Worst Fishing Etiquette You've Encountered?

[GORDO]

22 minutes ago, Turkey sandwich said:

 

I'm not going to say it's right to tie on a 1 1/2 oz bell sinker and throw it at people on jet skis burning through the area you're fishing, but I'm not going to say I've never done it.  The thing is, I respect pleasure boaters but I've had friends get hit by jet skis and days ruined by idiots not having any decency on the water.  It's really not that hard to not be a jerk. 

 

LOL my buddy reeled up and cast at them hoping to snag their line, were all using 3-6 oz weights to keep the bait down in the current. I didnt have a problem with them till they pulled up on my lines! Im not fishing the smallie spot 30 yards down the bank, fish away! 

If there are people fishing off of a dock, dont even get close to their territory, its common sense. I can fire up the boat and head anywhere on the lake. They are stuck to select spots on the bank on their own dock. Dont be an idiot and think about the other people on the water. Its like their parents just let them run the house hold as kids so they grow up and think they own everything and they are the only person who matters. 

Okay, im off my soap box!

[BankBassing]

1 hour ago, 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.

Ok, this is off topic, but I'm a huge baseball fan.  Worst fans in existence are St. Louis Cardinals fans.  Ok, back to fishing.

[davecon]

Off topic for just a moment.

A fellow I know played MLB back in the 70's and 80's.

If half of what he told me about the Philly fans is true they would take the cake. No first hand knowledge here, just what a former MLB player told me.

I'm a little surprised about the Cardinal fans. Have never heard bad things about them. Not doubting you , just a little surprised.

[scaleface]

I have a lot of tournament stories .I actually had two marker buoys marking a ledge and twoo tournament boats stopped  and fished on top of the buoys .

 There was this one team that fished in  the same circuit as my cousin and I .Almost  every tournament we fished , no matter where we we were on the lake , they would show up shortly   . It happened so often that it was no coincidence .  I was talking to another team who were probably the most successful on the lake in those early years and they had the same story about the same two guys .

[CrustyMono]

 

2 hours ago, GORDO said:

 If there are people fishing off of a dock, dont even get close to their territory, its common sense. I can fire up the boat and head anywhere on the lake. They are stuck to select spots on the bank on their own dock.

Looking back, I kinda feel bad about this. My friend and I had just broken off on an 8 pound bass while fishing docks the day before. The next morning, we go back to the same two docks. There was a little lady probably in her 50s or 60s fishing with a small spiniest reel, on the dock next to the ones we planned to fish. She was using worms and a bobber. we figured she was fishing for perch, bluegill, and crappie. We decided to fish the side of the dock closest to her. We trolled around her in a respectful manner. We said good morning and asked her how she was doing, just being polite. We immediately got bit and landed big fish. I landed a 6 pound bass. My friend landed a 4 and a 3. Once we fished it thoroughly, we moved on. I feel bad, because we were the only three on the water of a 127 acre lake. We did try our best to be respectful however. also, at one point, she got snagged in a nearby tree. Before we could offer to help her, she had already gone into the water. I regret being more courteous, but I feel we weren't overly rude.

[Jar11591]

I've had to have words more than once with clueless, self-absorbed fools on the water. While I can't stand pleasure boaters and jet skiers, the poor etiquette displayed on the water is sadly usually by other fishermen. More times I can count I have had other boats pull within 10' of mine and just start flinging their bloody spinner bait right next to me, scaring away every fish under the sun like its no thing. Half the time they are taken-aback by me calling them out, and the other half of the time they act like they knew they were in the wrong. 

One thing I HATE is a crowded lake. And if that crowd is one of poor etiquette, that is when I start to get mouthy.

[thirtysixit]

I hate it when there is anyone else at all on the lake the same time I am.  I wish I was the only one.....

[geo g]

7 hours ago, Preytorien said:

I remember once going out with a guy to fish. We were in his boat, and I was his co-angler. He kept building up how he had some great spots to catch fish and had me drooling over the stories he told me of huge days on the water. I got there, loaded up, and we hit the water. We got to the first "hot spot" and I was floored. He ran the trolling motor so fast I couldn't hardly get any kind of cast off before I had to reel in like crazy to hit the next spot. I asked him politely what he was throwing, just so I could get a sense of how fast to fish and what to fish with, and he wouldn't tell me. I looked his way as he retrieved in and he had some kind of spinnerbait, but did all he could to hide it from me. I saw it was a simple white spinnerbait with colorado blades, and when I asked if that's what he was throwing, he said no - he was using a crankbait and that's why he was moving so fast. Seriously?

