Ice Fishing Etiquette?

[TroutWhisperer]

Yesterday my buddy and I got up around 3:30 am to go up to one of the bays in Champlain where we did real well the previous day.  On Saturday, there were only 2 other guys that were fishing within earshot of us, and we had been there long before they showed up.

We were the first one's on the ice Sunday, just before first light.  At about 10am....people that apparently slept in til 8.......started to show up.  Every few minutes I would glance behind me and notice they were getting closer.  Apparently they were all related and were "tipped off" about the "hot spot" by one of the 2 guys that fished near us Saturday. 

Anyways...this group ended up being at least 13-15 people strong, maybe more.  A dog, a couple four wheelers....and a whole bunch of people kept coming closer and closer.  I was getting irritated.  The whole group encroached to less than 100 feet.....and then 2 of them came REAL close and started fishing OUR HOLES!!  They were less than 50 from me, fishing a hole that I had recently drilled! 

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD PEOPLE!!!   Where is your sense of etiquette?  It's a BIG LAKE!!  GO FIND A SPOT THAT'S NOT IN MY LAP, AND FISH YOUR OWN HOLES!!

So my buddy took my gas auger over and drilled 2 holes less than 4 feet from the 2 closest guys.  Then one of them started to drop his line down the new hole!!  UNREAL!!  We had some words.  They never asked if they could move in real close.

Every situation is different.  When fishing a small pond, you might expect to be fishing closer to people.  But when your fishing the biggest lake in the state....you'd think you could find a spot that wasn't 50 from where I'm fishing.

URRRRGH!!!!  Very frustrating!!!!  Some people are rude. 

Not much different than going to a Matinee.....finding only 2 people in the entire theatre.....and sitting down right next to them. 

This is the very reason why I don't tell people where I catch fish.  I felt violated.  Everyone has their personal space.  How close is too close?  They never even spoke to us.........just slowly edged their way right on top of us.   

[oldcatamount]

Wow! That would have tee'd me off to! No need of something like that. I always stay at least 100 yards away from the nearest fisherman. Even that is to close sometimes. 

[Big Ben]

Champlain = Arms Distance. If you are caught putting a fish in your bucket you loose the right to fish the holes you don't have a line in and get 10-20 friends real quick.

Inland Lakes & Ponds = 50 yards in bad weather 75 yards on a sunny day.

[grampieshanty]

Been there my friend. Some people just don't care & feel they can fish where ever they please. Like you said its a big lake. I wonder if the shoe was on the other foot what would happen

[shadylane]

I've had this very thing happen to me on a popular bay in LC, but its a BIG bay and people still like to huddle around people.  I'm usually one of the first people out, and like you said I've had people come out at 8-9am, and literally drill holes and set tip-ups inside my spread!  Its incredible.

[rboot]

like Ben said, thats just something you get use to on LC, it is what it is.

[NEK]

 sometimes -there will be a spot I have marked on my GPS and if it is pretty close to someone already fishing, I will always ask them if they mind if I drill there. I have made some pretty good friends that way.
  The rudeness and spot jumping has been going on forever though. Back in the 1950's when perch fishing on Lake Erie - we had to stay real low (seated) - and handline our fish and instantly put them out of sight, because, if you stood up every time you caught a fish - or raised your arm up and showed a lot of movement bringing them in - you would have half the town right tight around you in a few minutes - and back then, nobody had power augers, so you would have all these people spudding holes around you and it would usually turn off the bite. I guess, it is just a part of this sport of ours, that we will always have to deal with. People being rude has always irritated me and I will never be completely at peace with it.

[TroutWhisperer]

like Ben said, thats just something you get use to on LC, it is what it is.

I'm fairly certain that I will NEVER get used to people hoarding around me when I'm catching fish.  There's a reason why some of us get up at ungodly hours of the morning to hit the ice and find a good spot to fish. 

We start early and work hard to find fish.....then a bunch of "lazies" show up 4 hours late and follow us like little puppy dogs?  REALLY?  I've got no use for those kind of people.  I kept my mouth shut yesterday, but if it happens again......I won't be so quiet.  There weren't a lot of people fishing this bay.  There was ALL KINDS of open space to fish.  THERE WAS NO NEED TO CROWD US.  It wasn't Dillenbeck, which I know can get crowded.  We weren't crappie fishing, either....which I know can get pretty cut throat.

