Too close?

I was shore fishing yesterday at a popular shore spot. When this boat pulls in and very slowly trolls through the exact area we were all fishing. He was inside a cast length. I don’t usually get to bent about where people fish, but this seemed too close to me.
Dan

Attachments:

1. 

   IMG_20170509_195928.jpg
   

I agree. I very rarely shore fish but I give shore fisherman space. I feel that the person in the boat has way more options for fishing spots than the shore people. JMO

Unfortunately the worlds full of Richard heads.

Pretty douche baggy move there. Especially with kids trying to have some fun.

-J.

I’d wonder to myself why I spent so much money on a boat if that’s where I wanted to fish.

I see this quite a bit on P2. If you are in a boat give the guys on shore some space.

Neither the shore fisherman nor the boat have a greater “right” to any area of water, so there has to be a mutual respect there. Same goes for multiple boats on the water. It sucks when that respect breaks down but I’ve found it easiest to just let it go.

I for one am not going to end up like that father of 5 who got stabbed on the St. Croix a couple years back because he couldn’t tolerate a bunch of punks being loud and cussing while fishing from shore.

pool2fool wrote:

Neither the shore fisherman nor the boat have a greater “right” to any area of water, so there has to be a mutual respect there. Same goes for multiple boats on the water. It sucks when that respect breaks down but I’ve found it easiest to just let it go.

I for one am not going to end up like that father of 5 who got stabbed on the St. Croix a couple years back because he couldn’t tolerate a bunch of punks being loud and cussing while fishing from shore.

I totally agree. That’s why the only thing I was “brave” enough to do, was take a secret photo, and complain on social media.

Every time this comes up, it chaps my hide. I don’t understand it. I have a little radar in my gut that starts to go off when I feel like I “might” be encroaching on someone else. I deliberately give everyone a exaggerated wide berth.

I just don’t understand the mentality to just not give a rip, or worse, purposely impose on other people fishing.

I like to clear my mind and relax when fishing which is impossible if I have a nagging feeling that I might be being a pain in the rear to someone else trying to do the same.

You may have wanted to fish a certain spot, but if someone beats you to it, tough crap. Or if you are going to fish the same area, strike up a conversation, gauge the other person and figure out how you both can fish it without treading on each other.

I must have had a bad experience as a child I am blocking.

Dan Baker wrote:

I was shore fishing yesterday at a popular shore spot. When this boat pulls in and very slowly trolls through the exact area we were all fishing. He was inside a cast length. I don’t usually get to bent about where people fish, but this seemed too close to me.
Dan

Is that BeeBee Lake?

Certain times call for certain measures.

That particular situation is pretty crappy looking. Lots of room on lake, and doubt the people on shore are that on fire to warrant getting close.

Now, a popluar wind swept rock point with boats pounding all around on opener and noone is hitting the small trough to the right of it…..goddam right I’m squeezing in that biatch and pulling a couple out from right behind people.

Though it doesn’t look like it is the case in this picture I will admit that I have accidentally trolled up on people shore fishing and not noticed them till I was right on top of them. Sometimes its a lot easier from shore to see a boat than it is from a boat to see people fishing on shore.

I would think the guy in the boat would get the hint when someone’s lure or bobber bounces of the side of his boat

pool2fool and Pug both had good takes on this. Shouldn’t matter if it someone is fishing out of a boat, dock, shore, etc. The mutual respect thing is spot on. Similar to first person in line at a store, someone who gets to a treadmill or piece of equipment at the gym, etc. That’s life and sometimes you have to share or cede a little because (this may be a shock for some) there are other people in this world trying to exist as well.

walleyebuster5 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dan Baker wrote:</div>
I was shore fishing yesterday at a popular shore spot. When this boat pulls in and very slowly trolls through the exact area we were all fishing. He was inside a cast length. I don’t usually get to bent about where people fish, but this seemed too close to me.
Dan

Is that BeeBee Lake?

Good Eye!

Yeah, in this case he was trolling through very slowly, less than a half mile and hour. And once past the spot, he turned and came back through! He actually got inside one the shore fisherman’s bobber, commented on being too close, and then still didn’t move. It was pretty impressive.

Dan Baker wrote:

He actually got inside one the shore fisherman’s bobber, commented on being too close, and then still didn’t move. It was pretty impressive.

Yes but did he ask to “play through”?

My parents taught me to be courteous and respectful of others and I in turn taught my children to do the same. I will never pull in on anyone or encroach in anyway on anyone who got to a spot before I did. The only exception to this is at “community” spots where you can expect to have company. For those that don’t give me the same respect I try to provide some form of education. I find that most of these people fall into one of two groups. They are either entitled jerks who believe it is there right to go where they want and do what they want no matter who was there before them or they are just too ignorant or stupid to know better. For jerks I continue to fish as I did before they pulled in, protect the spot on the spot often frustrating them into leaving all the while acting friendly. For a few I have told them “it is good to know you don’t mind company we’ll be seeing more of you”. Funny they don’t like people pulling in on them. For the ones that you can tell are new to the area or for whatever reason don’t know better I try to tell them in a friendly manner that they really shouldn’t pull in on other people and that the next guy they do it to might not be as friendly.