Ended up he caught about 15 fish, to my none. I never went back out with him. Every other guy I've co-angled with has been more than accommodating as to what they're throwing, and they pay attention to how fast they're driving the motor so that I can also effectively fish. This guy though, it's like he wanted to take me out and do everything in his power to make sure only HE caught fish.

Been there!!!!!   Once as a back seater the guy up front hugged the bank throwing a swim bait down the ledge all day long.  He left me either fishing behind the boat with him running the T/M full speed ahead or Long casts to the other side of the canal 40 yards away.  I didn't say much since he has been at it for a long time, and knows exactly what he was leaving me.  How sweet it was I still beat his butt that day from the opposite side, and at the end of a bunch of long, long, cast.  I have wished for years, I could get him in the back of my boat and give him the same treatment.  

[Caliyak]

As a banker, some two old dudes pull right on front of us and started to fish right in front of me. Literally his lizard hit my feet. I was furious. I said a few words in Spanish and he knew what I said. So I cast my senko over his boat. I scratched the boat when I yanked with everything I had. 

As a yaker: boat guy, wanna-be pro, rolls up on me and cuts me off. Proceeds to say that I was in the way. I wanted to put 10 holes in his plastic boat. 

Thank you for the high blood pressure. I need a drink. LOL 

[Josh Smith]

******* kids and 20-somethings like to go to the top of Hanging Rock and throw rocks down onto people fishing below.  Last time this happened I snapped pics and posted them on FB. 

Talked to the sheriff's department and next time will be making some idiots into felons.  How stupid do you have to be to throw rocks?  Especially in a state where most outdoorsmen carry guns?

Josh

[N Florida Mike]

When I was 15 or so We had a great bank fishing spot on our local lake.One day these 2  kids( 12-13 years old?) kept going back and forth in a boat making waves.We knew they were doing it on purpose because they were looking at us ,laughing, and they kept going back and forth only where we were.We were looking for something to throw at them but couldn't find any thing. When we were at the boiling point they came by and were so busy laughing at us they ran right into a dock! The kid in front was thrown out but wasn't hurt.All I can say is you reap what you sow!!!

[papajoe222]

My worst was a non-boater I drew in a tournament. All day long he kept casting forward of the bow, the majority of the time over my line.  When I lost a fish because he'd done it again, I mentioned to him that I was leaving plenty of targets for him and to kindly stop doing it.  He said he was tired of guys 'front ending' him as he put it and I assured him I wouldn't.  Thirty minutes later he was at it again, so I just started waiting for him to cast and then proceeded to cast over his line.  I already had my limit.

What goes around, comes around and just after I'd cast over his line for the fifth or sixth time, he hooked a nice fish. He didn't loose it, but he was not happy. I let him run the TM for the last two hours and started culling fishing behind him. He never got his limit. 

There's a lot to be said for Karma 

[Gundog]

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

I have a lot of tournament stories .I actually had two marker buoys marking a ledge and twoo tournament boats stopped  and fished on top of the buoys .

 There was this one team that fished in  the same circuit as my cousin and I .Almost  every tournament we fished , no matter where we we were on the lake , they would show up shortly   . It happened so often that it was no coincidence .  I was talking to another team who were probably the most successful on the lake in those early years and they had the same story about the same two guys .

I know a guy who fishes a local tournament and he has the same problem with 2 guys who fish a lot of tournaments at a lot of lakes. They don't practice, they just follow the best guys on that lake and fish what they are fishing. It got so bad that my friend asked the league to change the name of the other guys team to "The Poachers". 

[CNYBassin]

Man, as far as etiquette, I've seen some of the worst out there. Being from rural upstate New York, we have to deal with a lot of "city" folks coming up here during their vacations. This is especially apparent during HUNTING season. Everyone takes off during the opening of deer firearm season, and so many city slickers come up here and cause mayhem. 

