What would you do?

I was fishing a club tournament this past weekend on Sam Rayburn. Got to my spot right after sunrise, a cove about 120 yards across at the mouth and narrowed as you got deep into it ( i guess about 500 yards deep). I started at the point and had been there about 45 minutes before any other boats appeared. By this time I'm half way down the cove when another boat showed up. He stopped at the point and worked his way down the same way I was headed. The cove has now narrowed down to about 80 yards across where I was sitting fishing the hay grass. I was within casting distance to the back side of the grass. The other boat just kept coming down right where I was fishing so close I could cast to his boat. My back seater told him are you close enough, were fishing right here. The boaters reply was " your blocking the creek" and proceeded to go between us and the hay grass fishing all along? There was 50-60 yards to the grass on the other side. It was at that point I told my partner let's just go. I know what I did but would like to know how you would have handled this.

It's Rayburn. Just be glad you didn't get a cussing or he wasn't on his big motor.

Its usually pretty obvious that I'm using up the area that I'm fishing with boat movement, cast directions and so on. If someone still has to get into your cast zone then I would just try to strike up conversation. You can usually tell right off if someone is friendly or not. You never know, you may meet a new friend.
Don't be the one to be an azz, but if they insist on being rude I would probably just crank her up(with a good amount of time to warm motor up) and move on unless it was just such a great spot that you cant keep the fish off your line. Not many people want to stay right by you when your moving back and forth and slinging baits everywhere.
Getting too close to people seems unavoidable sometimes on busy lakes. Only other thing to do is stay off the water on the weekends. That's mostly what I do.

You didn't mention if you caught any fish during the 45 minutes you were there. Sounds like it was time to move anyways.

^^^this sounds reasonable and more mature than I have been in years past. I admit I get pizzed when others come too close and try to squeeze me off a spot, come to close on plane, or intrude in some way. I always take for granted they should know etiquette on the water. I admit to lowering myself in years past, to others level of maturity when I responded to their selfish immaturity. I don't like to be treated with disrespect just because someone thinks they have "rights". I am trying to be more mature and understanding that they haven't been taught respect and common courtesy for others. I have come to realize it isn't my place to teach them. If their behavior is dangerous or breaking the laws I will call a game warden and let them do the instruction of proper boating etiquette. Folks are folks and we are all different and have different ideas of life. Life is too short and I want to enjoy what is left of mine.

Fishing past someone to get to a creek is fine to me. 50 yards is half a spool of line. I couldn't cast that far, nor want to, when fishing a small cove.

The only thing that kinda rubs me is when I am fishing in one direction down a stretch of bank and another boat pulls in and fishes towards me...on the same stretch.

You handled it well, It's hard to do sometimes but you did the right thing
You know the old saying "there's one in every crowd " and some how they find their way to lake.

I'm going by, if I am in a good mood I will ask you it you want me to troll by or go by on pad but that's it. That's what you get.

from what I understand they 1) went between you and the bank and 2) fished while doing it. when you say 50-50 yards to grass on other side, I assume you meant behind you

Both are d-head moves, but you already knew that

Huckleberry yes we were catching fish.
Fisherdad I'm with you on the weekdays, other than the club tournament you won't find me on the water.

It's just going to happen out there. I normally just make a gesture signifying that they are a dumb @$$ and go about my business. The way I figure is if they can't find their own fish then they aren't good enough to worry about anyway. I've also learned on tournament day you get right to the sweet stuff because if you don't someone else will, whether that be a d.head move or just part of the game. You can usually tell the ones that know they are doing something they probably shouldn't vs the ones that don't. No point in making a big deal though, although I've felt like it a time or two, plenty of other fish to go catcg

K. D. Yes there was plenty of room to go around me (60 yards) but he decided to go between the bank (20 yards or less) and me.

I like this answer.

Try to keep fishing and lot let someone ruin my day on the water. I am sure I would have had a comment or two but I would not let any of it spin me out or mess up my day.

You can only control you out there. Better to take the high road even though it can be hard sometimes. There's no sense in escalating the situation. A similar situation happened to me on Monti a couple months ago. I was the first one on the lake that morning. I went up to Smith and started fishing the northern bank. I'm about a moderate roll cast away from the shore. Another boat pulls in under the tracks and starts to idle my way. I wave, he waves, and asks how my morning is going. I reply cordially as he draws nearer. I'm thinking he's either going to shut it down and fish behind me, or go around and cut me off...neither. Dude goes between me and the bank and drops trolling motor about 15 yds ahead of me. I shake my head, throw my hands up, and give him a "Really, man??". He starts to apologize, insisting he didn't realize what he did. I found that hard to believe, but decided to just bug out. I was pissed for a bit, but didn't want to let it ruin my day so I found fish elsewhere. Some people are just knuckleheads.

