Doing it right?
 

I hear talk on this and other forums all the time discussing inconsiderate fisherman and I totally understand the frustration that comes from someont shotputting the anchor on top of your school of fish. What I am interested in hearing about is when you say "People don't know how to fish the lake." What exactly are you talking about? Is it running accross reefs and scattering the fish on it, approaching fishing spots incorrectly, or not presenting the lures efficiently. I think if you guys with more experience could explain some of these things instead of always complaining about them, more fisherman could understand the proper ways to do things on the water which would make everyone's trips a little more enjoyable.

Charlie, I'm no expert, but here are some of my $0.02 on the subject. First, a something as simple as getting the right gear and learning how to use it is a big plus. Look at rods/reels for example. If a guy is backlashing every cast, he is missing bites, if he is using 15-20lb line, he is missing bites, if he uses a 6'6" worm rod, he is missing fish. The trout is a relatively small, slender fish, that usually tries to kill the bait before eating it. Most times, all you will feel is a "tap", set the hook. Most people that are rookies at inshore saltwater fishing, go with the "more is better" attitude and overkill it. A worm rod rigged for Toledo Bend will catch fish, but not as many as a 7' or 7.5' med/fast action rod w/ 12# line. That longer rod w/ lighter line will cast farther and have better feel.

Something as simple as trolling into a area instead of using a outboard is stuff that helps. Of course, trolling out of the area before starting up will gain many friends on the lake.

This is all stuff you already know, so lets see what else other people can add to educate other fisherman!

Im trying to find the guy that shot put an anchor last year buy us!!! This was the farthest I have ever seen....He would qualify for the Olympics

did anyone see the 20' deep v bayliner with the force outboard and T top saturday? guy had on a orange lifejacket standing on the nose of it chasing the cluster of boats on the trolling motor.

nothin wrong with that jus sayin....

Anchor Toss?

He was playing it safe old school style!!! Thank goodness that tournies over...hopefully this sat is better.

Guess I asked for too much!
 

I'm far from an expert and don't understand why some get irritated when people set up a drift upwind of where they are drifting. Would it be better for them to start their drift downwind or off to the side... this is the type of info I was looking for.

I am by no means an expert but I would say that entering your fishing area as quietly as possible is a start. Never incroach on an anchored boat whether they are catching or not.

Also, If someone is trolling quietly to a point on the ship channel, don't haul butt over there with your big motor and wash out the point by spinning around and around to get the anchor set properly. If you approach slowly by drifting or trolling you will be able to figure out how to anchor once there and you won't scare every fish in a hundred yard radius.

Here are my basics.......Rule # 1 - stay quiet.....run trolling motor more than big motor. Don't anchor toss. Don't cut people off. Don't blast by someone when they are in there fishing spot. Try to go around them as much as possible.

Stay respectful and curtious on the water......follow golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto to you"

my main two complaints are people who throw wakes around the landing, and people who cut off drifts or wades (troll right into the area i'm walking towards just because there is someone else fishing it), i don't mind someone coming in behind me near as bad. Also as mentioned above, try not to run near somebody if you have room to go around. I feel like if they are in the ship channel, don't worry about it because it's a NAVIGATION channel not fishing. Some people set up right in a major passage and then throw up their hands when you stay on plane.

This is my biggest beef. Like Saturday, I was fishing in the middle of no where, not another boat for a quarter mile. But folks runnin back and forth gotta run right up and down the reef I am fishin when they have the whole entire lake to give room.

Sunday eve I was anchored & a guy came crusing by just on plane & kept his distance. I stuck a good fish & he slowed down, I was thinking oh here we go. He then went way around & got in behind me & anchored about 100 yds. He would would pick up anchor & drift in a little & anchor again. Everytime I picked up a fish he'd move a little closer. Not a problem with that, he was being quite & respecting my space. He end up about 50 yards behind me & they still havent caught a fish. I appreciated the way he handled that, so I told him to pick up & drift in right beside me.
& HE WAS FROM TEXAS!:*****:
But that's the way it's done. Respecting someone will get you respect!

Had my worst experience ever with that about 3 weeks ago. Was fishing in West Cove about 2 casts length from the bank. Guy in a champion decides its better for him to run between me and the bank then to go around me. He had nobody out in the middle of the cove! Makes you wonder what some people are thinking. Exspecks was fishing next to me....he was dumbfounded too!

At 5:32 Sat morning the MF's were flying from Exspecks! Some guy or should I say a boat of 4 came running in on top of him. I truely believe if he wouldnt have hollered at them they would have T-boned him! I know it pizzed him off, I would have been too, but I couldnt help but laugh!!! I was thinking oh lawd it 5:32am & MF's are already flying, It's going to be LONG DAY!

I am sure there were situations like that all over the lake...At 5:00am I was in a cove and was watching the white lights go down the ship channel...it seriously looked like I-10. I mean one after another...pretty amazing.

was it a blue and white blazerbay?

DON'T TROLL UPWIND!!!!!!! Especially in a Aluminum boat with a chop on the lake!!!!!

that guy was funny...

I can understand a rookie doing some of these things, but what about professional guide boats. I hated fishing Big Lake because of some things some guide boats were doing to us from the Hackberry side. Then, I had this big episode with the Ahole from Cocodrie this past weekend. I mean I can handle a guy in his boat w/ his kid that doesn't know better, but a guide boat pulling some of this crap. I loose my mind!!!!!!

In the old days, where I grew up, fishing Vermillion Bay in the fall - my dad kept a big old topwater plug tied to a old Zebco. He never fished it, and I never asked why. One day I learned when some fellows decided that if we were catching 22" trout, they were going to come meet us. Now, it was just me (about 13 at the time) and my dad and there was 4 of them. He never said a word, picked up that old Zebco that would cast a country mile and launched that big topwater bait with the old rusty hooks. He missed everybody in the boat the first time and the MF's were flying, but the second cast was dead on and when we left, they were still trying to dig the hooks out of that ole' boy. Funniest **** I ever saw!

Wow!
 

So its not your fault you are the way you are.....:*****:

I heard that
 

There were three aluminum boats trolling down headquarters canal one day where I was already fishing and as they passed by it was like a marching band passing by with the boat slapping.