Most people fishing in a boat think anyone fishing on the shore is lowly. They troll or fly by the shore 20 yards away. They don't realize I have a curado reel and waterloo poll and I happen to enjoy hiking and fishing. On a still day, I can cast that thing +-90 yards. GET OUT OF MY WATER. I usually just reel up my stuff when I see them coming to scare the fish away. Today I had enough. I actually told the guy YOU ARE GOING OVER MY LINE. I didn't really yell since he was so close to shore. He then proceeded to lift his trolling pole higher. I am not sure what in the world that was supposed to do. Treat me like a boat and give me some room. Please.

So I shouldn't steer my boat really close to you doing about 60 when I'm out on the ski boat?


J/K...


I know the frustration you feel and agree with you...There are a lot of boaters on the water today who have no idea of what being courteous truly means....

I always thought that it was an unwritten law between fisherman that you dont fish where another fisherman is fishing, and you for darn sure dont cross their line or burn through their fishing area. The way i figure it is when im in my boat i give bank fishermen their space, after all in my boat im able to acess any spot on the lake and the bank fishermen can only acess as far as they can cast. All anglers should respect other anglers boat or no boat.

you know what though, when I am on the boat and i see the bankers I steer clear of their way. I crossed this guys line once (but i was trolling along without the big motor) I thought I gave him enough room but turned out he must have casted 100 yards with his crank bait because he said I crossed his line.
He lifted his trolling motor pole in an attempt to not tangle up your line, thats what I would have done because once you have crossed its too late, raise the TM so it won't tangle and cut the line. I will not fight about a spot being a regular bank beater myself, just pick up and move...by all means the banker was probably there first and the boat can go all over the lake and look for another spot.

alright, so we're in agreement - boats should not crowd bankers because they can go more locations than the bank fisher, in a single outing. man law?

I fish the bank every now and then myself, and I'm a boater also, have been for many years in lakes, rivers, and some areas that wouldn't rate as a small creek.

I've run across lines unintentionally, and have given a wide birth and slowed down as to not cause a wake for the bank fisher, and have had the same done to me by both types of boaters so I know where you are coming from.

Most people will show respect, and there are some jerks out there, but that's just the nature of the beast, and it's not going to change them for you to get mad and ruin your day because of them.

There have been times that I've run over or gotten too close to a bank fisherman because I was caught up in what I was doing and honestly didn't realize they were there, and many times when you do realize they are there it is usually too late.

A simple sorry, or wave is about all you can do.

It's not going to improve as long as the lakes keep getting crowded, and if you fish a high traffic shoreline on a weekend, so the only thing you can do really is try to fish where the percentages are low that you may cross paths with a boater!

That said, there are those bank fishermen who fit into the non courteous category also, such as those having multiple lines streaching out across a narrow channel, or rods and lines fishing off and near a boat ramp and dock that's only purpose is to provide a docking area for the boater to launch and retrieve his boat, and I've seen where those people fishing off those docks, don't want to yield to the boater, and even get upset that the boater ran over, or caused them to have to reel in their lines or tangled up their lines, causing a sometimes heated exchange or comments from both parties.

So as you see, it works both ways! Just a little common sense and courtesy from both types of anglers, goes a long, long way!

Last weekend on grapevine some bass fishermen came up on us carp fishing and hooked into my line but when he felt the resistance of my 3oz weight you would have thought he had moby dick on the line with his wild hookset. Good thing I have baitrunner reels or he would have pulled my rod into the water. He claims he didn't see us but it is kinda hard to miss 10 guys fishing along the bank. He apologized and left the area and no harm no foul. I still get a chuckle with his hookset

Hey Jimbo I love (Phil. 4:13)!!!

As I agree with most of yall about the boats and bank fishing on giving the bank people room. but since I dont have a boat I have seen a lot of boaters crowed out other boaters. I have even see boaters crowed out people like myself crowed out yakers. But I think everyone is right and is agreeing with everything.

yea it comes down to respect and common courtesy, an element more valuable the gold now a days...if something is done unintentionally I will let it go and laugh it off.

What about those jet skiers? In the last the two fishing outtings I had, one came within 20yrds to me, and my lines were about 70yrds out. What really bothered me is this;(1) he had a whole lake to cover,(2) after he ran over my lines he went right back out to the middle of the lake, (3) that fool waved at me as he was passing by. Number 3 really pissed me off cause I couldn't choke him. All I could do was flip the bird along with some bad words. Yeah I was pissed. The second time it happened, it was the same scenario.

