Angler Ethics?
Posted: June 18th, 2017, 6:41 pm
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
Read more: http://forums.floridasportsman.com/show ... 87f6cc.jpg[/img]
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
Read more: http://forums.floridasportsman.com/show ... 87f6cc.jpg[/img]