How long do you wait

[Aaron]

I hate being late too.  And I hate waiting on people.  The guy I usually fish with is always 15 - 30 minutes late for EVERYTHING, but its his boat so I have to deal with that.  Any other time though he gets a good a** chewing or gets left.

[Lady Bass]

         I don't mind waiting a little bit but then I leave.I figure something is up and they will know where to find me.I can't believe some of you guys left your wife behind.if my husband did that to me he would pay a heavy price.!!

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

if my husband did that to me he would pay a heavy price.!!

double digit heavy!  Personally, the "meet point" time is set so we can be a specific place at a specific time.  

[Lady Bass]

if my husband did that to me he would pay a heavy price.!!

double digit heavy! Personally, the "meet point" time is set so we can be a specific place at a specific time.

            I know what you mean and that's a good rule to stand by.

[SENKOSAM]

Depends on whom I've invited to go fishing on my boat.

The simple fact of it is - I like to fish with others and value their input, knowledge and company. If I've made the offer to a newbie, you better believe he needs to tell me if he'll be late, how late and the time he gets to the launch by cell. No cell? Too bad! :'(

If I've invited an experienced angler or friend, I would expect a phone call to be able to plan the launch. Heck, I'll pick you up when you get to the launch, but I'll start fishing in the mean time. If you have to wait at the launch, so be it! The other option is to ride in my vehicle to the launch and be on time at my house unless a valid excuse is offered (IE car broke down, traffic jam, got lost, fell down the stairs). I no longer wait for people who have unexpected priorities that prevent them from being ready and waiting (had to get a fishing lic., go to the deli or had to do something for the wife).

In my club, we are tolerant of late boaters, but start without them. We bend the rules because we don't treat any tournament like a BASS classic and though competitive, never take things that serious.

Fishing is about fun, not frustration, and plan B is always available to minimize disruption of my peace of mind on the water. Some have a different time table, I have mine and sometimes they don't conincide. Being late might be forgiven twice, but not again.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I work for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare...I am around many people on a daily basis that are unable to understand the importance of being on time for appointments. This has to do with providing for your family's needs for food, medical assistance, etc...and I have NO TOLERANCE for those who are late.

Fishing for fun, I can live with someone being late, just not too late....

Tournament day....well, lets just say your rear end better be where it needs to be. Luckily enough, the partner doesnt keep me waiting. He is usually the one in the driveway first...

[Matt Fly]

The ground rules are set on the first trip.    I or we leave at 5 am, not 5:01.    At 5:01 i'm on the road.  

If its tourney, half the money invested is mine, so I call to ensure that my half is not wasted and partner is up and running.

I don't get upset if you are late or don't call.    I was going anyway.    I don't even want an excuse, that just makes it easier to do the same thing again later down the road if your given the opportunity again.

Matt.

[Fish Chris]

I wouldn't wait at all..... Instead, I would start fishing very close to the launch ramp (so I could still see him when he arrived. SOOO many people overlook the fact that launch ramps are often some of the best fishing areas on the lake ! I often get a good laugh, out of the guys in the 80 mph high-per bass boats, who think the only place the fish will bite, is on the far end of the lake ;-)

In any case, I almost never have to wait on anybody, because I almost never fish with anyone. If I want to leave early, or late, I will ! I call all of the shots on my fishing trips.

Peace,

Fish

[Laggyman]

You guys might think I'm out of my mind!!

I wait about 20min for my girl to get ready everytime I go fishing. And I'm willing to wait patiently because I think fishing is no fun without a great partner.   I'm just a fun-fish kind of guy and it's OK because I fish 1hr more after we call it quits anyway ;D

Worst part is not waiting for your partner, but getting past the darned traffic jams..... This summer I managed to get myself caught in a mess. 40km long traffic jam at 4:00AM!! On the Highway... Took me more than twice what it usually takes.... aaarrgh Those drunk drivers who manage to wreck their cars in ways unimaginable

[Dan:]

You could leave on time, but your friends are gonna start thinking you are inconsiderate. Humans are more important than fish, remember that. Don't you like fishing with the people you invite? Then why the intolerance to their lateness? I can understand if a guy does it a dozen times, but if it's just a couple, I mean come on, everyone runs late every now and then. Just give the guy a call to see what's up with him and when he'll be there. For all you know, he could be getting eaten by a pack of rabid dogs or something terrible. Then wouldn't you feel bad.

