Fishing Etiquette Questions

Hi. I'm pretty new to fishing with a boat and I would like to be considerate as possible ,I was the guy in the white Lowe that dropped anchor to stay away from everybody at Hybrid point on Sunday .I feel like I'm trying heard cats when the wind is blowing me around a group of boats . I understand about not using the big engine to slip in among other boats fishing a spot , and the same rule when leaving . But I made some mistakes and want to avoid them . On Sunday there were several boats there including the big pontoon boat with the fishing guide . Everyone was catching fish and moving around . when I approached I got a few good hard looks and I'm not sure if its cause I didn't give right of passage or something else maybe . How do you know when to give right of passage when the boats are moving so slowly and randomly , I can tell the obvious stuff like I don't move into the path of a boat that's under power , but I think I started to cut a guy off in a white pontoon by the look I got but he was moving so slow it took me a second to catch on so I could clear out . Anyway thanks for any pointers .

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt..._o#Post11604352
Try reading this.

Come within 50 yards of me you will get an ugly look. Within 30 yards and you will probably eat a rattle trap or at least hear some words

To me, it depends on the size of the lake. If your on a large lake, like Conroe, you can easily give someone a wide berth. If you're on a lake like Bastrop, things get much tighter. Also, tournaments make things even harder. I've been on Bastrop when there were six "little" club tournaments and a large kayak tournament where giving every boat 50 yards was impossible.

No matter the size of the lake, try to think of it as "if it would aggravate you, it would probably aggravate the other guy".

watch out for this guy, he means buisiness......that being said, if you're new to the lake, and you think you're too close for comfort, you probably are. Talk to the other boaters, just ask if you are getting too close, most people will tell you.

Bass tournament fishermen are the worst by far. In case you don't know the lake belongs to them during or before a tournament and you shouldn't even be there especially if you are in a small boat anchored or tied.
The places I fish are usually far out of the way and too many trees and obstacles for them to come by me wide open and try to swamp me and too shallow for them to do a hole shot 30 feet from me. It's getting to the spots and getting back to the ramp that's dangerous. Personally I don't want to be within 150 or 200 yards from another boat that's fishing and farther if I can.

Depends. Are you under power (big motor)? Using the electric trolling motor? Drifting?

If you are close enough to see their facial expressions then you are too close.
That is about 200 foot. I think that with stripers and sand bass it is a little different as everyone is chasing a school. But you you need to make sure not to cut in front of someone.

I don't have problems with people come real close to me. In fact I'll start a conversation with them. Fishing is supposed to be relaxing and enjoying the outdoor. But again that is just me. Darrell Simpson let me know when the next time you go out there. I'll be glad and happy to swing by and say hi.

^^^^ need more of this on the water, Ill toss you a beer

FWIW bad manners don't just happen from a boat. I have had a guy come up next to me bank fishing and cast right over the top of my lines and get us all tangled up. Then there are those that fish from a boat ramp courtesy dock and think you should not bring your boat up to the dock. Fishing is supposed to be fun and relaxing but there are some real knot heads out there that don't know the meaning or purpose of etiquette so you just have to stay clear of them as much as you can.

^^ let me know what time those beers will be cold and I'll be right over!!

The fishermen at the boat ramp thing can be a real problem. At the Lake Bastrop North Shore ramp, there are many times when there are people fishing on the courtesy docks and on the bulkhead. So now you have a gauntlet of fishing lines to navigate around. I know people who don't have a boat want to fish but a boat ramp is exactly that. A BOAT RAMP.

The only way to stop that is to report it to the authority that oversees the boat ramp and keep making complaints until the problem is fixed.

This ^^^

Dude it never ends the stuff I have seen...I try and make light of it with my clients and say some silly wise crack like "I remember my first beer" etc. I'm real big on not joining a crowd and when I draw one I get the heck out of it. School fish bring it out faster and some will never learn just fish and enjoy yourself because sometime in the future you will find some fish by yourself and here they come

As long as you do not run by me at full speed, then we are good. Everything else is fine. I do not have a trolling motor so I understand what it is like to anchor up. If I am on a school of fish, then come on over, just bring some ice cold beer.