I don't mind a few guys coming in close and chatting.  That can be fun.  But a whole army of people....in a coordinated effort to catch and sell fish.....breathing down the back of my neck....will not be tolerated a second time!

[raate]

Yesterday my buddy and I got up around 3:30 am to go up to one of the bays in Champlain where we did real well the previous day.  On Saturday, there were only 2 other guys that were fishing within earshot of us, and we had been there long before they showed up.

We were the first one's on the ice Sunday, just before first light.  At about 10am....people that apparently slept in til 8.. 

Anyways...this group ended up being at least 13-15 people strong, maybe more.  A dog, a couple four wheelers....and a whole bunch of people kept coming closer and closer.  I was getting irritated.  The whole group encroached to less than 100 feet.....and then 2 of them came REAL close and started fishing OUR HOLES!!  They were less than 50 from me, fishing a hole that I had recently drilled! 

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD PEOPLE!!!   Where is your sense of etiquette?  It's a BIG LAKE!!  GO FIND A SPOT THAT'S NOT IN MY LAP, AND FISH YOUR OWN HOLES!!

So my buddy took my gas auger over and drilled 2 holes less than 4 feet from the 2 closest guys.  Then one of them started to drop his line down the new hole!!  UNREAL!!
  But when your fishing the biggest lake in the state....

URRRRGH!!!! Very frustrating!!!!

I understand your frustration... Right off the bat it tells me you don't ice fish very much....

I don't care how early you get up, or where you go...the lake IS NOT PRIVATE , others will join you or fish around you or in your lap! Not to worry, at least they are other ice fishermen who have at least ONE THING IN COMMON...they Ice fish? 

I ice fish EVERYDAY...and on lakes all over NY state....on a weekend I sometimes sleep in, then try to pick a spot like you described, where the weekend "crowd " will be less, like only 20-40 people! So in my opinion, 13-15 isn't even a crowd! Just because you are there early doesn't reserve the bay to your party, and just because I got there a little late, doesn't mean I waited for you to find a hot spot and followed you to it either!  For all you know, I fish that bay 5 days a week for years, while you are at work ? I just haven't been there on the one day you show up? So we haven't met yet?

There is NO EXCUSE for others to fish in a hole you drilled!  That is just RUDE AND LAZY! Drill another hole right next to one of mine, and I could care less...If you have a dull auger..ask, I will gladly drill a hole right next to mine, for you to fish out of! Offer you a drink, show you what I am using, give you the hot jig, trade lies with you...etc

If I irritate you because I'm fishing on the lake, in the bay, right next to YOUR SPOT you got up early TO SAVE...Too bad, you can always leave?   

Many times on ice,I have been frustrated about things like loud music, kids playing, others' dogs into my equipment, Rude people fishing my holes, trash left on ice, etc, etc...

When this happens I just leave, let the weekend warriors have their fun, and come back on monday! Pick up the trash they left..and enjoy the week with the people who ice fish...until Saturday. 

[TroutWhisperer]

I understand your frustration... Right off the bat it tells me you don't ice fish very much....

I don't care how early you get up, or where you go...the lake IS NOT PRIVATE , others will join you or fish around you or in your lap! Not to worry, at least they are other ice fishermen who have at least ONE THING IN COMMON...they Ice fish? 

I ice fish EVERYDAY...and on lakes all over NY state....on a weekend I sometimes sleep in, then try to pick a spot like you described, where the weekend "crowd " will be less, like only 20-40 people! So in my opinion, 13-15 isn't even a crowd! Just because you are there early doesn't reserve the bay to your party, and just because I got there a little late, doesn't mean I waited for you to find a hot spot and followed you to it either!  For all you know, I fish that bay 5 days a week for years, while you are at work ? I just haven't been there on the one day you show up? So we haven't met yet?

There is NO EXCUSE for others to fish in a hole you drilled!  That is just RUDE AND LAZY! Drill another hole right next to one of mine, and I could care less...If you have a dull auger..ask, I will gladly drill a hole right next to mine, for you to fish out of! Offer you a drink, show you what I am using, give you the hot jig, trade lies with you...etc

If I irritate you because I'm fishing on the lake, in the bay, right next to YOUR SPOT you got up early TO SAVE...Too bad, you can always leave?   

