Question: You take a guy out on your boat to do some fishing....call it prefishing if you want. Your TX is several weeks away. You take him to a location and you tell him this is one of your favorite spots. A spot he had know idea even held a fish.

Fast forward several weeks to tournament day.....you go to your spot only to find that camped guy on it.

If you were the guy who was shown the spot, would you feel the need to ask to fish the spot becasue it was shown to you or would you just go and take it....first come first serve?

Craig,

Great question. I have this problem all the time. In fact, when fishing the NY FED CTE 6 Man Team event last year, I had a different partner each day. The guy on day 1 was totally respectful of the area I took him to fish. I told him in advance that it was a spot that if he agreed "never to fish" the area when I was on the water, I would take him there and get him a really good limit. He agreed and I have never seen him there since.

Day 2, different non-boater, same rules laid out prior and he also agreed to my conditions. (I got him a 14lb 5 fish limit that day). Flash-Forward to this year and coincidentally, both our clubs are having our tournaments on Champlain this year on the same weekend.

It gets back to me through the grapevine that he is bragging to his club that he is going to kick their butt on my spot. I run into him at the A.B.C. Challenge Cup last weekend and inform him that I will be up there that weekend and have all intentions of fishing "MY SPOT". His response was "Well, it's a good enough spot for two boats, so I'll see you there". I responded (sarcastically) that "I keep a firearm in my boat for occasions just like this".

Anyone who needs to rip-off someone else's spot is simply a disrespectful person. These guys have "NO" ability to find fish on their own and often you find that their spots are simply a consortium of other people’s areas which they have conveniently claimed as "their own".

I have often witnessed some pretty heated arguments and the occasional physical confrontation over situations just like you described. If it were not for idiots cheating, I would be happy to see tournaments where each angler gets to fish alone. The sad part is that even the top pros on the Bassmaster’s trail hoard and swipe spots.

In the end, it’s the guys who have the ability to find fish consistently in new areas that will always come out on top.

SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR SPOT JACKERS:

“YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASSHAMED OF YOURSELVES!”

To answer your questions, I would absolutely muscle in on that guy and make a point to heckle him while doing so!

When the tournament comes around its a first come first serve basis. Iam pretty tight lipped when it comes to fishing tournaments in my local clubs. I might tell someone what bait I am using but not the color,speed,depth or spot I was fishing. It can really burn you come tournament day.

I guess we've all be burned at one time or another, mostly by weekend warriors who can't locate there own fish. Most of us wouldn't even consider taking someones spot, but some will and do. They soon gain a reputation and are shunned by good anglers. The problem is, they will continue to grab spots because that's the only way they can catch fish. What really hurts is they are usually non-boaters that will show his next day or next time partner the spot, and then that guys shows the next guy and soon there are boats everywhere and the great spot is depleted of fish. I don't believe that on most locations there are any secret spots left, but if a guy claims a spot the other anglers should respect that. I know of one major bass event where the day two leader told the everyone at the weigh-in exactly where he was fishing. He had no comapny aside from some spectator boats and he won.

Johnnie,

All good points... I agree that there are really not many secret spots left out there, but depending on what tournament you are fishing, there may be more than we think. What I mean to say is "If the other people fishing against you (like in a bass club) don’t know about your spots, then I guess they could be considered secret spots” (At least secret from the other guys).

Some areas I have fished are considered "Community Holes" by the locals, but my club mates have no clue about some of these areas. What I have chosen to do, is only fish or even visit my best spots/areas if I am fishing a big money tournament. If it is a smaller open or club tournament, I will fish my secondary spots and patterns and try to make them pay off for me.

The two day scenario you gave is the one that really *****. Non-boaters taking their day two boaters back to your spot from day 1 and then the boater going there during the next tournament. Unfortunetely, that has happened to me a couple of times and there really isn't anything I could do about it.

Ahhhh, the pleasure of tournament fishing!

On another note, where's Craig? He started this mess and then bailed out...

This is one of them subjects that you really can hurt some feelings on. I know alot of guys that do the same things that yall are talking about. I hate to pull up to a spot that I been catching fish on and see some one that had fished with me on it during a tournament, But like you said what can you do? Look at it this way it should make you feel good that you showed someone a good spot to catch fish (that dont make the wallet feel any better). We are here to teach others ways to catch fish right? Well you just showed some one what makes a good location to catch fish. LOL

Really it hurts to feel good about a spot and find someone on it. But like mentioned before its hard for someone else to come in on a spot and catch the fish the way that you can because you know all the little details of the spot. If you wait a while they will move on to another spot someone had showed them and you can have yours back and catch the fish the way you know how too.
Just ignore there ignorance and go catch some fish the way you know how. Thats all you can do anyway. Right.?!

LMAO! Great response Conley... way to put a positive spin on it! I'm sitting at my desk in the office and when I saw this sentence, I burst out laughing...

"If you wait a while they will move on to another spot someone had showed them and you can have yours back and catch the fish the way you know how too."

Funny, but also a very true statement...

Thanks for the laugh!

