Crappie Etiquette

Reading a comment on another thread today reminded me of a few scenario's that have happened to me :

1. Black Friday, the wife is shopping and I am fishing. It's Lake Atkins, Lucky Landing cove, I'm first boat on the water and the fishing is white hot. By 7:30am the "redneck yacht club" has arrived and I can literally walk from my boat to the pier from boat to boat and never jump nor risk falling in the water. I was warned of this prior to going up there, but didn't realize how literal to heed the warning. I thought the warning was an exaggeration, to my surprise, it was not an exaggeration, and may have even been understated. I seriously landed another man's fish for him when he attempted to swing the fish into "his" boat but instead swings it into "my" lap. Anyway, I have all of the fish I want and leave around 9:00am, but not before making an 80-100 yard swing around the floating convoy in order to make the 20 yard trek back to the launch ramp. Not out of spite, out of necessity. (For the record, I am a card carrying member of the redneck yacht club, so that was not a derogatory statement).

2. It's a cold November morning. I'm fishing the Gold Creek "tree". I'm the first boat to arrive, fish are biting ! By 7:00am I get "company". A second boat eases up to the other side of the fork in the tree and begins fishing within feet of my rod tip. We both catch plenty and chat for the next hour and half or so. Once again, I have all the fish I care to clean and I leave around 9:00am.

I was then and still am now, pretty new to crappie fishing these particular Arkansas waters. In both scenario's I caught all of the fish I cared to clean, as did the others I assume. However, I was and still am "surprised" by this seeming to be the norm or commonplace though. I have never pulled up on another boat and assumed it would be okay, but it seems that's not an uncommon event. In hindsight, it didn't really bother me and the conversation and action around me was somewhat entertaining, but I still found it weird.

In these small Central Arkansas creeks and coves etc., what's your thoughts and general etiquette rules towards this ?

I never fish on top of homeowners on there piers or other people's spots they are already fishing. Now if I'm couple hundred ft away is one thing.

In places like Gold Creek and Atkins, you just have to know that you are going to be in close quarters with other fishermen. I don't particularly have a problem with that. But as the title of this thread states, etiquette plays a big part in how I respond to people.

I never pull up on someone unless I know them, and only fish then if Invited. If not, I put down my poles, chat for a bit and move on.

I expect the same in return. True, I don't own the spot, but JEEZ gimme some space!

A couple of years ago I pulled into the Strip Pits at Dardanelle. This is also a crowded spot at times. There was a well-known guide spiderrigging in there, so I slowly passed him by and went about 100 yards or so past him. He yells out, "Hey, I'm fishin over there!" I told him that my plan was to set all my poles out and then I would go ahead and move on. By the time I got my rods out, he had moved so close to me that our rod tips were almost touching. Since we both had clients with us I thought it was a bad idea to argue with the guy, so I just moved on. He followed me for another 50 yards or so before he finally turned around and went back to defending "his" 150 yard stretch of water.

Don't mind fishing close quarters but everyone should have their space, if you don't understand what I mean just get to close I I'll let ya no when you have invaded my space!!!! Be courteous and find your own spot if someone else is already where you'd like to be!!!

Several years ago, up on Pool 13, I was fishing, "The first set of barrels" up in Crooked Slough. A guide from Bellevue Iowa actually bumped my motor to get in next to me. His clients were very embarrassed. I chatted with the clients, but the guide wasn't very personable that day. I caught plenty of fish and had a good day. A week later, he did the exact same thing! This day, I was corking with minnows, but was adding a chartreuse candy. I was absolutely tearing them up, but the guide's boat wasn't doing much at all. The guide's stern was at my bow. The client in the back of the guide's boat was close enough to me that I tossed him a candy and he caught a fish. We did this for a few fish and had a laugh about it. I put a couple dozen nibbles in a bag and tossed them to the boat and left with a smile on my face.

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Originally Posted by Cmj

But as the title of this thread states, etiquette plays a big part in how I respond to people.

I never pull up on someone unless I know them, and only fish then if Invited. If not, I put down my poles, chat for a bit and move on.

I expect the same in return. True, I don't own the spot, but JEEZ gimme some space!

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:hesaid

It just boils down to that key word, etiquette. Will say hi on my way by you, no matter if I knew you or not.

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Wonder if Big River Marine sells bumper pads to protect my new boat from folks running into it? Atkins gets so crowded some folks not good at controlling their boats !:yikes

I'm no crappie guru but realized pretty quick not to get to upset with folks moving in on you. At first, and still somewhat, it ticked me off. Now I figure I'm not whopping anyones butt and it just not worth getting fighting mad over. I've actually met some folks that are good fishermen and I don't mind moving in on them now. Learned a little. Turn about is fair play. I often see the same folks where I fish.

Finding myself going to more obscure (non main stream) fishing spots. Figure if I wanna be around a bunch of folks I'll go to the mall with Momma. Really miss living in Alaska to find solitude. Not a big fan of crowds.

Boaters in my area "middle of Kansas" know to keep their distance, I have my attack dog on board!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cmj

I never pull up on someone unless I know them, and only fish then if Invited. If not, I put down my poles, chat for a bit and move on.

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Chris had been known to get in a man's private stock from time to time. I personally witnessed him floating along beside Habib and his wife fishing in the hot summer time. It was so hot Habib had broken out his purple turban to keep the sun from cooking his bald head. It was also so hot on lake X that as Habib and his wife were blind dragging 16 minners up the lake, the crappie had schooled up underneath his boat and were just following along under the boat trying to stay in the shade where it was cooler. Apparently 16 minners just a rod length away from the shade of the boat were too much temptation for the crappie, and from time to time, one would dart out from underneath the boat to snatch a minnow and end up in the live well of ole Habib. Anyway, CMJ pulls up, chats for a good while and decides he's wasting time not fishing, so unlimbers a single jig pole with a single jig and flips up underneath the shade of Habib's boat. You shoulda seen ole Habib's eyes bug out when CMJ drags out a big honking slab crappie outta the shade of that boat. I don't like to be crowded unless it is someone I know. There are a few people on here, I would open my live well and let them fish inside it, but most of those people already know that it would take too much culling to catch a real mess.:Rofl