Angler Ethics?

[EddieJoe]

Lately, given circumstances and increasing age, I have worked on enjoying my time on the water and avoiding annoyances. Or, at a minimum, not going off on things like I could do in the past so easily. However, my experience Saturday tested my boundaries.

A gracious friend had given my wife and I a weekend at his bay house at Carrabelle, and we were enjoying the time there. Saturday was my morning to fish, and I had loaded the livewell with pinfish and had two boxes of dead bait. The run 15 miles offshore was a heck of a lot rougher than the 1' seas the doofus NOAA forecast had made, more like 2-4', with a vicious SW chop. What's new.

So, I came close to my first number, and somebody was on it. How does that happen? I discovered it myself, and never had shared it.
Anyhow, I went around the boat and picked another number a half mile away.

Buoyed the spot, and anchored up. Hard to anchor right, so pulled anchor and drifted the spot, with the buoy still on original throw. Caught an undersized Snapper, and made another drift. As I did, a boat approached on plane. Figured it was another number thief. But no.

The boat idled down and headed to my marker, then threw the anchor over about ten feet from my buoy. I kind of was in shock. I know tournament weekend brings out the creeps and crazies, but in 47 years of fishing off of dog island I have never had another boat throw an anchor on my buoy way off shore, on natural bottom.
I yelled at the guy and said I was fishing here, and he began cursing me (f word, many times) and letting me know he was not doing anything illegal, and as long as he 'was "two boat lengths away" there was nothing I could do. He claimed he had spent "7 years in the coast guard" and he knew what he should do. I said I knew it wasn't illegal but it sure was rude.

Hey, it didn't bother him a bit. He was anchored and fishing. I took out my camera and took a photo. He cursed some more. I never cursed or threatened him although I said I would put him online.

Getting mad isn't what I want to do when I go fishing. But this guy? Well, to me parking your boat on another guys buoy 15 miles offshore is real provocative. Anyhow, that's why I don't do do derby tournaments.

If you know who "Hydro Therapy" is he needs a fishing ethics lesson, at least in my book.

EJ




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[BloodyChamp]

No matter how old you get and how much you don't sweat the small stuff, this nonsense will always nip at your heels. Angler ethics are like good and evil trapped in a nutshell. The bad apples will never go away and they will never not bother the good apples!

I've gotten so mad twice in the last year that I've called FWC twice. I'd never done that once and I'm not what's known as an informer whether we're talking fishing or not. But hot dang...I wish somebody would deal with these people.

[fishdux]

As a captain, I will go a quarter mile out of my way to go around a boat at anchor. Why wouldn't you do this? Yesterday I ran 25 miles to a number only to have someone anchored on it. Although not happy we had to put on our big boy pants and go to the next spot. Common courtesy is pretty scarce these days.

[SCALAWAG]

Did you get a picture of his registration numbers on the boat, if so you can find out who he is

[relicshunter]

lots of rude boaters out there and i dont expect it to get any better since ethics are a lost thing. one thing i do expect is if i found a secret spot that someone else might have also found it on there own.

[EddieJoe]

Did you get a picture of his registration numbers on the boat, if so you can find out who he is

No, it doesn't show in the image. Don't want to get into that, anyway. Now that I've posted, I'm done with it.

But thanks.
EJ


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[Apalachee Inshore]

I can truly relate to this post. I'm not an offshore guy but just the part about being on the water and brushing things off. I try to take everything in stride and am better than I use to be but man sometimes someone or something can just get under your skin.

[DixieReb]

That guy is a real butthead! It takes all kinds on the water, good and bad. I hate for boats to blast across my drift, esp. if I'm catching fish.

[onefishtwofish]

Had a similar thing happen on a dock. It is far from a secret. They just pulled up and anchored and started fishing the opposite side of it, casting their bait within feet of where we were casting. I got a line hung and just cranked the motor up and let it run for a minute to spook the fish and left the idiots to it. Inconsiderate jerks bank on it not being illegal and only care about themselves.


Sorry they ruined your day, hope you caught fish.

[Jhults11]

Sorry to hear of the GOOGANS, EJ. I had a buddy and fellow forum member run into the same problem a month ago off Dog Island while grouper fishing on anchor. I'm afraid all ethics and common sense have been lost by many who partake on the gulf today, unfortunately. I fished in a small local tourney among friends on Saturday and had an issue with a googan myself. I had been anchored on a bar redfishing to the west of the lighthouse for 30 minutes, with 2 other boats anchored within 75 yards of me on other bars. Out of nowhere some GOOGAN in a 24 foot Carolina Skiff with a Big Honda 4Stroke drives in the middle of everyone and 2 grown men proceed to throw large mullet nets off the bow and make as much noise as possible. He drove up and down each bar working his way towards me causing a ruckus. I was biting my tongue and keeping to myself when he got within 20 yards of me on anchor. He then proceeded to drive 10-15 yards off my transom and launch 2 giant mullet nets in my direction towards some mullet schools behind me. I had enough and grabbed a spare rod with a large topwater on it and sent it within 3 feet of his ugly @$$ mug. He was startled by this an looked up and said "what the f#$K". I said your too close and you need to give us some space. He said "Did you buy my F#$%^* license". The exact response I expected from and ignorant DBAG with no clue on how to act. I yelled he needed take and ethics class as he replied "don't get embarrassed buddy, don't get embarrassed". I assume he meant he was gonna board my vessel and show me what a badd @$$ he really was. At this point the driver showed 1/2 the brain cell he still possessed and proceeded to drive the other way. Come to find out he "waked" another buddy of mine fishing in our tourney 30 minutes later driving within 30 yards of him on a giant open flat . Googans will be googans and sometimes you just have to be the bigger guy and accept it for what it is.

[rockyg]

If you are someone who has something to lose there is no way to win these type of confrontations. Fire your 9mm in the air a couple of times and FWC comes and arrests you not them. Get in a long verbal furball and see if those type of guys don't invest some time in figuring out where you launched and getting some revenge on your tow vehicle. Same goes if you mess with them, doing doughnuts around them etc. You could call FWC and tell them they did what.....were mean to you?

As a responsible adult with a family and assets to protect...you are not in a good position to start a war with a couple of Googans.

It is VERY HARD to just crank up and ride to another spot, but that's what works.

[eightwt]

Going to show my ignorance. What's a googan? Kinda got a pic in my mind from the context of the thread.

[nobitchin]

Good info. Public humiliation works best!

[fishdux]

Going to show my ignorance. What's a googan? Kinda got a pic in my mind from the context of the thread.

Googan. A fishing (not sexual) term for lowlife, shore(bank) fishermen who baitfish typically without a license, regard to regulations, and etiquette towards other people, especially other fishermen following the rules.

[Hit-n-Miss]

At the ramp people need to realize that it's the truck and trailer at the front of the line that is first to pull out, not the boat at the front of the line. Also on the ramp is not where you prep to launch, go to the bathroom or work on your boat. Sorry scallop season vent.


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