[hopefully, this will help others]

Rule #1: Don't cut in front of people fishing an area!

This morning we are fishing the island on Grapevine near Dove Loop ramp. We are fishing that Southeast end, doing okay. We are casting near the bank and working the bait into deeper water. A boat (camera phone photo) which started on the west side works its way towards us and eventually starts to fish in front of the area we are fishing.

Hint: If we can hear you wishing us a "Good Morning" as you pull up in front of us, then I suggest it is too close.

I hear ya...

I thought thats what 1 oz. jigs were for.

Johnny, that was you? I thought you guys looked familiar

i'd take some 60 lb spiderwire and start casting over their lines and setting the hook until i put one of their rods in the water

anybody else see the small schools of black bass around this island?

I've had that happen on Lavon. Said howdy to the fellers at the ramp as I jumped in my boat to go...get to my stretch of bank I was going to fish and they had followed me. They pulled up in front of me and proceeded to fish right in front of me down the bank.

The oddest thing on Lavon I had happen this year is a kayak paddled past me 10 feet off the side. I waved and said hi then he pulled in front paddling through the shoreline I was fishing looking for lures in the bushes. Grabbing the bushes pulling the branches just checking for lures. I was stunned.

Or you could do as USA-1 and his boater did - wave at them, and continue to smoke the fish the other boat was on top of. Realizing of course that the other boater was clueless

I understand what you guys are saying but the one thing that kills me about bass fishermen(and yes I am a bass fishermen) is the stories or lies they tell back at the boat ramp. For example I was fishing a tournament the other night and at the weigh in the guy that won starts telling everybody that he was fishing a brush pile and this guy(my Dad) pulls in between him and the dock and anchors down and starts fishing in front of him. Now the funny thing is our boat motor is not working, so he couldn't have ran in front of him. The next funny thing is we don't own an anchor. It amazes me the lies guys tell at the ramp to look good or for what ever reason they do it. You know guys lie but its funny once you catch them in the lie.

"Or you could do as USA-1 and his boater did - wave at them, and continue to smoke the fish the other boat was on top of. Realizing of course that the other boater was clueless"

yes that would be the right thing to do.......but i think my idea would be much more fun.

Okay, I hear what your saying and agree, but I need to get something off my chest!

I hear people talking about good neighborly boating ethics all the time but rarely see any out on the lake. It seems like this is something that everybody preaches but none practice.

I almost get in a fight everytime I go fishing because of the ridiculous thing that some jerk does, then when you express your displeasure, the offender usually has the nerve to cuss you out and try to fight you. I could not imagine cutting somebody off and then doing anything other than apologizing, but it happens to me every trip I make, and I fish several times weekly. Lately, I have just givin up on expressing disgust about being cutoff to anyone because I dont want my fishing trip ruined by a fight. I will just lift trolling motor and leave, or continue fishing behind them and rub it in when I catch fish out of water they just fished.

It is for this reason that I stopped fishing choke canyon as much as I used to. There are alot of jerks fishing that lake and they are so pumped to be fishing choke that they dont realize how their actions effect others. The other day, I was fishing an Island with a 75 yd shorline, I was starting from the west side. I proceded to watch a boat of 3 troll from another parallel island all the way to the eastern side of the island shoreline that I was fishing. They than continued down along the shorling and met me in the middle, actually casting along side of my boat. I asked them if they were serious and the guy exploded on me, telling me that I needed to grow up and that he was already in position to do what he had just done, even though we watched him (in disgust) troll accross open water to do this. He was so intent on fishing the island that he paid no attention to us and the fact that we were already there.

So, everybody please remember to practice what we preach! Me included!! We all agree that there is a problem, so lets all do our part to fix it. Ask permission to move in, apologize when wrong, and thank those who are courtious.

Don't try to move on my spot while I am going to get my lure unstuck from a rock.