Sad but True

[Mr. Pike1]

This happened about 3 weeks ago but I still can not shake it from my memory so I thought I would share.

There is a beautiful stretch of the Mississippi river me and some friends like to fish. It is way North of the cities and one of the things I most enjoy is the senerity and scenery. The excellent walleye/smallmouth fishing and conversation with friends is a close second.

The areas we fish your lucky to see a couple boats on the entire stretch. On this fine day we are anchored outside a little pinch in the river we call "The Devils Crotch"

We soon hear the roar of a small outboard motor and as the vessel begins to approach we clearly hear one of them say "Go around these guys as to not disturb their fishing"

I was happy to hear these gents making this respectable call for a fellow angler. Well true to there word they did go around, but it was around the little island by the pinch we were fishing. They moved up towards the island heaved out what appeared to be a 40lb cement contraption into the water/land and were ancored about 15-20 yards from us. After this noisy arrival the one guy looked over smiles at us a cried out hows the fishing....At first I thought maybe we were being set up on some cruel unbelievable video but it was for real. They then proceeded to try to engage us in coversation like we were on the river for some kind of social event.

The three of us in the boat simply chuckled, hauled up ancore and moved on to another piece of the ever winding might Mississippi.

There was discussion of tossing rapala's in the area they were fishing to see who could make the first human hook set but cooler heads prevailed, we had a great laugh, and I guess have a memory to last us a lifetime.

[Questor]

Alas! all too familiar a sight. I used to wonder how anyone could do things like this, and then I lived a little longer and got to know some alcoholics and drug addicts and habitual criminal offenders and people who regard the National Enquirer as the legitimate national newspaper, and young single mothers and cops who spend their entire working lives looking for an excuse to hassle somebody and union workers who go on strike if you pick up the wrong cardboard box in their building... and ... and...

And then it made sense. It's a big country and there's room for all kinds, and some kinds need to be carefully negotiated around.

Human hooking? I actually did it once. I had caught a fish on a 400 acre lake with only a few boats on it. Some guys came right up behind me with, probably, their trolling motor so I couldn't hear them. I botched a back-cast and hooked one in the face with a double treble hooked pike lure. I cut it out of the guy's face. And I didn't utter a single word of apology because I had done nothing wrong.

Yesterday I was fishing for bluegills while wading on the same lake. I was catching a few little ones and was having a good time. Before long there were eight boats within 100 feet of me.They weren't closer because I was in shallow water.

I've seen this foolishness so often that I consider it normal behavior in Minnesota.

Sorry

[tunrevir]

What ever happened to the good old days when the only thing that brought other boats near was a marker bouy? Yep, I feel your pain, unfortunately there are only one or two places to fish on each lake or river so we all need to crowd in like cattle and fish close enough to see the other guys nose hairs. Is that too close? Good luck out there and be safe!

Tunrevir~

[schr0563]

Considering the scenarios you guys have illustrated, I've often wondered what the correct approach should be. Let's say I'm going to go fish Lake Minnetonka. Even though there are an unlimited number of spots on this giant body of water but I typically only have one or two places in mind when I head out. What should an angler do if upon arrival to Honey Hole #1 there is a boat parked in the spot? I have obviously put countless hours in to find this spot, and the boat that is there has probably done the same. Is this purely a first come first served situation?

I guess I can only see two solutions - first is that it is indeed a first come first served deal. If I get to a spot and someone is there, I must keep going until I find a spot that is not being fished. Another option, curtiously share the spot. Trolling circles around another boat certainly doesn't fit in here. But with the ever increasing number of folks on the water it seems to me that we should be able to share our fishing spots. This is, of course, dependent on the size of the lake, size of the spot you want to fish, the way you are fishing, etc.

[Sandmannd]

I was fishing the misouri river in Bismarck about 12 years ago. Going from shore as I never had a boat until last year. At the time I still had long hair. We were doing pretty good and an old couple pulled up in a boat right where we had our lines in. I told them to move, that they had a boat and could fish anywhere. The old guy started cussing us out. My brother put on a 3 oz weight and casted hitting the umbrella that was over the old lady and bounced into the water. The guy started yelling that he would pull his gun out. I pulled my fillet knife, put it in my mouth and started wading out. I only got about 20 feet when the engine reved and he screamed off cussing all the way. Probably wouldn't do that now, but in my younger years I was pretty impatient.

[BigWadeS]

Glad I was in the same boat as you the other day..... , next time I'm bringing my fillet knife too!

[upnorth]

LOL

Must have surprised the sh!! out of them