Jet Fleas / Surfing Mega Boats or Buzzards

Fishing around a Dock , swinging in 3rd fish , New Skeeter occupied 2 times watches , I ease off to ledge near dock , est 75 ft , New Skeeter pulls in same exact spot , Buzzards, bother me more .

Ultrex...

Did you ever think they always fish that spot, and they thought you were the buzzard?

I don't even worry about it. In fact, if people are gathering near me on the lake, and kinda like it. I get a charge outta other people catching fish too, particularly if they're good folks. I find that most are.

The only thing that annoys me is if someone is on the spot I want when I get there. I won't encroach because I know a lot of people get upset. But, that rarely happens, so I'm rarely annoyed.

For me, it is 100% relaxation time. Of course, I like to catch fish, but if I don't, I don't really care. I'm on the lake, with my son, doing what I love to do. There's nothing better. Why worry about what other people are doing?

I feel the same as flatback4...you don't know if they already knew about the dock, or if, as you think, they were only going to fish there because they saw you catch fish. Either way, you aren't the only person that is, or has, fished that dock. And, surely, you won't be the last....

Just enjoy the day, and the fish you caught, and have fun!!

Calling out the entire world via the inner-webs is a pretty weak move, IMO...

I would have swung in there and caught three more.

Life is short,just move on and enjoy why you are there.By getting twisted about something this simple is letting someone else control your life.

We were fishing a bass club tournament on Athens Saturday night. We're sitting on one of the underwater lights. Here comes a boat. They stop about 50 yards away and start trolling toward us. I catch a fish and while I am unhooking it the wind blows us about 15 feet. They keep trolling closer. I got on the trolling motor and backed up the 15 feet that we drifted and tell my buddy in the back of the boat, "I'm going to see if they are just going to ram us."

The guy is talking about us as if we aren't even there and can't hear him. He comes within 10 feet of us while going behind and says, "We'll go around this boat." I say, "By all means do." They go a few feet past us and start casting. I say, "Don't mind us, we're just sitting here fishing." Eventually they get the idea and move on.

What is wrong with people? Are they really that stupid or rude? If I come to a spot I want to fish and someone is already there I go somewhere else.

This particular subject comes up a lot, and Hog Jaw just kinda stepped into the bear trap with it.

I don't care about "buzzards". A lot of people don't care about "buzzards". But, there are those that do. To those that do, why?

I've got pretty strong feelings why I don't, and I think I know why those that do, do. BUT, I wanna hear it from them just to be sure. Ya never know, I might be surprised with a reasonable argument.

So, let's start the discussion. It's either that, or go back to the main page and answer questions about best pole for this color of lure, or the best shape of a lead weight.

Maybe you need to know about weights and color Post number 168 , I guess my point is these so call fishermen do not know how to find and catch fish . Maybe you fall into that group.

If they want to wait on a spot til done with it what does it matter. If you pull off then, to me, you released it. I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to a spot, found it occupied, hung around for a minute or two see if they are moving or sitting. The only thing that gripes me a little bit is when moving down a bank someone pulls directly in front of me, if they give me space then we are good. I will always ask, if a boat is camped on a area, if they mind if I pass them and how far past do they want me to go before starting to fish, 99.9% of the time positive interaction and a thanks for asking

Mr Jaw, you are 100% correct there are so many potlickers out on the water nowadays, but did you address the person or persons on the water??

Yea I did , idle up to them and asked if they were ready to go , person on trolling motor said why , I answered You guys can follow me around rest of the day , I can show how to fish ,

I am amazed at how many "pros" there are here that feel that once they catch a fish in an area they own the area. I don't "pot lick" I find my own fish but reality is as many people as are on the water around here it is highly likely that I share "my fish" with many other people. It is a little annoying when someone comes and fishes right next to you but I usually just act friendly towards them and it all works out. Many times people are relatively new to fishing and do not understand the unspoken laws that all the "tournament pros" have imposed on public bodies of water over the years. Many of these novice fisher people are just so excited to be out on a lake fishing they are just trying to learn how and where to catch A fish. There was a new center console boat the other day on Lewisville that had three guys that obviously did not fish much. They pulled right in on us and started fishing the same water we were. Instead of getting mad I told them how we were catching them and where to cast, heck fishing is fun and I want everyone to catch one.