Many times on ice,I have been frustrated about things like loud music, kids playing, others' dogs into my equipment, Rude people fishing my holes, trash left on ice, etc, etc...

When this happens I just leave, let the weekend warriors have their fun, and come back on monday! Pick up the trash they left..and enjoy the week with the people who ice fish...until Saturday. 

I have been on the ice 22 days this winter.  I have a job, so I can't fish every day.

There's a way to fish close to somebody without being rude.....like saying hello before you start drilling right next to somebody.  Maybe saying "do you mind if we fish right here close to you because this is a spot we fish every day all week long"  or something like that.

I guess I'm just too courteous because I try to stay at least 50 yards away from other fishermen.  At least 50 yards and usually a lot further than that.  But to me....50 yards is a good average.

[raate]

I have been on the ice 22 days this winter.  I have a job, so I can't fish every day.   Like I said, you don't fish much.

There's a way to fish close to somebody without being rude.....like saying hello before you start drilling right next to somebody.  Maybe saying "do you mind if we fish right here close to you because this is a spot we fish every day all week long"  or something like that. I'm not going to ask every other fisherman if I can have THEIR PERMISSION...to fish on a public lake! 

I guess I'm just too courteous because I try to stay at least 50 yards away from other fishermen.  At least 50 yards and usually a lot further than that.  But to me....50 yards is a good average.

Here is a picture of 30 groups of strangers, over 60 people, all fishing the same 150 yard stretch...WITH THE ONLY PROBLEM OUT THERE IS ONE GUY WHO THINKS THIS IS HIS SECRET SPOT...... Are you this guy? 

[TroutWhisperer]

Here is a picture of 30 groups of strangers, over 60 people, all fishing the same 150 yard stretch...WITH THE ONLY PROBLEM OUT THERE IS ONE GUY WHO THINKS THIS IS HIS SECRET SPOT...... Are you this guy? 

(Image removed from quote.)

This pic does not depict the situation.  There were only about 10 people total fishing the bay before the group of hole hogs showed up.  We were hundreds of yards from the nearest fishermen.  There was plenty of room for everybody to fish, without rubbing elbows.  We had 2 buddies that also fished the same bay and we never saw them all day long.  They caught plenty of fish too, so it wasn't like we were fishing the only spot where you could catch fish.  I guess you'd have to be there to understand.  It wasn't a situation like Dillenbeck where there's elbow to elbow crappie fishermen.  If that was the situation....I would understand....but it wasn't.

[raate]

This pic does not depict the situation.  There were only about 10 people total fishing the bay before the group of hole hogs showed up.  We were hundreds of yards from the nearest fishermen.  There was plenty of room for everybody to fish, without rubbing elbows.  We had 2 buddies that also fished the same bay and we never saw them all day long.  They caught plenty of fish too, so it wasn't like we were fishing the only spot where you could catch fish.  I guess you'd have to be there to understand.  It wasn't a situation like Dillenbeck where there's elbow to elbow crappie fishermen.  If that was the situation....I would understand....but it wasn't.

Oh, I see. You have a PRIVATE BAY on a PUBLIC LAKE that since YOU GOT THERE FIRST...EVERYBODY ELSE needs to ask YOUR PERMISSION to fish within 50 yards of you! 

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! 

I agree though, nobody has the right to fish a hole you drilled...drill your own holes, then they are yours! (Even if they are 2 feet from mine!  )

[1Badboy]

i hate being crowded 
it all boils down to respect and how people were brought up ...

[rboot]

That picture is a normal sight for me, guess i'm just use to it, it's even worse when you're catching fish and people slowing creep on you!!  gotta try to be sneaky and face away from them

[TroutWhisperer]

Oh, I see. You have a PRIVATE BAY on a PUBLIC LAKE that since YOU GOT THERE FIRST...EVERYBODY ELSE needs to ask YOUR PERMISSION to fish within 50 yards of you! 

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! 

I agree though, nobody has the right to fish a hole you drilled...drill your own holes, then they are yours! (Even if they are 2 feet from mine!  )

The way you're talking, it sounds like you were one of those guys.....or you've moved in on people in the past.  If you think
it's fine......you must do it.

Like I said, every situation is different.....but there are plenty of places to fish.  I personally don't go nudging people
off their holes.  I prefer to give people some respect and give them a little space......but it's expecting way too much for
people to give respect in return I guess....so sometimes somebody has to draw a line in the sand.

