bass boats and angler etiquette

A friend and I were shorefishing Almanor yesterday for bass and Sac perch.  The spot we were fishing is very narrow and shallow (say 4-5 feet deep at the deepest point), and it's largely a shorefishing spot.  I even feel awkward fishing from a kayak here due to the limited space.  There were a couple people on both sides of us as well, fishing from shore.  All was merry.

Until this bass boat with two guys came puttering in from the main lake.  When I spotted them in the distance, I asked my buddy "I wonder how far they're going to push in here." Well they pushed pretty damn far.  First they casted AND floated over where the first group of shore anglers were fishing, then they proceeded to cruise RIGHT OVER where my friend and I were fishing.  We were making it obvious where we were casting, and they went right over the fish anyway.  Once they realized how shallow and tight the water was up here, they turned around and cruised over our spot yet again.  One of the guys on the boat asked "How's it going?" a few times, but nobody on shore responded to him (he didn't deserve a response).  My buddy hooked and landed a nice fish right in front of them though, which was pretty sweet  .

Usually there's more than enough room on Almanor to give other anglers their space.  The only times I've run into things like this has been with guys on bass boats.  One time I went ape-shit over a couple guys who were casting their stuff a mere 5 feet from me when I was shorefishing for bass.  They told me to "cool my jets" because they were fishing in a bass tournament.  Does fishing in a tournament give anyone the right to shun all angler etiquette and become an asshole?  I can't say whether these guys were fishing in a tournament or not, but judging from their "don't give a shit" attitude towards all the other anglers out there yesterday, they probably were.  I was glad they didn't catch anything during their "tour" through our fishing area.

Anyone else run into this sort of behavior with guys on bass boats?  Sorry to generalize "guys on bass boats", but these are the only folks I've run into these issues with before.

Most bass boat guys are like that.you wanna talk about space im in the freaking delta shore fishing and guess who decides to cruise over and fish where im fishing from shore.yep bass boat.its like that almost everywhere ive been.its kinda like the person who merges on the freeway cuts all the way over to the fast lane and drives 60.I see it this way you wanna fish where im fishing ill give you my shoreline let me use your boat.I can guarantee ill give you all the space you want

A 1oz jig head bounced of his gel coat may slow him up

here`s a little nugget I found from B.A.S.S.  ...
Bass boat etiquette
 
By Louie Stout
 
Jul 1, 2010
 

An article that hits the nail on the head!  Thanks for posting this VK.  It's good to see this line:

"A tournament does not give a competitor first rights to a non-competitors' hot spot, nor should you ask a recreational angler to leave the spot because you're fishing for money."

I've had generally nice encounters with bass boats when they'd give me a wide berth where I was shore fishing before moving on down the shore.  That's what any respectful angler would do in such a situation.  But it only takes a few bad apples to taint my views on bass boaters, and what I saw yesterday only reaffirmed that bad taste in my mouth.

I've had this problem quite a few times, and it's always bass boats. It happens here in Utah on uncrowded waters. I had a bass boat stop 2 feet away from me and they started casting over each end of my yak just to be pricks and run me off. Talking crap the whole time. No love for the bass guys at all. Every inland water should have a large area set aside permanently for non motorized use. Period.

 Your story reminds me of what turned me off of lake fishing at a young age. Growing up in Alabama, where bass fushing is a way of life, on one of the largest manmade lakes in the southeast made me tge kind of fisherman that seeks out uncrowded stretches of coastline and wild rivers.

I fished the Bass, the hooters tour and the FLW in the south east for bass for over 10 years and my boat went 100 MPH every time the money was on the line. ..I quit fishing 100% for about 5 years because of the attitude and bull shat in BASS fishing.Every year it got 10 years worse.
The problem is the guys are fishing for money and pride and it is not a nice guys game and it keeps getting more and more expensive .Most of the guys in bass tournaments do not care one bit about the other competitors so please do not make the mistake of thinking any one of them cares about you in your kayak or your shore spot or your dock .....I know it is BS and rude and everything else but I guess that is the world we live in.
 

