Respect the Fisherman’s Space

Respecting our fishing space is becoming more of an annoyance than a so called problem, especially in the Spring on the river and the first nice days of the year.
People that don’t fish a lot, or with families, just want to get out on that first warm sunny day and wet the line. That’s great and I love to see families out enjoying the day on the water, however here are a few things to keep in mind. It's a little more than just plopping the boat in the water and cozying up to the pack because that’s where you think the fish are, or getting close to chat with the other fisherman. We fishermen are a friendly bunch but when you float over our lines on a nice drift, or you're so close the cast from little Johnny ends up in your boat, we may cringe and mumble under our breath a bit. If it continues we may give you a few words of wisdom on boat edict you may or may not like to hear.
Before you decide to charge to a spot to fish, look the area over to see if there are any boats where you want to fish. Chances are if it’s a good spot most fisherman know about it already and someone will be there. With all the fishermen now days there aren't too many secret spots anymore. If there are boats there you may want to start off somewhere else.

If it is on a river, be sure to watch for fishing lines. You do not want to go over anybody’s lines or cut off their drift. If you choose to anchor make sure you leave enough room between boats so that you don’t drift into their casting range. Where you stop and anchor isn’t always where you end up stopping, especially on a river. You should leave out about 30 ft of rope in current to get the proper position and always go about 30ft beyond your target spot. Here's a little trick I like to do, drop a buoy where I want the boat to be and then go beyond that point. Then drop anchor and float back to the buoy and tie off. If its peak fishing time and there are a lot of boats out that's ok to slowly move up to the pack and ask if you may join them. Remember were a friendly bunch of fisherman.
Also on the river and when you are moving from spot to spot sometimes the river narrows. Try to respect the guys fishing when you fly by in your 20ft ranger with a 250hp and the wake tosses the guy in the John boat 20ft up on shore. That may make Americas Funniest Videos, but you better hope he won't be waiting for you at the launch for some of that fishermen’s advice he may show, if you know what I mean.

Have respect for others and treat them like you would expect them to treat you. Besides having respect here are other things that are important to remember when you are out enjoying the day on the water. Be sure you have all your equipment working and those batteries charged. Many times I’ve seen a boat get into the middle of other boats and drop the good ole Minn Kota and she doesn’t work...dead battery! The next thing you know your bumping into your fellow fisherman’s new boat. Make sure you have all your life jackets and safety items your boat requires, be safe and enjoy a day of fishing.
It's also very helpful to get up to date fishing reports from fishermen just like you. A great resource for all fisherman that I like to visit is www.lake-links.com. You can also try your local bait shop or call a local guide. They are more than willing to give you some good up to date information on bait tackle and areas to fish and if there are any hazards to avoid.

Lastly always remember to take only what you need to eat, take a reliable camera to get a good picture of the catch of the day, and keep fishing.

Gary

***This was one of my articles that was featured back in the May 2010 edition at www.badgersportsman.com