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Thanks for the input , When passing another boat coming towards me do I always stay to the right as long as nobody gets forced into shallow or hazards .? And the activity I am mainly referring to good manners was a bunch of boats following the seagulls and fish around .
Rodbreaker its people like you with the threats that I would like to avoid , I don't need that nonsense when I'm learning and just trying to enjoy fishing , what kind, and color is your boat so I can avoid you, what lake to you fish . I had to do my share of combat fishing in Washington when the steel head would run the Nisqually River , I hated how mean and nasty people thought they had to be . I saw a couple of fights that I thought people were going to get killed over , one guy had to be airlifted out after having his head caved in my another guy with a rock , and one time one guy shoved another guy into the river with his waders on , he went down river several hundred feet with his waders full of water , luckily some guys down river were able to grab him and pull him into shallow water , Nisqually Indians don't play nice to non native fishermen . Thanks Ilovefishing I look forwards to meeting you . I have been hoping that fishing from the boat would help get away from crowded banks . I sure would have enjoyed being on the guided pontoon on Sunday , the guide did a real nice job getting his clients on fish and keeping the clients laughing and having fun . I'm Jealous of all you fishermen that can enjoy a cold one while fishing , I can't touch alcohol due to health troubles , and I really miss a cold beer more than I ever thought I would . In Washington the lakes are considerably smaller than some of the lakes in Texas and they had boating rules about going a certain direction in the lake , I think it was clockwise , and if you crossed the lake in a straight line and caused a collision you would be held at fault , Is Texas like that at all , I have been reading but I really have not seen rules or suggestions on passing or avoiding tubers , wakeboarders , They seem to go all different directions . Thanks again for the input and comments .

There's always the keyboard commandos. Just learn to ignore them. If they can't learn to play nice, dial 911 and see how big they are in the back seat of a police car watching a tow truck load up their boat to take it to the yard.

Problem with some boat ramps is that they allow fishing i.e. Richard Simpson on lake Arlington. Last time I came into the ramp about 100 yards from the dock and ran over 3 of this guy's lines and got em all tangled in my prop. And guess who was mad...HIM!!! Angered that he now had to retie all of his lines even though I managed to save his lures. I mean what am I supposed to do?

To me, it depends greatly on the type of fishing and the lake you're on. If it's white bass, striper, crappie, or catfish on a lake like tawakoni, all the boats are basically fishing the same holes meaning you have to be relatively close to each other. In this case, etiquette kind of flies out the door, but just be mindful of people. Don't start a drift in the path of someone else's drift. Don't anchor extremely close to someone. Don't make wake burning into a group of boats ( or out of a group). Simply and easy, not really a true written rule. Some people will give you a look and some choice words even if you do everything in your power to avoid them, but then again there are some people who will say "we're catching them right here, come get you some".

Choice example. I was with a buddy of mine on Tawakoni. We got there before the sun, and caught some shad for bait before heading to the first hole. Upon arriving we were the only ones set up at this place, so we started an extremely slow drift. After about 2 resets, we found where they were and 30 minutes of fishing later, a guide pulled up with a boat full of clients. He was nice "how y'all doing? what's the bite like." He got a little to close for comfort before setting his own anchor, at the middle of the drifts we were making. Knowing he had clients to please we adjusted and made do, still catching fish. The bite slowed and we moved to a different spot. Spot 2 was dead, so soon after we moved again. Who'd a thunk this guide would be sitting on our third hole already catching fish almost every cast. We set up and weren't catching much but then we heard "you boys want this spot?" from the guide. Turns out he had limited out with all his clients and was done for the day. Knowing we let hime have spot 1 he offered us his spot 3 so we anchored and slipped right next to his boat. He said, this is what they're hitting and tossed us two custom poured jigging spoons, and left. Moral of the story, etiquette is repaid in the long run. It's much easier to give up spot than get worked up with some hot head on the lake.