Maybe I should carry a paintball gun and shoot those f*%$#@^s.

if he waved he did not know IMO....it cracks me up how wrong they are but they do not know. crossing me isn't a problem but crossing me then doing 10 doughnuts and 360's in front of me is what makes my blood pressure go up.

had one of the big boats on lake murray blasting a rap song with the mother () in the words this afternoon
kinda rude to blast that noise polution around the kids and camp sites,
but i did catch a walleye

I'm sure he seen my corks. They aren't hard to miss. Bright orange and white and huge.

Would it be assault with a deadly weapon if I shoot them with a paintball gun? That is of course if a paintball gun is even considered a deadly wepaon though huh?

All in all, they have a whole lake to cover so why ride right in front of me when you see i'm fishing?

Not sure of the reasoning, but Jet Ski riders do tend to hug the shore line more than riding the open waters...Perhaps it's a lack of knowledge on the proper operation of the vessel. I know the majority of them lack the knowledge of water safety...I have had numerous try to ride our wakes when we are pulling tubes and skiers...I don't mind them jumping the wake if I'm going WOT in our ski boat without anyone behind me. However, when I'm pulling someone and they come within 20 feet of the boat or those I'm pulling, it's not a good day for them...

I don't doubt the fact that there are guys in bass boats who show complete disrespect to those along the banks. But from my experience from all the guys i fish with out on the water everyone i know keep there distance out of respect for fellow anglers. and i would havve no issue letting them know if they were rude about it that thats not cool at all. But these guys that run up on ya'll are the same ones doing it to everybody on a boat or bank. same guys who are jerks at the ramp also.
But be fair also. I agree with Jimbo about people crowding docks and ramp areas and getting mad because a boat needs access to them.
Is it really necessary to line the banks with a dozen lines out though, 3-4 even 5 is usually no issue if the don't span out the length of a football field. seems its hard to settle a conflict of boats being near a bank trying to catch a fish that is usually found in shallower water and guys on the bank trying to catch a fish that favors deeper water.
boaters have every right up shallow that bankers have casting out 70-100 yards. thats seems a little disrespectful also IMO. As for having the whole lake to fish, when making that comment were giant pleasure boats going WOT considered before popping off. bass boats are put in alot of danger because they get beat around in the wake of those boats. jet skiers get kicks causing problems for bass boats also. and then theres ski booats and sail boats that have to be avoided. Can't recall recall hearing about a bank being capsized.
Complain all you want but don't put every guy or girl in bass rigs in that category. I could easily lump all bank fisherman together and say ya'll disrespect the enviroment and leave your piles of trash behind but I know that the majority take thier trash with them.
And for the record I do more fishing from the bank than on a boat. However I'm not a fan of bigger water from the bank I have grown to prefer smaller waters for bank fishing. Thats just my .02 hopefully I didn't offend anyone to bad, but if i did oh well I just think people should look in the mirror before judging others. especially when the others werent the ones who caused the problem to start with!!!!
Almost forgot. for the record the second I see someone pulling a paintball gun out at me I'll be chucking a lil george at you. yeah its the knife/gunfight theory but we all know those small lead baits cast a country mile and hit hard. and I'm pretty accurate

i don't feel like bank fisherman are lowly. i have had a boat for only a few years. we all can remember when we fished from the bank and still do. in my opinion a line in the water is due the same respect whether it comes off a boat or from the bank.

last time someone crowded me when i was bank fishing, we started chunking rocks in the water and his fishing was done. unfortunately we had to move too, but it was worth it!

That had happened to me also. But there prop caught my line. So before it broke i put it in free spool and let there prop have the whole spool of line then brok off at the end. They did not get to far before they had to stop because of all the line around there prop. When they look at me I just waved and said they were welcome to all my line. Took them along time to get all that line undone now.

that is awesome

The thing I dislike the most about boat fisherpeople is they somehow find the same place to fish that the bank fisherpeople are.

A whole lake.. 5 million acres.. and they come over by me.. hey, catching anything.. well I was till your 200 mecury ran over my line.

