Trav's Fishing Report

[Trav]

We moved back home to Missouri in 1990 after many years in Southern California. Looking back on it, I know I crowded some other fishermen on the water here at first - and though I soon learned better, I felt bad about it.

Just sayin' that some tourists and newcomers to this area may be used to lakes that are two miles long with several hundred boats on them every day - a situation where it's rare to not be able to cast and hit a couple of other boats at any time. I never knew about working down a bank out there either, the banks are shallow and not usually fished.

We're privileged to live in a place with big lakes where you can often fish without another boat anywhere near. I'm sure some fishermen from lots of other places aren't used to that and don't know to not cut another fisherman off, go between a boat and the bank, or get too close.

If you think when every time you’re on the water it is about your reputation, like a pro, everyone will know it is about knowledge.

Where you come from or what you’re used to is not an excuse for the ignorance of being disrespectful. I am not going to forgive outsiders for not knowing what is proper here in the Ozarks.

Down south in the Carolina’s I observed a lot more respect than what is tolerated here. And in Georgia or Florida I viewed the opposite. Florida is similar as you seen in your California experiences.

I have fished Texas waters where there are 500 boats on a single lake. Lakes half the size of Table Rock and I never observed anybody down there jumping the way it is done here unless everyone was floating wind drifts. When you are fighting wind in Texas it makes fishing difficult and people are more tolerant.

I guess that is why people are so tolerant in the upper Taney. There are way too many boats drifting up there for such a small body of water. Pickwick is very similar to Taney as well.

Crazy busy.

Either way, you made my point. There is no reason to be rude on Table Rock when there is so much water to fish.

Maybe the fact of it is that most people down here are not locals and have no clue how to fish?

[CaptainJoe]

My experience is that rude boaters come in two forms:

1. those that don't know the proper lake etiquette.

2. those that don't care.

If you do not say anything, they will continue to do it, whether it is out of ignorance or rudeness.

I will politely tell them that their actions are not appropriate lake etiquette. I let them know when they are violating a no wake zone. I let them know that it is not polite to pull directly in front of someone and start fishing. I inform them to give other boats at least 100 yards. I have found that if you talk to the people in a nice way, they will at least listen to what I am saying. If we keep quiet, their actions will continue. If enough of us talked to the people, the less problems we will have. The ignorant may listen. The rude probably not. But, I try. I have never had anyone tell me to "go to $%#@." Maybe because I am 6'4" and weigh a few pounds. Most apologize, others just say ok. We, as the experience boaters and fisherman, need to educate the inexperienced and other heathens. Nobody else will do it.

My $.02.

[techo]

I guess I have never thought it was about ignorance. I will try to educate and communicate as you suggest Capt. Stay tuned for the fireworks and please start raising bond money!

[glennL]

I was fishing with a friend last week Saturday, on the Kings river. I told him at least a dozen times...

"ever notice the bigger the jerk, the nicer the boat"? I said this to him every time someone came too close and too fast. Plus, ever notice how the nicer the boat, the less likely to wave? javelin boat owners are the worse offenders.

[Mike T]

Not sure what money has to do with general respect.

As a man who has been a guide, in his share of tourneys, and an avid follower of the B.A.S.S., I have never known a pro angler to move in on people without asking if it was OK first. I have myself have asked if it was going to be offensive if I worked an area somebody else was in while I was guiding or doing a tourney.

I have found most bass guys will be more than welcome to accommodate if you stated your reasoning behind it. For example, saying you’re a guide or in a tourney and was hoping to check out the area, especially if you mention you only wanted to revisit a spot you have worked previously.

In the past, if a guy was nice enough to not protest my request I would even tell them what I was catching them on. That is called being courteous.

What I have detest for is those who think they own the lake and think they can just weasel in without even recognizing what they are doing. Those people are usually out there fishing for the sport of it like the rest of us and not for a living. Those are the greater offenders of impropriety. And nine times out of ten they don’t know it is rude. They are mostly tourists, guys who only fish a few times a year, or those who have been burned by this rude behavior themselves and have a bad attitude from those experiences. Giving them the dog eats dog mentality that is so prevalent.

