rules to live by

[BuzzHudson19c]

On 11/23/2017 at 10:53 AM, thinkingredneck said:

5.  Never make fun of another person's stuff or circumstances. Nobody care's how much expensive crap you have.

I fish with guys who have better gear and guys who have cheaper gear. I always ask how they enjoy what they use and intently listen to them talk about what they like or dislike about their reel/rod/lures. Some of the best tips come from the people who run budget gear. The same can be said in a lot of other sports and activities.

[bagofdonuts]

never say something bad about someone else's bird dog.

[Choporoz]

Good list.  Most describe how I try to conduct myself.  My list would modify #2 only slightly.  I am fanatic about not just picking up after myself....I make it a point to always take out more trash than just my own.

[Pro Logcatcher]

Thank you for this post! I hope all those speedboaters read #6! 

[TOXIC]

Good list.  I assume you are talking about ski, pontoon and wakeboard style boats for #6?  Because in my 21ft bassboat, I throw a much smaller wake on plane than I do at a slower speed.  A lot of guys in Yaks get nasty when I buzz by them but I am actually doing them a favor by keeping as much of my hull out of the water as possible. 

 

Don't forget to teach the proper "on the water fishing" do's and dont's as well because common sense isn't so common anymore.   

[BCline]

I would add:

 

Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

[thinkingredneck]

Aw now, a good sweaty...never mind

[scaleface]

I cant pop  open a beer until a fish is caught . That rule  has made me a better angler .

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

I cant poop until a fish is caught . That rule has made me a better dangler .

  When one omits the beer and adds an 'o' & a 'd' ~ 

The whole thing changes quite a bit.

And not in a good way.

A-Jay 

[Catt]

Got a whole book I live by ?

[CroakHunter]

33 minutes ago, Catt said:

Got a whole book I live by ?

Quote of the week! Good one Catt!

[everythingthatswims]

On ‎11‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 7:21 AM, TOXIC said:

Good list.  I assume you are talking about ski, pontoon and wakeboard style boats for #6?  Because in my 21ft bassboat, I throw a much smaller wake on plane than I do at a slower speed.  A lot of guys in Yaks get nasty when I buzz by them but I am actually doing them a favor by keeping as much of my hull out of the water as possible. 

 

Don't forget to teach the proper "on the water fishing" do's and dont's as well because common sense isn't so common anymore.   

Yeah I think most people don't get that. Even when they are in big boats, when I kayak fish, typically people slow down to the point where they are making things a lot worse on me, I'd rather them just keep running! If you're gonna slow down, you gotta slow WAYYY down!

[thinkingredneck]

I have the most trouble with jet skis barreling down on me.  And those guys playing loud music on their ski boats.although I do enjoy the girls in bikinis.  Trade offs

[soflabasser]

There was a thread earlier this year where most members agreed that jet skiers are the worst of the worst of all boaters.

[WRB]

Public waterways, lakes and rivers, that allow water contact sports like skiing, wake boarding and jet skiers have areas set aside for that activity that often shared by recreational boaters. The noise may annoy you and that fact some folks have no respect for rules or others using the water. Today most of us have cell phones with good camera's and can easily record offensive behavior and show it to the authorities who enforce the rules. I refuse to fish some of our lakes on weekends or lakes with water contact sports because the noise and bad behavior does bother me and want to avoid confrontations that I haven't handled well in the past.

Remember the Golden Rule, it serves us all.

Tom

 

 

[thinkingredneck]

I am fortunate that my days off are during the week.  I work most weekends and holidays.  So I get to fish when less people are out.  It is great for going out to eat, movies, etc. Less crowds to contend with I do miss most of the gun shows and I miss a lot of football.  Trade offs.  Thanks for your responses.

[bigbill]

I mind my own business.

but I do stop to help kids out. I share knowledge and my scents. They are the future of this sport.

i keep my tacklebox closed. Less eyes, less words spoken. I never make fun of someone’s tackle.

its me against the fish. Not the a hole near me saying I got another one(bluegill) if I wanted bluegills I’d fish for them. I find when they look in your tackle box it’s game on to out fish you to be little you. There using worms and catching pan fish not bass. I fish from shore. I will not go to their level and show them my bass. There’s another reason I switched from evening fishing to early morning fishing. The wildlife I can put up with even the bears are more civil. I usually don’t rant.  Bill

 

[DINK WHISPERER]

On 11/30/2017 at 8:28 PM, soflabasser said:

There was a thread earlier this year where most members agreed that jet skiers are the worst of the worst of all boaters.

Really? Wow, on the lakes I fish air boaters are the worse ever! They will come almost run you over while you're flipping a spot. 

[NHBull]

Words I live by

not nessessarily for out doors, but covers everything for me

 

A Poem by Tecumseh

 

 

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

~ Chief Tecumseh

 

[soflabasser]

On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 10:06 PM, DINK WHISPERER said:

Really? Wow, on the lakes I fish air boaters are the worse ever! They will come almost run you over while you're flipping a spot. 

Fortunately I have not encountered too many airboats but the few I have encountered where annoying. There was a law passed a couple years ago that will limit the amount of air boaters in the Everglades in the long run, hopefully it will eliminate most of them. They still are not as bad as jet skiers since jet skiers drive much faster and will pass within 20 feet of you on purpose. A lot of these jet skiers do not know how to swim, and many do not wear life vest, at least in the areas I have seem them acting like fools.

[OCdockskipper]

On 11/23/2017 at 7:53 AM, thinkingredneck said:

9. Don't crowd or cut someone off.  Respect their space.

 

This one has always been important to me and I had a funny situation pertaining to it last weekend.

