Spot stealing

[DitchPanda]

Well ill say it used to really bother me to the point at times that I would really get wound up and say something trying to start a confrontation. Now days I'm a little more grown up and while the bent rod pattern doesn't happen to me often, when it does I move to another spot. My says off are important enough to me that I'm not going to allow something dumb to ruin it. Do I think its unethical? Absolutely...that's why I don't do it. I agree with the statement you should never try to catch someone else's fish. Buddy to buddy is different..but to spot a random dude smoking em and move in on him without even asking is pathetic. You want my fish that bad? Take em...ill find more. Most people who do this don't catch any even once they are found for them so it works itself out.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Yeah it’s a bummer when I get to the lake and somebody’s sitting on all my top secret spots. Maybe they’re not that top secret after all. Dang it Richard !

[gim]

6 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

but to spot a random dude smoking em and move in on him without even asking is pathetic

 

I was always taught to treat others how you want to be treated.  Just keep your distance, don't cut someone off, and give them some space out there.  The meat hunters don't seem to have this kind of mentality based on what I have seen here.  Ice fishing is even worse here in the winter.  People will actually use your drilled holes 15 feet away if they are unattended.

[DitchPanda]

3 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

I was always taught to treat others how you want to be treated.  Just keep your distance, don't cut someone off, and give them some space out there.  The meat hunters don't seem to have this kind of mentality based on what I have seen here.  Ice fishing is even worse here in the winter.  People will actually use your drilled holes 15 feet away if they are unattended.

Have seen this alot first hand especially when perch are biting. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

Yeah my favorite is when mommie’s precious little angel squeezes his boat between me and the bank while he’s looking for bed fish. I love that !

[Bluebasser86]

Didn't happen as often in the boat, but aince I've mainly been kayak fishing, it's like I'm invisible to a lot of people. I just make it a point to try really hard to catch fish while they're right on top of me.

[Skunkmaster-k]

5 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Didn't happen as often in the boat, but aince I've mainly been kayak fishing, it's like I'm invisible to a lot of people. I just make it a point to try really hard to catch fish while they're right on top of me.

Kinda like riding a motorcycle. You need a horn on your kayak. 

[scaleface]

They suck .

[Black Hawk Basser]

I don't have to worry around here, as only about 1% of the anglers around here actively bass fish.  The vast majority are meat hunting for bluegill, crappie, perch and walleye.  The worst I get is people approaching me and asking if I'm catching.  When they realize I'm bass fishing, their interest wanes.

[Bankbeater]

I don't see to much of this where I fish because a lot of the other anglers are bucket fishermen that will sit on one or two spots all morning.

The anglers that do try and jump a spot seem to be the wanna be tourny anglers that think they own the water.  Doesn't seem to matter they are using a completely different bait with a completely different presentation.

[T-Billy]

23 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Didn't happen as often in the boat, but aince I've mainly been kayak fishing, it's like I'm invisible to a lot of people. I just make it a point to try really hard to catch fish while they're right on top of me.

That's REALLY sorry. I ALWAYS give Yaks and bank fisherman lots of space. They have limited range. I have the whole lake. No biggie for me to go hit another spot.

[GreenPig]

The fishermen watchers & bent rod pattern folks have multiplied by 10 since the Covid run all the nonfishing folks to fishing. Similar to A - Jay that's when I'll spotlock, check in with the wife, and have some coffee. I think it's the uneducated for the most part but also lazy.

[Catt]

One of the joys of night fishing...ain't nobody around!

 

July through August at night on Toledo Bend you can go 10-12 hrs without hearing another boat.

 

I got all they're spots ?

[The Maestro]

10 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

The fishermen watchers & bent rod pattern folks have multiplied by 10 since the Covid run all the nonfishing folks to fishing. Similar to A - Jay that's when I'll spotlock, check in with the wife, and have some coffee. I think it's the uneducated for the most part but also lazy.

Excellent post especially the last part.

[GreenPig]

8 minutes ago, Catt said:

One of the joys of night fishing...ain't nobody around!

 

July through August at night on Toledo Bend you can go 10-12 hrs without hearing another boat.

 

I got all they're spots ?

Night fishing is definitely good but unfortunately I've got an old 81 year old man that follows me around in his boat at night. He's my buddy but every now & then I'll still holler at him to "GET OFF MY SPOT". He just acts like he can't hear me and keeps doing his thing.?

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

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.

I thought you said drive by someone that catches a fish. If I’m driving by, I’m not watching other boats to see if they catch fish. That’s how it all starts !!