But fishing etiquette, I deal with a ton of obliviousness from pleasure vessels, water skiers and jet skis. That's a norm. Always fun having a big pleasure vessel rip past you doing 40 or 50, while you're less than 50 feet away in a little 12ft Jon Boat with a trolling motor for power. But as far as actual fisherman being complete tools, nothing beats the Salmon River in Pulaski NY. It is a god d**n zoo up there, and anyone who has ever fished it knows this to be true. Not only do you have to deal with jerks on a regular basis, but you have to deal with snaggers and people poaching your areas. During the salmon runs(less so for steelhead because it's colder), it is shoulder to shoulder on the river. Line crossers. Poachers. Snaggers. People in a hurry. People who think they own the place. Out of towners. You name it. I can't think of one other place I've fished in my lifetime, where there's more altercations being guys. I've done my best to avoid it as much as possible.

However, all of that said, fishing the Salmon River is one of the coolest fishing opportunities in the state. I actually much prefer it for Steelhead. In case you're having trouble picturing what the crowd is like when I say it's a zoo, here's one of the first pictures found on google when searching for the Salmon River in New York. This isn't even that bad. Now imagine how likely it is that just ONE of those guys will be a bad apple. 

 

I don't want to make it seem like upstate New York is bad for fishing. It's not. It's a paradise up here. I have met some of the nicest people on the water up here, especially on my home lake which is Oneida. 

[Turkey sandwich]

26 minutes ago, CNYBassin said:

Man, as far as etiquette, I've seen some of the worst out there. Being from rural upstate New York, we have to deal with a lot of "city" folks coming up here during their vacations. This is especially apparent during HUNTING season. Everyone takes off during the opening of deer firearm season, and so many city slickers come up here and cause mayhem. 

But fishing etiquette, I deal with a ton of obliviousness from pleasure vessels, water skiers and jet skis. That's a norm. Always fun having a big pleasure vessel rip past you doing 40 or 50, while you're less than 50 feet away in a little 12ft Jon Boat with a trolling motor for power. But as far as actual fisherman being complete tools, nothing beats the Salmon River in Pulaski NY. It is a god d**n zoo up there, and anyone who has ever fished it knows this to be true. Not only do you have to deal with jerks on a regular basis, but you have to deal with snaggers and people poaching your areas. During the salmon runs(less so for steelhead because it's colder), it is shoulder to shoulder on the river. Line crossers. Poachers. Snaggers. People in a hurry. People who think they own the place. Out of towners. You name it. I can't think of one other place I've fished in my lifetime, where there's more altercations being guys. I've done my best to avoid it as much as possible.

However, all of that said, fishing the Salmon River is one of the coolest fishing opportunities in the state. I actually much prefer it for Steelhead. In case you're having trouble picturing what the crowd is like when I say it's a zoo, here's one of the first pictures found on google when searching for the Salmon River in New York. This isn't even that bad. Now imagine how likely it is that just ONE of those guys will be a bad apple. 

 

I don't want to make it seem like upstate New York is bad for fishing. It's not. It's a paradise up here. I have met some of the nicest people on the water up here, especially on my home lake which is Oneida. 

I've heard horror stories about the crowds.  Still, I'd love to make the trip for a shot at steelhead on the fly.

[Bankbeater]

Few year back we were fishing a lake that is around 170 acres.  We were anchored right over a creek bed, and catching bass on Rat-L-Traps.  We see this boat maybe 100 yards off and it is coming straight towards us.  Two people in the boat fishing.  When he gets close to us he starts to slow down, and my first thought was that they needed help or something.  This other boat is now passing us at no wake speed maybe 15 or 20 FEET away.  My partner asked if we took their spot, and the reply was no.  They just passed up, I guess they saw us catching and wanted to see what we were using.

[Bankbeater]

8 hours ago, Josh Smith said:

 How stupid do you have to be to throw rocks?  Especially in a state where most outdoorsmen carry guns?

 

This made me think of something that happened down at Bull Shoals maybe 35 or 40 years ago.  We see this local old timer fishing out of a small boat near the mouth of a cove.  Out in the center of the lake are some speed boats and jet skis.  One of the boats decide to harass this guy who was fishing, so they start running in and out of the cove causing all kinds of waves to bounce his boat around.  On the speedboat's third time into the cove, this old timer lifts up a shotgun and fires it up over the speedboat.  Speedboat left and didn't come back.