A nice thing about bank fishing is, of course, we are catching fish. Another is you see more details, like lost lurers, trash, birds, snakes, rocks, tree, hawks. Another thing is that some fish are stubborn and will not bite until the 50th cast!!! Another is that you meet other bankers (short for bank fisherpeople).

I have found about 30 lurers over the last year on lake Gt. Unfortunately, I am not able to get my lost 7 lurers back since they are snagged to stuff in the water !!!!

Do you not carry sparkplugs with you to retrieve them?

Sparkplugs? Explain ! I am thinking...Oh I found article online. Cool. Never new about it.

snorkel anyone?

Yeah, my great uncle taught me that one...Just make sure the spark plug is fairly heavy and the gap is completely closed when you attach it to your line, but that the spark plug can freely move...Some people will take a dixie cup, fill it with cement and stick the hook part of a wire hanger in it....Then close the hanger on the line...I find the spark plug method more convenient...

So does the sparkplug just whack the lurer? Or do you try to get the hook attached to the sparkplug?

I think the TPWD should just ban all bank fishing.

Shuddup Huck!

This subject is one of my all time pet peeves. I fish off the bank all the time. I absolutely abhor people who are rude like that. If I could get one of those loud megaphones and not scare fish I could give them a heads up they are on my fishing line, or area...but it would scare the fish. Things could get ugly pretty fast when people disrespect another's space like that...

Just in case everyone doesn't know it, but when a person runs over your fishing line, have comfort in knowing that they will pay the price with their pocket book sometime down the line.

Why?......That line that they run over will end up wraping itself around the propeller shaft of the motor, and will if not right away, it will sooner more often than later cause the grease seals on the prop shaft to be cut by the line, and cause the lower unit to leak, and cuase $$$$$ in repairs!

If someone stops to remove the line and are drifing within ear shot, you can kindly remind them that they need to check and replace those seals because of their carelessness. LOL!

Also it's not a good idea to pull out a paintball gun on a stranger, especially in this day and time, and think about it that the other guy just see's a gun, and he may have the real thing, and if you pulled your toy out first, he may have to answer with the real thing! Something to think about! Agree?

Y'know, I do my share of bank fishing and boat fishing, so I think I'm qualified to have an opinion. Here it is: There's too many rude, uncourteous people in the world, so I've begun to live with a philosophy of 'stand on their toes until they apologize'.

If I'm on the bank & someone gets their boat way too close, I'll say something first. If that doesn't work (and it almost always works), I'll cast a 2 ounce sinker in their general direction. That works.

If I'm boat fishing, I just avoid getting too near bank fishermen in the first place. I have lots of fishing room, they only have the bit of shoreline they can walk. However, if I'm trying to use a ramp or courtesy dock that someone is covering with fishing lines, I'll say something first ... and if that don't work, I just use the ramp anyways. They'll pull their lines out in a hurry .. trust me.

If the spark plug is heavy enough, when it slides down your line, it will smack the lure in the water.

You have to be sure to tie a heavier line on the spark plug in case it gets hang up. You will keep doing the process of smacking the lure until the hook come loose.


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Oh back to b!tching. I hate those Jet-Skiers the most! Why oh why... do you have to come within 20 yards from me at FULL THROTTLE 20 times (over exaggerating of course)!

Here is an old story from my uncle who is also a bank fisherman. 15 years ago, he was bank fishing at night with his wife in Lake Texoma. It was new Moon; pitch black...even with a BIG smile will not do you any good. He was fishing in the back wood; all you could see is his two BRIGHT Lanterns close to the water. It was around 12am when a boat pull closer to his fishing spot. The boat was about 100 yards away when they decided to settle down. Few minutes flew by; the boat is getting closer and closer to him. The boat were moving from left to right perpendicular to his lines that goes out more than a hundred yards. My uncle said to his wife; those b@st@rds on the boat gonna snag my lines if they keep moving the same direction and distance. He yells out at them to watch out for his lines. The boaters just laugh at him and wave at him. Well, guess what, those b@st@rds yanked his fishing pole into the water with their motor. Luckily, he was standing right there by his poles. So he ran after the pole, curse and cussing the storm. They all laugh at him. When he finished retrieving his pole from the water. He went up to his truck, pull out a 9 mm. Pops off two rounds in the air, next thing you know, their boat was WOT. Guess what? their motor die and they cannot get the sucker start again. All four of them start peddling in the water as fast as they could. At the same time, my uncle quickly packed up his gear and took off.