Didn't happen while shore fishing. But during salmon fishing last year I went out with some contractors I have been working with over to hog slough where my buddy and I had been slayin salmon for the past week. We show up at the spot a half hour before light, prep our lines, crack open a couple cold ones, and talk with two older gentleman and a woman that were there before us. We wait til light and start fishing in the spot I caught multiple salmon and they are fishing about 25 feet away from us. They are catching salmon, the contractors I'm with are catching salmon. Then all of a sudden an hour goes by and one by one other boats start pulling up right next to us and even bully the other boat that was there with us out of their spot. Before you know it there were 5 boats in that little area. Some dipshit and his buddy pulls up to us about 5 feet away and asked how the bit is. I told him bad, haven't caught any yet(lying) he looks to see what I'm jigging with and puts on the same exact jig. Then the douch drops his line right next to mine and bam! Fish on for him. So myself and the contractors I'm with move out from our spot to a deep hole 15 feet away that no was was at while he proceeded to take his time reeling his fish in and drinking his beer. I was for 30 min for him to reel it in and I say screw it. I start jigging again, and bam! Fish on! This sucker is burning line off fast, the contractors start reeling in there lines and start getting ready to go after this bad boy. At the time I'm trying to let line out i see the salmon heading right for the dipshits boat and I'm thinking shit... My braided line will cut right through his mono line quick so i tighten the drag and proceed to hog this monster in, after battling for what seems like a couple of minutes, pop when my line. I hogged in a 22lb er with this same setup so I was not impatient with this other dipshit still reeling his salmon in. I tell him to hurry the f*ck up that others are waiting and he said, well that sucks you lost a big one. Maybe you should have respect and waited for me to reel this salmon in. 45 min it took him to reel in a 22lb er that was colored and looks like it was about to die. I then told him it only took me 10 min. To catch my 22 lb er when the season started and had plenty of fight.

So I understand the frustration of other angular coming close to your space when they can fish somewhere else. If your spot you wants to fish is taken, go somewhere else. I don't care if your in a tournament or not. GTFO
You should have tried setting a hook in the person in the bass boat

It is not just bass boats but all boaters have their share of clueless idiots.  Last year we were in a 22' boat off Timber Cove and not another boat was visible in the immediate area, then we see another larger boat slowly come alongside while we all looked and wondered WTF is this guy doing?  We were trolling along for Salmon and I finally had to yell at him to get the hell away as he almost smashed into two of the downrigger booms.  He then asked us how we were doing.   

Bass-turds! That was not how I was taught, either. Some folks think a casual greeting or empty apology allows or excuses poor behavior. I'm teaching my children differently. It's a sad commentary of our culture.

Some bass boat guys are pretty awesome, but there are a few who are complete A-holes. A few years ago fishing Clear Lake with my cousin near Kelsey Creek. This big bass boat comes right up on us damn near full throttle and shuts down maybe 10 yards away and immediately starts screaming at us to get off their spot. We tell them we were here first and its a big lake. They cuss us out and start chucking their swimbaits right at us. We just ignore them. Was funny when my cousin hooked up and I got a pic of his fish with them in the background.

Some bass boat guys are pretty awesome, but there are a few who are complete A-holes. A few years ago fishing Clear Lake with my cousin near Kelsey Creek. This big bass boat comes right up on us damn near full throttle and shuts down maybe 10 yards away and immediately starts screaming at us to get off their spot. We tell them we were here first and its a big lake. They cuss us out and start chucking their swimbaits right at us. We just ignore them. Was funny when my cousin hooked up and I got a pic of his fish with them in the background.

Wow!  What dicks  .  Gah, my blood would absolutely BOIL if someone pulled shit like that on me.

I've gotten attitude from bass boats, trollers, drift boats, other kayakers, float tubers, and shore anglers.  There are idiots in every group.  I just move, no reason to deal with idiots, no reason to get upset, it is a waste of energy.

Chris funny you post this, Tim, Fisheducater, and I were kokanee fishing this weekend and the bass boat guys were doing mach5 30 feet from us or they would come in like that and just stop right by you and damn near swamp your kayak! I was telling a few buddies that asked if the boaters bothered us, I said just the bass boat guys. Last year I was fishing this very small cove after a three mile paddle,  fishing along the was, when the same thing happened as you guys. I could see this guy from way off coming at me mach5 and 50 yards away throws it in neutral then slowly works his way withen 50 feet of me. I land a nice 15" spot and now the get within 20 feet of me, mind you I can cast all the way across the cove. I couldn't take it anymore and said hey you guys see me here right. He says were in a bass tournament chill out. Yes I lost it I told him I am in a F---in kayak. They still stayed, I caught one more nice spot, them nothing yet, and that pissed them off and they left, at mach5. Most I see have no respect for anybody else on the water.
Jeff

A 1oz jig head bounced of his gel coat may slow him up

I was thinking 4-6oz.  Repeatedly.

Also have your bat gaff ready should he decide to leave the safety of his fiberglass penis.

Bushy


(I just re-read this post and it's kind of sick.....sorry)