[Torn Thumb]

15 hours ago, davecon said:

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 !

We are not all like that. Sad to hear and sad to see a near empty stadium this week for a team that has been amazing the last few years. Not their best year but it seems even when they are winning people don't show up.

 

Yankees fans are the worst up here. I've had old men from the Bronx get in my face and threaten me in front of my kids over cheeky anti-yankee shirts that are meant to be in good fun. Leaf peeping snow birds.

[GORDO]

14 hours ago, CrustyMono said:

 

Looking back, I kinda feel bad about this. My friend and I had just broken off on an 8 pound bass while fishing docks the day before. The next morning, we go back to the same two docks. There was a little lady probably in her 50s or 60s fishing with a small spiniest reel, on the dock next to the ones we planned to fish. She was using worms and a bobber. we figured she was fishing for perch, bluegill, and crappie. We decided to fish the side of the dock closest to her. We trolled around her in a respectful manner. We said good morning and asked her how she was doing, just being polite. We immediately got bit and landed big fish. I landed a 6 pound bass. My friend landed a 4 and a 3. Once we fished it thoroughly, we moved on. I feel bad, because we were the only three on the water of a 127 acre lake. We did try our best to be respectful however. also, at one point, she got snagged in a nearby tree. Before we could offer to help her, she had already gone into the water. I regret being more courteous, but I feel we weren't overly rude.

btw your username is perfect lol but I wouldnt feel bad about that! I mean maybe you convinced her learn a new technique! She obviously knew what she was doing, cant help it that the bass preferred whatever you were throwing. Good thing she didnt catch the 6lber, probably would have ended up on a skillet! 

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

How stupid do you have to be to throw rocks?  Especially in a state where most outdoorsmen carry guns?

Because taking the glock out of my holster and letting a round loose into the air is frowned upon. Although im sure it would have been a little more effective

 

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

This made me think of something that happened down at Bull Shoals maybe 35 or 40 years ago.  We see this local old timer fishing out of a small boat near the mouth of a cove.  Out in the center of the lake are some speed boats and jet skis.  One of the boats decide to harass this guy who was fishing, so they start running in and out of the cove causing all kinds of waves to bounce his boat around.  On the speedboat's third time into the cove, this old timer lifts up a shotgun and fires it up over the speedboat.  Speedboat left and didn't come back.

LOL im sure this was fun to watch unfold 

[CrustyMono]

10 hours ago, CNYBassin said:

Man, as far as etiquette, I've seen some of the worst out there. Being from rural upstate New York, we have to deal with a lot of "city" folks coming up here during their vacations. This is especially apparent during HUNTING season. Everyone takes off during the opening of deer firearm season, and so many city slickers come up here and cause mayhem. 

But fishing etiquette, I deal with a ton of obliviousness from pleasure vessels, water skiers and jet skis. That's a norm. Always fun having a big pleasure vessel rip past you doing 40 or 50, while you're less than 50 feet away in a little 12ft Jon Boat with a trolling motor for power. But as far as actual fisherman being complete tools, nothing beats the Salmon River in Pulaski NY. It is a god d**n zoo up there, and anyone who has ever fished it knows this to be true. Not only do you have to deal with jerks on a regular basis, but you have to deal with snaggers and people poaching your areas. During the salmon runs(less so for steelhead because it's colder), it is shoulder to shoulder on the river. Line crossers. Poachers. Snaggers. People in a hurry. People who think they own the place. Out of towners. You name it. I can't think of one other place I've fished in my lifetime, where there's more altercations being guys. I've done my best to avoid it as much as possible.

However, all of that said, fishing the Salmon River is one of the coolest fishing opportunities in the state. I actually much prefer it for Steelhead. In case you're having trouble picturing what the crowd is like when I say it's a zoo, here's one of the first pictures found on google when searching for the Salmon River in New York. This isn't even that bad. Now imagine how likely it is that just ONE of those guys will be a bad apple. 

 

I don't want to make it seem like upstate New York is bad for fishing. It's not. It's a paradise up here. I have met some of the nicest people on the water up here, especially on my home lake which is Oneida. 

My uncle goes there many times a year, we are planning a steelhead trip to Pulaski this October, except we will be in a privately own part of the river.

