It's the Right Thing To Do, But How Many Really Do It?

I read something the other day that began like this: "Competitive fishing is all about understanding and respecting boundaries--and respecting your fellow anglers. Integrity on the water is part of the heritage of B.A.S.S. tournaments."

If I were to have taken that introductory statement above at face value, then I would have been aghast when, just a few moments later, I happened upon the following two videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ztuLZC_r3A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_wiIMYfOM

For lack of a nice way of putting it, I submit to you that the above introductory statement is nothing short of being a boldfaced lie. From where I sit, it's abundantly clear that even the pros (some of them, at least) have a tough time "understanding and respecting boundaries," as evidenced in the first video. And the problem isn't just with the big-money-pro competitive anglers, it's with all anglers in general, as evidenced in the second video. Forget money, 'cause none of that was involved in the second video, and still two fishermen couldn't find common ground on a public lake.

A pretty sad commentary, I'd say. But while I'm talking about "respecting others," let me add another example here for your consideration. I found this item online, too.

Seems there was this pro angler fishing a tournament, and he had found a spot that, as he firmly believed, "was good enough to help me win the tournament." As it turns out, however, there was just one problem. For all three tournament days, a wisecracking local fisherman, probably in his 60s, sat on top of the spot.

Said the pro, "He knew I wanted in there. He warned me not to come in, so I stayed back. But I thought he would eventually leave."

That never happened, though. The old-timer just sat right there every day.

"I watched him catch more than 20 fish one day," explained the pro, "and it didn't look like a single one of them was less than 4 lbs. What made it worse was that, after he caught each one, he would hold it up in my direction and yell, 'I'll bet you wish you had this fish!'"

Despite wanting the local out of there in the worst way, this pro was the adult in the situation and stayed back. "I stayed back, hard as it was to swallow, because I knew it was the right thing to do," he said.

For whatever reason, angling etiquette appears to rank right up there with going to the dentist, as far as least favorite topics of discussion go. However, I found one competitive angler/freelance writer who is the exception. He spells out five unwritten rules of bass-fishing etiquette.

Cutting anglers off. Tournament organizations have some specific rules in place regarding this issue (too bad everyone doesn't follow them, as evidenced in the earlier first video). For anglers in general, the rule of thumb is simple: If you find yourself trying to justify it in your mind, you're probably cutting someone off. Furthermore, if you'd get ticked off if another angler did it to you, you probably shouldn't do it to someone else. If you have mapping technology on your boat, try to pay attention to the structure the other angler is fishing. If he's fishing a point, don't get between him and the shoreline. If he's fishing a hump or a bar in the middle of the river channel, hug the steeper side of the channel while passing. Similarly, if you're in a creek and someone is fishing a row of boat docks, don't start fishing three docks ahead of him on the same side of the creek and think you're doing him a favor. Instead, find some different docks.

Check with nearby anglers. If you want to fish a particular spot, but another angler is fishing nearby, slow down to an idle and politely ask permission. If he says no, say "thanks," wish him luck, and move on. You can come back another time.

Talk to the dock owners. Instead of copping the attitude that dock owners don't own the water, it's always a good idea to ask them if they mind your making a few casts, especially if they happen to be sitting on the dock. Avoid a confrontation with a simple smile and short conversation.

It ain't the Daytona 500. There are a lot of gripes about bass anglers driving their boats too fast. While there's nothing wrong with lifting the bow and letting 'er eat when the conditions are safe and you're not breaking any rules of the water, drop it down a notch on busy weekends when the lake is full of recreational boaters. Very few folks are impressed by how fast your boat can go anyway.

Be a helpful guest. Don't be one of those dudes who chase their partner down at the boat ramp to collect $20 in gas money. Granted, it's nice if the partner offers to help, but don't make it an issue if nothing is forthcoming. Maybe the partner will back the trailer down, help wipe down your rig, and/or bring along a few sandwiches. It's not all about the money; just showing a little appreciation of any kind makes a big difference.

It doesn't take rocket science to figure out everything works a lot more smoothly when all the players are on the same page. That's the goal; however, from where I sit, we're still not there yet. Maybe, we never will be.