I get dirty looks from people all the time when I am in my boat and they are shore fishing. I get so close they have to pull in their line for me. But that is what they get for fishing off the boat launch dock. If he is cutting in between someone and their bobber, he should move out away from shore in that spot. There is nothing wrong trolling close to shore. But if someone is already there, give them some room.

So what about the flip side. You walk up to a good shoreline and someone is trolling within 20′ of shore and approaching you. Do you leave the area and find a new spot?

I think lakes are different, but on the Miss where I fish, the break is so tight to shore that I am often a rod length or two from shore.

In a boat, how far out should I go to avoid shore fisherman? Do you move past where the fish are or move out as far as I think they can reasonably cast?

I always try to show respect. I avoid shorelines with people when possible. But I have hooked a line or two by accident when they are way out into the channel. I apologize, cut their line with my knife and speed out of there whenever it happens (kidding).

DaveB wrote:

So what about the flip side. You walk up to a good shoreline and someone is trolling within 20′ of shore and approaching you. Do you leave the area and find a new spot?

Wait for the boat and his lines to pass and then fish.

My grandfather used to joke that people on shore cast towards the middle of the lake and people in boats cast toward shore.

He’s been gone for more than 20 years and the only thing that has changed is that there are more people on shore and in boats.

I chuckle every time I see this argument throughout the year.

Why would anyone (from shore or boat) want to be anywhere near other boats or lines? I will easily log 100+ days in a boat this year and another dozen from shore, and I will be able to count on one hand the number of times I am within a few hundred yards of another fishing line. There are thousands of lakes and thousands of miles of rivers. When people line up on a spot and compete for their space, it has to take the enjoyment out of fishing.

Even if someone attempts to move-in on my space, I’ll gladly move. …Depending on the situation, I generally make sure to make a nice sweeping semi-circle exit with the boat plowing water on departure however

But if he is working a particular shore, it is right to take HIS spot by setting up in an area that the boat is clearly fishing? Is that better or worse than dropping anchor in someone’s drift or trolling pattern?

If I am walking up to the shore to fish and a boat is their, I am definitely going to give them space. The thing about this situation that I thought was a problem was when his boat was physically closer to shore than the shore fisherman’s bobber. If he was out deeper and sending his bobber to a similar spot at the shore guys, it would be a little awkward, but understandable. By if I can cast into your live well…you might be too close.

So a guy is trolling a 300 yards stretch of shore a shore angler can’t fish any of it or anyone else for that matter? If someone is trolling I consider say a 100 yard buffer around wherever he is at that point in time.

If he is trolling in a tight circle around 1 spot, ok I’ll move on and leave it to him.

I’ve been in a boat and seen a guy 100 yards or more away working the shore and I’ve waited for him to pass before moving into the shore spot I was planning on fishing.

It all depends on the situation and for me there are no concrete rules. Like I said, I have a meter and I read people’s vibes as well. I’d rather go to a different area than put up with some dork mumbling under his breath or not being friendly.

That looks like a “pool 4 mile”!

You want a problem just anchor and make 6 lengthy casts with your 6 sturgeon rods in a semi populated walleye community spot… Afton catfish bar is a good one.

Then just reel in the walleye fisherman’s lures every time they snag your 100# line…. It is funny to watch them grab their rod with drag screening thinking it is a fish, then they realize it is me… And all of a sudden it is my stationary baits fault that their moving presentation hooked my bait. Real head scratcher.

Been told many things in that scenario… I always like when they tell me I have too many lines. Doah… Read the regs lately?
Wi side, 3/per guy. They just want to me take up less space.

It is usually the guy trolling or rigging a 1 mile long break who comes around about every half hour to give you grief…lol. I’m”sitting” on much less water than your “claiming” with your trolling break.

I fish enough I avoid crowds like the plague, but I also fish enough that I like to monitor the community spots because it is entertaining to know the community hole is empty, yet full of boats. So I’ll visit them periodically but generally all I need to do is scan it with my birds to know exactly what’s going down.

I try to give all shore fisherman the right of way and generally I give most boats the right of way too… I make an effort not to run over the areas people are fishing to not startle their fish. I’m on the water enough it wouldn’t take long to get a bad rap if you were a jerk even remotely often. I don’t recall ever snagging someone else’s line when fishing from a boat, but as mentioned sometimes mine get caught when anchored.

But dangit sometimes it rubs me that I cannot drop anchor and fish for something different than stinking walleye and the second I do all of a sudden I’m in the spot on the spot.

Miles and Miles of water.
Patience is priceless.

Did I mention how nice is it to fish November, December, January, February and March!!!

@DaveB

P2 is tough because in the summer time you troll so close to the shoreline. However, if I’m coming up or downstream and shore fisherman have lines out I give them the right of way so to speak. Sometimes it sucks but I would expect them to do the same if I am on a trolling pass and they are walking to a spot. I would assume you practice kind of the same thing.

The other thing I like is bass fisherman covering docks. We have a family place on a popular bass lake and they will cozy right up even if people are on the dock or using the lake to swim. I don’t really mind it so long as they are respectful. Some people get really po’d at them, though. The only thing that gets me going is when they hook the underside of the dock and break off and leave a huge hook there. My dad sliced his hand open a couple of years ago because of that.