I've been recently unemployed and have decided to take the month of July off and fish! Yeah, I know, sucks to be me!

So, since last week,, I've been on the water a LOT, and the bite has SUCKED with artificial baits! Live bait has been doing good, so the cast net was tossed and live bait has been the kicker...

Well, a few days ago, a regular on RH, in his small center console, was out on his boat trolling for fish while I was sitting on top of a killer school and catching on live bait....

This guy literally came within 60 feet of my boat, with his big motor running and trolled past.... Then he made ANOTHER pass after seeing me and my boat partner catch a few hybrids!

Now, am I splitting hairs here, or should he have backed off a bit? My thoughts, if your big motor is running, you shouldn't be close enough to me to see your dental work when you grin at me and wave!

Now, had he dropped the trolling motor and come in gently, I'd have told him what we were fishing with and offer for him to come on in.... Big motor, trolling, waving like a fool.... Not so much...

Ok, rant off....

Too close

Meh, that'll happen. Theres not a whole lot you can do except give them the "what are ya doin?" shrug, and sometimes a little education if they look like they have no clue. Sounds like you were catching fish after he made his first pass, so I guess I'm wondering, why gripe? Usually if a boat is at a dead slow idle, it has relatively little effect. Especially if the fish are deep. Topwater seems to be a much different story!

Tooo close, no etiquete, no brains and certainly no common sense. The smile and wave are covering up what he/she knows is wrong !

I agree, too close. I am not a triller but it looks like there are plenty of places to troll without being on top of someone.

That is typical for RH summer time and twok as well. The community holes are small areas and many dont know how to keep a safe distance of 100 ft. Glad you caught some hybrids! I havent ventured to the dark side yet this year...

called summertime fishing. Just expect it.
Johnny

I'll try and stay further away next time Sir Charles!
Wait, I don't have a Cc.

Too close with the big motor no matter what.

Now if it had been me anchored up & bait fishing and someone trolled by with their electric motor, it probably wouldn't bug me. But too close for the big motor.

+1

These days I expect a certain amount of idiocy in the summer months.

Funny Todd.

Man I was on Texoma this week and I actually saw 2 guides run feeding schools at least 5 times!! By the way it wasn't striper express, JD, or Texoma Mark. I don't know the other guides so I don't know who it was but it was THE WORST DISPLAY of inconsideration I have ever seen.
If I see those two guys on fish I may just troll and set my anchor 10 feet away just to nRant off, other than that episode I found two schools of stripers and did okay but nothing big.

Rant off

I had it happen to me on Lake Ray Roberts 10 years or so and the game warden pulled him over wrote him a ticket.
I asked him what happen when he checked my stuff he said he must maintain 100 feet away with the motor running now he was subject to no boat use for 5 years and no fishing license for the same if he was convicted, I have never seen anyone win with TPL.
I don't know the out come but I always stay away from others unless I am using trolling motor or passing slow. Just my sound off!

The best part of this story for me is a stupid #$%&@ CC fisherman causing problems for a pontoon fisherman. Stupid drives all kinds of boats.

As a pontoon fisherman who reads this forum regularly, I feel intimidated by regular boats, CC or otherwise. When I'm around active fishing, you can put a football field between me and them. Then after they leave I come back and try to see what the structure is like there, I know the fish are gone but maybe another day. I'm just afraid I'm going to do something stupid and read about it on the forum.

THANKS Charlie, I really needed that.