The height of rudeness

[bubba]

Last weekend some buddies and I were fishing clear lake. One of the tournament boats from the Chamber of Commerce tournament displayed an unbelievable level of rudeness (they were in a Skeeter). My buddy pulled up on a spot and tossed out a bouy marker. Then proceeded to drop his trolling motor, take off his life vest and break out his rod as the boat coasted past the marker. When he turned the boat around on trolling motor he saw the Skeeter pull right up on his bouy and start fishing. So he says "Hey guys, I tossed that bouy marker to mark my spot, what are you doing pulling up on my spot and fishing it?" These guy proceeded to scream at him that they were in a tournament and wanted to fish the spot and it didn't belong to him. I can't believe that we as a group have gotten to such a low level that we can't even respect each other's water. It not like there aren't any other spots on the friggin lake, or even to fish a little distance off another boat. But to pull right up on another guys marker while he is dropping his trolling motor? What a couple of low life scum bags. If you can't find your own fish, don't fish in a tournament cause you can't hack it! No honor only shame!

[Bill K]

Bubba. I believe you will be seeing more and more of this type of sportsmanship (or I should say lack of) as people get worse and worse with the signs of the times. People are just getting so uptight with the high cost of everything that they are only thinking of themselves. To bad this had to occur and especially with fellow anglers. Bill K

[BassketCase]

I had a very similar situation while fishing an open water rock pile. This other boat pulled up with the main engine on and almost ran over my line twice as they were trying to find the same pile on their graph. He finally shut down and started fishing right next to me and I was pissed. I was half tempted to slam the BBZ-1 sitting on my deck into the back of the drivers head, but opted to just leave before I lost it. I am so surprised how idiotic some people can be and how just a few guys can ruin what 95% of the guys out there try to honor. There were times this last weekend that I was fishing right next to 7-8 boats in the mouths of some of those canals up north and it is fine as long as you honor a few simple rules.

1- Shut down your main engine well before you get anywhere near another angler that is fishing.
2- If you can cast to same spot that they can cast, then you are too close.
3- When you are done and ready to leave that area. Pull away with the trolling motor before you fire up the main motor.
4- Don’t get mad when you break one of these rules and you get slapped across the face with my BBZ-1 or Hud.

[Dan Stahlman]

I was fishing the tournament with my Daughter Sandi, and we saw it all. The good, the bad and the ugly. 90% of the fishermen were polite and friendly and exchanged greetings and asked how we were doing. Another percentage would crowd you if they saw you catching a fish. We had one boat pull in front of us within 20 feet when they saw us stick a fish. The ugly was when we were idling out of Rodman that a jerk in a white Z20 went by us on full pad within 25 feet while my Daughter was strapping the rods down and nearly putting her in the Lake. That did it. I took out after him but Sandi talked me out of it reminding me we needed a kicker with little time left. Basically I would say that 90% of the guys and gals out here a good sportsmen and women, but the other 5-10% give all of us a bad name. I must add though, it wasn't like this twenty to thirty years ago. Hum, am I giving away my age?
Dan Stahlman

[bassindon69]

UGLY!!! I am glad I only do a open here and there. Fun fishing is much more FUN!!!

Don.

[Phil]

AGAIN;
THATS WHY WE QUIT..........ITS ALL ABOUT THE BUCK NOW DAYS, AND NO RESPECT OR FUN IN IT FOR THE UP-COMING IT SEEMS !

JIGS

[skolnuts]

Yeah thats purty rude, he should have shot at em with a flare gun, where is this guy when you need em.
Just kidding of course

[Guyle]

I woulda started doing circles around them with my big motor until they got the point and left.

[BassketCase]

Still thinking about this way too much…

Now days most people have cell phones with cameras built in or have a camera on board to record that new PB. Instead of getting mad or even, why don’t we just pull up and take a nice picture of these dumb a**es and we could have a picture post on this site where we can post it and comment on their infractions. I think if people started to know that they would have their picture on record with the label of being a Dumb A** next to it… they might have a little more accountability to their actions.

Just a thought!

[Smileee]

then it is about time for all of you that are wronged by rude tournament fishermen to log a formal complaint with the tournament director and tournament organizations.
the tournament organizations should not pay out immediately after the tournament, but wait 24 hours after the finish to payout. ya, I know it is unfair to the winners, but for the few bad apples, it should be the tournament participants to police them.

Smileee

[blkdog812]

hey jigs now u finally hit it on the head. the ole mighty dollar is all that it is about. not the fun, not the challenge, just the dollar amount

[SABP]

The % of rude people on the water is equal to the % of rude people in society. There are always rude people no matter what and fishing is no different. We often forget about how many times people have shown class on the water and tend to focus on the jerks because they leave the bitter taste but they are the exception and not the rule. Most guys and gals out there have class in these situations.

