How Close is Too Close?

[Hossienda]

From a cabin owners perspective all I will ask is that when you see 5 guys hanging out on the dock fishing, please steer far enough out that you don't snag our lines. That has happened numerous times over the years at my cabin and some of the boaters act like we are to blame.

-Hossienda

[slotlimit]

I'm not a cabin owner, but I would say it's those same people who don't care about what, where, or how other fishermen are fishing doing these things. If you where there first it should be your right. Now if you seen me trolling out in front of your dock and you decide to come out and fish and I happen to snag your line. I would say I'm sorry and would hope the same from you. But I'm still going to continue trolling where I have been for the last half hour or so.

[BLACKJACK]

Too close is when you come trolling right thru the spot where I've been casting. I'm not talking about a hot crappie or walleye spot, I'm talking about being anchored off some reeds trying to catch some sunnies, all by myself, and some ahole comes trolling between me and the reeds. Aren't they looking ahead and seeing what other people are doing? Probably but "its their lake too and they can do what they want". I usually make a point of making them aware that they're too close so that they'll THINK the next time they do it.

I had one time where I was on the up wind side of a hot crappie spot, there were lots of other boats around, I had about 25 feet of anchor rope out because I wanted to ease closer to the hot spot without scaring the fish and lo and behold some guy comes trolling along weaving in and out of the boats and he catches my anchor rope with his lure. I let him struggle a while, trying to 'unsnag' and then I pulled in my rope until I got to his lure and none to gently - I bent the heck out of the hook - unhooked him. He stayed farther away on the next pass!!

I will say that I am sensitive to crowding and lines, four years in uncle sams navy waiting in lines ruined me, I don't do lines of any sort unless I absolutly have to, consequently I won't even bother to join the opener crowd at the landings, I'll wait until Monday or Tues evening to get out and have some peace and quiet, to me thats what fishing is all about.

[schweady]

"Too close" is when you're wader fishing and a boat trolls between you and the shore. Actually happened to me one spring and the guy got so close I could reach out and touch the boat. I asked him how many acres he thought this lake was. He didn't get it: "Outta my way, rubberpants!" was hs only reply. If I had been thinking, and didn't mind sacrificing a Rapala, I might have opened the bail and 'accidentally' gotten my line but good in his prop.

[BobT]

You could have "accidentally: tripped, falling into his boat causing it to take on some water, eh?

Bob

[katoguy]

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I fish mostly walleyes. Lots of times they will be held up on a certain piece of structure as you all know. Say their are 5 boats fishing the "spot". Most people will troll in a circle and give everyone a chance and things can get close in meeating another boat while trolling parallel to each other. I have no problem with that at all. It's the guy that comes in and anchors on the spot everyone or even if it's just me has already been trolling for the past hour and casts out his bobber. I have no problem getting within spitting distance of that guy. Otherwise talking distance is good for me.

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How does one determine if someone is (pa)trolling a peice of structure? I'd be the one to anchor up next to it and toss out a slip bobber. And it's different for lakes and rivers.

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Hmmm...Open Ones Eyes. It's not to hard when you pull up to the end of a point to see if someone or a group of boats are trolling it. Instead of parking on the spot you are welcome to join the line and troll with the rest.

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I disagree. Although, I wouldn't purposely park in someone's way.

Example, if you are watching a ball game while walking. If someone stops ahead of you and leans against the fence you shouldn't plow into him. You should be the one to move (or adjust your path around him). If he has the better view of the game now, too bad for you. You had the chance for the spot and elected not to take it.

Again, I wouldn't purposely stop in front of trollers, but I would expect others to on busy lakes. (If you elect not to lean against the fence then walk around the person that is there.)

[Bigeye30"]

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= I have always been a bass fisherman and bass guys are generally pretty sensitive about anyone within a mile or so <g> so imagine my surprise when I was taken walleye fishing and found sometimes dozens of other boats in close proximity to ours and no one was getting upset. At least not so you could tell.

So, what do people think? How close is too close?

Daze Off

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Me well I love bass fisherman, no harm intended to any one individual, but in all sincerity how can bass fisherman say that they need their space and feel crowded if anyone is within a mile, when every weekend I watch them basically tie there boat up to our dock, why not just ask if they can put it on our lift and leave it overnight, ive even seen them bang their jigs and baits off of our boat, get tangled and decide to just jump on the dock to retrieve their lure. Amazing

[analyzer]

If anyone is interested, this same thread is in the "metro area lakes" section... some very interesting stories.

[BoxMN]

Bigeye, I have dock too, and bass fish on other lakes, and have gotten on peoples docks to retrieve lures I got stuck. Trust me, you want them to hop on your dock to get lure back as it is much better than then yanking it out of your cover or seats or whatever I have seen some guys yank it out and tear big holes, then sneak off sheepishly... Not cool.

I have seen cabin folks be really jerks, but also have had them tell us about big bass under their dock, and where to cast for them. Very cool. I choose to be the cool dock guy, who chats up with fishing boats and welcomes them. I do think that not casting when kids are swimming or bouncing lures of a dock when people are out is common courteousy, so I don't do that stuff, just bypass a dock with people on it, but still chat with them if they are nice as we go by.