I'm here Bren, great responses. I was miffed to say the least. To top it off, last weekend we had a tournament on the same secret water. I made it to my spot first. About 1/2hr. into the event, I was about 100 yards off my spot and fishing towards it, this same guy came up behind me and asked me if I could either hurry up or if he could pass me to go to my spot. I explained I was going up there slowly and he absolutely would have to wait until I was done and he ended up calling me a poor sport. I made up for it by winning the tournament though.

Brendan
Im glad you got a good laugh out of that answer I had. I tend to look at things with a simple solution. Simple minded I guess!lol
I just hate to go fishing and get mad or upset about something so I just adapt and go on fishing. There is a simple solution for every problem its figuring it out thats the hard part. (without it upsetting you)

Well Said, Conley...

Sportsman Ship
Last week while I was on Lake Perris in my float tube,
I was metering fish like crazy; when I started chatching a lot of fish a couple of guys in a Bass Tracker came over and pushed me out of my spot. Of course I moved I am not stupid. I was a little pissed but hey it's a big lake and I am recovering from a kidney surgery so who needs the haste. I was off 25 to 300 from them when a couple of other guys floated buy, the guy in the Bass Tracker got really mad, stated yelling for them to move off
I didn't get it, he felt like he owned the lake.
The others guys backed up I even had to move.
The bass tracker moved even closer to the other guys I couldn't figure this out. What we do as sportsmen affects everyone. I seen the guys drinking and I just figured I would stay out of there way. Beside my float tube was no match for that big Bass boat. I think he was a good sport before he brought the boat and joined a bass club; I learned later he was in a tournament and must have been under some pressure. I learned he was from the Hemet Bass Club?
A club I was about to join.
I don't know what to say.


[

Tuben...

I posted a reply to this on the other topic. It is a shame when people act like you described. If they were in a tournament and had "Nowhere else to go", they should have at least asked if you minded them fishing the area "with" you.

BC

I used to fish out of a two man water spider boat. I know what you are talking about. I feel for you. When they would do that I would just laugh and start splashing the water. It would get their attention and they would usally ask if I was alright and I would just say "I was until you got here" most of the time they got the message.

Oh yea I still caught more fish than they did and I am sure you do too.

I seen the post earlyer, Brendan
,
I hope you got my point, sometimes in the heat of battle of a tournament angles forget there manures, I understand this is how they make a living.
They feel because that is there favorite fishing spot and it is you that should move, no one ever ask me if they could fish along side me, I don't think they see me at all.
If they have a BIG BASS BOAT and they power in.
I do my best not to fish if I know a tournament is going on.
We have so many people on this earth that's just it's just not possible to say I own a specific spot on a public lake.
I have gone out with friends in there boats and they fish the same exact spots or holes I found in my float tube with my own fish finder.
Who's to say who found the spot first?
This world is to share and share alike.
Last time I check God hasn't handed out Titles to wild life.
I don't make a living at fishing, I have terminal cancer,
All I have left to do is fish so I fish every day.
All I am tiring to say is,
I may be sitting in a fellow anglers boat someday when one of our fellow anglers pulls up on my favorite spot.
I wouldn't ever say a thing.
And then the next day he returned and found me
there fishing, and gets so mad he shoots me.
Think about it.

Guys you don't see it or give it a second thought, But I am the little guy, I do see it.

Steve,

Perhaps messages like the one you posted will help enlighten the anglers who don't stop to look at things from the other person's perspective...

I am sorry to hear that have terminal cancer. At least you have found something that you can still enjoy doing (fishing). Some people just give up on life when they are diagnosed with cancer. Stay strong and keep fighting...

Halleluiah! I have my rod and reel that I lost two weeks ago BACK,
Halleluiah! Halleluiah! Halleluiah! you know what I mean.
the soaking didn't hurt it at all.
wow! I am so stoked.
I hired a diver and he went in to the lake today at 7:45 I floated out to the spot I thought I lost it.

he swam out to me and rested a bit then said this is a shot in the dark, don't get your hopes up to high, it could have already been found,

I said we'll just hope for the best and accept what happens.
He dove out of sight I said a prayer and two seconds later my rod came up out of the water.

It looks as good as new.

A very thankful Steve Clark

I am sorry I was so excited, my point was it dose pay to buy nice or expensive equipment.
My Japan model Calcutta 100 was 380 dollars, the Phoenix rod was 250 plus.

Fish tremble at the mention of my name


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Now that I am so happy again, I am thinking of joining a Bass Club.
I am good at fishing, but I don't have a boat.
And then finding that right club.
The one closest to me is Hemit Bass Club.
I would feel like a bumm if I had to depend on someone all the time.
SSN and what little retirement I get isn't eniugh to buy a 10.000.00 boat.

There's nothing wrong with hitching a ride with someone that already has the big boat. In fact, it can make for some great times out on the water and build new friendships...

Good Luck with whatever you choose to do...

Steve,
Most bass clubs really need non-boaters to begin with, mine here in Nebraska has to draw boaters out just to make it even! I am very sure most clubs would welcome you as a non-boater, and if they don't, you probably don't want to be a member of that club anyhow! I know that we would welcome you here! Besides, if they are a "real" club, it's all about fun and fellowship with our friends of the same interest. Best of luck in finding that right club and don't "settle" just because they are there, find one that welcomes you as a member.