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| Etiquette seems to be the "buzz" in my ear this winter so far. It seems like all the guys I have talked to at shows or other musky events have the same stories. Guys pulling in a cast length in front of them and pitching lures or guys racing them to the next spot.
I have to admit, I had a few looks last year myself when trolling. If I am trolling a piece of structure such as a 1/2 mile long breakline and a boat pulls in in front of me, I keep going and make a wide sweep (about two long cast lengths) around them (either on the deep side or shallow side depending on which way they are casting) and keep going along the breakline. Is this enough room? How much is adequate? After all, I was on the structure first.
My general rule is to give others as much room as I would want them to give me.
I would love to hear what others think about this subject.
Let's all try to make it more enjoyable for everyone on the water this year!!
Brett Waldera
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | This is a easy one for casters. If you can hit a person while working the spot you were fishing its too close. Any time I work up to someone I will ask: Do you want the inside or outside? This will break the silence and usually solve the problem.
If you pull up to a spot and there is a boat working it, just ask if they mind if you work behind them. Most will let you without a problem. Some will turn the boat around and push you away. That is when I will come back later after I work another spot close enough to watch them work the spot on the spot. Then I will stick that fish after they leave......
Trolling is a hard one because everyone has a different comfort zone while trolling. I will run my boards yards from others if I know them. Others I will pull the boards in as I get close and let them back out as I pass. Lots of guys will not move a board and will just hold their ground. Those guys are the problem guys. If someone shows effort to give me room I will make major room for them on the next meeting. This is usually the way it works around my trolling waters.
Of course there is a few guys that will not give a inch because they are the locals and other are not. A couple of these guys are on every water. Head cases for sure.
When trolling without boards it is not uncommon to come within 10 ft of a friend. Otherwise if working structure I will turn out to deep water as a boat comes at me and turn back behind them after they pass. The next time they will do the same. Well most of the time. After 2 or 3 passes where they don't move I will most likely let them know how I feel about their arrogance and then move ahead of them and go the same way. That way I don't have to deal with them again.
Working structure is hard when someone is casting it or jigging it. If I was trolling it and someone came up and started casting I would tell them I was trolling it and will be working it for another run or two. Most of the time that will end a problem before it starts.
If you are one of the walleye guys setting up on a point that everyone is trolling your in for a long day/night. Most of the time you can tell what a boat is working and just give them some room. It is a free lake but lets not push that too far, it works both ways. |
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Posts: 20255
Location: oswego, il | I do alot of trolling too, with boards. I am not on really big lakes so unless a caster makes a zobie cast towards deep water when we come along, we will put the inside planer about 20ft away if they are were we would like to be. We give them their space if they make the zombie cast.
Casting depends on the water as pressure is relative. I think on really pressured waters a cast length is ok unless you overtake or cross an oncoming fisherman. I usually take the outside, stop casting untill we are by.
Edited by ToddM 2/7/2005 9:06 PM
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| When I troll I try to follow the structure exactly but I steer clear of other boats by 100 feet or more because I feel that is polite behavior on the water. It really pisses we off when I am on a drift run and some idiot trolls in front of me, immediately cutting me off.
On Mille Lacs this summer fishing with Gregg Thomas we saw a boat of some big time musky peeps get cut off by a local guide and the guide's client immediately pops a 48 within casting distance of the other boat. Gregg said it was the worst cut off he had ever scene, and for me it was the second worst. I had experienced one worse than that on LOTW a few years back. Guides, more than anyone else, should know polite fishing behavior! 
Edited by muskyboy 2/8/2005 1:19 AM
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| If you can talk to them you are already WAY TOO CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 1046
| Violators and unsportsmanlike conduct will always be apart of the outdoors, period! Its taught at home from infant on, some will never get it! I just consider the source and always remember and never forget, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND! Thats the best justice there is, no sense in arguing cause those would not understand anyways! Its just part of life!  |
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Posts: 466
Location: Pittsburgh, PA | i get non-musky boats coming around my spots all the time, usually the guys that are fishing with live bait that are fishing for "whatever bites". this is 98% of the boats on my regular waters. so, when i see someone coming, i put on the biggest lure in the box and start whipping home run casts all over the place. i started doing this last year and it seems to work pretty good. haha |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | Heck I was fishing near a buddy of mine Randy, a huge foggy morning and we had this guy come up and cut between both of us. I thought Randy was going to kill the guy. Randy and I where so close that you could hit each other with a decent cast. When this guy cut between us myself and my partner and randy and his partner stopped casting and kinda looked at each other like WHAT IS THIS GUY DOING? Then this guy just goes right between us casting with his buddy. Next time I am going to introduce him to a 1 Iron!@!!!! I will never forget that boat!!
pga
Edited by pgaschulz 2/8/2005 7:27 AM
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | Sometimes you have to wonder what people were thinking........
