I like to pull up to people and ask "what are they biting on"
When you get real close, you can see what they are using. If they catch a few fish, you can wait them out and follow them to their next spot. This is what separates the weekend warriors from the pros. The pros spend all day following people around.

I might be off on this but I assume “my spot” is outside of where I can cast to. We’ve got the entire lake to fish and there’s no need to come right up on me. Now if it’s a community hole you know what you’re getting and the rules aren’t so hard and fast. Better to be friendly in that case.

JB there are people that will forgo 20k acres just to fish in your jock , some don't even know what they are doing and some are just shameless a-holes with no talent that are gonna spotlick you. In a marina or tight environment its hard to avoid some times but an entire dam .......yeah sorry man go to the other end.

If I get cut off I just fire up the boat and pull in front of them the same distance they pulled in front of me. I don't care who it is. Even Ike.

Best policy Don’t be a rude SOB.
If someone is fishing docks a certain direction down a bank don’t pull in 4 or 5 docks ahead and think it is OK.
If someone is fishing a point don’t pull up and start casting in the same spot, even if you are 50 foot away.
Lastly think about every time someone pulled up close to you and what you were thinking about him.
Seems like a lot of people forget that last one.

Don’t cut people off going down a bank and don’t follow too close. If someone is pulled up on a deep spot, let them have it and move in after they leave.

I try and be respectful yet still stand my ground.

I am not fighting over a fishing spot, too old for all that. Too many people let other fishermen ruin their day, IMO.

I found that the deep water deal isn't always true.
When we went to Pickwick a couple of years ago, I was told by several guys that "sharing" of some deep water stuff was acceptable. I had mentioned that we had found some stuff during practice but on tourney day, there were several boats on them. As long as you stay "off the school or structure" it is acceptable to share the spot. I laughed and told them that if you were within 500 yards of someone fishing deep in Texas , you would be cussed and publicly humiliated.
Since we didn't really know where a school would be or really how the stuff laid, we just let them have it..

Keep a cast and a half away and don't go in front if you see what direction we are going. Fall in behind. If you are unsure, come up and ask. Polite goes a long ways out there

I had my first incident in Iowa last weekend. no incident I guess since I just ignored him except for giving him the bird.

650 acre lake, long and skinny, submerged timber thru part of it and a guy in a metal bass boat fishing the submerged bridge in the middle of the creek channel and only place to travel w out a whole ton of timber to bang off.

he was fishing off the starboard side and I passed 25 yards to the port side and he turned and started fishing of that side and was hollering at me about driving so close. . it would be like being yelled at by someone tied to a marker bouy in a boat lane in texas... blew my mind.

clear glitter boat rage.

WELP YOU ASK FOR IT!!

Eh. Can’t believe this has to be a topic. Sign of the times, I guess. Common sense and courtesy are LONG GONE.

there is no such thing as common courtesy if you spend 70 k on a flashy bass boat some thinks it entitles them to run up on folks an crowd them if you can throw a lure an hit a oncoming boat you are too close lakes are for the most part huge area to fish if someone is fishing an area that you like to fish an you didnt get there first try another spot dont be a tool . maybe if folks videoed some of these folks an put it on the net rather than whining about it when they get home it would make a difference.

I agree that distance depends on the situation. Unless there is a discussion between boats, you should never get more than a long cast from another boat. In general I try to stay at least a couple hundred yards from other boats even on crowded lakes. On some lakes, I think anything less than 1/2 mile is too close. If it is a "community hole", tight spot or I come around a corner, I just politely ask the guys in the other boat how much space they need. Very rarely will they tell you to leave but on the rare case they do I don't have a problem going somewhere else. I've talked to 1000's of other fisherman over the last 30 years and 99% of them are great people. I've had many great conversations with other fisherman I've run into over the years and less than a handful of jerks. I think they way you initial approach them and talk to them will determine how easy they will be to get along with.

Tournament fisherman get a bad reputation because there are a few of them that think they get priority just because they are in a tournament. If trounament fishermen are polite, I'm just like 1oldbassguy, I'll tip them off on lures, depth and spots that I've done well. The other group of fisherman that get "too close" are guys that are new to a lake. Almost all these guys are very polite once you strike up a conversation with them. They are just curious and want to see how you are catching a bunch of fish.

On big lakes like Falcon, Amistad or Lake Powell, I'll general stay at least 1/2 mile or more from other boats. These big lakes have plenty of good places to fish and many guys like me enjoy fishing them for the solitude.

I remember one time about 10 years ago on Falcon it was a beautiful morning, the water was like glass and I couldn't see a boat for a mile in any direction. I'd been fishing a point for about an hour and my brother and I were catching them good all morning. Then a boat pulled up on us not much more than a long cast away. Keep in mind there wasn't another boat fishing anywhere close and there many other good spots less 200-1000 yards away but they had to pull right up on us. Instead of being a jerk to the other guy, I politly told him, "You are fishing awful close to us on a big lake when there is no other boat in sight". He admitted to his mistake and we struck up a friendly conversation and talked for a while and we helped put him on some fish. It was his first time fishing Falcon. He was from the DFW area and I'm just assuming he was use to different social norms on how close you can pull up on another boat. I also believe some fisherman feel safer on remote fishing locations if they can fish next to the only other boat they see there. I've noticed this on several occasions when fishing deep into Mexican wasters on Amistad and Falcon.