Setting up tip-ups to save your spot ?

[ICE_HOOK]

I think it's wrong to do this and there should be a law about it or common curtisy!!! Some have 15 to 30 set-up so no one can set-up by there shanty with-in a 50 yard radius!!!! Some lakes are'nt that big. What's your opinion?

[grumpymoe]

sounds to me, that they have had anglers too close to their shanty, and are protecting some privacy and space. dare setup within??? dont think so. grumpymoe

[missfishylicious]

if they're there first it's fairI guess 

[Polar]

First come,first served.I like doing that myself just to give me some space.

[bigfish57]

yup thats why when I do seriouse fishing I'm up and there before they wake up.

[eyedoktr]

As long as they are within the law, I see no problem. In fact, that's a smart move.

[Out4Trout]

Any lake or pond I've ever fished on has been big enough so that we don't have that problem, Unless it's on a durby day. But even then, a group of traps every 50 yds or so.... that's alot of people.

[BuckShotJon]

I guess I have never looked at this from your angle. I usually arrive at my fishing destination between 5:00 AM and 5:30 AM. I set my tip-ups in a reduced area now of up to 300 yards. I do this to cover alot of water to see which ones will be most productive based on the depth. I never once thought of it from the angle that I was protecting a spot, interesting and a learning expierance to see it from your perspective. Of course then again I invite people to my area if I am doing well and they are not.

Jon

[docbas]

I wish we could put out enough tipups to protect our spots.  Here in MI we're only allowed two lines per angler, so more often than not, since I'm always one of the first ones on the lake I fish and usually catch fish, alot of people who really don't know what they're doing crowd my tipups.  I'm talking within 10 feet!  Irritates the hell out of me!  So for people to set out tipups protecting their area, I'm jealous!

[Little Brown Dog]

Some places around here do that for the season, year after year.  Find somewhere that they like and set up for the season.  Most of the time no one goes around, but during derbys people get closer, just not right in their set up.

[flaggggg]

lf it works all the better,most guys think they're gonna catch lotsa fish bein in right next to another guy.Problem is they can't fish in the first place.l gotta try this out see if it works we got alot of elbow pushers on the ice some days.......

[deadsmelthead]

I think it's wrong to do this and there should be a law about it or common curtisy!!! Some have 15 to 30 set-up so no one can set-up by there shanty with-in a 50 yard radius!!!! Some lakes are'nt that big. What's your opinion?

So what your saying is if 3-4 ice fisherman get together and try to have a productive day of fishing but they should not be alowed to set up their aloted amount of tip ups per person wher they want them because they got out on the lake and were set up and fishing before you.. As long as everything is legal where is the problem??? Maybe I am mis-understanding your point, but I would hope that you wouldn't have the gaul to tell a group of ice-fisherman that they shouldn't do this, if it was me I would laugh at you and walk away.. I do not see how this would be a common curtisy practice either... Should we start leaving notes at lake access points for one another so we can tell where John Doe and Joe Blow plan on fishing on a certain day,that would go over great... I can see it now...

To whom it may concern,
         I plan on fishing the North end of the lake by the point this saturday, please try to avoid this area for the day so I can fish it....I you must fish there cpuld you pleas only use 1 tip up per person... Thanx and good luck.....LOL

I kill me...

[LoveIce]

EARLY bird gets the worm (or the good spot) dont like it get up befor the other guy shut of the tv and go to bed at 8:00 pm.It drives me nuts I get up at 3:00 am drive 2 hours set up Im just looking to see the flags fly and some %$^$#^%$#& who got up at 9:00 comes over and starts drilling all around my sets OOOOOOH that should help all the sound from drilling and then he comes over and says hooooows the fishing FLYYYYYYYYY! if its a kid I under stand adult dont even talk to me

[billditrite]

I WANT TO REPLY TO THIS  TOPIC  BUT I DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY,WHATS THE POINT OF THIS THREAD?A 50 YARD RADIUS AROUND MY SHANTY?GEEZ THAT DOESNT SEEM LIKE MUCH TO ASK  WHATS THE GRIPE HOOK?

