Combat Fishing Etiquette Revisited!!

[racfish]

I've fished the Veder in the past and it gets dicey even up in Canucksville.When those bigguns come in there Ive seen 10-20 guys fishing a hole. Its that way everywhere.Fishing in Canada is nice to a point but its the same here. I find fishing Oregon rivers is the best.

[islandbass]

no low holing. ask to fish below some one. dont just run in aand set up shop. veteran fishermen hate this. and i do to

Curado, first let me say that this is not directed toward you. I will express my thoughts about "low holing." I just heard of this term for the first time this season and I think it is a crock.

If you're fishing a spot and I come on the scene and I see a spot below you that looks good to me, I am going to head there and fish it because it looks inviting to me AND it had nothing to do with me wanting to low hole anyone.

It has to do with me, seeing a spot, thinking it's good, and therefore fishing it. If this "low hole" spot was so good to the veteran angler, then why didn't veteran angler fish it first? That's what makes no sense to me.

Granted, being the polite and considerate guy that I am on the water, I will tell you my intention that I am going fish the said spot below you.

Just my two cents. If the lower hole is "better" then logic should dictate to you to fish it first. You snooze, you lose.

[racfish]

Well put Island Bass. I love the "Snooze you lose" or "think long ,think wrong".

[curado]

the point of drift fishing is to cover the hole from a to z. moving down river a little bit to put u into the next zone.

[knotabassturd]

U have a point islandbass. Curado is probably more talking about someone cutting short a normal drift by shouldering up on someone. It depends on how much water there is per fishing person too and how well everyone gets along. I have seen an occassional guy where I watched them from shore for awhile, got a good idea of their drift length, stepped in the water downstream of them and immediately watched them extend the drift another 10-15 feet to where their drift rig is almost breaking surface from the river current drag at tail of drift and straight downstream from them LOL. It's all good but if someone does this to me, they were there first so I almost always move slightly more downstream. Tight lines all.

[racfish]

No offense Curado But I think that if youre drifting I respect that but that dosent mean everyone must stay clear of your drifting path. You might fish an area for fifteen minutes to a half hour. In that time you think no one should be able to fish around you?Maybe you should carry two signs designating A-Z and a "no fishing in that zone area." Like you I would get mad if someone did that to me but it happens. Its not like we fish for our daily sustunance.

[blemings]

Anyways, it took me years and years of driving past all the cars and people lined up on the river and seeing guys carrying huge fish out. "That could be me!" A buddy tried it before I did and of course hearing his excitement and seeing his fish, I joined him one morning. I casted out of order, I waded out in the river to retrieve my gear, I longlined, I casted whenever I seen an opening to cast. I used the wrong gear. I was that guy. I know better now. I hope this topic will reach out to a newbie and get them to try it out.

I have fished for a few years on the Kenai, Bird & Ship Creek, but just recently started river fishing in Washington. I have done as much research as possible. I have Illustrated Rigging by Robert Campbell, I read Salmon Trout Steelheader, read this and other sites. The problem is there is no one source for begining PNW anglers (if I wanted to Bass fish in the south I would be completely covered). None of what you have mentioned is discussed in any major publication. Every source states what to do but not what not to due and why. Not upsetting other anglers will not motivate the vast majority of people to change habits and those new to this type of fishing, like myself, do not know any better. Its about catching fish. So why will I catch more fish if I do not cast out of order, wade out in the river to retrieve gear, longline, cast whenever there is an opening? Also what is Longlining in terms of river fishing?

[MikeFishes]

Okay, here's a situational question for you all.

I'm fishing the snohomish and casting a dick nite just like youre supposed to. The next guy down stream is a ways down and the next guy up stream is about 50 yards. Well after a couple of casts I feel a repititous tuging on my line. Turns out this knob about 100 yards up stream from me is jigging WAY down stream and tangles me up (through 2 other people who are between us). He did that to me 3 / 4 times. There weren't any fish so I moved on, no loss. But man, that was irritating.

What's the verdict? Am I wrong to thik this guy is doing something he shouldn't be doing during "combat fishing" season? Or am I in the wrong expecting that someone way up stream wouldn't be tangling me up.

[jens]

Anyways, it took me years and years of driving past all the cars and people lined up on the river and seeing guys carrying huge fish out. "That could be me!" A buddy tried it before I did and of course hearing his excitement and seeing his fish, I joined him one morning. I casted out of order, I waded out in the river to retrieve my gear, I longlined, I casted whenever I seen an opening to cast. I used the wrong gear. I was that guy. I know better now. I hope this topic will reach out to a newbie and get them to try it out.