To me, it is just ignorance and my intentions behind these comments are solely to explain there is etiquette while on the water. Much like there is etiquette while at the bowling alley. You respect those who are bowling next to you.

We all can relate to this type of ignorance being displayed, especially if you fish heavily pressured water. I gripe about certain actions here on OAF in hopes people will recognize this in themselves. Use my statements and educate yourselves and others on how to properly behave when forced to deal with it.

If KVD can catch a bag of winning bass with a hundred spectators and helicopters over his head then pressure can be tolerated.

Pro anglers know when to back off and not give their trades a bad name. Sure, you will have some over zealous types in some hillbilly local tourney with the wrong idea but if we can learn how it is done and carry the same ethics as the real pros then things will be less frustrating.

And if you’re a hillbilly with no respect, don’t be surprised if some crazy guy shoots paintballs all over your rig...…Haha. …Might serve you right and teach you a lesson!

I am teasing...…be careful guys...…those hillbillies might have a real gun.…

I have to disagree.If you spend your hard earned money to go fishing which is high these days.You should not be ask to move.I don't think the guides on this forum would ask any one to move.They are good enough to find fish on other banks.As for the pros they should have a back up plan.

[S&M]

I feel so blessed to not have these issues on the water that you folks speak of.

Now you have me thinking why that is ? If I can come up with an answer, I'll let ya know.

[Trav]

I have to disagree.If you spend your hard earned money to go fishing which is high these days.You should not be ask to move.I don't think the guides on this forum would ask any one to move.They are good enough to find fish on other banks.As for the pros they should have a back up plan.

Nothing wrong with being NICE and asking for something. You just have to keep in mind people have the option to say NO. And if you are asking as a professional you should be willing to accept a negative answer.

I personally have asked if I can "slip in" ahead of someone during a tourney, there is "No Harm" in asking. It is the gratitude given and taken which makes people courteous.

[Gilly]

Nothing wrong with being NICE and asking for something. You just have to keep in mind people have the option to say NO. And if you are asking as a professional you should be willing to accept a negative answer.

I personally have asked if I can "slip in" ahead of someone during a tourney, there is "No Harm" in asking. It is the gratitude given and taken which makes people courteous.

My family and I are just getting back into fishing. So I'm speaking from many years of past experience not to include the last half dozen. Having said that, on the water it was mostly the pro's or wannabees who were the most intrusive...you might be one of the few exceptions, trav. When shore fishing, again it was the pro's who plopped lures in front of us as we fished from the dock. And in almost every case not a word was spoken they just gave the air of I'm more important than you. Heck I've seen hotspots that you could literally vault from boat to boat. Could be those folks were good friends and there by consensus. And I've also had the "Last time I checked this wasn't a private lake" retort thrown at me from a jet-ski who buzzed between my boat and the bank. I'm glad I'm not that quick to anger although I had fantasies of a flare gun up his rear.

So what is proper etiquette? And does that change with the number of boats on the water? The size of the lake?

And to those who think the 'nicer' boats are more likely to be rude I'll take exception to that. I have worked hard all of my life. It is time for me to enjoy the fruits of that. However, just because I have a nice boat doesn't mean you should assume I'm rude. Just the opposite. I will probably be the first to nod my head or wave at you. Arrogance cuts both ways.

Life's too short to have your britches in a wad.

[Ranger Z22]

I will be first to confess that I do not post much here and I am sure I am not in the minority.

I also am very close to retirement, and you betcha I have a nice boat. Now does this make us who have nice boats jerks? I am sure they come in all shapes and sizes, but to assume that nice boat = jerk is way off base.

I did not start with the top of the line, that was impossible, but after 37+ years of fishing the rock, starting with my stick steering Terry Bass Boat, you carry those values with you of not cutting people off, staying away from people fishing, going slow if someone is fishing an area that is narrow, so and even waving at others.

Z22 now owning a Z521

[glennL]

No one said, "all the people with nice boats" Just the ones that were rude, happened to have extra expensive nice boats. Don't take offense, I have a nice boat too.