[davecon]

4 hours ago, Torn Thumb said:

We are not all like that. Sad to hear and sad to see a near empty stadium this week for a team that has been amazing the last few years. Not their best year but it seems even when they are winning people don't show up.

 

Yankees fans are the worst up here. I've had old men from the Bronx get in my face and threaten me in front of my kids over cheeky anti-yankee shirts that are meant to be in good fun. Leaf peeping snow birds.

Tampa Bay Area has always been that way with every sport . If you win, we will come. If you lose we won't. We just have too many other options around here, especially with our year round weather. Kinda like a play or movie, if it's good people go see it. If not good, not so much.

As I see it, the main problem with the Rays is the location of the stadium. The news media won't report that as an issue but it's rather a pain in the butt to go to a game during the week and get home and in bed to be able to go to work the next day. Look at a map of where the Rays pull their fans from. St Pete is as far away from the bulk of the fans as you can possibly get. MLB told the city not to build the stadium there but they built it there anyway and it has been an issue from day 1. St Pete city officials won't come to grips with that, or at least publicly admit it but therein lies the problem. Keep in mind this is not NY or Boston or LA. The potential fan base here is not that large/close to the stadium. The Rays must rely on fans that come over and over and over again. I'm probably an exception as we go to 8 to 10 games per year.

When the lease is up in a few years the Rays will hopefully build/occupy a stadium in Tampa. While traffic is not the best, it works for the Buccaneers, the Lightning, the Rowdies, etc. Tampa is much more centrally located with multiple choices of roads/highways/interstates to move the traffic so fans can get home in time to go to work the next day.

[JPascavage52]

Too many of these stories, OP, I appreciate the opportunity to rant.

- Raystown Lake here in Central PA, there is a section in an area known as "7 points," which is known for the drunk pleasure boaters congregating, and causing 4 foot rollers everywhere. Not to mention houseboats going full throttle right next to you, or those towing tubers or skiers, with the driver not even looking where they are going. There are some excellent points, ledges, and smallie habitats in this area, but I won't even fish this until at least October. Unfortunately, one of my favorite spots is near the dam of this lake, and most of my tournaments launch up lake from this, with about a half hour run to the dam, so I have to go through this area. 

- Presque Isle Bay, there is a shipping channel that goes out into the main lake, and there are some seawalls that hold good numbers of bass on either side. The whole area is no wake. So, gotta love the idiot in a cabin cruiser that is goes by full throttle, not even ten feet away. Throws a wake so big it crashes over the rail of my bass boat, and about throws me out of my seat. Guy looks back at me even after he passes, and despite the fact that I glare and throw my hands up in a "what h*ll are you doing" body language, he just looks at me with no expression, as if this has happened a thousand times before.

- As a boater, I try to make the experience as good as possible when I get paired up with a rider. I'll give them tips, avoid front ending them, even show them where my plastics, jigs, crankbaits, etc, are stored on my boat, and tell them they are welcome to try anything I have. So, I don't mind some good conversation, and like some company, and, as an aspiring guide, I like to help people out. But, when I draw the guy that is constantly shooting his mouth off, seemingly has a story about "catching a four pounder here, a fiver pounder there, missing a giant over there last week, etc." on every spot, exclaiming "that was a nice one" after every single missed fish, tries to tell me what spots were gonna go to, etc, it's a bit much.

- Was down near Fenwick Island, DE last weekend on family vacation, doing some surf fishing. Had two rods out, one with synthetic bloodworms for kings and croaker, and the other out with bunker for blues, stripers, and sharks. When, a family of about ten people come and set up their beach umbrellas and chairs about 20 feet away. Of course, they start swimming right next to my lines, to the extent that I'm concerned about hooking them. Meanwhile, their kids are running around and slamming their shovels right next to my rods, and the parents are doing absolutely nothing, except for the shmuck who was doing his "1, 2, 3, swingy swingy" thing with his toddler so close, that if a fish hit, the rod would smack him in the head. The more infuriating thing, however, was that, to the left of us, there was a section of about, I'm guessing 200-300 yards of beach, with only a few umbrellas set up, and only a few people in the water. Oh, and the next day, were two cuties in bikinis who swimming a bit too close to my lines for comfort, when suddenly one of my rods about doubles over, and I set the hook into something fighting real hard. Line starts peeling, and the fish is swimming towards them, and I"m yelling to get their attention, to no avail. Fortunately was able to steer the fish away, and land it, it was a large stingray. While, I was unhooking it, I noticed the two chicks were looking at what I just caught. They quickly scurried out of the water and back to their beach blanket. 

