How do you guys know that your were not fishing someone else's spot?  Plays both ways.

 

2 hours ago, Rich12 said:

How do you guys know that your were not fishing someone else's spot?  Plays both ways.

 

This makes little sense. First person at the spot gets dibs. 

Just stay off MY river!

 

                                                                           

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

Just stay off MY river!

Can you give me permission to fish below Pickwick dam?   As I understand the rules,  all the people who find a spot are co owners of that spot and you cannot fish the spot once you see one of the owners fishing it unless they or another owner give you permission.  I drove over Pickwick dam with my parents when I was a kid and saw someone fishing the tail waters so I have never fished it because I didn’t want to steal their spot.?

(whistles) That's it, everyone...off my lake!

43 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Can you give me permission to fish below Pickwick dam?   As I understand the rules,  all the people who find a spot are co owners of that spot and you cannot fish the spot once you see one of the owners fishing it unless they or another owner give you permission.  I drove over Pickwick dam with my parents when I was a kid and saw someone fishing the tail waters so I have never fished it because I didn’t want to steal their spot.?

 There are no "spots" on the river below the dam. On the lake our "spots" are ledges. No one

owns them, but it is your challenge to find them. In the summer in particular, this is what

separates  the men from the boys

?

I remember a time I was on a school of dinks , catching one every cast out on a point . I caught the attention of a couple of anglers and they trolled out to me , asking questions because they were getting skunked . I invited them to fish   , I had other places to hit that day . The bass were in one little area . I picked up my buoy and left it with them . They didnt have a buoy and lost the spot because thirty minutes later they were gone .

Isn't the new term  "Ducketting"?

 

Allen 

7 minutes ago, Munkin said:

Isn't the new term  "Ducketting"?

 

Allen 

I would think it'd be 'Googaning'.

 

(runs for cover)

Anymore I really just don't care.  I'll fish a spot until I'm done and leave.  I've found over the years and some lakes it seems normal.    Lake St Clair is one of those lakes. The Mile Rds is notorious for this.   I've had  times I've been fishing a spot and not a boat around for 100 yds.  If I start catching fish here comes the swarm.  I just laugh and keep on fishin.

Tournament bass fishing our small lakes it’s a draw start time followed by a boat race to the high percentage spots that everyone knows. That is the most intense time tournament starts between competitive anglers.

Spot stealing during the week isn’t common or intense between bass anglers. I have had my share of conflicts with guides moving in on me and camping out using live bait for their clients. It doesn’t do any good to argue, ruins your day.

Tom

15 hours ago, Munkin said:

Isn't the new term  "Ducketting"?

 

Allen 

 

There is an actual term in the walleye world for it.  Its called "tail piping."  When my Grandfather and Uncle fished together in walleye tournaments they always used this term in reference to someone who followed other tournament anglers around and rode their bumper for fish.

I'm gonna find me a life-size rubber bass and stick a brick in it. See if I can lure some people to my bad spots, then leave them for the good ones. All I have is a kayak though.

 

"Whoa BABY! It's a PIG!!! Hey everyone look over here!!! Look at my rod bending!!!" Might be fun  

 

BTW, casting a lure over someone's bow - you better be very sure of who you are messin' with (read the mind-numbing "Do you carry in your boat?" thread in the gun forum). Seriously stupid thing to do, guns or not. Try talking to people, bro.

12 hours ago, schplurg said:

I'm gonna find me a life-size rubber bass and stick a brick in it. See if I can lure some people to my bad spots, then leave them for the good ones. All I have is a kayak though.

 

"Whoa BABY! It's a PIG!!! Hey everyone look over here!!! Look at my rod bending!!!" Might be fun  

 

BTW, casting a lure over someone's bow - you better be very sure of who you are messin' with (read the mind-numbing "Do you carry in your boat?" thread in the gun forum). Seriously stupid thing to do, guns or not. Try talking to people, bro.

The only time I've ever cast in someone else's direction was when a guy trolled between the bank and my boat and I was obviously fishing the bank. He intentionally screwed up the spot for us because he couldn't fish it. He wasn't even casting, just trolling through. I cast right at his trolling motor and he had to pull the motor up not to get my line. Then the guy says to me "It's a big lake" after squeezing into 30' of it to tick me off. I said "Oh, excuse me sir. But I was fishing there before you decided to run through it." This was not even during a tourney. BTW, this was a spot we found while crappie fishing. I gave this spot to a guy who had a club tourney on that lake and he won that day. It was so good that I'd usually save it for last.

 

Anyway, that's why I kayak fish private properties now.

I quit tournament fishing because of it . My last tourney I had a ridge marked with two buoys . Two separate  bass boats come scooting  down the lake,  turn around and   fish next to each buoy with me in the middle . That was it for me . I had week days off , so gave up weekends all together .

I bank fish a nearby residential pond that receives very little fishing pressure because the shoreline is typically covered in goose poop. That don’t stop me though, I throw on an old pair of sandals and do what I gotta do ?

I would would much rather run a pattern that works on multiple areas than rely on a spot.  Worrying about other fisherman on a spot gets too stressful.  Unfortunately, sometimes the fish are packed in small areas and we all have to determine who has dibs on the spot with the fish.  It will test one's character for sure.

12 hours ago, scaleface said:

My last tourney I had a ridge marked with two buoys . Two separate  bass boats come scooting  down the lake,  turn around and   fish next to each buoy with me in the middle

Of course someone is going to fish a spot that is visually marked with buoys. The last time I used one of those things walleye fishing, within 30 minutes there was 10 boats working it. Then one guy came long and picked it up too. If it’s public water, marking it with a visual signal is just asking for trouble. Mark it on your GPS instead so your the only one that knows it’s there.

14 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Mark it on your GPS instead so your the only one that knows it’s there.

GPS wasnt invented yet .

15 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Then one guy came long and picked it up too.

???

Just now, scaleface said:

GPS wasnt invented yet

My apologies @scaleface, I thought it was a recent tournament. Apparently your “last” tournament was quite a while ago.

Just now, gimruis said:

My apologies @scaleface, I thought it was a recent tournament. Apparently your “last” tournament was quite a while ago.

1987

I don't have a boat but there is some pressure on the shores I fish sometimes. Also the occasional hostile wildlife. The nice thing is that I am super lucky to have about 6 different bodies of water available to me and a couple of private properties on occasion. Some of the places are  I'm never really without choices if there's a crowd where I want to fish, which does happen, especially on weekends right before school starts. Might be catching dinks, but I enjoy catching bass of all sizes. Just as long as I'm reeling em in I'm having fun

If someone is in a spot I wanna fish...oh well, I go to plan"B" first come first served. Lack of preparation for this kind of thing is lack of planning on my part. I certainly wouldn't move in and crowd someone although, it's happened to me before. I've had boats jump right in front of me even when they see I'm fishing in that direction. Good way to have a confrontation on the water. 

 you want my spot, my favorite spot? come here and try to take it from me.