Courtesy please

[Owskiwoski]

I have always tried to respect others when fishing and had to be called out by my dad last week when on KY lake. It is very easy to make another angler angry if you aren't paying attention. I cut a guy off at a point and just didn't realize it. This was hours after a boat anchored up on a tree I was fishing. I am not trying to preach, but with all the fisherman on the lakes right now please remember not to fish a spot if you wouldn't want someone to do it to you. I don't care if you are in a tournament or you have fished that spot for 30 years. If someone is on a spot or heading a certain direction please don't fish it. This has been the worst spring I have ever seen on KY lake and everyone seems to be in a bad mood. HAVE FUN. We all like to think we do things the right way but sometimes we don't.

[swimjigboy]

Thank you for your post. Please people listen! It's getting worse every year. More and more anglers, less waters to go to, and all about me attitudes. Please show respect, courtesy and stay safe.

[Embrey]

this doesnt hold a candle to what happened to us last year there...and more than once

[Col Forbin]

I've seen some bad stuff go on here, been the victim of it a few times, and unintentionally the bad guy on an occassion or two (coming around a point and meet a boat head on - although I usually take the high road and allow them to fish through, and I will go wide around them). However, If you want to see some heated discussions, wait until the ledge bite heats up. There aren't really an secret ledges (maybe a a few well hidden brushpiles or cover sunk on them), but for the most part they are easily found on a good map. I have seen boats right beside each other ready to throw down over a productive ledge, I have seen boats run circles around other boats - I just don't understand it. But on the other hand, most guys I run into down here are great people with a good sense of sportsmanship - it is the few bad apples you seem to remember.

[sglass]

Last year on Herrington I was flipping docks close to midlake and had a boat pull three docks in front of me and start throwing spinnerbaits like it was going out of style. Sad part is they were so close I could see the blades and the color of the spinnerbaits they were throwing. I will say though I have been to Stoner three times this year and Wilgreen once and have not seen anything that would upset me. There are a few bad apples out there that give most guys bad reps.

[nonamesleft47]

I see it alot when we are out on the kayaks. Last weekend on the river we had two boats pass us at full speed only to stop 20 yards upstream of us to start working the same bank we had been fishing. The first guy waved when he flew by. The second one appologized saying he didn't see us or he wouldn't have blown past us like that. That makes you feel a whole lot better.

We got even when my son pulled a 2 lb smallie off the same bank they had been working right in front of them.

[elnutsmalljaws]

One thing I NEVER understood about idiots that cut in front of or flat out move in too close to others that are fishing and were there first on Kentucky Lake - 160,000 ACRES of Water, 184 MILES long from the Dam that impounds Ky Lake south to the next Dam at Pickwick Lake, Can you not find any other point, bank or honey hole to fish??? Way too much water at Ky Lake even with all the tournament boats and weekend anglers for Idiots to infringe on others that were on a spot, point or bank fishing FIRST. 184 MILES long to put that in perspective the distance from Cincinnati Ohio to Jamestown Ky (just outside of Lake Cumberland) is 182 MILES. Pretty much the entire North/South width of the STATE OF KENTUCKY is the size of Kentucky Lake and there are IDIOTS that can't find a spot to make a cast other than in someone's back pocket. Give me a Break

[Shimano4Life]

Good points fellas. We all need to remember to consider the other guy, and to put ourselves in their shoes from time to time to understand how we would feel about certain situations. Sadly, not only is the world becoming a cold, inconsiderate place to live, but our lakes are quickly following suit.

If we keep on abusing our natural resources (not just pollution) then future generations won't get to enjoy what we once did.....

[gocards40]

I went to Taylorsville saturday no problem then went to Barren sunday with no problems. Found a few hours monday and decided to take an easy trip to Mcneeley. I was sitting casting distance from the bank and two kayaks came thru and basically just ran smack through were I was fishing. I was in shock. Thank God I was not catching much and just went to finish off my long weekend on a lake because it could have been real bad. These guys were probably in there 50's and were not fishing but even if you don't fish how do you not know not to paddle right next to a guys line.
On my way back I kind of messed some guys up because I was cruising the banks looking for free baits and corks (Mcneeley may not be the best fishery in the state but per acre has to have the most free baits and corks in the state) and it was almost dark so I could hardly see them and I thought they were also heading in. But when I realized they were coming toward me I gave way and pulled off the bank. I felt bad about it and they were probably cursing me but I didn't mean to mess up their fishing.

[kygorski]

3 yrs ago on pickwick, we launched an hour before daybreak, needed to wend our way around idling bass boats waiting for the "blast off". We got to our spot and were fishing. sure nuff here comes the basswholes. Most shot by us,buit two started to fish the same area,if they would have been there first I'd have went else where, so instead I anchored, we dramk some coffee, had a smoke or two, and just watched the frustration.No one won!That was the last time I ever willingly fished on a saturday, my sons day off.Finally hjeaded to the dam, and drifted jigs and spinner baits, caught a ton of fish, drum, sauger, catfish, and even a few bass.

[offdtop]

I've had my share and probably caused a few but I always try to be courteous, one thing I know is that some guys come to a lake that don't regularly fish it and find some fish and when they show up the next morning for their tournament there's a boat sitting there and they have nothing to back it up so they impose, I myself play the waiting game I will nicely ask if they are working in which direction and ask if I could go behind them going in the opposite - more times than not they say "sure, no problem". So courtesy works in both ways - open a line of communication and both parties can get what they want.

[hartmacw]

First off, you are all right, we all need to be more conscious of other fisherman and respect their rights to fish the same places we do.

Just be careful before going off on somebody and if they cut you off consider first that they *might* have done it completely unintentionally. Seeing somebody a half mile away vs. coming around a point or a creek and finding someone there are two very different things. I will almost always in that case apologize for running up on them and tell them I didn't know they were there or coming my direction. Most often that's all it takes and strikes up a friendly dialog.

The only reason I say this is that I was fishing Dale a few years ago and got completely chewed out by two guys in a boat as I fished down a stretch I like to fish. They basically told me where to go - that they had been fishing there all day and I had no business running in on them. I quit fishing and apologized and trolled out around them, but then I got mad and stopped. I said the following: A. You are in submerged willow trees and I started fishing a 1/2 mile back. At what point was I to know you were there. B. I am pretty sure I paid as much for a fishing license as you did C. I haven't caught a blasted thing the whole way down thru here, what makes this spot so dang special They spewed a little more profanity, but I was happy then and left

...BillH