 

It was about 45 minutes past sunrise & I was the only person on the upper end of the lake.  I approached a designated shore fishing area in my boat, it is about 70 yards long, with a wrought iron fence extending into the water on one side & the boat ramp on the other.  Since no one was there, I made a couple of casts to the wrought iron.  As I began moving towards the boat ramp, a guy pulled up in a truck.  I thought he might be a fisherman and since I could fish elsewhere & he was stuck to the shore, I waited a moment to make sure before I continued towards the launch ramp.  The man, about 50 years old or so, literally grabbed a rod out of the back of his truck and sprinted to the shore to make a cast to the launch ramp before I could get there.  It was such a D-Bag move that I just laughed out loud and turned the boat away from the area to fish some adjoining docks that were beyond casting range of the shore fishing area.

 

Of course, when I hooked up twice while in sight of Mr. Track & Field, I made sure to play the fish as long as I could, encouraging them to jump & tailwalk...

[RPreeb]

19 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

 

This one has always been important to me and I had a funny situation pertaining to it last weekend.

 

It was about 45 minutes past sunrise & I was the only person on the upper end of the lake.  I approached a designated shore fishing area in my boat, it is about 70 yards long, with a wrought iron fence extending into the water on one side & the boat ramp on the other.  Since no one was there, I made a couple of casts to the wrought iron.  As I began moving towards the boat ramp, a guy pulled up in a truck.  I thought he might be a fisherman and since I could fish elsewhere & he was stuck to the shore, I waited a moment to make sure before I continued towards the launch ramp.  The man, about 50 years old or so, literally grabbed a rod out of the back of his truck and sprinted to the shore to make a cast to the launch ramp before I could get there.  It was such a D-Bag move that I just laughed out loud and turned the boat away from the area to fish some adjoining docks that were beyond casting range of the shore fishing area.

 

Of course, when I hooked up twice while in sight of Mr. Track & Field, I made sure to play the fish as long as I could, encouraging them to jump & tailwalk...

I really don't get this post.  It seemed to me that this thread was about not doing things that bother others, yet you made the effort to fish in an area set aside for those who can't get off shore, then when one of them made a move that was a bit selfish, you reacted in kind, taunting him with your ability to fish where he couldn't.  That seems to be in direct opposition to the "Golden Rule" theme of the thread. 

 

My Golden Rule states "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and do that in spite of any jerk behavior from them."  I can usually find a way to shrug it off as long as there is no physical threat in their actions.

[the reel ess]

Don't get too drunk to fish.

 

Don't pick up another man's baitcaster without asking. First cast is guaranteed to be a bird nest and probably put it out of commission for the day.

 

Don't fish with one Southern Baptist, he'll drink all your beer. Take two of them. They won't drink around other Baptists.  My dad's old joke.

 

If you're in the expensive bassboat, please idle past other fishermen into the back of the cove and fish out. Don't fish in and come out full blast. This could apply to any boat, but I've seen it most with out-of-state bass fishermen. NC, I'm looking at you.  

 

Don't squeeze between a bank fisherman and the bank. I don't care if you're in a tourney and he's in a pontoon boat. Leave him alone.

On 11/26/2017 at 9:30 PM, BuzzHudson19c said:

I fish with guys who have better gear and guys who have cheaper gear. I always ask how they enjoy what they use and intently listen to them talk about what they like or dislike about their reel/rod/lures. Some of the best tips come from the people who run budget gear. The same can be said in a lot of other sports and activities.

I fish with a guy whose gear is a rung below mine. But he has the nicer boat. He just started using a baitcaster after watching me a couple years. But, man, he has always caught a lot of fish and big ones. We've learned a lot from each other. 

[OCdockskipper]

4 hours ago, RPreeb said:

I really don't get this post.  It seemed to me that this thread was about not doing things that bother others, yet you made the effort to fish in an area set aside for those who can't get off shore...

 

There are about 20 of these common areas around the lake, the remaining shoreline is all private property.  The only people who are legally allowed to fish from these areas are the property owners.  There was no one in that area when I made my first few casts, but when the man drove up, I stopped moving down the bank as a courtesy until I knew whether or not he was fishing or just going up to the clubhouse.  Once I saw he had a rod & reel, I was going to pull away, what I found funny was his reaction not knowing I was going to do this.

 

Are you suggesting that common areas such as these should be off limit to those fishing from boats? Obviously, I make a wide berth around them if a person is fishing there, but it is part of the lake & is open to all fisherman.  I get the impression you believe that I shouldn't have made casts there.  If that is true, then does the same apply to boat docks, launch ramps or retaining walls?  For the record, I only fish those areas when no one is there as well.

[soflabasser]

7 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Don't squeeze between a bank fisherman and the bank. I don't care if you're in a tourney and he's in a pontoon boat. Leave him alone.

I fish with a guy whose gear is a rung below mine. But he has the nicer boat. He just started using a baitcaster after watching me a couple years. But, man, he has always caught a lot of fish and big ones. We've learned a lot from each other. 

Well said @the reel ess. It is very rude to interfere with a bank fisherman, especially if you are on a boat and you are purposely throwing where the bank fisherman is fishing and the boater also causes a big boat wake( It is actually illegal here to interfere with a fisherman, a little known law to many in my state). You have more opportunities as a boater than a bank fishermen, so be a honorable man and give the bank fisherman some space. Also do not underestimate and look down on a bank fisherman with less expensive gear than yourself, he might be catching trophy bass from land often with his trusty beat up Ugly Stik while many with top of the line boats, rods,etc might be lucky to catch a 5 pounder once in a while. We can all learn from each other, regardless what experience we have.