The other subject that comes up a lot and I have commented and been affected by them myself are the pleasure craft. Those guys are having a great time on the lake in their own way as well. As long as they are not drinking and driving the boat, I am good with sharing the lake, it is public and their lake to enjoy as they see fit as well. Same could be said for all of the kayakers now, I fish Buck Creek a lot, it has become thick with kayakers. It is very protected and years ago I fished it from my bass buster because that is what I had and I could stay out of the wind. Their lake too, knock yourselves out and have a great time.

I guess my opinion is relax, be friendly, and try to have a good time next time you are on the water. Shoot, maybe even tell a joke and laugh a little, fishing is fun!

Bass Buster 1 describes you well ,

Epic

I don't really consider bank and dock fishing as finding fish. People do that all the time. So if a boat waits on me to clear an area or a dock I am not worrying about it. I don't think many weekend and after work fishermen go out and pattern fish then hit only similar docks or areas. They just hit every dock they come to. Those things have been beat thousands upon thousands of times and will be that many more. Now if a boat is following in open water that is different unless your hitting known community holes yourself. The ones that make me laugh are the guys that see you catching fish in open water and swoop in and mark a waypoint and take off. Still doesn't bother me though.

I understand being upset when they crowd you while trying to fish but who cares who fishes a spot after you leave? Better they fish there then the spot you are heading to. It’s freakin fishing not a challenge to your manhood. I’ve driven to a known location many times that I know produces well and someone is on it. I will sit back and wait because I know that most only catch 2 or 3 and give up but I know it produces much more than that.

You never know, they may be thinking that you don’t know how to fish because you only caught 3 there.

Okay...reel up the slack and get ready to set the hook, I'll bite:

Several things here...The waters I fish don't have anything near the pressure that the North Texas lakes get, I believe a lot of the "problem" is simple supply and demand for y'all. Too many boats for too few spots, so, there is going to be more of these types of situations than I deal with here in La.

With that said, I LOVE fishing and spend about 4 days a week on the water, so I've obviously run into these situations. I choose NOT to fish on weekends unless I'm fishing a tournament just to avoid these types of situations, which I realize I'm blessed to be able to fish during the week when most people aren't. With that said, I would NEVER pull in on top of someone while they're fishing a spot, whether I'm in a tournament or not. The only exception would be a perch jerker, I might approach and ask them if they mind if I fish around them since we are going after different species. But, my simple logic is that the other person was there first. Now if it's a bankline with a boat on it, I may go a few hundred yards down the bank and fish back towards the boat that is on it already, and when I get close to the other boat I'll put my rod down and swing wide and go around the boat that was fishing there first and then continue down the bank.

Now, I DON'T subscribe to the theory that some of you do of "You don't own the water, so If I want to fish where you're fishing I'm coming in on top of you".
Like Capt. Woodrow F. Call said, "I can't stand rude behavior in a man, Won't tolerate it." So, if you attempt this with me, there WILL be a problem. I'm not saying I'm right, and I'm not trying to be a keyboard tough guy, I'm just being honest. To me, it has more to do with common courtesy and respect than a territorial dispute. However, if someone pulls in on me and says something like, "hey man, we're in a tournament and found some fish here, do you mind us fishing next to you?" That's a totally different ball game. I'm probably going to give them the spot, or suggest that we work together and fish that spot. It just goes to show that communication is key. In my opinion there is way too much "Alpha dogging" in fishing now.

The other factor that I see more and more of is just pure cluelessness. And, I try to discern and factor this in situations like this. A lot of times the person has no idea that they are doing something that is offensive to the other party. I see this more and more at the boat ramp as well. If I think this is the case, I'll try and explain to them a better way to do whatever they're doing. Now, if I'm met with that "screw you" attitude, I will go in a different direction as well, which will probably lead to a nasty conversation in the least (once again, not condoning my own actions, just being honest).

I drove over to Fork to pick up a replica while the Skeeter Owners Tourney was going on and remember thinking you couldn't melt me and pour me on the lake with that many boats. I own a Skeeter, but to me that is not fun at all, it is the opposite of fun. But, to those seveal thousand people it is fun to them, so it's just different strokes, and that's fine.

I guess I'm turning into the "get off my lawn" guy, but I just feel like fishermen have a responsibility to be courteous and take into account OTHERS feelings and perspectives, not just their own, and when this doesn't happen, that's where there are conflicts.

