Incident at Pyramid

[mark poulson]

Yesterday, my partner and I were fishing a club tournament at Pyramid.
We were on an early morning, jerkbaits in the shad on rock walls pattern.
We were pulling up to one of the wall where we'd caught prefish, when we saw another boat nearby. The two guys on that boat were fishing a point, across a cut from the wall we wanted to fish.
I couldn't tell if they were in our club or not, but I didn't want to take their water, so we moved down a good hundred yards or more and started fishing away from them.
Well, the guy on the bow turns his boat, jets across the cut, and zooms up to us, throwing a swim bait. He yells that, "You saw me running this bank, so why did you pull up in front of me?" Although he wasn't even fishing in our direction when we first arrived, he was obviously really upset, and the older guy at the back was kind of keeping a low profile.
My first instinct was to pull tighter to the bank, and invite him to go around us if he wanted to, but I figured that would just make him madder, and there was no point to that. I didn't want to waste any more time not fishing.
I said him, "We'll pull back, and let you fish through, if you think we cut you off", and I did pull us back off the wall to let him pass.
He wasn't content with this, and started to lecture us about etiquite on the water, and that our club obviously hadn't taught us any. He was just staying there, ranting, not fishing, and my non-boater took exception to his rant. Basically, my guy, who was big enough to have made two of this jerk and had enough left over to make a man, asked him if it was his lake, and was it name after him? He asked the jerk if he would he be kind enough to provide us with an approved list of areas we could fish. They went back and forth for a couple of minutes, and then this jerk fished through, but not before calling us a couple of "cork soakers", and saying we were going to be skunked for the day because we were rude. His non-boater, who looked like his Dad, kind of tried to shrink into his seat.
Afterward, my partner and I talked about what had happened, and both agreed we'd given them plenty of room, and that this guy was just out of line. No profanity was exchanged, and we felt like we'd handled it okay.
How would you guys have handled it, assuming you, in fact, didn't encroach in the first place?

[Rob Cummings]

I'm beginning to see that this type of thing is just part of fishing here. Without being there or knowing the other guy's point of view, in all fairness, I can't say what I would have personally done in that specific situation.

What I can say is that I've had more of these types of run-ins with non-tournament boats than I have with tournament guys. At last week's WON Castaic tournament, a guy named Ross told us we could fish through against the bank as we were about to go around him. Just as were right beside him my partner nailed a 4.5 lber. Ross just said good job and made a great impression for my first WON tournament.

My first run-in with a moron was on Casitas last summer. This clown was fishing off the bow of a bayliner with no trolling motor. He was fishin off the bow with his 'ol lady runnin him around with the big engine. We thought he was anchored so we pulled up on the other side of the point, which gave him at least 200ft of bank and we were goin the other way. Just as we got our rods out the turd runs up on us calling names. It was so ridiculous that he only got about 45 seconds of bein a tough guy in before he was goin the other way with his tail between his legs. Yes it got loud and somewhat vulgar, but we were not in the wrong and not about to be talked to that way.

[DeltaBound]

I would have applogized to him and asked him if he would kindly put up signs showing the rest of the public which bank belonged to him.

[19X]

You Fly Boys are so tough, geezzus i love that, You can be my BULLY any time

[Kelly Ripa]

Well buddy you tried. If it is difficult to determine the other anglers intentions I say you just fish. If the other person takes exception to your prescence it starts to get hazey at that point. Being from SoCal we ALL have had this happen and I've been both people in your story. If I've been wronged (and it takes a lot ) I'll tell you. If you were still farther than 25 yards ( which I believe is the official allowable distance in a tournament ) you might point out that your sorry that he takes exception to your being on the planet at this time but....into each life a little rain must fall. I am always on the lookout to avoid this kind of stuff but if someone really messes with me it can get ugly FAST just like your experience. The point is that you appeared to have made all the right decisions ...I know it is difficult but I ALWAYS tell my nonboater ahead of time that "I'll" do the talking.....When the trash starts from the backseat it only kindles the fire. The die is cast when it starts out with someone barking at me because I am suseptable to starting at the same level....If it starts low key it usually stays that way with only minor feathers ruffled. As no shots were fired and you guys didn't end up on the bank( Never do this is my suggestion) than you can just go back to what you were doing and keep fishing. Difficult you bet! But escalation is never the right thing. Next time just go to your glove box and tell him your writing down his CF number for future refrence and to see if anybody at Western Bass knows or has had problems with the " SwimBait King" of lake Pyramid. Sorry about the confrontation...How did your day go otherwise???

Rip

[vinnybass]

So, were you skunked for the rest of the day?

[mark poulson]

Actually, we caught two keepers, I farmed another at the boat that would have got us 2nd place, two teams were dq'd for crossing a bouy line when it broke open, and one team got pulled over by the sheriff, but not cited, and missed the weighin. Other than that, it was great.
It was a really tough bite. The reaction fish that Victor and I found Saturday morning were gone, along with the wind that turned them on in the first place.
We ran and threw jerkbaits for about two hours, then moved to plastics and spooning. Victor got a small striper on a spoon at the Island, on the only bait ball we found outside the ramp area.
We got two Ika fish in 20' of water, one at a flat edge to a drop off, and the other against a wall.
Turns out, if I'd asked ahead of time, it would have been okay to fish the baitballs near the ramp, where Victor found spoon and dropshot fish when he was prefishing. He just had an idiot for a partner Sunday.