- I go up to the Lake Erie tributaries here in PA in the fall to fly fish for steelhead and browns, and it is very similar to what the Salmon River poster said. Lots of big aggressive fish around, but lots of idiots as well. Drunks, litterers, crowding, snaggers, are the common offenders. Always a good "punk crossed the big guy's line one too many times and ended up getting thrown in the drink" story.

But I remember fishing a trib last year, with hundreds of steelhead visible, and having good luck. There was a group of three extremely whiny teenagers, who were complaining about having no luck, were arguing with each other over what to use, would move and stand right on top of someone when they caught a fish, even one who was on his phone with his mother, and yelled "g*d d***it mom, I don't want no f***ing pepperoni." I even gave them a fish I caught just to try to shut them up. Finally, a nearby fly fisherman has had enough, and loudly says "ya know, if you guys quit whining and just fished, you'd actually catch some," drawing giggles from everyone else there. The three teenagers faces were white, and we didnt hear another peep from them the rest of the time there. 

Oh, and, two years ago, was fishing next to a couple of Russians throwing big weighted streamers, and "hooking up" (ahem snagging) almost every cast. I took one step forward to get a better look at the huge pod of fresh steelhead, when one of them suddenly explodes into rage at me, saying "you know, people like you who get that close are the ones spooking all the fish!" I just smiled and walked away, and said real loudly "don't snag too many, now," when, unbeknownst to me, the fish warden was doing his round down the bank. Not sure what happened to them after that, but the look on their face was payback enough.

Unfortunately, there are idiots out there, but it's a small price to pay to enjoy our wonderful sport. 

Also, while I'm all for standing up for yourself, and putting your foot down when something is unjust, not big on picking a fight, or pulling a gun on someone, unless they are harassing, threatening, or causing you physical harm. Be smart about it, and remember that, at the end of the day, they are just fish. If someone is really going to be that big of a jerk over some fish, they aren't worth your time, and you are better off just moving on. A moment of rage over some fish isn't worth a criminal record, job loss, lawsuits, etc. 
 

[WDinarte]

on the pier... here I go...

To me, some one coming late for his fishing trip decide that he "need" or own the spot that I put my one rod  and pick my rod and move it to his right side so he can set his on that spot, he was not nice to say thank you for holding Me the spot that I like....

Some other guy comment in one of my fishing report from one public place that we fish that at one point someone snag his line and pulled and decide that the best way to fix it was cut it and let the rig go down on the water but he save his... after he questioned he pull a knife and was not a friendly conversation he end up with and argument that " he help to build  that pier "  and so on... let me said that this was a one state park, not a private place...

Is been a long time that I don't fish piers or some of this public places, I always go around with my family and I'm not going to put my girls to see one of this losers trying to be " macho man " but yes they are some knuckleheads up there...

[IgotWood]

I can write a book on this topic....

To keep it short....I hate when anglers get close. First of all, I am in a kayak, and don't really have quick/convenient access to other parts of the lake. So when a boat or another kayak comes and starts fishing next to me, I have a major problem with that. Close for me is within 50yds. I was here first....go find another place to fish the other 500 acers of lake. When I finish my drift, and try to paddle back where I started, and you're sitting right there, I get really angry. I feel like a 50yd radius is reasonable. Basically, I don't want others to be able to see if I'm catching fish or not. I put in the time/effort to get on a bite....go find your own bite!

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!

[S. Sass]

In my limited boat ownership time I haven't had near the stories as many of you. But a few weekends ago me and my partner head out bright and early. I had scouted out a new hole for us and we were going to give it our all. 

So as the daylight starts glistening (cool big word) through the early clouds we are there and already had caught several nice ones when another boat comes up with 3 fellas. They never once got too close as to interfere with our fishing and never said anything to us. But I told my partner they were late to the hole. I could just feel the guys pain that he couldn't get in the area. 

It was really cool of them to stay back and let us fish. I looked at their boat as best I could and plan to repay the courtesy if I get the chance. 

I didn't have a bad bad story so I threw in a good one.