Bottom line is, BE NICE! this sounds simple, but with just a little bit of positive communication, most people will embrace the stranger and give more of an effort to understand the other's perspective.

Ok, fire away, I'm holding the target up for y'all.

Boat ramp 'em is the only solution that I can see......or tie them to one of the dock poles and let the buzzards do their thing.

Dang now everyone knows about your secret dock. Were you in a derby?

I don't bass fish anymore, primarily because all the politics and bs involved just doesn't make it fun anymore. But this same issue goes on with duck hunters. If I see a productive spot, I'm going to fish it. Not when someone else is there but maybe soon or maybe later. My response has always been, ok it's your "spot". You found it. I saw you fish it how long do I have to wait until it's not your spot anymore? A day? A week? Never? We've all done it, we all do it. I just want to be honest about it. There are no secret spots just as there are no secret duck holes. It's public. It's yours until you release it after that it's anybody's.

Now, if someone follows you around pressuring you to rush a spot, that's a different matter. The unwritten rule in saltwater is, don't cut off someone's drift and don't get too close. Other than that if you want to fish my drift have at it. I won't get up in your face about pulling your mancard over it.

G'day

Are you an LEO?

Good Job!

I was hoping you weren't the "snowflake type"

Next time you are going to blast someone you can always snap a pic of their TX #'s and then look up the owner's name online and the you can add a name to the offense, just an idea ...

Some of you apparently do not spend a lot of time on the water , this happened to me more than once , I have been in open water mapping out some areas , when a BASS Fisherman with a est. 60K BASS BOAT circles me , then stops , watching . What are they doing ? Some of you know what they are doing , I do not fish where others are period , I don’t follow , don’t watch , There’s lots Docks etc that I go to if some one is near an area. Calling it like it is , some of you should find another fourm .

That’s funny Fouz, I thought about that too

Well said

Get over yourself .....and this kind of stuff wouldn't bother you as much. Lol. You eased off the spot, and lost it. Enough said.

I quit competing nearly 5 years ago, you'd be amazed at how you view this exact situation differently once ego and money are aside. I love it more now, time is on my side, zero clock and zero stress, and I'm a way more polished fisherman over the last 5 years than I was my first 25.

I want to make sure I understand what you are saying so we are not talking past each other. If you are saying you don't fish spots where you saw other boats I don't buy it. You would run out of spots. If you are saying you don't follow others around and mark their spots I agree with you. But if I see someone working an area I haven't worked before I will make a mental note to check it out sometime in the future. It may be later the same day or it may be next time I'm on that lake. It's information. I'm going to use the information given to me.

I used to fish a charter out of Destin. During the winter this captain would sink his own fish attractors. Others would try to use their radar to find out where he was stopping. Now that, in my book, is low rent. If I see someone place a pvc attractor in the middle of the lake, that's "theirs" unless they invite me to fish it. If I stumble on one or see a boat at a location I may check it out later but I wouldn't drive up on them and mark the spot. In my view this all boils down to distance. Stay 50-100 yards away (75 - 150 in saltwater) and give each other space. Then there is no issue. In saltwater, i've set watched others wait for me to drift an area and then came in behind. As long as their 100 yards or so behind me I don't have any problem with it. I hope they catch the ones I missed.

If you have a problem because someone is crowding you or rushing you, I agree with you. If you have a problem just because someone fished an area after you whether you caught fish or not I think it's a little much.

Anybody up for a game of domino's ?

If I see someone dumping a brushpile.....it's OURS! If I find one in my side scan.....it's mine and whoever else finds it or sees me fishing it. I won't fish it or intrude on someone fishing it.....but, bet your hind end, I AM GONNA FISH IT AT LEAST ONCE. If ya wanna be sneaky and make a brush pile.....do like me....weeknight in the cover of dark.

Just keep in mind, almost every lake is public land. Nobody owns the brush piles....nobody owns the water under a dock. Etc.

Well, I have to say that I was wrong. Earlier, I wrote that most fishermen were good people. It's about 50% good people, and the other 50% are chicken s.

Learned a lot about people on this thread.

#1 male, #2.....101....

He left the dock, Collin County Neighbor

Docks are community holes, everyone sees them and knows they hold fish! It's not like he was fishing a long point, and just moved out some, he stopped fishing the dock. 75 yards, 200 yards, 2 miles... It doesn't matter, he showed intention to leave, so the other angler pulls in.

He just happened to be within sight when it happened.