I have fished for a few years on the Kenai, Bird & Ship Creek, but just recently started river fishing in Washington. I have done as much research as possible. I have Illustrated Rigging by Robert Campbell, I read Salmon Trout Steelheader, read this and other sites. The problem is there is no one source for begining PNW anglers (if I wanted to Bass fish in the south I would be completely covered). None of what you have mentioned is discussed in any major publication. Every source states what to do but not what not to due and why. Not upsetting other anglers will not motivate the vast majority of people to change habits and those new to this type of fishing, like myself, do not know any better. Its about catching fish. So why will I catch more fish if I do not cast out of order, wade out in the river to retrieve gear, longline, cast whenever there is an opening? Also what is Longlining in terms of river fishing?

In a nutshell, if anglers aren't following an order or basic etiquette, you will be spending majority of your time untangling with others and rerigging. Which of course means your line and bait/gear is out of the water. You can't catch a fish when you aren't fishing.

I have watched those guys up in Anchorage (Kenai, Ship Creek) they were all in order from what I seen.

[jens]

Okay, here's a situational question for you all.

I'm fishing the snohomish and casting a dick nite just like youre supposed to. The next guy down stream is a ways down and the next guy up stream is about 50 yards. Well after a couple of casts I feel a repititous tuging on my line. Turns out this knob about 100 yards up stream from me is jigging WAY down stream and tangles me up (through 2 other people who are between us). He did that to me 3 / 4 times. There weren't any fish so I moved on, no loss. But man, that was irritating.

What's the verdict? Am I wrong to thik this guy is doing something he shouldn't be doing during "combat fishing" season? Or am I in the wrong expecting that someone way up stream wouldn't be tangling me up.

Longlining. And that angler should shorten his drift. Are you sure he wasn't the owner of the Snohomish??

[Anonymous]

Thats what y'all sound like. Owners of the river.You show me a deed to the land youre fishing from or git out my face whilst we fish.I love to hate people who claim "this hole is mine" As long as I am not snagging your line or crossing others I will fish anywhere I can and want to. Ifin you want to write rules go get a job with the WDFW. Flapping your gums here dosent mean a thing.All you guys made good points. I agree that I hate fisherpeople that dont follow fishing etiquette but these are people that bought a licence and paid to fish in Wa. We all must deal with a non perfect fishing society.It goes with the turf.I've fished in this state all my life and I've seen some doozies.Ive seen guns drawn at Blue Creek,I saw a knife fight at Barrier Dam.One year on the Green I took a friend who played for the Washington Redskins fishing and someone took shots at us.Now this was in the 70's and he was of mixed race which we were both sure thats why they took shots.I even took FABIO fishing to Reiter.He bought a 3 day licence. The biggest complainers on fishing etiquette are the fisherpersons that have done it for a while.

To perpetuate the sport we need new blood in the mix. These newcommers will soon be pros like most of us one day.They will complain like we do now.Just like Sockeye fishing on lake Wa.Ive seen fights and heard scream fests.If youre not fishing private property then you are on public land.Public land is just that. Ifin you cant deal with it find a new sport.Just dont tell me where and how to fish to fit your needs.

[jens]

I am sorry you feel that way racfish. To reiterate, I started this thread to help the new guys/gals out who have never fished in a river and especially in a combat zone what to expect and what to avoid. It kind of got off topic on a few replies here and there, but you are right that none of us own the river. But we all should own up and fish in a way so no one has to worry about having a gun pulled out or being stabbed with a knife.

In any life situation if there is no order, then only chaos will present itself.

[scott080379]

I agree rac, but i will ask not tell someone to please fish in order. I had a knife pulled on my last year on the yup. A guy casted his line over mine while I had a fish on. the works his big 3/0 hook down to my fish and hooks into it to. Then proceeds to say that he hooked it first and started to tell me I snagged his fish and needed to cut his my line. I told him no and so did a few others next to us........I cut his line then he pulled his knife and threaten to cut me to pieces. He was tackled and pinned down and cops were called and he was hauled off to jail. Oh did I mention he also got a snagging ticket from our good old friends at WDFW. I don't like cutting peoples lines but don't try to take my fish from me while I am hooked up. He got his gear back, well WDFW got his gear and I got my fish. I also got about 20 diffrent thank you's from other anglers, I guess he had done this a few times this year and no one had the balls to stand up to him.

Jsut don't be rude on the rivers, follow the order the best you can and everything should work out for everyone. If I have to assist you taking a ride to the county jail by all means I will do so.

[jens]

I agree rac, but i will ask not tell someone to please fish in order. I had a knife pulled on my last year on the yup. A guy casted his line over mine while I had a fish on. the works his big 3/0 hook down to my fish and hooks into it to. Then proceeds to say that he hooked it first and started to tell me I snagged his fish and needed to cut his my line. I told him no and so did a few others next to us........I cut his line then he pulled his knife and threaten to cut me to pieces. He was tackled and pinned down and cops were called and he was hauled off to jail. Oh did I mention he also got a snagging ticket from our good old friends at WDFW. I don't like cutting peoples lines but don't try to take my fish from me while I am hooked up. He got his gear back, well WDFW got his gear and I got my fish. I also got about 20 diffrent thank you's from other anglers, I guess he had done this a few times this year and no one had the balls to stand up to him.

