Is etiquette on the water a everyday thing

Yesterday I arrived pre dawn to get to my area. Started fishing and catching. For the first hour not a boat in the bay. I knew it wouldn't last and about ,8:30 they began to pour in. Yes it's everyone s lake but in the first grade your taught to get in line,take your turn. I had a line I was running up and down next.to a bar where the fish were stacked. This one dude is rubber necking me as I pull them in. Go to the end to make my turn and he is making him a run coming at me. I never move until he holler s and he said I can't scoot over I'll run aground. I moved to keep from getting lines tangled and reeled in and left . What's the answer to folks like this.

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Can’t fix stupid ! But I wouldn’t have left ! I’d try to have been nice and let him know My intentions and that He could get line or we would see who had the strongest line!

Mitch nailed it. I went to ramp. There was three trucks and trailers with boats loaded blocking both ramps. I ask them nicely to pull up so I could launch. They told me when they fing finished talking they would would be glad to. Waited fifteen minutes for them to move. I can’t understand people. They have no respect for themselves or others any more. I break my neck to stay outta others way. SMH.

Be nice, show a good example, lets not encourage road rage. just sayin', no intention other than to calm everyone's posting so it don't get out of hand. Thanks all, and above everything, stay safe.

It is said the amount of disrespectness people have these days. You see it everywhere. I live next to a church. Since the corona virus they have services outside in the parking lot. Large speakers set up blasting the sermon. While getting set up the preacher says over the speakers that they can probably here me three miles down the road. I get to hear this in my house which I find to be very disrespectful. Instead of clapping for applause you get the horns blowing on 50 cars. Sure makes me want to drag out the chainsaws and do some cutting to return the favor. Yet 2 wrongs don't make a right

One solution, while not politically correct, nor socially correct, nor what your mother taught you, but well deserved would be to reel in the your lines closest to his boat & lines, then crowd him just like he crowded you. Do it a couple times and he might get the message, but then might not either. Or you could have cruised up to the other end and gotten some distance between you and him, and continued fishing. He should have been the one to wait for you to make your turn and give some space, and then followed you. JMO.

Perhaps he was a newbie and didn't know what to do. You don't know what you don't know. It could have been a good teaching moment.

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Thanks to all who answered. some good ideas, just hope it doesn't happen.

These type of situations tend to go away after the spawn. At least that’s been my experience.

Were you pulling boards Chris? I’ve found the boards tend to make folks get closer to see what is going on.
I wouldn’t have left until I was ready

I had to advise an old man several years ago that dropping his anchor right in the middle of a small spot my buddy and I had been fishing for quite some time wasn’t in his best interest. Would I have followed up had he not left? We’ll never know but I won’t say it unless I am willing to back it up. What I said wasn’t intended as a threat but I have been known to make more wake than normal leaving such an area.

Some folks go thru life bullying others to get their way. I have to be very careful about a confrontation on the lake because I have more to lose than many. You have to do or say what you need to so you can respect yourself but many times you will get more respect by doing what you did.

Hard call.


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Yes i was pulling boards but had them very close to the boat and only had out 2 per side.

It's been pretty good around here this year so far.
Last year there were a few issues.

I pretty much avoid the spawning season on the lakes these days. I enjoy catching as much as anyone, but not when surrounded by 20 boats. The lake is my getaway from everyday stresses and fishing in a large crowd doesn’t do it for me.
Luckily, like someone else stated, a lot of these people disappear after the spawning season (when fishing actually requires skill to catch.)


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We all should avoid confrontation on the lake as much as possible. If out of control individuals will shoot you because they perceive that you somehow offended them in a road rage situation, what is to prevent some hotshot from shooting you on the lake and just speeding off innocently? We're talking about fishing, not Ia Drang, Iwo Jima or Concord Hill !!! Pick your battles wisely, not emotionally.

This is why I don’t crappie fish during the spawning cycle. You all know me and that I love to crappie fish, but I fish early below dams for other species and quit early when a lot of boats begin to show up.

I do my best to avoid the crowd's. Chickamauga is my home lake and I know it's traffic pattern pretty well. I am off couple day's during the week, then every other weekend. During the week, well before COVID-19, every open ramp is packed out now. I would drive by the local ramp and check the traffic, and on the lake. If it's heavy I just keep driving up the lake to check other ramps. On the weekends I travel further up the lake to what is considered the upper lake / river. Harrison Bay, Chester Frost along with Wolftever are very crowded anymore. I have pulled into Wolftever and said to myself, "Does no one work in Chattanooga anymore?" Being a popular Bass lake doesn't help at all. That's the price you pay when the lake is close to a metropolitan area. But that still doesn't excuse such behavior from grown adult's.