It is sad that these things happen on the water especially in front of our youth. But it happens in society, on the road, at the mall etc. It usually happens less on the water, that's what makes it such a obvious offense. These people stand out when they do it.

The best thing is to ignore them and not let them bother you unless they create an unsafe situation and need to be dealt with by going to a TD or a public safety officer. Yelling at them usually does not help the situation.

I like to tell them I am going to give them the spot since it is so important to them. Then get on the big motor and go right over the area they are fishing and keep telling them you are leaving so they can have the spot is usually pretty funny to do.

[need_a_kicker]

I was out fishing the other day and someone came right up on where my partner and I was fishing. So I told my partner that I was going to make them think that a fish jumped right next to their boat. I launched a hud and it cam within about a foot of their boat, man did I get a dirty look. But the left. (My partner said that he was waiting on them to pull out a gun)

Kicker

[Dewayne]

It is a lack of experience and self confidense. The tournament on Clear Lake was hardly a big money event. It does draw a lot of teams with limited experience. When people do not have confidence they can follow other anglers and catch fish behind them, they feel the need to cut them off. They do not understand that there are 100s of fish on these hot spots and the angler in front of thm may catch a couple.

As anglers we also have to understand that some spots 50 yards is a lot of room. You fish Shag Rock, the Mouth of Kelsey Creek, or Frank's Tract and you will probably have boats within 50 yards of you. These are high density spots. The great thing is most of our lakes and the Delta have areas where you can fish in solitude if you choose. Just don't search for solitude in Frank's Tract for the next couple months as you will only be disappointed.

[Bob Simard]

In the same tournament last weekend, we was fishing the submerged tulle island off the pt at County park. My partner was mending up a swimbait that had just been thrashed while I ran the front.

I see a guy not even on pad, just idling towards the island. I'm chucking a pretty decent sized swimbait out past the island and retrieving over the top of it - even a semi blind moron could see the splash.

Still, the Dude idles up to within earshot. I ask him to shut his big motor down and proceeds to drive right over the structure telling me he's just going to pick up his buddy on thte dock.

With the restaint of 'Pope Jimmy the Pontiff' I resisted the urge to lay that Osprey on him and set and used the trolling motor to vacate the area.

This Dude was in a brand new boat. Probably had no clue what he was driving over. Definately had no idea of protocol.

WhatRyahgonna do?

[MIKE TREMONT]

WhatRyahgonna do?

Grin and bear it, anything more won't help you. It's sounds like he had no clue, we all have to learn .

why don’t we just pull up and take a nice picture of these dumb a**es and we could have a picture post on this site where we can post it and comment on their infractions. I think if people started to know that they would have their picture on record with the label of being a Dumb A** next to it… they might have a little more accountability to their actions.

I suggested this awhile ago on another thread. I would be real careful though. I don't know that the management here would appreciate that. Also, things like this can backlash on you. Remember there are 2 sides to every story. Even if you were being truthful, it's real easy for some moron to say you're the liar and you are the spot jumper. I experienced that a couple of years ago. That anger is going to get me in trouble, not the morons.

Remember the karma thing. If you keep doing the right thing it's bound to pay off, right? Or then again, nice guys always finished last ?

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

Still thinking about this way too much…

Now days most people have cell phones with cameras built in or have a camera on board to record that new PB. Instead of getting mad or even, why don’t we just pull up and take a nice picture of these dumb a**es and we could have a picture post on this site where we can post it and comment on their infractions. I think if people started to know that they would have their picture on record with the label of being a Dumb A** next to it… they might have a little more accountability to their actions.

Just a thought!

I think it is a great thought. make sure you send it to the tournament org also. Unsportsmanlike conduct is against all of the rules that I have ever seen Get their boat in the picture too alond \g with the registration numbers.

[photon]

I've had many similiar experiences, though most are from pleasure boaters not bassers. Most are like they don't realise I'm fishing a point, and cut between me & shore. Even when I try to wave them behind me, most just don't get it!

Whadyagonnado?

Not much you can since it's always someone new doing it.....maybe a polite education would work on some, most would probably get mad for you even pointing out them doing something wrong/rude.

[Terry Smith]

I would have just eased right up to my spot and started fishing just like they weren't even there. If they would have said anything to me the old flipp'n stick 80lb braid and 11/2 oz tungston would have don ehte rest of the talking for me I know its rude but if your fun fishing don't let anyone change your day Remember " KARMA" Hell those guys probably got DQed HHAHHAHHA that would be FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1