Question.... well before I get to that, let me state this first. I would never encroach upon someone, recreational fisherman or guide, who was anchored or drifting upon a certain spot.

If someone is trolling (big motor) back and forth over a ledge, hump, shoreline, or any other various structure or marker, guide or not (shouldn't make a diff IMO), is it bad etiquette to rotate in and also troll that same area along with the other boat, as long as you are not crossing in front of them, over their lines, disturbing the area, or squeezing them out? Or is that area, perhaps because they are a guide, somehow off limits and the one particular boat can then claim to have full spectrum dominance over that location?

I'm asking because I have been in plenty of situations where multiple boats, guide boats included, especially on big lakes, are all trolling the same area, with courtesy, and nobody is getting upset and yelling at the other boat for daring to try and troll the same structure as that one other boat. I tried this yesterday and I was confronted by a not so happy camper who was obviously a guide, and I guess he thought I was reaching in his pocket or something.

I don't usually troll on Texoma, but do plenty on Twok, where it doesn't seem to be an issue. Is Texoma somehow different? Was I in the wrong? Fish weren't really cooperating yesterday for me, so had to resort to some trolling. Again, would never roll up on someone drifting, anchored, or otherwise, but when they are trolling with their big motor, I didn't view that as off limits to access the same structure (assuming I didn't stop and get in the way). Please let me know if I am the wrong and I will take note.

Thx

Rotating in on a community (well known public area) is totally fine.

The challenge you are going to face when doing this is trolling behind another boat� When they hook up and stop to take Fish off and you do not hook up� That puts you right up against the other boat� Passing them on the starboard or portside which can be a little tricky.

We do this exact same thing with 2-3 our guide Boats� It can be done but definitely takes a lot of attention. I could see how the original boat trolling could get frustrated if the boat that comes into rotation doesn't give the other boat space and ends up Cutting him off (not meaning to) bcuz the boats are hooking up at different times.

If Fishing has been tough and I spend over an hour looking for fish and finally find a small school in a isolated area of the lake and then I am joined by another boat trying to fish the same small school which affects my fishing...then that could possibly become a problem.

It's a situational thing. Attitude of the 2nd boat...etc.

We don't troll much...but do enough to understand your question.

I am not a troller and that is exactly one of the reasons why.

I have never been much on trolling, but see it done a lot where I fish. I have seen a flotilla seven boats deep before working a stretch of lake. They all seem to get along fine, some are guides, some are not. I never have heard them get twisted at each other. I will say that some trollers are more respectful of non trollers space than others.

Another reason I don't troll. Always seems like half of the trollers are made at the other half.
Johnny

I NEVER troll but here is my take. NEVER troll thru schooling fish...if boats are present working a school and you are a troller just move on you won't make any friends. If you are trolling a spot catching I will NEVER bother you and others shouldn't but well ya know This is a forever issue and will never be resolved but "cooth" should be used. I wish there was a simple solution but there isn't

Its only a problem on Texoma ...... Everyone else knows how to get along .....

True^^^

So not true! Last year when I was on twok it was the same [censored]. Always a problem unless your the problem then not a problem lol!!! I'm a Lone Ranger 90% plus of the time so I'm pretty rare on the chaos. If a troller relentlessly comes I leave every time and if a troller is on a spot I don't stop as there is lots of spots to fish.

We've had a problem with people cutting us off at lake tawakoni but these people were on jet skis and not even fishing so I don't know why they would go close to our boat in the first place

Brocephus sorry to over post if boats are trolling then troll away

Agree Chris if I see people trolling I am not fishing that area. I just wish trollers would give me the same room. How many times I am spot locked on a group of fish and trollers will troll within 15 ft of my boat and put the fish down. It sure works both ways. Why I run from trollers . It is always a mess. Just wish they would do the same for me.
Age old problem. I just go find another pile of fish. I use my electronics.

If I'm trolling I don't mind you joining me but don't cut me off or cross my lines. We can all have fun. Just be respectful

Also depends on the amount of traffic.

If the lake is crowded, I'm more tolerant of people invading my space.

If the lake is empty and some jack-hole trolls into my spot, less tolerant.

I came across a guide trolling Cedar Creek last week and he had put out 2 markers showing his troll path and the extent of it. He was about 25 yds on the deep side of Key Ranch Drop-off and running parallel to it, a popular structure at CC. I carefully approached to see if there was room to fish on the shallow side of the drop-off. Because he had marked his path, I could fish the shallow side without being in his way. I, a dedicated structure fisherman, appreciated that and applaud the guides who mark where they are trolling structures.

So I am curious, and have a question for the guides on here, what is a respectable distance for a boat to come by when you are anchored over fish if they are trolling using the big motor? What about just the trolling motor? Is it 100 ft? 200ft? I agree that i think the guides on Texoma are worse by far, but they have been through a couple of rough years with the droughts so maybe a bit cranky because of it.