[The Maestro]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

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.

Then he really wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He might as well have just told you there's a bunch of tournament caliber fish on that spot.  But then a lot those guys feel entitled to the lake just because they fish tournaments.

[the reel ess]

10 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I thought you said drive by someone that catches a fish. If I’m driving by, I’m not watching other boats to see if they catch fish. That’s how it all starts !!

No, I said if you're driving by (or trolling for that matter) and see someone catch a fish, how do you not retain and use that info? I don't mean run right up on him and start fishing the spot. I'd never do that. But it's happened to me.

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

No, I said if you're driving by (or trolling for that matter) and see someone catch a fish, how do you not retain and use that info? I don't mean run right up on him and start fishing the spot. I'd never do that. But it's happened to me.

Yeah it happens a lot. I don’t watch other people fishing. You can’t get on a bent rod pattern without watching other people bend their rods 

 

ive got several buddies that constantly concern themselves with what all the other boats on the water are fishing/catching. I could care less 

[DitchPanda]

30 minutes ago, Black Hawk Basser said:

I don't have to worry around here, as only about 1% of the anglers around here actively bass fish.  The vast majority are meat hunting for bluegill, crappie, perch and walleye.  The worst I get is people approaching me and asking if I'm catching.  When they realize I'm bass fishing, their interest wanes.

Agreed...that's why I said it doesn't happen much to me either. In fact the fishing around me isn't great which is awesome for me because almost everybody leaves town to seek out panfish and wall eyes. But there is the occasional moron that likes to stand in my shadow.

 

28 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

That's REALLY sorry. I ALWAYS give Yaks and bank fisherman lots of space. They have limited range. I have the whole lake. No biggie for me to go hit another spot.

 Need more boat owners to understand this. Not only do boat guys have more access but you don't own the lake just because you've spent more money. That said most of the boat guys around here are guys I know..some I know very well...so my interactions with them are basically all positive. Had a guy in a boat approach me a few years back and ask if I knew where to find some bluegills. Gave him some spots and a few hours later he returned with a nice batch of keeper gills for supper. He then told me of a spot he saw several bass busting on shad. I went over there with a spinnrtbait and caught several nice largemouth. Be nice to see more situations like that.

  Anyway thanks for how you treat us lowly bank guy. Good on you my friend its much appreciated.

[T-Billy]

I used to get bent out of shape over people crowding me or cutting me off. Now days I don't sweat it.  Most guys that pull that crap are less than stellar fisherman anyway. Catch a few while they zero, and they'll fire up and go pester someone else. 

 

As far as them blowing up the area, I haven't seen it. The fish are used to boat traffic in the small highly pressured lakes we have in my neck of the woods. I just keep on doing my thing.

 

I'm with A-jay on tactics. I'm out there from ice out to ice over. I love the cold water periods, and I night fish alot in the summer. In most of my pictures with big'uns, I'm either bundled up or it's dark. Definitely a trend there. 

[Bankc]

I'm rarely bothered by others.  Though the people cutting in front when I'm trolling or drifting a bank, and the people who punch it full speed out of there, right next to me bother me a bit because I'm in a kayak and that will either ruin an hour of my time (because it takes me forever to get to another spot) or is dangerous (high waves when you're standing on a kayak is no fun).

 

But I take a deep breath and let it all go.  The world is full of stupid people.  You can't let them bring you down to their level.  And getting angry will make you stupid.  

[ajschn06]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

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.

If someone said that to me I'd be sure to let him know what my plans were when he left...

[T-Billy]

2 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Agreed...that's why I said it doesn't happen much to me either. In fact the fishing around me isn't great which is awesome for me because almost everybody leaves town to seek out panfish and wall eyes. But there is the occasional moron that likes to stand in my shadow.

 

 Need more boat owners to understand this. Not only do boat guys have more access but you don't own the lake just because you've spent more money. That said most of the boat guys around here are guys I know..some I know very well...so my interactions with them are basically all positive. Had a guy in a boat approach me a few years back and ask if I knew where to find some bluegills. Gave him some spots and a few hours later he returned with a nice batch of keeper gills for supper. He then told me of a spot he saw several bass busting on shad. I went over there with a spinnrtbait and caught several nice largemouth. Be nice to see more situations like that.

  Anyway thanks for how you treat us lowly bank guy. Good on you my friend its much appreciated.

 Absolutely. Rule #2, Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, ajschn06 said:

If someone said that to me I'd be sure to let him know what my plans were when he left...

Beware of the red herring