Kevin VanDam's Bass Strategies

An excellent book. His later books are all commercials.

"If at all possible, never stop to fish in front of a boater who is working in that direction. If you do, make sure it's at least 300 yards or more. I prefer to drop in far behind them and fish different types of lures.

Unfortunately, there are a few disrespectful anglers who think they have rights to a larger area than what is fair to others.

Never fish in the same spot where someone else is catching fish. Always give that person a lot of room.

...the pan fishermen deserve equal respect."

(pp. 178-179)

And with that out of the way, how about a fishing report...

Not trying to start an argument here. Just would like to know for future reference. If you are fishing a point that has 150 yds of fishable water on both sides, you think that if you are on the point no one else is allowed to fish any part of it? I have seen guys drop a marker bouy, fish that spot for 30 minutes, then move so far around the point that you could not even see them for a couple of hours. Do they "own" all the water from the bouy to where they have gone? If this is the case, I could go down the lake throwing out bouys and claim all the water whether I fished it or not. That said, I will not move in on a bouy if it looks like someone is actively fishing the area around it. I will fish the opposite side of the point going in a different direction than the boat which threw out the bouy.

My thoughts about Marker Bouys. Just because you throw one out doesn't reserve that spot for you! If you throw one out there the fisherman should be within a reasonable distance from it to claim that spot.

If a guy throws one on a point and fishes there a while them moves off two or three hundred yards, then that is open water as far as I am concerned. He might even loose his bouy! lol!

Seriously, It all goes back to common sense and courtesy on both fishermen. If they are going to use a bouy then fish the bouy.... if your not going to fish the bouy, pick it up and let your fellow angler fish that spot.

My only comment is that as the water, and I mean anything that has fish almost anywhere becomes more crowded I feel like we have to take the high road. You are not going to change those knuckeheads who are going to cut you off. There is nothing that will change their behavior unfortunately so I just take the high road and move immediately, if they don't get the point they never will. So for me it is a situation I do not want to escalate, better to be part of the solution that add to the problem. Just my .02 worth.

Good Luck and Tight Lines!

http://fishcatchingtravel.com/