to find a spot away from others but that fits the profile as a good fishing spot (eddies, points, current breaks, etc.) and fish with my gear.  Sure enough, almost once a day, some guy comes over and says, "You gotta get some minnows!  That's what they're biting!"  Usually they're nice guys, and many times even offer to share whatever they're using, and I try not to seem like an ingrate, but if I wanted to use live bait, I'd do so.  Let me do what I'm trying to do.  Maybe you'll catch a bunch, and I won't, but honestly it takes little to no skill to lower a minnow in the water and let it swim.  I'm trying to do something specific... just let me try.

I go to the beach once a year and fish in an inlet. I fish artificials exclusively because I'm in a kayak. Same thing. Everybody says to get mud minnows. Flounder will bite Gulp Mullet same as mud minnows. I seem to ahve as good or beeter luck as others fishing with live bait. I really like casting and retrieving artificials and I've been doing it since I was able to fish.

That said, I do want to try some live shiners on one reservoir I fish because they're in there and there are BIG bass there. it's a good opp to catch a PB.

[the reel ess]

14 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

The list is endless.....................However, i don't get too mad at the jet skiers, and pleasure boaters, it's there water too, and most of them are not idiots on purpose, they just don't know any better.

It's other fisherman that drive me over the edge. A few things over the years that stick in my mind.

#1...........I was fishing a row of docks that were close together, and had another bass angler set his boat down off plane and start fishing 1............ONE!!!! dock in front of me, the direction I was heading. I came unglued............he left. The jist of my hollering and scene causing was this: First.............there's 30 docks  on this shore line, you want to fish them too........fine, but don't start one dock ahead of me, at a distance where I could have flipped my bait into your back pocket.

#2.......I was fishing an off shore weed bed in front of a stretch of bank that had no homes/dock on it, another guy was fishing the docks leading into this area. Instead of going out and around me and the weed bed I was fishing to reach the next stretch of docks, he puts the TM on high and makes a beeline right into the middle of the area I was fishing. I picked up my punching rod and launched a 1oz punch rig so close to his head it hit the brim of his hat, and gave him the look. I have never seen a bass boat go in reverse under TM power faster in my life. Funny thing is, this guy and I have become friends after this incident, but it has never been spoken of.

#3...... Two wrong don't make a right, and I am the idiot in this tale. Often on my home lake other clubs have tournaments that I have no idea are going on until I get to the ramp that day to fish. Sometimes, I turn around and go to Conesus to give them room, but often I go out and try and stay out of the way of any of the guys in the tournament. On 2 different times, the same guy, from the same club, would follow me around fishing the "bent rod" pattern, and then cut me off in areas I was fishing. So...............time #3 I get to the ramp, see this club is there, and see this guy's trailer in the parking lot. I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine if I come across him................BUT..............it never got to that point. I started crushing fish left and right well away from crowd that day, and had a 20+ lb limit for my best 5. With all the fish in the box, I drove around looking for this guy. I found him, and started making small talk and being "nice". He tells me he is having a rough day, hasn't got a limit yet, has lost a few good ones, and the ones he has are small. I then said..............."well a-hole, you should have followed me around again today, and cut me off like the last two times you were here". Then I pulled each fish out of the livewell one at a time, calling out the weights, and tossing them in right into the area he was casting. I was mighty amused with myself for a few minutes after this, but then I started felling kinda bad, and know I acted like a jerk. To make matters worse, my buddy Tim who is in this club, told me later that guy got all spun out over this and went home early. I approached the guy a year or two later on the water while they were fishing another tournament, and we both buried the hatchet over each others dumb moves, and we have never had a problem since.

It's good that you set it right with him. If you have a conscience, which a lot of people don't, that kind of thing will eat at you. What seems justified at the time often looks harsh in the rearview. 

[PourMyOwn]

Most of my issues are boat ramp related. In NH we don't have many nice ramps, and when people park so close to the ramp that I can't get my boat in or out I fume. Most of the time it's (non fishing) kayakers who are too lazy to park their Subaru 30 feet away after they put their kayak on the ramp.

[Cgolf]

17 hours ago, Tracker22 said:

Tell me this...sometimes I paddle up to other fishermen and strike up fishing conversations (I'm really trying to find out what's  biting). Most are glad to talk, others are standoffish. I never stay but a minute. Am I wrong for interrupting them?

As long as you paddle up on the side they aren't casting too or give them a wave and shout before you are in plunking distance you are fine. 

[Josh Smith]

If you approach me to talk to me and I seem rude, it's not intentional. I don't mind talking. I'm just concentrating, too, so don't take it personally.

Not many here try telling me what to use when they see I'm bass fishing. When I tell them I don't know a lot about catfishing, I get an education. Most fishermen here have a high mutual respect cross-species and are willing to both teach and learn. There are the dicks, but they generally come out at night and avoid the rest of us. We see their leavings in the morning and spread the word.

Josh

[BassB8Caster]

On 8/24/2016 at 3:31 PM, davecon said:

Torn Thumb,

I was surprised that New Yorkers and the guys from Mass. were not the worst offenders. Don't see that many from Mass. and the New Yorkers       are not as bad as I thought.

It's those 2 other states that will remain nameless that are by far and away the worst.

Now when it comes to going to a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game I have never seen such behavior from adults as I do from Red Sox fans !