[tunaman]

Funny, had something similar happen to us at our last club tournament out there a few weeks back. We were fishing around a point, were relatively close to the end of the point at the time, and I was changing a worm while my back seater was working his. A couple of guys were heading for the center of the point. I kicked the trolling motor on low and continued in the direction we were headed, but they pulled in and started to fish it. They weren't 25 yards either, by the way, but I believe WON (at least) has removed that ruling this year. I continued to the end of the point, then went around them on the outside on high, and got a good 25-30 yards in front of them and then slowed down and started to fish again. No words, as that usually doesn't do anything positive.

Same day, later on we were fishing a cove. We'd worked about half way back, and had two older guys in a fish-n-ski jam up just in front of us from the other side of the cove. I could have hit them with my casts... I sent one fairly close just to be sure they realized it, then kicked up on high and went around them also. Again, no words - I don't believe in lowering myself.

Both cases were pretty poor examples of fishing etiquette... I believe that, if you see someone fishing a spot you want to fish, AND you just can't leave it long enough for them to finish, then if you MUST fish it you can work it behind them. I NEVER jump in front of another angler, at least not without leaving a nice long buffer, as it is only going to make for hard feelings at the very least. My momma (God rest her soul) taught me better than that. Anyone find that not to be the case please feel free to call it to my attention and I'll be glad to yield.

[Rob Cummings]

You Fly Boys are so tough, geezzus i love that, You can be my BULLY any time

Whoa man, that's pretty . I'm not sure you want company..I saw that tube on your deck at castaic saturday. At first I thought it was mega strike, but then I saw what it was... and figured you were while your partner was fishin.

[mark poulson]

AFBass,
Your cartoon characters are killing me! Ken C. on the northern board tried to teach me how to copy and post, but it was a hopeless case. Like teaching Ray to whisper.
How in the world do you do that? And, PLEASE, don't tell me it's my tax dollars at work.

[203DCX]

We need bigger lakes here

[Rob Cummings]

Mr Poulson,

I used to be affiliated with an online car club, but now I just go on there to "borrow" the smilies. If you come across one somewhere you want to use or another picture, just right click it and then click on properties. A window pops up and then highlight the http:blahblahblah. While it's highlighted push "control and C" on your keyboard at the same time to copy it. Go to the box here on WB where you type in your reply and click in the box where you want the smilie to go. Then push "control and V" to paste the http thing in there. Then highlight that again and click the IMG box above the reply box. Click preview at the bottom to see if you got it right. Good luck and don't

[Rob Cummings]

And uh..no..it's not your tax dollars at work!!! We spent all that $70K on transmissions today. Thanks!!

And by the way 19X, I saw that look in your eye when you saw me at Eric's last friday. I knew right then you must be the kinda guy to give your partner the treatment and leave him wanting to himself!

[19X]

You read me right fly boy, nuttin butt fun in my boat... You are a studd with those smileys, keep em comin.. If your interested in my secret sauce i'm sure my partner won't mind sharin See ya in elizabeth cove at sunrise...

[mark poulson]

AFBass,
This is Mr. Poulson. I did what you said, and it worked, so I won't be bashing the 'puter. I'm sure Brian D. will be grateful, since that means one more thing I won't be bugging him about.
My bashing days are behind me, at least until the next time, or 'till one of my older kids comes back from college to help.
How did you know I'm a Mr., and not some kid? It wouldn't be my computer illiteracy shining through, would it?
Anyway, thanks. I printed your instructions, so I can get it right the next time, too.

[Rob Cummings]

How did I know you're a "Mr"? Well, I took a wild guess since I haven't met too many chicks named "Mark"! Other than that, that's just a common way to address to someone I've never talked to before. Ya don't have to an old man to be a Mr!


19X...sorry I'm new here and don't know where elizabeth cove is. However, I'm sure if you were there and I had to find it, the long line of Care Bear wrapped bass boats fighting to get their turn with you would be a telltale sign.

[19X]

I gotta tell ya i'm impressed with your smack talkin for such a young fellar, i guess the AF starts teachin you the ways of the gays in boot camp, i really like the care bear wrap idea, there would be a booty free- for-all.. See ya there

[Rob Cummings]

I gotta tell ya i'm impressed with your smack talkin for such a young fellar, i guess the AF starts teachin you the ways of the gays in boot camp, i really like the care bear wrap idea, there would be a booty free- for-all.. See ya there

Thanks. Hey did you hear that the USMC shortened their boot camp by 1 whole week? Yep, they replaced the boot laces with velcro.

[19X]

"OUCH BABY" You hurt my feelers, us x-marines are sensitive, u should be ashamed, OH, just remember are motto, One Shot One Kill, ..Better yet i'ma gonna put a banana in your boat Beware