[GEEMAN]

I don't know about you guys but when I go icefishing/fishing or hunting not only am in it to get fish/game but I'm also going for a little solitude.Not always , somtimes I go with a group but mostly I'd rather be off by myself or with a few friends.
I don't care to have some beer swillin yahoos set thier spread up within 20 feet of my shack then proceed to race quads , sleds or whatever around me all day/night. Some lakes around here that sort of thing is a real problem. I've  had dudes come pull my tip ups when I've had a flag ! I've also drilled holes to set my tip ups in only to find that some ding dong has put his own board in them before I had a chance to !  **censored** ? I mean I don't own the lake or anything but come on.

I'm not anti social or anything but somtimes I  dig a little peace and solitude when I'm on the ice/water or in the field hunting. I would NEVER consider crowding another fisherman/hunter and would expect the same treatment in return. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Panfishing is a little different. Sometimes crowding can't be avoided and that's cool but I still try to be a little considerate of others.

First come first serve is the way it ought to be. I've been on both ends of that deal. If sombody beats me to the spot I want to fish on any given day then so be it. That's happened to me a few times this winter.  SUCKS but it's not the end of the world.

[ICE_HOOK]

What's happening more and more is alot of guys' are setting up these tip-ups that they don't use all over the ice even when they aren't using them , could be for a whole week before they come back! I respect privacy and elbow room but nobody owns the ice! If your not at your shanty you should not be able to fence off that area of the ice!!!!  Ice_Hook

I think it's wrong to do this and there should be a law about it or common curtisy!!! Some have 15 to 30 set-up so no one can set-up by there shanty with-in a 50 yard radius!!!! Some lakes are'nt that big. What's your opinion?

So what your saying is if 3-4 ice fisherman get together and try to have a productive day of fishing but they should not be alowed to set up their aloted amount of tip ups per person wher they want them because they got out on the lake and were set up and fishing before you.. As long as everything is legal where is the problem??? Maybe I am mis-understanding your point, but I would hope that you wouldn't have the gaul to tell a group of ice-fisherman that they shouldn't do this, if it was me I would laugh at you and walk away.. I do not see how this would be a common curtisy practice either... Should we start leaving notes at lake access points for one another so we can tell where John Doe and Joe Blow plan on fishing on a certain day,that would go over great... I can see it now...

To whom it may concern,
         I plan on fishing the North end of the lake by the point this saturday, please try to avoid this area for the day so I can fish it....I you must fish there cpuld you pleas only use 1 tip up per person... Thanx and good luck.....LOL

I kill me...

[ICE_HOOK]

Been fishing all my life and I don't believe fencing off an area of ice when your not there is right! If the hole is not being fished it's anybodys' hole! As long as there is elbow room! Ice_Hook

What's wrong with scouting?!?  First come first served, and keep your mouth shut about your intentions until after you have executed them!  Nothing wrong with setting up your LEGAL number of tip-ups during LEGAL fishing hours on PUBLIC waters and defending them with a perimeter of razor-wire, bouncing betty's, and encrypted code!

What really burns me is when you say to your buddy "lets move downstream to fly-fish that riffle/run that always holds brookies".  But when you get there, who should happen to be there already?  The guy that was flailing around in the pool just upstream of you and exited the water like Martha Stewart on her way to the market to dump ImClone stock!  Worse yet, the guy doesn't know squat about fishing and just spooks them all out of the area and ruins it for the day for everyone including himself.

I agree, being in the outdoors is all about enjoying nature and getting away from man and society for a little while. Solitude is what it is all about.  Its really hard to do that when a gaggle of snowmobiles or novice fishermen move in like it's Saturday night at the local slurp and burp!

[captaincrappie]

Doesn't bother me any.  Most of the time I go fishing everyone fishing is within 300 yards of each other and I'm talking about 50 60 fisherman.  It seems where I go fish only bite in certain areas of the lake.  So every one is fishing there.  But I can see everyone's point some go to get away from others and some go to talk to other fisherman.

