Kevin Van Dam Forums

Dont you just hate it when a guy in a fancy bass boat thinks he owns the water? There is nothing more frustrating, it aggravates the crap out of me.

I was fishing off the bank, cranking along a ledge that goes out from the rocks about 20’ then is about 10’ wide. The bass were hanging right on either side and the end of it, I caught a few little ones and had a big fish hooked but lost it when a bass boat starts coming down the rocks my way. No big deal, the area gets fished pretty hard anyways, so I kept on casting out along the ledge. The boat just kept coming closer and closer until he ended up about 10’ from where I was casting, lets put it this way I could smell his sunscreen. Now I’m wondering what the hell this guy’s problem is and why couldnt he just go around me and keep fishing down the bank. Next thing I know there is a lipless crank being zinged right in front of me to the top of the ledge I am fishing. Well I just happened to be on the end of my cast so I zinged it straight out right back to where I had been fishing this whole time, right over his line. He looked up at me and said “Whats your problem?” I replied “the next one is coming onboard with you” well that seemed to have gotten the message across because he turned the boat and went around me.

anyone else HATE people like this? Just because I am on the bank doesnt mean you can come fish the same spot as me.

I was fishing a small lake in my kayak.  The shoreline was covered with overhangs and bushes.  I got around a point and there was a guy on the bank fishing.  I never saw him because I sit so low and the trees were in the way.  I was burning buzzbaits 8’ in front of him.  When he came into view I felt really bad and apologized for casting in his area.  He was pretty cool about it.  Tournament anglers can be really bad about it.  If your in a tournament just ask me if I mind if you can fish my area.  I’ll say yes.

I must admit that I have never been in that situation because I don’t fish from the bank.  But I will tell you this.  When I approach people fishing from the bank, I always go around them and give them plenty of room as to not disturb what they are doing.  I have even told my nephew to do so when he was at the controls of the trolling motor.  I truly believe in the saying of “do until others as you would them unto you.”  Also, if I’m going down a bank and another boat is coming from the other direction, I will pull out a little bit, let them pass through and then continue on my way.

It’s not that big of a deal to me.  Besides, I’ve gone right behind other boats that just passed and caught fish.  There’s plenty of fish for everyone and there’s no sense in causing conflict when I’m out there just having fun doing what I love to do.

I think it’s just people in general, but there does seem to be a bit of an a-hole complex amongst some boat owners. When we were up at Chamberlain on Francis Case, we left at about 12:30 to go get some food & some warmer clothes & there was a Ranger tied up to the loading dock. He was on the side where there wasn’t a ramp to load, but still, he took up the whole side of the dock where people could’ve dropped off people to get their trailers if his boat wasn’t tied up there. It took about 45 minutes to go from getting in the harbor, to getting the trailer, and getting loaded & we didn’t see one asshat get in that boat the entire time. The marina docks had about 20 slots open if he was looking for somewhere to tie off to go eat lunch, but I guess he thought that since he had a 50k+ boat, he could tie off on the loading dock.

I feel ya BBK. some guys are just jerks.

I use to get bothered by guys crowding me on the water. I ran into that alot when I beat the banks. Now that Im off-shore most of the time I really dont have to worry about it.
Honestly I have more issues with guys trolling for crappie/stripers then I do bass fishmen.
Personally I leave a guys water alone, and I ask if I want to fish an area behind someone else.

If I’m fishing and come up on some one fishing from shore I go around them, they are more limited than I am.  If I come to an area that already has a boat in it I will ask if its ok to fish behind them and go the other way.  I try not to intrude.  I have had those things happen to me and I know how mad they make me.

I ran into this issue 2 weeks ago (first time I had my boat out) visa versa, I came to a spot I wanted to fish that a few guy were fishing. As I approached them I simply excused myself and asked if it was alright if I went down a bit further from where they were to be sure I wasnt in the way. It has happened to me many times while i’m on the bank, but nothing a zara spook cant take care of

BBK - 04 June 2012 08:26 PM

Dont you just hate it when a guy in a fancy bass boat thinks he owns the water? There is nothing more frustrating, it aggravates the crap out of me.

I was fishing off the bank, cranking along a ledge that goes out from the rocks about 20’ then is about 10’ wide. The bass were hanging right on either side and the end of it, I caught a few little ones and had a big fish hooked but lost it when a bass boat starts coming down the rocks my way. No big deal, the area gets fished pretty hard anyways, so I kept on casting out along the ledge. The boat just kept coming closer and closer until he ended up about 10’ from where I was casting, lets put it this way I could smell his sunscreen. Now I’m wondering what the hell this guy’s problem is and why couldnt he just go around me and keep fishing down the bank. Next thing I know there is a lipless crank being zinged right in front of me to the top of the ledge I am fishing. Well I just happened to be on the end of my cast so I zinged it straight out right back to where I had been fishing this whole time, right over his line. He looked up at me and said “Whats your problem?” I replied “the next one is coming onboard with you” well that seemed to have gotten the message across because he turned the boat and went around me.

anyone else HATE people like this? Just because I am on the bank doesnt mean you can come fish the same spot as me.

A couple of the Forest Preserve ponds i fish allow boats running trolling motors only. 2 years ago the biggest one i fish i ran into this problem, a guy can see me plain as day on the bank and he trolls right where i was fishing. most people that fish from the bank don’t fish as i do or cast as long, he was a little shocked when my chatterbait went bouncing across his front deck. he didn’t say anything just widened up his berth. i hollered at him to come over and pick me up and i’d show hm how to catch fish here or else stay the frick away from where i’m fishing. he just shook his head and continued on. i saw him farther down the bank intrude on someone else that had a catfish line in. couldn’t exactly hear what the catfisherman said, but i do know it wasn’t pleasant. 1/2 hour later i saw the guy at the ramp loading up.

Some guys are just jerks when it comes to those kinds of things. I always try to respect guys that are fishing off of the bank because I do a lot of bank fishing myself. I wouldn’t want some jerk in a boat coming in and fishing the bank that I’m standing on!!!

ur too funny, lol