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Maybe I'm a bit too sensitive on this issue but......I don't care to hunt or fish around people. I know that is my problem and I try to make adjustments. I also fully realize I don't own or have any exclusive right to any particular spot on a lake.

That being said, this is my complaint. Fishing Ottertail yesterday, I stayed away from the crowds and hit my usual spots. Seems like within minutes I would be joined by other boats. If I were lucky enough to boat a fish, I would have other boats trolling 15-25 feet from me. I moved four times and each time was the same. The last time, I anchored on a very small structure to do a bit of slip bobber fishing. A guy saw my net go up and I was soon joined by him trolling within 3 feet of my bobber going in tight circles around my boat.

I pointed out my float and said I thought he was a bit too close. His respose was "I see it, I'm not running it over".

I went home.

My question to this rambling is this. How close is too close? How do you deal with guys like this? They seem clueless. I've fished Ottertail for 40 years and the past few it just seems to get worse.

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In my opinion, this is the best use for a fish marker. I throw one about fifty yards from the spot I want to fish and let the guys that can't find fish on their own crowd the marker. They usually don't notice that I'm not near the marker. They think they're cutting me off of my spot.

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I was fishing on OT last night on the North side and I came up and there were 2 boats already there and they left soon after I started but I had 2-3 boats came through and marked my spot with GPS and never turned off the big motor. makes a guy mad when people come in just to mark spots on a gps. Didn't have any real luck anyways.

Code-man

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Fished this morning 6am to 10am. Never had that problem...oh, wait...one boat came up to us. It was the DNR asking for a creel survey. grin.gif

It pays to get up early, and I'm not only talking about the crowds. wink.gif

OT definitely has a problem with this kind of behavior and it's unfortunate. I expect to deal with it when I visit the lake.

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Yes OT is VERY popular for that type of fishing. I used to be super frustrated by it as well, OK, BEYOND frustrated, turning to rage at times grin.gif....You have to EXPECT it to happen. If it doesn't, i'm surprised and happy. There is so much to fish out there, keep moving if it bugs you. That works for me anyway.. grin.gif You need to quit using that net as well, it's called a fisherman magnet.....Try and be stealthy at landing fish..i.e. no hooksets when the "cruisers" come by staring, No nets, no markers, turn boat away from the watchers and slip them quietly over the side, keep bait close at hand, etc....

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It is not just on Ottertail. I was on a smaller lake close to Ottertail and another boat came up within 15 yards of me and threw his marker out towards my boat, thinking that is all it took to make this spot HIS!! I just moved to a different spot, but I kept my eye on him and noticed that when he left the lake he ended up at the local resort.

Maybe it is just me, but it sure seems that some people who fish out of resorts have a sense of urgency to catch fish to pay for their trip and have no respect for other fisherman. It sure takes the fun out of it for those of us who fish to relax and if we catch something it is a bonus.

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I agree with Island guy, this type of behavior is happening all to often. I think the ethics of hunting and fishing are lacking and its just plan greed. Whats frustrating is that when you say something to these idiots they dont get the hint, I guess they will never learn but its a sad thing its getting this way.

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Here's what I like to do. When you see a boat approaching you ,you just take the motor hood off and start swearing at it, that is sure to scare away anyone within 100 yards of you

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When I have my kids in the boat, I just remind them in a not quiet voice that its very rude to crowd people and I never want to see them behave like the person next to us blush.gif , it gets my point across and hopefully teaches my kids something

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Who approved you to post in the OT forum RR?????

What's the world coming to???? shocked.gif

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