If you pull in to an area and a boat is already fishing it, do you:
A) Still fish the area
B) Move on and find another spot
Charleston City Papers Best Guide of 2014
I move on and go to the next spot. No need to crowd anyone, there’s more than enough water to share with everyone. I will however express my opinion with others who feel they need to fish on top of me when I was there before them. It’s only “your” spot when you are actually there fishing it. Technically they are all mother natures spots and we are all just borrowing them.
Carolina Skiff J14, 25 Merc
Hydra-Sports 1800cc, 150 Johnson
It depends on the spot . Obviously the Grillage can hold more than one boat but some creeks are so small you can hardly have enough room to get the boat through.
17’ Mako
Fishing should be a gentleman’s sport. Never impose on another fisherman. If you think there may be plenty of room for another boat, ask permission. If the reply resembles " no ", say thank you, and move on. You won’t fish all the spots in your lifetime.
Depends on the spot but, I say unless it is really crowding the other boat, ask. If they are less than receptive move on.
This post is going somewhere.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Are you referring to where you were fishing yesterday? It was the 3 boat length rule in that spot yesterday. I counted 9 boats in less than 300 yards…I could easily cast into 2 other boats that anchored next to me… I am pretty sure you and I were the only 2 boats there at first…luckily the water temps will be up by next week and a lot of those fish will move from that area…
Robert Olsen
Not just that area. There are several inshore areas where people seem to pile on top of each other. Take Hamlin sound for instance. IT used to be that if you went back there and a couple of boats were in the area, you moved on, now there can be as many as 20 boats fishing the bank. Recently I’ve been anchored between 2 docks fishing and had people come in and setup on the outside of the docks I was working. I could have hit either boat with a cast. With more and more people on the water around here, I’m fearing that etiquette is being lost on the fishing community.
Charleston City Papers Best Guide of 2014
If I can cast into another boat (easily), they are definitely too close.
quote:
I'm fearing that etiquette is being lost on the fishing community.
Etiquette and common courtesy are being lost in everyday society.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
To me it depends on the location, and what we are fishing for, and how we are fishing, and how the other boats are fishing. Some spots are considered public knowledge and a lot of people go there and they are expecting to have to share space. Sort of like fishing off a public dock. If you’re just soaking baits on the bottom, you can fish pretty tight and sometimes have to. I personally try to maintain at least 10 boat lengths, or the length of a long cast, but don’t get upset if there is a crowd and people move in a little closer. If I want or need to get closer than 10 boat lengths, I always ask permission first.
quote:
If you think there may be plenty of room for another boat, ask permission. If the reply resembles " no ", say thank you, and move on. You won't fish all the spots in your lifetime.
On the other hand, if we’re fishing say the Broad River flats and I see a boat with someone poling and someone fly fishing off the bow, I give them at least 300 yards, at idle.
If we’re working a little creek out in the yonders of the marsh and come across another boat already in the creek, I don’t ask permission, I turn around and let them have it to themselves.
The question is situation specific. Ever fished the tarpon run in Boca Grande Pass? Talk about some tight fishing [:0]
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:
Originally posted by CaptFritzIf you pull in to an area and a boat is already fishing it, do you:
A) Still fish the area
B) Move on and find another spotCharleston City Papers Best Guide of 2014
Depends on what kind of music they are listening too.
Come on Fritz, you know etiquette is only shown by a few “fishermen” these days! I would imagine inshore fishing for a living could be similar to being a truck driver. People just don’t care about others like they used to. Off shore too, there have been several instances we have had to change a drift or trolling patter due to others wanting to be in the same spot.
I truly hate a crowd while fishing, The good side of it is forcing yourself to find new “spots”. Haven’t fished with the Cobia fleet in several years. Sometimes scouting new areas pays off. 
On a tangent I really think a lot of “new to our area” fishermen are used to everyone piling up on each other and don’t think it’s wrong and a lot of others really believe they own a spot once they have caught something there. Some actually get mad when they see someone else in “their spot”. crazy stuff.
Anyway, I hope you do well for yourself this season and Happy Easter! Go eat some ham and boiled eggs!
I’ll also never get into an argument about a fishing spot. If someone moves in on top of me and I don’t like it, I just move somewhere else. There is a whole lot of water out there.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker LarryI’ll also never get into an argument about a fishing spot. If someone moves in on top of me and I don’t like it, I just move somewhere else. There is a whole lot of water out there.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I’m hoping to eventually get to that point in my life.
Earn it everyday
If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.
Never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber bullet.
To me it depends on the spot and the way the people are fishing. I was absolutely killing it fishing a school of reds by a dock on a creek with a lot of traffic after several boats saw me catch multiple fish as well as the 2 people I was with catching them as they passed, they would pull up right next to me and ask if it was cool to fish there I said no problem. It got to the point of five boats fishing the school and rotating cast about 10 people, I even gave some of them live bait (I stayed with the hot hands) The only spot left to put a boat was above the school and the only person who didn’t ask everybody if it was good to fish next to them pulled up between everyone to right where we were casting and threw the anchor right on the school. 3 of the 5 boats left including me as soon as they did that with out even saying a word to them, it is about the rudest thing I’ve experienced on the water. Never could get back on the fish that day and I could of probably had a personal record that day if I told everyone not to fish by me but I’ve been the guy on the outside before so I will always let someone fish by me.
BOATLESS
quote:
Originally posted by CaptFritzIf you pull in to an area and a boat is already fishing it, do you:
A) Still fish the area
B) Move on and find another spotCharleston City Papers Best Guide of 2014
Wave and keep on going.
Fritz, I would agree if i can hit you with my cast then your to close. Matter a fact if I can hear your conversation your to close. The one i like is when you have put a lot of time in trying to locate the fish and people see you catching fish either come in and fish close to you or the next time you go in there and you see two certain boats that passed you the day before and there they sit. I’m glad i could do the work for you.
quote:
Ever fished the tarpon run in Boca Grande Pass? Talk about some tight fishing
Been there done that. Watched a couple of tarpon get caught and then, knowing we were out of our league moved off to watch from a distance. Absolutely crazy.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
I hear what you are saying fritz. We have ran into the same problems. We would be poling and the next thing we know someone comes flying by and almost throwing us off the boat. We practice the 1000 yard rule while fishing. Many of times we wanted to go to creeks but we saw someone back there so we turn around. We try to stay out of sight of everyone. And when it comes to passing someone that’s fishing we start to idle around 300 yards and cruise by trying to to disturb their fishing.
Sometimes others are going to end up on “other peoples spots” and it becomes first come first serve. But if we know someone have been fishing a certain spot we dont try to rush to their spot and try to beat them their. We try to go find another spot that looks like that and see if fish are there.
We try to respect everyone on the water and leave space for everyone. Sometimes it just come down to how they were taught how to fish.
Keep your lines tight and remember. Respect the fish and your fellow fisherman. Know the Code.
I prefer to fish alone and quiet to enjoy the water, catching fish is a bonus. I don’t catch many fish, so I guess
I don’t have to worry about my secret spot :-). But if you want to set up next to me, just give me space to cast.
2008 War Eagle 15ft
1995 Johnson 25hp
Really depends, but I can’t imagine ever getting within 2X casting distance (and typically much, much more than that) of anyone as I wouldn’t want anyone else to ever get that close to me. I definitely don’t want anyone crowding me so I don’t crowd anyone else
207 CC SeaHunt
Yamaha 150