What it really comes down to is that most of the time they just dont have a clue.
MR |
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Posts: 3508
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I will fish other structure if there is someone on the spot I wanted to fish. I just wait until they are done, and go to it a while later...to let things settle down.
If someone comes in and cuts me off, I put on the biggest lure in my box and start casting in their direction. I want them to know that they pulled up too close. A few years ago, we had a boat with 3 people come right in front of us. I started casting right at them, and was dropping baits within a foot of their boat. I stared them down and they finally said...o.k...we'll move.
I really like sunglasses for that purpose...and a straight face.
The local people I usually talk with them...and we all keep our distance, save one. He will cut me off every chance he gets. I called him on it one day and his comment was "I only fish 7 or 8 spots on the lake" to which I replied...then go fish one of the 6 -7 that I am not on!! He has not come close since.
Steve |
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Location: Contrarian Island | In Madison we deal with lots and lots of pleasure boaters that just don't have a clue...usually I fire a lure at them or just put my arms out to the side with the "what the f*ck" look on my face and some get it..some don't...most musky fishermen are decent around here..but we have our share of guys that like to cut people off or "cherry pick" the spot right out from under you.
It gets annoying and I am usually not one to keep my mouth shut so I have gotten in a few verbal arguments...I guess we just have to deal with it the best we can...it's always going to happen.
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Posts: 620
Location: Seymour, WI | I was fishing on the Chip a couple yrs ago and was making a nice drift across the S side of Birch Is. I was about 100 yds from the point when a big name guide pulled in with two clients and put about 100 casts right on the point of the Island. I only get to fish flowage once or twice a yr and he fishes it every day so that left a very poor impression on me and really changed my impression of him.
Grass, |
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Posts: 743
| Etiquette is not even in the Indiana dictionary.
you guys think you get off alot and people crowd you too much...come to our lakes for one weekend or just one day and you'll have MINIMUM 10 boats within 30 feet (yes, 1/2 a cast lenght) of your boat the 1st day.
last year i almost got ran over 3 times...by other "fisherman", pleasure boaters..whatever.
99% of the time these guys HAVE NO CLUE about unspoken rules of the water or this E word (etiquette). these are same guys who cant back thier boats down the ramp, take up 2 parking spots with thier 15 foot trailer...
when guys get this close to me, i'm usually saying some not too cool while launching my bait at them. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | There is no trolling up by me but I see my share of questionable manuevers by fellow fishermen and pleasure boaters. I have had guys shadow me around the lake following me from spot to spot. I have had fishermen cut right between me and the structure I was casting, to the point I had to stop casting to let them through. Don't even get me started on the pontooners.
Sometimes the people don't even do it on purpose. I have had two such occasions when I was the dumb@ss. Once I was busy checking out my electronics graphing a breakline when I looked up and saw a gentleman fishing about 3/4 cast away, it was not intentional but I am sure I upset the guy. Another time I was working a steep breaking shoreline for quite some time before I noticed the duckhunter crouched along the shore. I am sure I was doing nothing for his duckhunting. Sometimes it just happens, with more and more people on the water it is going to happen more often.
I used to let it really bother me, but now I just shake my head and continue on with my day. At the worst I might explain to them exactly why I am upset and then move on to another area. Time on the water is for enjoyment, don't let others lack of respect get to you, it will just ruin your day. |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Norm brings up an excellent point, many times others are not intentionally cutting anyone off, they just don't get how 'we' cover the water. Before I head to a piece of water, I try to guess which way the other boats are moving. To my surprise, sometimes I find I misjudged and a boat heads straight for me, in which case I move out until he passes by.
I mess folks up all the time working structure because they cannt fathom my rig going against or perpendicular to the wind. They're drifting, and I'm controlled drifting on an edge. That's a sure recipe for a close encounter.
My comment? SO WHAT? I've picked fish out from near under boats in front of me plenty of times, so that doesn't worry me unless in competition. As soon as the other guy is out of the way, the water is just as open as it was, no harm, no foul. If there is no intended discourtesy, I just get in line or wait for the offender to clear my path if it's a pleasure craft, make sure I'm doing something different than the guys ahead of me, and adapt. |
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Posts: 376
Location: Lake Vermilion Tower, MN | I have the luxury to have more spots to fish, than you could cover in a lifetime.
If there is someone fishing the spot I was heading to, I go on to the next one.