Now bass fishing, is another story. If someone is bass fishing a ledge, hump, or hole where they found fish on the graph, give them that spot! They worked to find them. If someone is working down a bank or weed line, then get behind them. Never in front. And keep your distance, even though they've already fished that area.

Just don't have a double standard. Never do anything you wouldn't want anybody to do to you, and you should be good.

Some friend's of mine where fishing LBJ, they said they saw a splash right by the boat and then another and so on, they look at the bank and there's this guy hitting golf balls at them, they get into a heated exchange and I can't remember how it ended up, my friend's son that was in the boat is an L.E.O., but this just show's you the kind of jerk's we have out there.

I am right there with you. Honestly if you are trolling around the bank that I am fishing I wouldn't expect for you to cut between me and the bank. If you come easily behind me on the river side I am all up for a conversation. I always try to ask if other boats are catching anything. From my experience that is a good way for them and you to get a different option of lure. Maybe I'm just a nice guy though.

Like others have said, etiquette largely depends on the situation. I'm not one to crowd someone on purpose, at all. But I'm not shy about pulling up and fishing a school with other boats either. I try to maintain a little more than a normal casting distance from anyone, but as a school moves it can cause the boats chasing them to get closer at times. I, like other boats, often drift a little close to other boats if I'm trying to fight and land a larger fish. The main thing there is get the fish in the boat and correct the intrusion as quickly and respectfully as possible.

The key word here is respect, with patience being a close second. There are always some who will take it to the extreme, either by crowding you, or being asshats if you "invade" their personal space. But through all of the big talk I've seen here and on other sites, I've never seen someone fling a lure intentionally at another boat, ever. And I'll say this, if someone ever did that to me, you better be prepared to explain your actions to law enforcement. That is considered assault and I will report you.

Ultimately, when chasing schools, do the best you can, and use the TM whenever you can, and enjoy being at the lake. It still baffles me that some people will take things so seriously, especially an activity that is supposed to be fun. But the main reason i have a boat, is so I don't have to stay close to someone being a jerk. I know more places and methods than one to catch fish, evidently some people don't.

I have one for the ages, I was crappie fishing on a wednesday on lewisville. The whole lake to myself fishing a bridge column. Catching a load of crappie,all of a sudden I see a guy in another boat troll right up to me and we exchange pleasantries, all the while still catching fish. He says good luck and trolls away.... I thought. Couple minutes later I feel my boat wobble, I turn to look at the back and this guy is standing on my back deck tying his boat to mine and asks if I mind if he joins me. I was absolutely astonished at the nerve of this guy. I told him there was room for him to nose his boat by my bow, but had 3 seconds to get out of my boat.

jerks like this shouldn't have boats....

i've been at lewisville and fork when sandies and hybrids(lewisville) were running...there are many boats, well within 50 yards, some even 30 or closer, no problems, everyones catching fishing, I dont care if you tie your boat onto mine, there are plenty of fish for everyone

i wish someone would throw a lure at me purposely...say whatever you want, but lures on purpose are a threat...be careful...that could turn ugly really quick and not very smart on your part...

Don't make huge wakes....is about all I can, don't cross lines.

I will say it's all public water, bank and open water...no one owns it, so you can fish where ever you like

this is the way I grew up fishing, seems most have gotten big ego's and it's no longer about the relaxing and having fellowship and a good time...

its about "I'm chasing the state record, this whole 2 mile stretch is mine!!!! "

hand clap to i love fishing, glad you're still one of good ones

Respect others space like you would wish your space respected.

I'm able to look back 20, 30 and even 40 years ago, and I truly believe it's all about the population has grown so much and there hasn't been any new lakes built in that time frame so that has more to do with it than anything.
People don't have the laid back attitudes as we all once had, and you see it out on the roads as well.
Consideration for the other guy has worn thin over the years, and it doesn't look like it will get any better.

