How Close

[Blue Mago]

First off I like fishing as much as the next guy , I enjoy seeing there catch as much as they like looking at mine .But every time I go I notice that some times a persons personal space is infringed on by some one moving in past that comfort range .I understand that everyone can fish on any given lake , If you're fishing in twenty feet of water and a large pike etc takes the bait the chances of lines getting tangled are real good . I stay at least a hundred feet from any given shack etc to be respectful of that and there space . A couple of years back I had a "" fellow "" park his butt four feet beside my hole where he commenced to drill his own ?? I kinda thought that nature had somehow missed giving him common sense and I politely asked him if the lake wasn't large enough ? his response was  " O you mind ?"" ? He didn't catch on ?  and finally after a while he and his girl drove off to another area where from what we saw ........yes everyone had been watching ........he did the same thing again , different results that time .....he left shortly afterwards is all I'll say .The guys who were a ways off from me came and asked if what they had seen had actually happened , because if it did I must have known the guy , they were blown away by the fact that it was a total stranger ? Anyone ever have this sort of thing happen ? I always tell guys that come to close that should our lines intertwine I will cut there's . So far everyone has understood
 

[793bob]

Yes at white mouth lake a few years back .guy drilled just out side.our shack.we were catching and they weren't. As we were packing up.to leave . A.lady literally sat in one of our lawn chairs so.they could.have our holes..you just gotta.laugh.

[Blue Mago]

I have made it a habit of filling my holes with slush / snow when I leave now .......that way they freeze quicker and it also leaves no tell tale signs of anyone being there

[Drift Dodger]

Yes, a few years ago on a nice Saturday in March a buddy and I drove on to Lake Manitoba at Delta Beach and set up my 4'x8' portable fold-down tarp shack. The catch wasn't the hottest but we were icing a few perch. As usual there were the occasional passers-by including a couple of local old-timers stopped for a brief chat. We had to leave late afternoon and since the bite was tolerable and weather forecast was fine we just folded the shanty down planning to return the next day.

So we when we get back on the lake mid-morning Sunday (another beautiful day) there are already several anglers (vehicles, quads, snowmobiles, shanties) spread out all over the area as usual. However we have a difficult time spotting my folded-down shack where we thought it would be. Finally we do discover it almost in the shadow of another shanty ... the same old-timers from the previous day had gotten there early and set up their shanty within 4 feet of mine! As I recall we may have uttered a few audibles about the situation but did not openly criticize or confront them. They never said a word to us and I don't think they caught much. We iced several more perch then packed up and left the lake a bit earlier than we otherwise might have.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Lake Manitoba is Canada's thirteenth largest lake (4,624 km2) and the world's 33rd largest freshwater lake. It is in central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is named after the lake. It is located about 75 km northwest of the province's capital, Winnipeg, at  51°0′N 98°45′W.

[Blue Mago]

Yup , have had my portables used as wind breaks and due to heavy snow the water came up higher then the blocking and froze them right in , not fun when you need to pull them off .Buddy used to leave his on the lake as well ,unlocked so if someone should ever have issues they at least could find some comfort from the wind/cold .........someone used it as a toilet , a few times right on his floor !Regardless he now takes them off or uses his portable .................some people ??

[KenH]

over the years have had it happen numerous times.

[Doug1980]

This is a huge problem in Minnesota.   It's funny to watch it happen (Not really) but I can go pick a spot to fish, and before I know it a person or two setup right next to me.   Then as people head out onto the lake and see three or four houses setup in one area, they decide there must be fish there, and all of a sudden 15 houses setup.    It's even worse in summer.    Everyone uses GPS now, myself included, but I remember back in the late 90's early 2000's if I was out fishing and threw a marker buoy out in the water, it didn't take long before 10 boats decided to start fishing off the buoy.   

[walleye28]

lol, up here in Canada, my friends and I would call them American attractors, just have to laugh, with the new electronics now days use them very little anymore, but was always a good laugh.

[WALLEY HUNTER]

Happened to my group a few years back at whitemouth lake.   Guys pulled up and said that this was their spot because they fished there the week prior and they proceeded with drilling a circle of holes all the way around us.    We were lost for words.

[Blue Mago]

Yup , a huge body of water and someone has to be a royal pain , really confuses me , if someone pulls up to where we are and asks how the fishing is going ? usually say .....fishing's great , catching's real poor , thinking of moving back where we were the week prior , real hot spot ........over there >>>>>, works most times , they always head in the direction you point , we also don't display our catch , and no whooping it up ! draws them in like flies to ........well you know ...lol

[quickstrike]

I've see these types of things myself - common sense / courtesy seem to elude some. Unfortunately, its that 3% of people like that that leave a lasting impression. Thankfully most are not like that

[blue igloo]

I've see these types of things myself - common sense / courtesy seem to elude some. Unfortunately, its that 3% of people like that that leave a lasting impression. Thankfully most are not like that

Well said quickstrike 
Blue Igloo

[Blue Mago]

I agree , I was out yesterday and it was nice , everyone had there spots , kids playing , people walking over and talking with other people , a community .

[RallyGreen]

Personally, I wouldn't respect someone calling "dibs" on a patch of ice by leaving a portable folded up on it overnight. I'd laugh and call it littering.

 If I see smoke coming out the chimney of a permie, then I'll give them some space like anyone else, but if it's empty, then I see no reason to not fish next door to it. Of course not close enough to inadvertently freeze it in, but there's no way I'd respect someone telling me to take a hike if I was there already.

[Crimson Night]

If I see someone I would stay at about 100 ft from them if the spot is good unless it's lockport where it's impossible. In less popular areas having someone within walking distance can mean the difference between a bad day and an awesome day. I would try to respect their space but maintain friendly relations if needed.

[Blue Mago]

I go by the rule that say if I'm fishing in twenty feet of water and the lake has say pike in it ( I don't target them but ? ) that it can take a bit of line before you start to bring in line , thus if someone is to close and the pike get's into there lines ? Better to give everyone the space to avoid this from happening , especially on a large body of water . We have had issues with jumbo perch taking a line and peeling a lot of line in seconds and getting tangled in our own lines , thankfully where we fish everyone has so far this year been really respectful of each other and it's been good times for all , at least when we are there 

[Andre1]

[spot]

When I go to an area I'm not familiar with I do look for other fishermen, but I don't start drilling any closer than a hundred feet from them unless they invite me to do so.

[blue igloo]

Awesome…..thanks for sharing!
Blue Igloo 

[Blue Mago]

WOW ! wouldn't want any part of that ! but when it's your last chance at a fish meal for a while ? amazing !

[JAMOKIN]

Makes Lockport look not so bad.

[deerblaster]

That vid is CRAZY

[Blue Mago]

I was at Buffalo this weekend and not being all that familiar with the whole area I ventured over to a truck where two elderly gents were sitting . I was actually more interested in knowing how there bite was going ,and in talking with them they said they resided at Buffalo and commenced telling me about how it had been in there location .They had a shack where they were fishing at ,moved off a few days ago , and had been doing well there . I was going to go a ways off from them then when they said that there were a couple of open holes not that far beside them that I was welcome to fish ? So I did .....misery loves company ....I set up and went over to introduce myself and to talk fishing .The first thing one says is how they had a fellow come over at one point to there shack , drill holes on the down wind side of it and actually was leaning against it .......lol......I almost lost it ...lol...Then there stories started about other incidents over the years ......I actually asked again if they were sure it was okay with me being there , to which they replied that they as well liked it better when there was a couple of trucks and it was perfectly okay as I was about fifty yards or so from them ....safety in numbers ? . I just found it humorous as it brought me right back to this  post