I don't fish close to anyone, I expect that same courtesy from other anglers.
It doesn't matter if I know them or not I
don't horn in on the spot, no matter how big it is. |
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| Hey muskyboy, That was me in the boat that got cut off by a local guide. A lot of common courtesy goes a long way and this guy has absolutley none. We are reluctant to ever pull up on a spot if there is someone fishing it but never would I ever dream of doing what this guy did. He pulls up 30 feet from us, so one of the guys in our boat fires a cast way past his bow to show him that he was well within casting distance and he totally ignores the topwater bait running 5 feet from his boat. His clients second cast the guy sticks a 50 incher.
The worst part of it is that he is teaching his clients that this is an acceptable thing to do in musky fishing. I have not been musky fishing long but I sure as hell know that that is completely unacceptable.
We saw the guy on the reef the next day and went up to have a friendly conversation with the guy and he still thought that he didn't do anything wrong.
It is only going to get worse as more and more people are starting to enjoy the sport of muskie fishing. My advice to everyone that is just starting is to hire a reputable guide for a weekend. They will teach you the proper etiquette for fishing pressured lakes.
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| Hi Matt, Well at least I am glad you had some kind words with them! |
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| too funny norm.
i was up in your neck of the woods this november and blindly worked my way right up on a duckhunter. talk about being oblivious...he had about 20 decoys out and i still cruised up and started chuckin'. as soon as i saw him, i thought, "oh shrimp! those aren't real ducks, and he's got a shotgun..."
at least he was cool about it after i started apologizing up and down.
i get a bit cranked when people jump me too, and have been known to fire a cast their way. but then i try to remind myself that getting mad doesn't have any impact on them...it just leaves me feeling upset.
try to smile, move on... |
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Posts: 10
Location: Minnesota | Steve, I lied when I said it was friendly. My buddy has a lot shorter fuse that I do and there were a few four letter words exchanged and ending with both boats cruising off in seperate directions. Gregg and I still talk about that day. There is a picture on the guides website with his client and the fish and I kid you not that we are less than 30 feet away during the entire photo session. Oh well, it was only a fish. I was mostly upset about him teaching people that that is an acceptable way to fish. Maybe Ill see you out there next year. Have a good one |
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| MSKY HNR I'm sure you heard about this one but the windsurfer who got snagged on Lake Wingra last summer. I read that the fisherman was trolling muskies and as those windsurfers do, they wanted to "jump" the wake of the guys boat. Well, I think the surfer ended up with a couple of trebles in his leg and heard he wanted to sue to fisherman! Some people I just don't understand..... |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Just like my old attitudes, I've given up trying to change other's minds and ways and started concentrate on my own fishing. You can't change the way others are going to fish, all the yelling, swearing and gesturing in the world isn't gonna stop a guy from cutting you off or coming too close to your boards.
yes there's etiquette, but it comes from time on the water and watching other anglers who practice it. What's a guy going to learn by me flipping out and fingering him, especially if it was an honest mistake? |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | I guess I am spoiled. With the exception of the occasional pontooner getting in the way of a trolling run (I don't troll much anyway), I usually have the entire system to myself, and have never had many problems of being crowded. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Well being this is my first spring with a boat , all I have for experience is last fall. I hate to say it ,but I didn't pay enough attention a few times and ended up getting in people's way ... The were all cool about it ... I apolagized and we went on our way ... This year my biggest goal beside having alot of fun is to " not mess it up for the next guy "...... Because I don't want him messing it up for me .... But in the end it's just common courtesy, some people have it ,lots of people DON"T!!!!
MM |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Well, me and the other two guys who fish muskies out here get in each other's way once in a while...but we deal with it. 
K.
Fishing pressure is relative; those of you who experience real pressure live with it, those of you who don't deal w/ real pressure will learn to!
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| Here's one I'll be interested to hear your takes on. First time ever at LOTW for my brother and I and he raises a nice fish on a Suick. Later on at the lodge we get to talking to another muskie fisherman and he busts out this map that is all marked up. He tells us that he's been fishing the area for years and gives us advice. We were flat-out beginners and thought "What a nice guy giving us pointers like this!!" My brother points out the spot he raised the fish on and asks the guy for advice on what to do to hook-up with the fish. The guy suggests hitting it at dusk with a topwater. We head to the spot right before dusk and the guy is there already and he's fighting a nice fish. Our immediate impression was that we were naive in telling him about the spot but it was wrong for him to do what he did.
P.S. The guys fishing partner screwed up the net-job on the fish which we thought was pay-back enough. We never confronted the guy. |
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