Jsut don't be rude on the rivers, follow the order the best you can and everything should work out for everyone. If I have to assist you taking a ride to the county jail by all means I will do so.

Again, if there was just some way or some literature in the Regs book explaining basic etiquette in many different languages, situations like this can be avoided.

[Anonymous]

Dont get me wrong. No one more than I gets P.Oed when some newbie is crossing lines not using enough lead. But its the way it goes. I used to watch guys fish the snoqualmie and the sky who Drive up in their Eddie Bauer Limmited jeeps,with their 700.00 g loomis rods and their 200.00 reels wearing those 500.00 waders. You know thats trouble.
My big thing is people thinking they own their holes or drifts.I'm all for fishing etiquette.Its just some folks feel they deserve more then their fair share of fish. Whether its your first license or your 60 th license we all must share the entire river.Its all about shareing. From what I read its all MINE,MINE.MINE.That gets to me in the wrong way.I've cut a line from time to time. Some tangles arent worth trying to undo.

[curado]

Listen now we are arguing instead of helping out people. i learned from a old old fishin buddy on the wallace. he was a true drift guy, cussed out every float guy around. he always said the river is no ones land and is owned by every one, respect it and it will reward u. the man was 100% lakota souix i still talk to him.

[racfish]

Were not arguing my friend ,were stating our opinions. Just how do we actually help someone Curado? We are here bickering over how much time it takes to unravel a birdsnest of a tangle up with others. If we dont have the patience to deal with the adversities of fishing, are these same river hogs really gonna help a newbie out? I think not. Were all so worried that we wont catch cuz someone is fishing your 500 yards of drift.Your last statement from your friend is great but you were the first to bring up lo-holing. You should listen to your wise friend. What he says is the truth. The river is here to share.Just because I live close to the Green dosent make it my river. Same with the Sky and the Skok and so on.Im not picking on any one fisherperson. Just to those who carry the titles to the land they think they own.
If you truly want to help a newbie . Put down how deep you were,what color did best. With roe or shrimp. These are helpful tools. Setting up rules to follow is quite lame in my book. Who are we to demand this or that.

[jens]

You hit it on the head curado, just trying to give advice. I realize no one OWNS the river. But there are unwritten rules that if everyone followed then order can be established. Casting order, longlining, low holing, retrieving gear, using different tactics then what everyone else is using, etc etc

There are unwritten rules with a lot of things we as anglers do. For example, what about boat launches?? No one owns the boat launch, but what if a newbie boater just shows up at the launch. Gets his/her boat in the water. And then start loading everything he has at that time. Is this accepted? I think not. Same concept.

A newbie shows up to the river with guys lined up elbow to elbow. If that person has been versed on etiquette, then everyone gets to fish with hardly any lines being tangled and maybe make new fishing buddies, it happens.

That's all I was trying to do when I posted this topic. Just trying to help those who have never stepped onto a combat fishing scene and what to avoid doing when they get there.

[curado]

i am just trying to save some one from injury. because u get to some of the combat zones and piss a person off ppl get hurt. thats all. there is fights yearly at reiter because of some of the stuff listed.

[flinginpooh]

easy sollution here. Show up with more then a few people that you know can fish. Get there early and fish. People get out of line then there can be situations that arise but there is more then enough people to handle what needs handling. Im NOT talking bout beating people for no reason. But hell with it sounds like enough people dont like the ideas good fishing brings. So Im all for old school. Crap lets make us sound really foolish and try and make it so youll need to show ancestory to the first person to ever fish that river and they are the only ones that can fish it. Bunch of crap huh? Pull your heads out your asses and lets fish. Newbies are gonna do what they do. Rac is older hell think how he thinks. Sickbayer is who he is and thinks there is one way to control a boat. SO WHAT. Lets fish. If people like to walk behind ya and get a hook in em, let em. If people like to long line and continue to piss people off until someone does something let em. If you cant hit a damn hula hoop with your cast cause your not use to casting in tight quarters and you cant keep your lines off the snags or out of trees even, its ok. Point of this thread was to simply put a few suggestions down to help. Seems like some just like to do the opposite. I honestly hope there is people that do this crap repeatedly to me. I play nice to a point. Im not here to make alot of friends and it seems some of you arent either. Treat me how you want to be treated on the river if we ever cross paths. I can be very nice and help you out in any way I can. Treat me bad and Ill treat you worse. Freaking stupid thread now, it was supposed to be good.