As someone who's pretty new to all this, what is the proper etiquette? I mostly fish Decker Lake near Austin which is a pretty small lake, and I've totally started fishing about 100 yards in front of someone else (going away from them).

I fished Lake Travis a couple of times which is a huge lake, and I had 3 people on 3 different occasions approach and start fishing within 50ft of me which I personally thought was rude

If you are coming into an area, I think the easiest thing to do is just ask a person which way are you going and do you mind if I go this way? And then I'll adjust accordingly.

I would venture to say that what lake your on and the current weather conditions modify what would be considered common courtesy. There are times on Rayburn where there are so many boats and the wind is blowing 25mph, that you will have a ton of boats all fishing in the same area. There is not much you can do about it. People coming in and starting right in front of you when there is noone else around is a whole other story.

shoulda, woulda, coulda,...you did exactly what you thought you should do,..end of story.

To op, you did good. You can't control other people, and confrontation isn't going to change their behavior. Manners can't be forced, can only be modeled.

THAT right there is why I keep a camera in the boat, NOT a phone camera, but a digital camera, so I can take pictures of close up of the TX numbers. He MAY/NOT be in the T, but he is certainly not being gracious. I would ask what T he was fishing and then go to their weigh in and report it to T director and what was said and the actions taken. YOU would be AMAZED at how well some people start acting on camera. Only had one not respect my position and went to their club T and he got DQed because of his actions. GO FIGURE. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

I think you handled it the right way. I love fishing Fork but I have encountered some of the worst angling courtesy there. I fish club tournaments here in the Tulsa area and luckily I have only a couple of instances of people being A$$holes on the water.

What would I do? Nothing, the guy wants to fish and you're in the middle of the cove? Did you expect him to fly over the top of you? Did you think you own the lake? Did being their 45 minutes before the other guy give you a special pass to own the cove?

I don't get it, help me understand the problem?

He trolled and fished between the op and the shoreline the op was fishing. He could have at the very least gone out around the op into the middle of the cove. Op said he was 20 yds from shore and had 60 yards behind him out in the cove. If he wanted to fish the creek he should have trolled out and around. Went at least 50 ft away started his outboard and idled up the creek way ahead of the op. Not even stopping 50 ft ahead but well ahead of where the op was heading while fishing the shoreline he had been traveling for 45 minutes.

For me the proper etiquitte in a small area is to get behind the person there 1st and stay at least 50 yards behind or fish the other side if you have that 50 yards. When it comes to jumping ahead of someone obviously going in a direction, just dont do it if you dont have 100 yards to seperate you. Preferably just go somewhere else unless its crowded up conditions and spots are that limited. When going around someone parked always go to the outside even if they are fishing to the outside. Just stay out of cast range.
Look at each situation the way you would expect to be treated. And dont lie to yourself on what would be ok with you.

You can't cast 150 feet?
I dang sure can with a few different baits.

I usually don't care if someone goes around me on the side I'm not casting to but this guy went between the OP and the bank. I would have blocked the [censored] out of him with my boat. It is a matter of respect and principle with me. Go around but do it on the outside not the area I'm fishing.

What is wrong with fishing BEHIND someone, especially when it comes to being in the back of a cove? I have caught fish, and had fish caught behind me. Fishing in a tournament don't mean [censored], courtesy and respect of other anglers is how I was taught. Rant over.

Thanks all for the input, I see by most of the comments i think I did the right thing by just leaving the area. It's just sad that some people can't respect others and have to intrude in on others space and think it's ok.

What happens on the water stays on the water.

Cuss him, ignore him, fight him, it's your choice. But I leave it on the water on never bring it to a forum.

Pushing someone off their spot isn't right but I'm with the "I'm coming through crowd". If I want in the back of that cove and you're sitting in the middle of it, what do you want me to do? I'm not turning around and going across the lake to a different spot just because you're in that cove.

I'd keep my distance, try not to bother you, and wave at you when going by, but if you don't like me fishing in "your" cove that's just too bad I guess. Might ask which side you want me on but probably not.

Some people just dont understand

I wouldn't get worked up about it. Would be a waste of energy since some folks do not even know what they are doing

Honestly i just laugh cause they dont know how to fish

Seriously, it's a toss up between bravado and lack of reading comprehension for the best part of this thread.

I had a great uncle that guided on Toledo in the late 60's and 70's. He had the reputation of shooting holes in peoples boat that followed and came into him. Sure miss the good ole days!

Nothing a DD22 on his front deck will not fix lol he will get the idea pretty quick or just boat ramp him!!!!!!!!

........sure thing. Maybe stretching the truth a bit?

I'm going to start dropping bobbers with braid tied between the 2 for people who do that [censored].