[Shad_Master]

We used to have a guy in our club that got booted out for this very reason -- he was always late and sometimes didn't show at all.  Never seemed to be remorseful either.  I got drawn to fish with him at one tournament and decided the best way to be on time was if I offered to pull his boat with my truck -- I figured if I had the boat I would have him -- the morning of the tournament we woke up at 5:30 for a 7:00 blast (we were about 20 minutes from the lake) and he got completely dressed and then announced he was going to take a shower.  While he was showering, I put all the stuff in the boat so that when he came out all he had to do was get in the truck and we could go.  As we were pulling out of the parking lot, he announced that he needed gas for the boat.  I pulled into the gas station and went in to buy ice for the cooler.  When I came out, I passed him going in.  The pump had not been turned on???  So I filled the boat up with gas and went to let him know he could pay (I had paid for the motel and the gas to drive us to the lake).  He was walking around the aisles of the gas station "looking at stuff".  I told him we needed to go and he wandered up to the cashier.  Before paying, he struck up a conversation about how the fishing had been.  I told, "tick-tock", we gotta go.  He finally paid and we pulled out.  Got to the ramp just as the last boat was being launched .  It took us almost 1 1/2 hours to travel 20 minutes.

The guy was a heck of a fisherman, but not dependable.  The next year the club voted him out.

[flechero]

Humans are more important than fish...

That also goes for the guy waiting for you to show up... respect the person you are supposed to meet. When I invite someone, I go out of my way... supply the boat, gas, in some cases tackle and rods, food, beverages and work much like a guide to ensure they have a good time... All I / we ask is that you show an ounce of courtesy and be on time, or call if you are running late. It takes a hell of a lot less effort than I have already put out to get things ready for the day.

I see the point you are trying to make but what about the inconsiderate person who is late? And I sit there awake, wasting time, looking to take someone out on a fishing trip (or hunting trip) and they don't even have the decency to call and say "I'm running late"...   B.S. to that!!

If I say I will meet you at xxxx time... I will be there a few minutes before and on the OFF chance I am running a few minutes late, you will have been called earlier to say I was running late... because I am considerate. If I am late and haven't called- please call the police because I have been in a terrible accident and can't dial my cell phone. It's just not that hard to be on time or at least pick up the stupid phone.

Ok, off the soapbox now.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

My wife calls me "anal-retentive". I have three Atomic Clocks. My watches are within 1 second of "real time". I have been 39 years old for 15 years, and I have NEVER  been late for ANYTHING. My wife compliments all of the components of a magnet, she has NEVER been on time for ANYTHING.

I have a great deal of tolerance for everything, but I am NEVER late.

[Hale]

I left my wife at home once (and went on to a family gathering) just to make my point.  She wasn't impressed but she's rarely late anymore.

This happened on an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. Raymond was tired of always being late, he leaves her behind, and well youll have to watch it. Funny stuff!!!

[Bassassasin12]

just last week I met up with a member from the board and I made sure I left half an hour earlier than the time he set to meet at so I wouldnt hold him up and I could show respect and make a good impression. It is just common sense not to be late for things. I was there fishing from the shore when he pulled up, we loaded my stuff up, launched the boat, and took off. I agree with GMAN thats the way it should be.

[Panamoka_Bassin]

I am constantly baraged by people being late, and it drives me nuts. I am one to always be early, or at worst, right on time. Lately, thought, it seems my girlfriend has been making me late for things and I am close to blowing my top with her. I have repeatedly told her we need to be somewhere @ such a time, and she shows up to my house at that time (or generally later). She made us VERY late to my best friends b-day party (over 1 1/2 hrs late), and I let her know how dissappointed I was. For a while she was very good about being on time, but lately she's been sliding back to old ways. I don't like to get mad, especially at her, but it seems like its the only way to get her to understand that I don't like being late.