[deadsmelthead]

What's happening more and more is alot of guys' are setting up these tip-ups that they don't use all over the ice even when they aren't using them , could be for a whole week before they come back! I respect privacy and elbow room but nobody owns the ice! If your not at your shanty you should not be able to fence off that area of the ice!!!! 

WHAT Call the ECO then, you can't leave a tip up like that for that amount of time unattended its against the law where I live anyway...

[baginwal]

This is an interesting topic.  I agree with those who feel "first come, first serve".  I once got to the lake with the kids at 4:30 am to be sure to get the spot I wanted and to my shock, someone was parked right there w/his fishtrap and 5 tip ups.  To make a long story short, we chatted a bit and he had no problem with me setting up nearby.  The day turned out to not only  be productive, but the start of a friendship that we enjoy to this day.

One concern though:  What about the guy who leaves his permanent shanty set up right over a productive spot (say 50 yard radius), rarely comes out to ice fish.  You get there bright and early, 5 hours later, he shows up and tells you to fish somewhere else.  This is his spot, he clearly marked it for the season with his shanty.  I found this unbelievable!  What do you guys think?

[billditrite]

in maine you are allowed 5 traps per person on most ice fishing waters in use or not ,no more than 5,if they are in the ice you must be within 100 yards or you are violating the law

[JT]

LoveIce and the other people talking about not wanting folks 20 ft from them...I'm so with you! Most of you sound way too nice and I am also but the day somebody grabbed my tip-up or set-up 10ft! from my deal...they would not be sticking around long because I know I'm not alright and dammit I'll put the fear of god into your a$$! Have some respect or listen to why you need too.
Idiots abound...don't be one ,spread the word. Some people don't understand that what they are doing is wrong...let them know please it's your duty as a sportsman,and hopefully that day they will maybe somehow pull some shred of knowledge out of what you said and THINK next time before they look at your spread as protecting your spot instead of hey those guys are on her so let's go hit that other spot we talked about. Man I 'm glad I live in NW WI most folks
on the lakes I fish are pretty cool and don't pull that crap...we have had a few but the ratio must be better here or it;s all that good kharma I put out there (haha). That's why I get on the ice at10pm and leave at 10am, the peace I cannot describe, it's the crap! Some spots at night blow during the day and vice versa so I guess to folks that feel people are hogging spots and the spot is that good ,fish it when 90% are sleeping! Don't crowd your neighbor!

[BuckShotJon]

Friendly conversation/debate guys, lets keep it at that.

Jon

[Sub Zero]

That's a touchy subject!, Of course if you get there first you have choice of the locations on the lake BUT if the lake isn't that large(like many of the ones I fish) then it's only common courtesy to share the space and don't get greedy!
I have never really experienced this problem but I can see where it can happen. I have had guys drill holes 20ft from my tip up and think nothing of it,
and there was hardly anyone out on the lake- he could have fished anywhere!!

[fishmann]

As devoted ice fisherpersons, I'm sure that you all have your favorite spots to fish. That doesn't mean it's your secret spot, just that the structure or something in that spot seems to hold fish better than a lot of the other places on the lake. It would be silly to think that no one else has ever found that same spot, or that it isn't someone elses' favorite spot. I agree that there should be some distance between people, but I think a lot of it is who the people are. If my next door neighbor wants to come out and drill a hole 5 feet from mine, sit and chat, I wouldn't have a problem with it. If someone I've never seen on the lake before comes out with his dog, three noisy kids and a boom box with the volume cranked up, he dang well better keep his distance. First come, first served, unless the first person there wants to share. In the above example with the kids and dog, I don't know that 200 feet would be far enough!! Just be respectful and hope that the other people out there return it. If not, tie on a 2 oz Daredevel on your jigging rod and start casting at em!!

[FishDaddy09]

where i live and fish the good fishing spots are always crowded. I've had people drill a hole and put their tip-up 4ft away from mine,while i certainly didn't like it there was nothing illegal about it. as far as courtesy a lot of people don't have any.  Most people will give you some space, but all you can do is complain if they don't. Around here if you are catching fish, you will have company! I ignore them, but i have seen some people whine about being drilled in, the people doing the crowding ignore them.  I say don't let this ruin your day on the ice, they are way to valuable!