Spot stealing

[The Maestro]

I know 'stealing' isn't really the proper term since you don't own them but how do you guys feel about guys who go out and seem to make it their fish locating strategy to drive around and watch where other people are catching fish? I'm not talking about happening to see someone catch a fish and then returning there later, but rather guys who are doing it blatantly and on purpose. Does it bother you when people are doing it to you?  Would you consider this unethical behavior in regards to fishing?

[TnRiver46]

Sounds like Chickamauga. It’s all public water but you should respect fellow fisherman and not get close to them. The problem with Chickamauga is there’s more boats than water

[A-Jay]

Doesn't bother me ~

Admittedly it doesn't happen a ton up this way.

However, for whatever reason, when there's a few bassheads on the lake,

the Pro-V Bass attracts some attention and 'the bent rod pattern' 

can definitely be like a magnet at times.

If & when I get 'poached' - I will usually just stop fishing and eat a sandwich.

After 10-20 minutes they usually move on.

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Doesn't bother me ~

Admittedly it doesn't happen a ton up this way.

However, for whatever reason, when there's a few bassheads on the lake,

the Pro-V Bass attracts some attention and 'the bent rod pattern' 

can definitely be like a magnet at times.

If & when I get 'poached' - I will usually just stop fishing and eat a sandwich.

After 10-20 minutes they usually move on.

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

That always works for me too. It’s funny, they have two power poles and spot lock but never slow down and fish anywhere more than 10 minutes 

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

That always works for me too. It’s funny, they have two power poles and spot lock but never slow down and fish anywhere more than 10 minutes 

Seems to be a trend I guess.

I am rarely on 'community holes' so there may be some curiosity involved. 

"What's he fishing' is something I've heard being asked in other rigs a time or two.

(Thank you 360 imaging) 

The pics & video posted later usually answers that question.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[The Maestro]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Doesn't bother me ~

Admittedly it doesn't happen a ton up this way.

However, for whatever reason, when there's a few bassheads on the lake,

the Pro-V Bass attracts some attention and 'the bent rod pattern' 

can definitely be like a magnet at times.

If & when I get 'poached' - I will usually just stop fishing and eat a sandwich.

After 10-20 minutes they usually move on.

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

I wish I could say it didn't bother me at all but it does irk me a little bit. I think part of it is that I found the vast majority of my water by just putting my head down and fishing because (1) I felt more satisfaction doing it that way and (2) because I just really like all aspects of fishing with finding them being one of the best things about it.

 

I feel people who would go that route are either tournament guys with limited time on the lake or guys who don't have that real passion for fishing and "just wanna catch fish".

[A-Jay]

6 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

I wish I could say it didn't bother me at all but it does irk me a little bit. I think part of it is that I found the vast majority of my water by just putting my head down and fishing because (1) I felt more satisfaction doing it that way and (2) because I just really like all aspects of fishing with finding them being one of the best things about it.

 

I feel people who would go that route are either tournament guys with limited time on the lake or guys who don't have that real passion for fishing and "just wanna catch fish".

I hear ya ~

I'm in the same boat as far as locating structure, cover, bait & eventually fish.

No one does it for me and I do not fish anyone else's deal - ever.

Why folks do it, I can't say as it's just not my style. 

Either way, I certainly can not control what these humans do.

I can control my own experience however

and I have no trouble going to whatever lengths I need to,

to totally take them out of my own fishing equation. 

Super early & late season trips and being On & off the water early, really helps.

And then there's Night Ops  . . . . . . 

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

 

[The Maestro]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I hear ya ~

I'm in the same boat as far as locating structure, cover, bait & eventually fish.

No one does it for me and I do not fish anyone else's deal - ever.

Why folks do it, I can't say as it's just not my style. 

Either way, I certainly can not control what these humans do.

I can control my own experience however

and I have no trouble going to whatever lengths I need to,

to totally take them out of my own fishing equation. 

Super early & late season trips and being On & off the water early, really helps.

And then there's Night Ops  . . . . . . 

Fish Hard 

A-Jay

 

The thing about those clowns is they're the type to blow up spots since it was so easy for them to 'find' them they won't be nearly as careful as you are to try to keep them on the down low. Before you know it you'll be showing up with people anchored up on your spots catching them on a worm and bobber.  Most of those idiots are to dense to understand that.

[gim]

I don't usually run into people trying to steal spots when I'm bass fishing.  When I do run into those types is when I'm targeting crappies or walleyes because people target them almost solely for food here.  I recently had this happen this spring crappie fishing.  I'm the only one catching sizable crappies in a bay and within 30 minutes there are 8 other boats around me that have creeped in as close as they think they ethically can.  My rule is that if I can cast to you, you are too close.  When I left, 2 boats immediately moved on to my spot (which is fine, that's legal and ethical).  Another time this spring I actually had a boat come nearby and ask if it was OK to fish there.  I told him he was OK based on his distance.  That's the kind of people I can respect.  If I had told him he was too close, I am confident he would have backed off some.  He sat there for 30 minutes, didn't catch anything, and then left.

 

Recreational riff raff isn't out there to steal fishing spots but quite honestly they cause me more problems because they just barrel past way too close without caring.

[Team9nine]

8 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

No one does it for me and I do not fish anyone else's deal - ever.

Why folks do it, I can't say as it's just not my style. 

Either way, I certainly can not control what these humans do.

I can control my own experience, however, and I have no trouble going to whatever lengths I need to to totally take them out of my own fishing equation.

THIS ^^
 

…especially the last sentence. I’ve always been overprotective of the spots I find and the places on a lake I catch fish.