Yankee fans root and cheer for their team and I get that. They are respectful and courteous of the home town fans. The Red Sox fans are a whole different story. Got to where I won't even go to the games when the Sox are here as I am afraid I will do something I will later regret. I guess I have mellowed with age.

As a Redsox fan, i disagree. Are there bad apples? Sure. There are bad apples in every bunch. Being on the other side (redsox Vs yankees) i have seen the opposite. Ive seen many New Yorkers who are extremely disrespectful. For you to say any one organization is respectful and curteous is incorrect. EVERY team in every sport has poor disrespectful fans. Singling out one fan base is not fair and is wrong. I have gone to many redsox games and have never seen any problems. 

[A-Jay]

I will admit that in my younger days, I may not have handled other angler infringing on what I perceive as "my space" well.    Might have even gone over, gotten up all close & personal and voiced my displeasure in a somewhat loud & demonstrative fashion.   Didn't change anything and just made me look out of control.  And I was.  Stupid really.  I call it "Poaching" - it's a term I borrowed from Shaw Grigsby, seems very appropriate & it's kind of fun to say.

Those days are gone.  There are 2 versions of this for me now.  First one is where I'm on & off the water before the general population has a chance to be anywhere near me.  Works perfectly.  I do realize that this is not always an option depending on where, when & what I'm fishing for.  When that's the case, I know going in that there is a distinct opportunity for a "Poaching" ~ and just deal with it - doesn't mean I like it.

btw - If I'm going to complain about others doing it - I ensure that I practice what I preach by never being a Poacher myself.

A-Jay

[davecon]

3 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

As a Redsox fan, i disagree. Are there bad apples? Sure. There are bad apples in every bunch. Being on the other side (redsox Vs yankees) i have seen the opposite. Ive seen many New Yorkers who are extremely disrespectful. For you to say any one organization is respectful and curteous is incorrect. EVERY team in every sport has poor disrespectful fans. Singling out one fan base is not fair and is wrong. I have gone to many redsox games and have never seen any problems. 

BassB8Caster,

Never said it was ALL Red Sox fans, but there are enough "bad" ones at the local games that going to the games with the Sox is no longer enjoyable and that is sad as they are a good team and the Rays usually play them well. Very entertaining. But when there are so many rude and obnoxious Sox fans that confrontations are very common I have decided to stay away for fear I will do something I'll regret later.

I'm sure that every team has it's bad apples, but it would appear the Sox have a bad orchard !

Very rarely, if ever, do we encounter such behavior from any other fan base and I've been to see almost all teams play the Rays.

Coincidence ?

If this had happened once or twice, maybe. But every stinking game ? Come on now. I've got nothing against any baseball fan, I'm just telling you what happens at the games.

[BassB8Caster]

7 minutes ago, davecon said:

BassB8Caster,

Never said it was ALL Red Sox fans, but there are enough "bad" ones at the local games that going to the games with the Sox is no longer enjoyable and that is sad as they are a good team and the Rays usually play them well. Very entertaining. But when there are so many rude and obnoxious Sox fans that confrontations are very common I have decided to stay away for fear I will do something I'll regret later.

I'm sure that every team has it's bad apples, but it would appear the Sox have a bad orchard !

Very rarely, if ever, do we encounter such behavior from any other fan base and I've been to see almost all teams play the Rays.

Coincidence ?

If this had happened once or twice, maybe. But every stinking game ? Come on now. I've got nothing against any baseball fan, I'm just telling you what happens at the games.

I hear ya and if thats what you encounter, thats what you encounter. Just odd its only with redsox fans you see this, yet when i and others go to sox games we see the opposite. You are probably right in that if it is truly that bad you shouldnt go to games so it doesnt come to actions you may regret. I have gone to yankee redsox games back when the rivalry was at its peak (2003-2008 or so). I was there when Curt Schilling came back from his ankle surgery and came out of the bullpen. I was behind home plate amongst sox and yankee fans. Do you hear people yell? Definitely, but honestly i have never been around any scenario where it could become an altercation. Its too bad it comes to that in Tampa. The rays seemed to be building something good for a few years, but now it seems they may be regressing. They still have some talent. Probably the biggest loss is coach Maddon. He is one of the best (IMO).  

[davecon]

BassB8Caster,

I agree that it is odd that the Sox fans are this way. I noticed it and said nothing about it to my wife but she also noticed the same thing. It's a shame too because I am first and foremost a baseball fan, secondarily a Rays fan. I love this crazy game so much that I have umpired locally for 25 years and for a couple of years played in an over 40 baseball league. Lots of retired pro's live in this area. Some of the pitchers threw so hard I had to start my swing when the pitcher was taking the signs from the catcher ! Once batted against Mike Marshall, he of the Cy Young award. Didn't go well, at least for me.

Agree with you about Maddon. Great guy, better manager and I wish him the best.

Rays seem to be slipping in their draft selections to me. They had the opportunity to select Buster Posey but instead selected Tim Beckham. You say who is Tim Beckham ? That's my point ! Buster Posey - good grief !

Best of luck with your Sox. The Rays handled them pretty well this week but I think Boston stands a great chance to go all the way this year. The Rays just need some consistency. They play like world beaters for a series or two then like a high school team for 10 days or so. Lack of experience on the bench.