I just clip it onto the line, let it slide down the line and usually just wiggle it a little bit and it pops the lure loose...You can't have anything above the lure/hook on the line like a swivel or weight...

Your uncle must been fishing off 377, I think.
I've been there a few times.
Fishing is great at night during fall season with south winds blowing. Don't have to cast too far from the bank, just 20 to 30 yards and you can catch 4 to 5 pounders.

Yup near 377.

juniper park i would guess....yea the boat dock is off limits! I ramped at hickory creek at LL once and when I came in to use the dock this family of four was on the dock, picnic cloth and sandwiches and all. What is worse, they had a span of 7 or 8 rods all wrapped around the whole dock. I asked them nicely to move just one side of the rods so I can get in and ramp the boat, the mom popped off her mouth and got pi$$$ed at me, said I needed to find another spot. After trading a few words and realizing the gas was running really low I just plowed my way in after I trimmed my motor up..hopped right on the dock right between their poles and told them good luck trying to catch anything ..my driving the boat just popped it in reverse and left while I backed down the trailer. On the way up I advised them there was a sign that says no fishing. oh well....I just can't get over how mad the mom was at me for asking her to move the poles!

So if you fish in a boat, just remember that some of the bank beaters are not red/white 10 yard bobber casters. Stay back 50 yards. Unlike a boater which has the luxury to cast much shorter, to catch some decent fish, a skilled bank beater needs to go way out.

Thanks... now all I want to do is ditch..I mean, stay home sick from work and go fishing.

I have had positive and negative experiences with boaters. It often depends upon where I bank fish. I have noticed, though, a correlation between bad or rude drivers and rude boaters in an area.

We have had some boaters do this intentionally. See you and just come right over and plow over your casting area. Once a dude cast right over my line with his.. was the craziest thing.

Can really make you see red..

Happened again tonight.. 3 of us fishing the bank.. 2 guys in a boat roared over.. and started casting / motored right over our lines. I told the guy he was moving across our lines.. and he said to us 'if you reel faster we won't hit your line'.

Sometimes I wonder about people...

Paintball gun will work.. especially if you freeze the paintballs first.

This guy woulda got my special 4oz. sinker tossed at him...with the explanation 'If you drive your boat away faster, you wouldn't get hit with 1/4lb of lead'!!!


Seriously, I woulda been tossing huge sinkers and whatever I had with the most hooks up in his boat. Bet I could snag at least 1 or 2 rods off his deck with 2 DD-22's tied on 1 pole......that guy had some nerve to say that to you.

Can you boat folks really see fish with your fish finders? I have never used one.

Is there a little fish swimming on the screen or something?

On labor day there were maybe 6 boats in the same cove we were.... and all fishing around the same area. I guess they could see the fish. No one was catching any. .and they all left after a bit, but it was weird how they all gang up in the same area.

This week was crazy. Boaters just coming by shore, full bore, then stopping yards from me. I am going to start taking pictures and posting their boat/license number here.

Awesome! Post them up along with what lake it was, then I can go look for them!

if im fishing from boat come around a cove an be a bank beater then i always make a 90 degree turn away from them and go out then come back acros then back down.

unless there is a Hott blonde laying there on the blanket.

i came up on one last year kind spooked her she started to get up and get her towel and throw over her.

i asked her dont get up i will get the towel for her.

she turned around and said how you going to get my towel and your in the boat.

i asked again can i get your towel
she said sure show me.

she didnt realize how good a zaraspook will hook
and i will be in all honesty im not that good of a shot
but i let it zing right past her and above her and that spook landed right on her towel.
i like to have passed out but i kept my composure
gave it a good tug and that towel came right off and and landed on the back of her chair.

but then i had to pull right up to her and use my pliers and unhook i aplogized for the hook marks in the towel she said no problem, and that she had never had anyone try and pick her up at the lake like that.
i said im not trying to pick you up.
she says so you dont want my number.
i siad well i sure wont turn it down maybe later we meet at the marina and get something to eat or drink.
she said sure.
well that night i didnt get any night fishing done
just another type of fishing

but that day i could not belive i made that 60 foot shot and that spook hit right dead center of the towel hanging off the tree branch

and i could not do that again if i tried

man i sure miss PK

like they say here "without the pictures , not a good story " lol