I was out on Eagle Mountain yesterday afternoon and experienced something twice in 2 hours that I have never experienced in my life. How would you have handled this situation?

Me and my buddy are fishing in a creek no wider than 25 feet and maybe - maybe 100 yards till you can't go any farther, and two guys in a little Johnboat come zippin up on us and kills his 10 horse with about 100 feet to spare, drops his trolling motor, says "sorry to rain on your parade" and goes past us to fish in the creek.

We go to another creek with the same type of conditions, and here comes some guy in a white and green champion with his old lady sitting shot gun while he's running the trolling motor. This friggin guy is throwing his bait almost on top of mine. Then he throws it into a tree that's no more than 10 feet from my bow and gets all tangled up. As he's coming towards me to get his lure out of the tree he starts making small talk. Man, I have never been so hissed off in my life! It was almost laughable.... Unfriggin believable!!

I've seen and heard about some crazy people doing stupid stuff on the water, but this is the first time I've ever had first hand experience with it. Do you think they were just ignorant and didn't have any common sense, or were they just a bunch of bad eggs that were maliciously trying to hiss me off?

I know what I wanted to do, but I didn't do or even say anything to either one of them. Now I'm wondering if I should have. So, how do you think you would have handled it?

Me and my buddy were fishing a tournament yesterday and I had found some fish on a point on the main lake when a guy is driving by sees me catch a fish and pulls up in casting distance behind me and drops anchor! Makes all sorts of commotion as well as his kid. The nerve of some people!

I just don'e get it. I wouldn't do that to anybody in a million years, even if someone paid me to do it, I wouldn't.

On Fork all weekend and had several people drive by with the big motor only ten feet from you going right over the water your fishing! As long as they are not fishing that spot then they don't care.

well, all I can say is you cant cure stupid for sure, and courtesy seems to be a thing of the past, had a dude pull up within 3 ft of my boat at fork last year, started spinnerbaiting the shore OVER my boat. Sometimes you just sigh at stupidity, not sure what else to do.

It happens alot more than i would like to see.If they mess my fishing up,I am a big fan of cranking up and raising the big motor up and washing them out,as a de-parting gift.Some people have no manners or common sense.

I think it was Ben Franklin who said" COMMON SENSE ISNT VERY COMMON."

Just to clear things up a bit...

The common rule in a lot of tourneys is stay 50 yards away of a competitor's boat which was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight with the trolling motor in the up position), or within 25 yards of a non-anchored competitor's boat unless otherwise agreed upon by the other tournament angler. But there is no law or written rule that will get you a ticket that states a distance to stay away from each other.

Honestly I wouldn't mind it that much and I have eased up on someone many times. BUT not with the big motor on. If I know there is fish where they are fishing and they are not catching them I will move in and stay way more than casting distance away and ask them to fish the spot and then ask if they want a lure that works!

If they make me mad by pulling too close and never ask or even say a word. I will ask them to stay back please.

If they refuse I hope they get really close that way I could accidently on purpose cast into their trolling motor and get it tangled real nice!! I have been known to cast a warning shot and hit right at their boats edge with a rattle-trap. I have also hit the big motor with a spinnerbait before! BUT thats after I asked them to leave me alone and give me some space OR they just roll right over my spot!

BTW if someone has a marker bouy out PLEASE stay way from the bouy!!

You have some crazy folks out there so if you don't know what your doing be prepared to learn really fast and ASK BEFORE YOU ASSUME!!!

Pantera19, sorry about your time on the lake. You did the right thing by taking the HIGH ROAD!! In the Dallas area there are many people who dont care about anything or anybody. I see it at work, Grocery store, 635 Hwy and even leaving church on Sunday.

With that said, take the high road like you did. God knows what happened, and you will, in a day or so, fell good about yourself, and that is all that matters.

If you take action against others the list of problem is long and could be costly dollar wise.

Take it from a man of 50 years, It takes more of a man to walk away!!!!!

You did a good job.

99% of the time if the person said can I fish through in front I will say yes, being polite always helps. I had a boat with two guys in a tournament come up and ask if they could fish through of course I said yes and thanked them for asking.

you just cant fix stoopid..... some folks arent even worth your breath.....

I understand where you are coming from. It really puts you in a no win situation. If you don't say or do anything, then for sure folks are going to keep doing it to you. If you do say or do something about it, seems like everyone will be ready to jump on you for not just letting it slide. Seems like any more if you stand up for yourself, then you are the one that is wrong.

What was there for you to "do"...or "say" that would have improved the situation?

You will hear the Arm Chair brigade spout off with Mucho Macho tales about how they would have thrown a 10 ounce sinker about an inch from his head (like he is some kind of John Wayne or something) or maybe "popped a cap" across the bow of his boat, or possibly rammed his boat into the side of the alleged offender to "show him how we handle things in this part of the lake"......etc. etc. etc. etc.

"Repay" an act of rudeness with another act of rudeness? What is the point, other than the Macho self-serving act of retribution that could have consequences far more reaching than the "bubba mentality" can realize.

I think your best response other than saying nothing could have been, I hope you have some good fishing here! Have a nice day!

If you can say such a thing with sincerity, you would be miles ahead of anyone else.

as far as the john boat I wouldn't have a problem with that he acknowledged you and shut down far enough away,kept going no big deal.
the other one like chuckwagon said above, but the big motor would have been tilted up and "aimed" properly as I left.

This has happened to me quite a few times in the past....I usually fire a heated "Would you like to just get in the FREAKING boat with me???" while staring them down. That USUALLY gets their attention and they leave.

My grandpa used to keep a big surf rod rigged up with a 1 ounce weight and a giant treble hook....he'd lob that death trap towards anybody that got too close! It was hilarious!