[A-Jay]

2 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

The thing about those clowns is they're the type to blow up spots since it was so easy for them to 'find' them they won't be nearly as careful as you are to try to keep them on the down low. Before you know it you'll be showing up with people anchored up on your spots catching them on a worm and bobber.  Most of those idiots are to dense to understand that.

Like I said, I get on my spots early.

And I'm talking Under the cover of darkness early.

If & when I'm not willing to do that, 

I expect whatever I get.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[The Maestro]

Just now, A-Jay said:

Like I said, I get on my spots early.

And I'm talking Under the cover of darkness early.

If & when I'm not willing to do that, 

I expect whatever I get.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

Trust me I do the same thing.

[the reel ess]

How do you drive past someone who catches a fish and forget it? I'm not going to go horn in on someone's honey hole while they're fishing it. But you can bet I'll give it a try when no one's on it. Anyway, those days are behind me because I have no motorboat.

[The Maestro]

Just now, the reel ess said:

How do you drive past someone who catches a fish and forget it? I'm not going to go horn in on someone's honey hole while they're fishing it. But you can bet I'll give it a try when no one's on it. Anyway, those days are behind me because I have no motorboat.

Go back and read the OP.

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, the reel ess said:

How do you drive past someone who catches a fish and forget it? I'm not going to go horn in on someone's honey hole while they're fishing it. But you can bet I'll give it a try when no one's on it. Anyway, those days are behind me because I have no motorboat.

Why would I be snooping into someone else’s boat ? I never look closely enough 

[the reel ess]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Like I said, I get on my spots early.

And I'm talking Under the cover of darkness early.

If & when I'm not willing to do that, 

I expect whatever I get.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

I used to do the same. But I couldn't get there early enough. Two boats of fishermen must have spent the night where I wanted to start fishing. 

[Jigfishn10]

Isn't it just part of fishing? There's no way to hide from it. 

 

You just hope when they do come.

They fish

They come up with empty fish - Hopefully.

They move on.

[the reel ess]

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Why would I be snooping into someone else’s boat ? I never look closely enough 

Was that a joke? The spot, not the boat.

 

This thread reminds me of an encounter my dad and I had with a guy who was practicing for a tourney. We were fishing one of our usual spots. He told us to avoid part of that bank because he had a tournament the next day and then he left. Well, you can imagine what we proceeded to do. Sucks for him, but if I have one day a week to catch bass you ain't telling me where I can do it.

[gunsinger]

I don't get poached much in the lake I fish but I do hate it when I've laid out a plan to fish along a specific path and others who put in later can clearly see where I'm heading and get there because their TM is faster than mine. 

 

But, it is first come, first served.  That's when I start praying for a better TM ?

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I used to do the same. But I couldn't get there early enough. Two boats of fishermen must have spent the night where I wanted to start fishing. 

OK 

Part of this for me starts with Lake Selection ~

I am fortunate enough that within 60-90 minutes there's quite a variety of Lake Menderchucks that all have a decent population of brown bass. 

Seems lakes close to the major highway and that have super easy and multiple access locations are often the busiest, regardless of the fishing.

I recognized this right away and have concentrated my efforts on 'other lakes'. 

Being slightly off the beaten path has paid off.

I still get poached a few times a season, but not when the big bite is on.

Because that's when it's freaking windy, boating conditions are often sketchy at best

 & it's wicked Cold.

The great equalized. 

I'm good with that. 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[gim]

3 minutes ago, gunsinger said:

I don't get poached much in the lake I fish but I do hate it when I've laid out a plan to fish along a specific path and others who put in later can clearly see where I'm heading and get there because their TM is faster than mine. 

 

When I can clearly see that someone is heading a specific direction (like down a shoreline or a specific set of docks), I do not go in front of them.  If I do, I go WAY in front of them.  Like hundreds of yards.

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Because that's when it's freaking windy, boating conditions are often sketchy at best

 & it's wicked Cold.

My best fishing is often when there's inclement conditions.  This keeps not only most casual "spot stealing" anglers off the lake, but also all the recreational boats too.  Its a win-win.

[The Maestro]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

 

When I can clearly see that someone is heading a specific direction, I do not go in front of them.  If I do, I go WAY in front of them.  Like hundreds of yards.

There's people that will just rip full speed with the outboard and jump right in front of you. Luckily most of those guys are clueless and don't catch much anyway.

[gim]

Just now, The Maestro said:

There's people that will just rip full speed with the outboard and jump right in front of you.

 

I'm sure there are.  I have never experienced that and if I did, it would certainly upset me.

[the reel ess]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

OK 

Part of this for me starts with Lake Selection ~

I am fortunate enough that within 60-90 minutes there's quite a variety of Lake Menderchucks that all have a decent population of brown bass. 

Seems lakes close to the major highway and that have super easy and multiple access locations are often the busiest, regardless of the fishing.

I recognized this right away and have concentrated my efforts on 'other lakes'. 

Being slightly off the beaten path has paid off.

I still get poached a few times a season, but not when the big bite is on.

Because that's when it's freaking windy, boating conditions are often sketchy at best

 & it's wicked Cold.

The great equalized. 

I'm good with that. 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

Yeah, my family had a house on Lake Wateree, SC. I used to go over and spend the night so I had my boat in and ready to go early. 

[The Maestro]

Just now, gimruis said:

 

I'm sure there are.  I have never experienced that and if I did, it would certainly upset me.

It doesn't happen often but like I said when it does they're just about certainly idiots that won't catch anything no matter the spot.