Encroachment

[DeltaBound]

Why do some people always seem to ignore the 35yd rule ?

[Noluk]

I generally try and give a ton of space but there are a few thoughts here. MOST orgs have a 25 yard rule. Some of the orgs rules state that for the rule to apply, the boat must be anchored with the trolling motor out of the water. I have never heard of a 35 yard rule which isn't much space at all. (Everyone who reads this board can probably cast 25 yards or farther so yes you could cast into the other persons boat and still be within the rules.)

The truth of the matter is that the person will always claim a "bigger area" that the person coming in thinks he is claiming. I know I got yelled at, seriously yelled at with my wife in the boat, both involved parties strictly fun fishing, when I pulled into a bank 175 yards away from someone else to fish a brushpile there. The person fished up to me, 15 minutes or so and yelled I ruined the whole bank and had no respect etc. PLEASE. In many tournaments, a person who pulls onto a point feels that the point is theres. But if a point is 50 yards long and has two sides, on a crowded lake is it a reasonable expectation that noone else will fish the same point while you are there?

Now the truth is that some people reading this might think I am encouraging encroachment or crowding but the fact is I abhor it. I am also realistic enough to realize that it isn't my point or spot. It is marked on a map and half the boats in the tournament have fished it before. If someone rolls up on it, they aren't following me (my gawd you would have to be desperate to do that) they are simply fishing a spot they knew of in their normal rotation of spots. Most of em will stay 25-50 yards away and we can both fish. I also KNOW that the 25 yard mutal respect zone is from where I am fishing right now. If I wanted to fish the other part of the structure that he just stopped on, I should have been there when he pulled up. I can "claim" where I am not where I was thinking about going or wanting to fish next etc. Just my two cents worth but I think folks have forgotten that we fish for fun and have tournaments to compete for fun and some money etc. The better fishermen who are frustrated when they see someone else fishing their areas, don't worry about it. Noone fishes the same as another person. Do your thing in your spot in your own way and it will probably treat you the same as it always has.

[Guy Williams]

Because they haven't meet Mr. Spacegetter yet. Get yourself a Mr. Spacegetter and watch all of your encroachment problems go away. BTW, you may need Mr. @sskicker in the parking lot but a Mr. @sskicker comes free with every purchase of the Mr. Spacegetter.
Guy Williams

[CharlieS.]

Guy!! Damn..I could have used that a while back at Perris..I could have borrowed yours,lol-Charlie

[DanWarme]

It's basically an evolutionary thing.

Used to be, up until a hundred years or so ago, the dumb ones wandered away from the campfire and got eatten by bears, and tigers. This simple system helped thin the herd of the idiots. They wandered off and got eatten, hopefully before they were able to reporduce.

Unfortunately, we no longer have as many bears and tigers and other predators as we used to so now the morons are overpopulating. Not only has nature's survival of the fittest failed in this regard, but we have gone so far as to further protect the morons, mostly by laws and such.

For example, requiring them to wear helmets on motorcycles, or requiring labels on products such as "do not take while operating machinery" or my personal favorite, "do not insert in any orifice".

All of these actions have contributed to a overpopulation problem of the highest magnitude. We are over run with morons. They are everywhere. Most easily found in the car in front of you, or your nearest governement office, they have escaped the normal natural and social barriers that existed to help contain and control them. We are being over run.

Folks.... We gotta thin the herd!

[some guy]

I actually own two of those and they work incredibly well.

[CharlieS.]

Guy and his partner were laughing there butts off ,I felt so Violated!....amazing just how some people are-..Looks like I may need atleast 2 also..and Dan..you dont know how true that is actually-Charlie

[big_gorilla]

For those of you that don't know 100% Bass has NO encroachment rule. They expect you to be courteous. I must say I had no problems last year. Of course CharlieS wasn't out there. ha ha

[drew]

I think we should be able to defend our territory with a super soaker, a specialty built unit that only squirts 25yrds. With a nice large filler cap that facilitates the filling, I guess you could call it a pee shooter.

[DeltaBound]

One of these days someone's going to say "hey buddy can you open your livewell for me I need on more to fill the limit"

[CharlieS.]

Ouch Henry!! I usually dont have that problem..ahh but that one time...I was way too nice..lol..besides where Im at there usually isnt much fish...sooo why would I be near anybody? I like the soaker idea.. .aww its all fun and games..Charlie

[Lance]

Nice post Dan. But the only problem is groups like the ACLU, they dont like "thinning the herd! "

[big_gorilla]

I think I'm gonna buy a super soaker tonight.

That's a great idea, especially in the winter when its cold. ha ha

[JasperW]

I knowfrom the last 2 year's of fishing tourney's here in cali that esp the night tourney's it's a issue!
many times i get pulled up on on a hump or a point. or working a bank i get cut off.
Now back where i come from you just dont do that esp if you dont know the person.
I have never said anything to anyone. the last tourney at DVL i had 2 boats come right up on the hump I was fishing.

[some guy]

I fish DVL at least 3 days a week and i get alot of "SIGHT FISHERMEN". Its getting pretty bad out there. I know of a few other guys that this happens to and we just laugh. You get a few checks and next thing you know you got guys with bino's following your every move. FIND YOUR OWN FISH!!!!!! lol.

[Dynastyworms]

good one Dan!!! natural selection!!!

I gotta love when your working a bank and some yahoo pulls in front, within casting distance and drops the trolling motor! Thats when the big swims( or 2oz lead weights ) come out and start landing next to there boat! I love when they say " I'm fishing a tournament!" Vengeance is served best with a phone call TD!


Z

[DougH]

Just last weekend at the USAC night tourney at Casitas I had a white Champion with black and red trim cut right infront of me at outhouse point while we were running the bank cranking on the way to Wren's Nest point. Right before it got dark. I suppose tecnically speaking, he was probably 27 or 28 yards in front of me.
That ranked about a 9.75 on the rude meter...

I had to really fight the urge to fire up the big motor and PLOW my way around him, 25 yards ahead of course, and continue to crank along. But I guess he would have just returned the favor.

[Jason Wood]

Just had it happen to me twice on the Delta Saturday during an ABA tourney... I don't get mad, too cool headed... I'd rather follow em and pull a big one out of the water they just went through... Pulled a 6.8 out of one of those guys' sloppy seconds... Made them mad enough to leave!!!!

[Ricky-S]

If you don't like being followed or having someone cut in front or back of you, you might as well stop fishing tournaments. The larger events like BASS and FLW don't event have a rule against it.

The best thing to do is to communicate. 90 percent of the fish live in 10 percent of the water and anyone who does their homework is bound to find all your secret spots.

Wait till you fish lakes like MEAD and you run 50-60 miles only to have a parking lot up in the Muddy River. It is part of the game. Why get mad, it would do you more justice to just ask a guy to cut you some slack and have a nice day. If it happens on the bigger lakes you know it will hapeen on these little mud holes around Southern Cal.

It just seems like some of you guys are itching to get into a fight or drama. I go fishing to get away from those things. What ever happened to just being nice and asking a guy, hey do you mind if you give me some room. Chances are someone fished the water before you and someone will fish it after you.

Oh i forgot, it's your water.

[mark poulson]

You have to have the confidence to fish behind someone else. There are just too many boats to find "virgin" water. And you never know who just left the spot you pulled up onto.
And how many times do you limit out on your first spot, anyway?

[Brian D.]

*NM*

[macinckirk]

Amen there Ricky your right on the money