Fishing with integrity?

I’ve seen posts in the past here about fishing tournaments with different people and the problems that arise from fishing another guys spot, and was wondering if someone still has it available or not. The question arose in our club meeting last night about what is proper and not proper when fishing with different guys and what’s acceptable or not as far as fishing other guys spots(Not just a 1/4 mile stretch of shoreline – an actual spot on the spot) that you fished with in the past (could be 1, could be 10 years). Open for discussion and criticizm! Ready, set, go! Thanks Fishnut

If you know the spot is there I don’t see how anyone could get upset with you for fishing it. The problem is…how does the other guy know if you followed him/her in there on a whim or actually knew the spot was there.

If it is a very small spot and you crowd in on someone that is already there I would say that is probably not the best ettiquette.

Unfortunately in tournament fishing when people “find” a spot you are going to run in to situations like this…the perception might be that someone tailpiped(followed) you to “the spot” or saw you catch a fish there and is trying to move in on you…but unless you were on that spot 24 hrs a day 7 days a week…there is no way to know for sure if the person followed you or actually knew about it themselves from the day before or 5 years ago.

It is a tough situation….best thing to do is give them plenty of space because that is what you would want if it was your spot, but if they aren’t there and you knew about it other than just seeing them there….then it isn’t “their spot” so I would fish it.

Nut,

this is always a very fine line in fishing, and Several scenario’s can come into play. Here’s just one example.

Say i’m fishing w/Crawford and he takes me to a spot of his and we just pound fish. A tournament comes up a few weeks later and he goes to that spot and I’m already on it, pounding fish.( or guiding on it ‘eh JC? ) In the fishing world, that would be a very unsportsman like thing to do. Now had he NOT been fishing the same tournament….I would’ve asked him if he cared if i fished that spot. WHY? b/c while he may have taken me there, he might also be using that spot for an upcoming tournament of his…and i should respect that it was him that put me on this spot…

I know some of you say, well if he doesn’t want it known, don’t show people. That does hold water, but i’m not using that as an example…lol

Like i said, fine line, and i’m sure we’ll argue this back and forth all day.

If somebody show you a “spot” then it needs to be respected. Like slop said, ask permission to use it in a tourny or something, make sure that guy isn’t going to need it any time soon, etc. But on the other hand I also feel like once you’ve been shown something would you better yourself by going and trying to find other things similiar that you can call your own. I’ve been shown a thing or two here and there and almost regret it cause now I can’t really ever fish there and feel I most likely would have found it on my own. Point being, I really limit myself to fishing with others anymore as I don’t want to be put in that position.

“Spots” are stupid. Patterns are not. If all you know is spots, you will most likely never be consistant.

I am not sure how this falls into the first posts but I have found myself shown a “spot” EXAMPLE: a wingdam by someone. I fish it on my own a time or two and find that there is also a great sand point that the person never saw and that really holds the fish. Point being although the difference is only a few feet and it would still be impossible to share in a tourney with another person, has that other persons spot now become your own with this change?

I am usually in contact with those people and share this info with them.

A great example would be the I was in a tourney a few weeks back my partner and myself were fishing it but also have a good friendship with a third person who was in the tourney as well. In prefishing we felt good about our starting spot but felt we should talk with thrid person, Sure enough he wanted to start the day in the same place.

He graciously relented the day of the tourney took a different route and found a fantastic pattern that gave him the win.

Morel of the story…if there is one, sharing information can be good for everyone. Keeps the peace and friendship and darn if everything didn’t work out.

OH wait I lost the tourney

Well we are still friends and still share information.

Quote:

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“Spots” are stupid. Patterns are not. If all you know is spots, you will most likely never be consistant.

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I consider a spot anywhere the fish are know to congregate to feed/live even if they aren’t biting. If you don’t know where the fish feed/live you aren’t going to catch a lot of fish. Though there are the strays that are out on their own. I’ve probably got a different definition of a spot than you.

As to fishing a spot you were shown. Resist the temptation. Go find a similar looking location/pattern. I’ve seen the best of spots change and no longer have schools of fish on them. Other places no one knows about have stayed the same in that period of time. And yes those other guys started fishing said spots. Then again, those fish from those spots moved to other even better locations.

Ok, I’ll add my 1/2 cent.

Since I learned to fish on reseovoirs, I would have agreed with Eric 100% whole heartedly. Spots on resovoirs are more like “locations”. Granted, there is the “spot on the spot”, i.e stump on the point, log on the channel swing, etc. Regardless, most of those are deep. Thus even if you give me the spot, I still have to catch the fish. The latter being MUCH more part of the game, even if you know the fish are there. If you show me where you caught fish like crazy with a jig, and I go there and throw a fluke, I might not catch anything.

When I first moved to MN, I pretty much thought the same thing as Eric. “Spots suck”. LOL Meaning they weren’t that big of a deal (see above). Since being here, I’ve learned that MN Lakes and the River are WAY different than a southern resevoir. Granted you still have to catch the fish, but there are certain spots that are just plain “money”. I believe that is because fish school more in the natural lakes and especially on the river.

Then there is the old saying, the only thing certain is change. This is definitely true on the river. A “spot” could be a great “spot” for many years, and then poof it’s gone.

The last thing I wanted to mention was about Eric’s (and someone else I believe) about feeling that you can never go back to someone’s spot although you probably would have learned it yourself eventually. I understand that completely. I don’t think you should quit fishing with folks because of that. I do, however, believe that is why a person usually has a few people he fished with a LOT. The 2 guys that I fish with on the river the most have showed me a TON. One pool I wonder if there is actually any shoreline left to fish that I haven’t been shown! BUT, I communicate very well with these guys and know I could fish stuff at anytime as long as I talk to them about it first. Even if I have been shown exactly where to go and what to do, I still have a lot to learn!

Chuck

I think there is a number of answers for this question. First …if you are talking main channel on the river and it’s over a yr, forget it. Very good chance that the spot with in the spot has changed. There are very few spots anymore that are secret. So if it’s a common hole that boats hit all the time, then i wouldnt mind showing anyone.
Now… If i have what i think is a true secret spot,then to be honest very few people will find out about it. I may fish the spot with someone in my boat and they would never know it. As we all know it’s the spot with in the spot that counts.
I dont mind telling anyone if im on fish and what type of cover im fishing. I would tell you how deep,what im using and what color. Unless you are my only partner and have my complete trust……Well, you just dont sell your mama’s shoes

Here, here Dan
Oh, I’m sorry I’m a eye guy

Got a scenario that happened to me in a club tournament and not sure if I was in the wrong, tell me what you guys think. I’ve got a slop ‘spot’ on the river that’s actually in a very big area, but water was real low and the fish were concentrated in a farm pond size area in this big area. Prefishing, I go back there which is actually like a quarter mile through a foot of water and matted slop before it opens up just a little into some 2-4foot water, anyway, they’re there, stick 2 solid 16 inchers, stick the hooks in my rat and get like 30 more blowups in the next half hour. I spend the next hour and a half going back and forth through the slop to get into it with my trolling motor so I can get in quicker next day. Everyone in my club knows where I’m going so they respect it, except a new guy (he doesn’t know me at all) who I see coming down to the entrance area. He asks if you can get back there, I’m like ‘you can now’ I’m sweating my balls off because its like 95 degrees at 8 in the morning and I just had to reset my breakers for the 3rd time, so I tell him I’d appreciate it if he didn’t go back there. He and his partner kind of grumble and head off. I apologized later and kind of explained the situation but I don’t know if they just acted like it was cool or not. So was I out of line?