[slotlimit]

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I fish mostly walleyes. Lots of times they will be held up on a certain piece of structure as you all know. Say their are 5 boats fishing the "spot". Most people will troll in a circle and give everyone a chance and things can get close in meeating another boat while trolling parallel to each other. I have no problem with that at all. It's the guy that comes in and anchors on the spot everyone or even if it's just me has already been trolling for the past hour and casts out his bobber. I have no problem getting within spitting distance of that guy. Otherwise talking distance is good for me.

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How does one determine if someone is (pa)trolling a peice of structure? I'd be the one to anchor up next to it and toss out a slip bobber. And it's different for lakes and rivers.

---

Hmmm...Open Ones Eyes. It's not to hard when you pull up to the end of a point to see if someone or a group of boats are trolling it. Instead of parking on the spot you are welcome to join the line and troll with the rest.

---

I disagree. Although, I wouldn't purposely park in someone's way.

Example, if you are watching a ball game while walking. If someone stops ahead of you and leans against the fence you shouldn't plow into him. You should be the one to move (or adjust your path around him). If he has the better view of the game now, too bad for you. You had the chance for the spot and elected not to take it.

Again, I wouldn't purposely stop in front of trollers, but I would expect others to on busy lakes. (If you elect not to lean against the fence then walk around the person that is there.)

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I'm not saying they can't do it. I'm saying if they do do it be prepared for me to come so close I can step off my boat into yours. Just like at a ball game if i was walking a 20' spot back and forth against the fence playing with my 2 year old and you walked right in front of us and lean up against the fence. I can stand shoulder to shoulder with you if I feel like it. Now if you beat me to that spot on the fence I better not expect you to move so I can walk that 20' spot back and forth playing with my 2 year old

[Tippman]

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I fish mostly walleyes. Lots of times they will be held up on a certain piece of structure as you all know. Say their are 5 boats fishing the "spot". Most people will troll in a circle and give everyone a chance and things can get close in meeating another boat while trolling parallel to each other. I have no problem with that at all. It's the guy that comes in and anchors on the spot everyone or even if it's just me has already been trolling for the past hour and casts out his bobber. I have no problem getting within spitting distance of that guy. Otherwise talking distance is good for me.

---

How does one determine if someone is (pa)trolling a peice of structure? I'd be the one to anchor up next to it and toss out a slip bobber. And it's different for lakes and rivers.

---

Hmmm...Open Ones Eyes. It's not to hard when you pull up to the end of a point to see if someone or a group of boats are trolling it. Instead of parking on the spot you are welcome to join the line and troll with the rest.

---

I disagree. Although, I wouldn't purposely park in someone's way.

Example, if you are watching a ball game while walking. If someone stops ahead of you and leans against the fence you shouldn't plow into him. You should be the one to move (or adjust your path around him). If he has the better view of the game now, too bad for you. You had the chance for the spot and elected not to take it.

Again, I wouldn't purposely stop in front of trollers, but I would expect others to on busy lakes. (If you elect not to lean against the fence then walk around the person that is there.)

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I'm not saying they can't do it. I'm saying if they do do it be prepared for me to come so close I can step off my boat into yours. Just like at a ball game if i was walking a 20' spot back and forth against the fence playing with my 2 year old and you walked right in front of us and lean up against the fence. I can stand shoulder to shoulder with you if I feel like it. Now if you beat me to that spot on the fence I better not expect you to move so I can walk that 20' spot back and forth playing with my 2 year old

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And that's a lot of quotes.

[shae1986]

If im trolling the exact same way with my GPS and someone watches me catch a fish and anchors in my path i would be really upset and would motor right next too him and stay on my path with my GPS. And all these people that say they would cast at a boat if they did that, i hope they do, i like new lures

[UMDSportsman]

As far as people following you around, and you catching fish. you know you must be on the fish when the resort owner that you have a place at tells people to "follow that boat" (refering to yours). actually happend, luckily everybody was nice and did not come too close, and everybody had a good time. we still kicked everybody's butt, (they didn't have the secret sauce, and we never let anybody see it).

[MuleShack]

This also goes the other way, where (years back) i was anchored on the back side of some structure, 100 yards away from the "drifters" and threw out the anchor with the wife. We landed a fish and next thing we got 15 boats with in spittin' distance, trolling right thru where we caught the fish...very disqusting. (and no it wasn't in their "drift" pattern), so moral of the story is it goes both ways...and yes, i realize i might be in the minority with the anchor...but i had 2 in the boat and had to throw one out

[slotlimit]

You are completely right and I would never do that to anyone. Whether it's a guy trolling or anchoring who is ever there first has the "right of way" IMO. If I'm there first and trolling and you want to troll along with me that's fine. If I'm there first anchord up by all means pull up and anchor by me, outside of spitting distance, or troll around me.

[slipperybob]

On a lake, it would be very easy to see someone trolling, they've got planer boards, they've got down riggers, they've got rods sticking out of their boat and lines dragging behind. Besides I don't think they're going to troll right up onto a point that's several feet difference less in depth. Maybe they'd be trolling just to hit that structure but I can't tell how deep by looking at any trolling boat.

On the river, lots of bends, those depths changes so fast, you see boats go up and down the river constantly, you'd wonder if someone is actually trolling or they'd be pa-trolling. There's gonna be certain structures that has more potential for holding fish. I'm gonna anchor right on there if no boats are gonna be there. I wouldn't know if someone who's (pa)trolling that section of the river is gonna go up and down on it, unless I'm anchored and they come through several times up and down past me. What does this do? Well they'd be just running their boat right over the spot I'm fishing. Sometimes I think they'd be boat happy or something.