Rather than whining and fighting about it, though, I think that there has to be a way to teach her to be more ontime that doesn't result in me sleeping alone. I've tried being patient, and if I leave her behind like some of you guys have, I'll be sleeping alone for a VERY long time. I think I might need to find that happy middle ground. Anyone know where that is?

[Chug Bug]

This reply is going to make you guys hate your late budies even more..  We had in-service training one year a couple years ago with a Psychiatrist who specialized in personality disorders.  Now I don't know if this is scientific fact or not, but it was what this Doctor told us.  Persons who are habitually or even generally late are suffering from an axis of self important protocol.  They derive great joy and a brief feeling that they are the most powerful person in the world if they know that they are able to control other people by keeping them waiting, or not enabling them to start an important meeting, event, or function.  When they finally do arrive, they are invariably the center of attention which further enhances their feelings of grandeur even if the attention is negative.

[roadwarrior]

P_B,

Plan EVERYTHING a half hour early and DON"T cave, that is, never tell her your plan or it won't work. I do this all the time and although we are occasionally early, we are never late if I'm the one making the plans.

[liquidsoap]

Maybe he was trying to be fashionably late???  ;D

Just kidding, I would give him no more then 5 minutes, and if he was not on time then I would call them and tell them sorry about your luck.  

[JiggaMan512]

Man yall are lucky to even have someone to BE running late. Most all of my friends are "too cool" to go fishing.

[Keithscatch]

I'm not anal retentive like some of you all. I am the guy with the boat and sometimes when I tell folks to meet me at such and such time I arrive a few minutes late. If they are not there which most often is not the case I will wait for them. But like I said it hardly if ever happens. I had a friend in Texas who was late allot. He was late for a Skeeter owners tournament by 1 hour one time. I waited 10 minutes for him and went fishing that day anyway. I later picked his sorry butt up at the ramp and we had a bad day that day because of it.

[RiskKid.]

I agree 100%. I do not own a boat so any invitation for me is like a million bucks. I tend to be early and grateful for the invitation. I just think thats common courtesy if someone is nice enough to take you out. It would get under my skin if I had the boat and invited someone.

[BassKing813]

After countless angry trips, I no longer wait at all. I say I'm leaving at XX:XX time and I do. If you need to load gear, be there early because I pull out of the driveway at the specified time... one exception... a phone call BEFORE leaving time to say you are going to be a few minutes late, and that only buys 5-10 minutes.

One guy used to avg 20-60 minutes late... once I put the foot down and left him, he's never been late again.

I left my wife at home once (and went on to a family gathering) just to make my point. She wasn't impressed but she's rarely late anymore. ...lol

Rules to live by... "I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late." -unknown

Sounds like somebody spent the night on the couch, lol. ;D

[GeneinTX]

My view is this: I work all week, my time is valuable. I will not wait for anyone, period. I spent 21 years in the army and nearly all of my friends are military. Theya can make it for work they can make it to fish!

We always had a saying in the army "if you are 10 minutes early, you are late"

Now, Flechero, you are my hero. I ahve wanted to do that so many times!!! I am sure I will tomorrow morning!!

I usually fish with my 14 Y/O son, I have to wake him up like 300 times in the morning to go out on a Saturday,  he eventually does, but it is hard.

[cart7t]

This thread reminds me of an old story that happened on time when I was in this bass club. We had a tourney at Lake of the Ozarks, long known for it's night life. A some of the guys went into town for some drinking and maybe to get lucky. The next morning one of the guys was nowhere to be found. He had told his partner if he wasn't there to go out without him (The boat was his!).  Sure enough, his boatless partner wasn't sure what to do so he asked us and we told him to take out his boat and fish just like he said.

As we were floating around in the cove waiting for the takeoff time we hear car horn blaring in the distance getting louder. Here comes the guy hauling butt down the road to the resort horn blaring. He pulls up to the dock and gets out, still without his pants zipped or buckled.  Quite a scene.   ;D