I wish there was a definitive manual for this, but the truth is that each situation is different. someone else said it earlier - if something makes you mad, don't do that to others.

I've seen both good and bad in the last few years, both on fork, and both during the skeeter tournament. a few years ago I was catching fish on a topwater in 20 feet of water; no surface schooling, but I was catching one on every other cast. I was tied to a stump and was making a short cast right next to a different stump. another boat saw what was going on, and made a beeline and tied up to my target stump. not only could I have cast to his boat, but easily another 10+ yards beyond it. I asked him to please move because he was sitting on top of the school, and after a few choice 4 letter words from him, he finally moved out and I continued to catch fish. my rule for this - never get within a long cast of another boat unless they invite you to come over.

another year, I was fortunate enough to find an active school in a creek channel, and caught several nice slot fish that the dozen or so boats around me all saw. finally, I got an over the slot fish, and decided to leave and go weigh in (after all, I could only possess one over the slot fish). after weighing in and with all the hoopla, I went back to my spot, and as expected, there was a boat there. as soon as he saw me coming, he untied and moved over about 50 yards or so. I didn't expect that, and it would have been totally acceptable for him to stay there. I hollered a big THANK YOU to him, and resumed fishing my 'money' hole.

I've fished every skeeter tournament and a number of the Berkley tournaments, and only had a couple of problems with 'tournament' fishermen. I think most respect each other, and we only remember the select few that break the unwritten rules.

I do have a question about fork and the boat lanes; there are several popular humps and points that are in, or very close to, a boat lane. if you are running the boat lane, and you come up on someone fishing in or near the boat lane, what should you do? I've had people do both; some run by on plane as if I wasn't there, and others drop off plane and idle by. once again I don't know that there is a hard and fast rule on this, but what is your opinion on this?

How do you know when your in a boat lane , I had no idea there was such a thing , It makes sense when I think about it . I sure have appreciated how friendly a few other fishermen were last Saturday . I was trolling a little trying to scare up a bite and on two occasions I started into the path of others looking for fish and each time I waved and changed direction while apologizing and I got waves a smiles back , I guess there are still some nice guys out there .

at lake fork, the boat lanes are marked with buoys; not like that at most other lakes.

I've hit Tawakoni a couple times since Whitney has been closed down. Beautiful lake, but not real friendly right now. Did my homework and picked some humps before going out. Get there and boats on hump. No problem. I like to troll. I don't like to sit and jig. I stay what I feel is a respectable distance away. I've never had more fisherman just look away when I waved at them. Trolling doesn't bother the fish, if it did, no one would do it. I can find a school holding on structure and pass back and forth catching fish on every pass. If they're not schooling on the surface, they don't pay boats any mind. I did find it funny when I pulled in fish as I passed those same boats that they had no problem sliding right in to where I just hooked 'em. I love doing that. Other lakes guys will wave and chat with you as the pass. Maybe just so much pressure with the other lakes hurting. I marked and caught quite a few far away from anyone after a little time on a couple busy spots. Just try to be friendly and have fun. Smile at the nimrods and catch fish where they can see it. Usually their mood is tied to how bad they're doing.

wow!!! no kidding. 50 yards and 30 yards? That kind of spacing belongs on the ocean.

I know what you mean Steven1968, I always wave and try to be curteous
out on the lakes, but some guy's are to good to wave or they just
look away...

I guess their mad at the world..!

Yeah, I was kinda hoping Rodbreaker would respond and make it easier to identify him so I could stay clear , I don't want to aggravate someone that is volatile and packing a gun or a knife and is willing to use it , I don't want to die on a boat ramp over fishing like that guy did a few yrs ago .

This is why I have asked about etiquette so that I don't miss out on something obscure or not so obvious to a more seasoned boater .

JIM SR . I really wasn't trying to get off topic , I found schooling fish Saturday quite a distance from shore on Lavon Saturday and there were several bass boats flying around at high speed , and I started to wonder if I could be rude my accidently fishing a boat lane , They went around me very easily since it was wide open water but I still had some concerns .