I think that Geo said it as I would have. Show respect.
[QUOTE=GeoFisher;563479]It's called fishing etiquette, and it is a long lost art. If I'm on your spot, then so be it......YOU can fish it when I'm done. If I don't leave it, it means I"m having a good day, and you rolling up on me might end that good day.
I don't have a deed for the spot, but I guarantee you that we will have words if you roll up and park within casting distance.......Nothing worse than douchebaggery on the water.
The worse are the sneak attack sum bitches......you know, those who lay down, drop their trolling motor, and won't even acknowledge you're in the vicinity.....they get the 3/4 oz lipless treatment.
I will also tell you this....I've shared many spots with the person who "acts" right. Meaning, laying down, chatting up a little and gauging if I'm wanting company or not. Those people can stay plenty far away and chat me up. In 90% of those cases, I'm gonna say come on in, there's plenty of room.
Like I said, it is an etiquette issue, and there are right and most definitely WRONG ways.........[/QUOTE]
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Showing some respect out on the lake goes a long way to getting along with everyone. Starting up a conversation and asking permission to fish along side someone else is showing repect. If they say no then move along and go fish another spot.
I use to fish a Fish and Wildlife Area that was within about 10 minutes from my house. Back around 2003 when I started fishing there it was trolling motor only and very few if any bigger bass boats fished these old strip pits that were in the Fish and Wildlife Area. There were small john boats and canoes and maybe a kayak or two. But hardly any large bass boats. Then the IDNR F&W people changed the rules and allowed gas motors on the lake. But they had to stay at Idle Speed. But who defines what idle speed it? The IDNR enforces the rules but they can't be there all the time so lots of people ease the throttles forward IMHO.
Then news got out about these pits and everyone started to fish there. Gas prices peaked back around 2007 and many guys were not willing to drive all the way to KY lake every weekend and some started fishing these small strip pits closer to home. About 2015 or 2016 I decided that I had enough of the overcrowding. As some said in this thread there are no secret spots on these lakes. The largest is only 2010 acres and the next largest is about 190 acres and there is a big hill that over looks the second one. The third largest pit is only 90 acres and there is no place to fish this pit that not seen from the shore line somewhere. So if people on the shore see you pulling in fish they will note it and the next time they are there in their boat they will be fishing the spot where you caught fish.
And lets face it. There are only so many good spots on these small pits. They have very few good structure spots to fish where fish actually congregate in mass. Most of the water is devoid of structure or wood. So once you find some submerged wood it's a gold mine for the fish.
These days there are more and more kayakers fishing or playing on these waters. They take forever to launch their Kayaks compared to fishing boats. They take up the ramp for 15 minutes some times. I can launch and park my truck and get the boat off the ramp in less than 3 minutes most days. So I just stopped fishing here. I took up shooting guns instead and am much happier now. The gun range can be crowded too on the week ends but I go during the week days and it's much less crowded. I have to drive 30 minutes to get to the shooting range but it's not that long of a drive so I enjoy the ride.