All good feedback, good input and answers, it is much appreciated.

I agree that it is definitely situational and I think that in the situation I was in Sunday, I probably should have passed on that rotation. It was one boat working a limited area, specifically, a line of permanent buoys, and I can kind of understand why he didn't want to share. It wasn't like both sides of the buoys could be worked.... Bad judgement on my part. If it was a hump in open water, different deal all together. To his credit, he didn't go ape$%@#, just a some arm gestures and a confrontational statement, minus any profanity. No harm, no foul, time to move on.

Thanks gents! Hopefully next trip to Texoma will be more successful! Cheers!

When I get pushed out of my trolling line is when I get screaming mad or if the new boat dead stops on a crossing ledge right in front of me. At that point, I tend to pull a Crazy Ivan crank up the Katy Perry and watch for the whites of their eyes. Run up the jolly roger, fire the cannons as a warning shot across their bow send up flairs. Then I go to ramming speed and drop my anchor on the left to make a hard left into their boat attempting to sink them and take the captives as my slaves. (In my mind)LOL

I usually just wave and help make sure they have room. We have plenty of fish.

Greensprit casting distance is a good distance.
I probally should not comment since I never troll. I also know that the regular guides on Eagle Mountain also never troll. acouple of guides that fish Eagle Mountain a couple times a year troll.
I fish structure all the time with slabs and 99 percent I fish straight down after finding fish on electronics. Since there is so many people cannot find fish except to troll. I am amazed how close many people will troll a circle around me while I am spot locked on a hump or a ridge. They will be so close we carry on a conversation in a normal voice. After catching a couple of fish and scaring them off they will go troll somewhere else . I always try to talk people into setting up on the fish and slabbing them up and offering to give them slabs. Most people I run into trolling refuse to fish any other way which I don't understand. I just move and go find another batch of fish. I cannot get in a shouting match with trollers since I have customers

I agree. I normally try to stay away from other boats by distances that can be measured in football fields rather than feet. But there are jerks on every lake in every profession. I have had guides run through a school I was fishing on lakes as small as Navarro Mills or as big as Whitney. In fact, I can tell you there is one guide boat on Whitney, I don't know which one but know it's not Randy Routh or Mike Acosta because I know their boats, that has on multiple occasions saw us spot locked and catching fish come trolling withing feet of us with down riggers out and a boat full of people pulling several baits. Kathy and I laugh and bet on how long it will take them to come trolling past once we start catching fish. My favorite time is when I am on the road bed by the state park on the shallow side of it and watch them fight the tangles when the down riggers hit the water less than 10 feet. This one will be on different structures that I will be on, but you can bet as soon we start putting fish in the boat pretty regularly, he will be by pretty soon. If I was a paying client of his, it would tick me off that my guide could only find fish by seeing what everyone else was doing. He got close enough one time I asked if he wanted me to give him some slabs like we were using.
So yeah, it is just fishing. I do it for fun and relaxation, so instead of letting them get me mad, I just laugh and will go find more fish. We do troll some, but will make sure there are no other boats around when we do.

It's kinda funny comparing trolling etiquette on our lakes to my experiences up in Alaska. Up there, you may have a couple dozen boats all working around the same point, running close enough to have conversations while you fish, and there's no problems as long as you don't cut someone off.

But, those fish don't tend to get spooked by big motors, lots of noise, and so on.

Down here if I'm trolling, I try to stay out of casting distance of boats that are jigging. But I don't mind someone else trolling close to me.

"Common Courtesy"

It is sort of like the "Left lane is for passing only rule".
Some don't know what it is ..... A lot don't care what it is....

common courtesy would be if someone was trolling a certain hump or spot would be go an find another area to fish.

"Common Courtesy" left years ago and I seen all the gripes a few weeks ago on Texoma . I would move away and damn here they came. I am dropping baits have 4 people trolling around me like a shark looking for a meal.

When you moved away were you moving back to working birds?

It's really simple for me. If other people are trolling where I like to fish, I just get away from them. I have other places to troll. I like to stay away from other people that are fishing/trolling. The fish move around and so do I. It's not worth getting all worked up about!

No birds were going east I headed west .

Timmy You are Hilarious!!

As I rule I think you should always stay at least the distance a person can cast a slab/rattletrap. I have never hit anyone with a lure but I have landed a rattletrap near a boat as it eased closer with trolling motor to where I was anchored. Seemed to to work as they changed coarse.

The problem with all this is that most of know what and what not to do, just like launching and recovering at the ramp, but there are always a few "fisherman" who do not care about anyone but themselves. It's human nature, the worst species on the planet.