I never said a word yesterday.  I kept my mouth shut.  My buddy went over and drilled next to them when they
started fishing our holes.  That got the message across.  I was waiting for them to move one hole closer....and I would
have had to open my mouth.

You can do or think whatever you want...but if you get too close.....we're gonna let you know.  Just like a dog that starts to
growl if another dog is getting too close to it's dish of dog food.  That doesn't mean I think I own the lake or have exclusive
rights......but I do have a right to voice my displeasure if you are encroaching.

Point is.....we made the statement by drilling 4 feet from their "poached" holes and they stopped the advancement.

Nuff Said.

[bradroy55]

Doesn't bother me any, I don't care where you set up, as long as our lines don't get tangled your far enough away. When I get into a good Run of fish Ill sometimes call other guys over to capitalize on it.

[ckashner]

I think its the classic debate between tipup fishermen and jiggers...the NY page gets nasty over the same issue sometimes...

[iceullr]

Good job boys staying focused and stating your feelings

[TroutWhisperer]

I think its the classic debate between tipup fishermen and jiggers...the NY page gets nasty over the same issue sometimes...

We were all jigging.  There were probably 8 guys with tipups spread across a huge area.  All kinds of room to jig anywhere you wanted.

[sonny88]

I'm with Trout Whisperer all the way on this one. It's all about manners and common sense. Unfortunately some people have neither. This is the main reason I hate to see people post very specific spots because it's not the good fishermen that show up there shortly after it's the guys that don't want to put in the work to find their own fish.

[CJiceaddict]

It's tough and all about what you are fishing and where you are fishing. I maintain no one ever owns the water and tip up fishing some distance is needed. However, I let jig fisherman come in and fish around my tackles and in old holes I may have moved from and I have no issue. Some people are going to crowd, some won't. I think it's best not to ruin a day over whether someone came close to a spot you had or not. you are never the only one who knows about a spot, and no one owns the water. I fished a derby this last weekend and the ice was literally covered with tipups, it's just how it was. I had a great day, even though some people fished close.

[raate]

The way you're talking, it sounds like you were one of those guys.....or you've moved in on people in the past.  If you think
it's fine......you must do it. yes, and no...I'm the guy that starts on one end of that crowd, drills and fishes holes right through the whole crowd, finds out 15 of those 60 "strangers" are people I know.....make 3 new friends and invite a couple to join me at the next lake I'm fishing today...get invited to another guys camp in the Daks for next weekend....and has a great time fishing WITH OTHER ICE FISHERMEN...with no stress or anger, or negative growling at others  over "you're in my spot" selfish attitudes! 

Like I said, every situation is different.....but there are plenty of places to fish.  I personally don't go nudging people
off their holes.  I prefer to give people some respect and give them a little space......but it's expecting way too much for
people to give respect in return I guess....so sometimes somebody has to draw a line in the sand.

You are right, every situation is different, but one thing is constant.....you are an ice fisherman, and so are the people who you think need to respect you? It's almost impossible to get any respect with an aggressive /in your face attitude.....

I never said a word yesterday.  I kept my mouth shut.  My buddy went over and drilled next to them when they
started fishing our holes.  That got the message across.  I was waiting for them to move one hole closer....and I would
have had to open my mouth.  Hopefully to say,"Hi,, I'm Trout Whisperer, What's your name? Are you catching anything? Do you want a beer or a bite of my sandwich? 

You might be surprised and get a response like...."Hello, I'm Raate! No, Not catching much here, your spot sucks! Would you like to move to this other spot? My friend just called and he is killing them over there!"

You can do or think whatever you want...but if you get too close.....we're gonna let you know.  Just like a dog that starts to
growl if another dog is getting too close to it's dish of dog food.  That doesn't mean I think I own the lake or have exclusive
rights......but I do have a right to voice my displeasure if you are encroaching.

Point is.....we made the statement by drilling 4 feet from their "poached" holes and they stopped the advancement.

Point is...You were asking about etiquette?  It seems to me what you really want is the right to reserve a private "spot"...ON A PUBLIC LAKE!   And want your ice fishing peers to agree this is correct?....and at the same time you are growling away your ice fishing peers, and acting like a 5 year old kid that was never taught he has to share! 

Lighten up a little, enjoy the ice fishing experience without the hassle and aggravation.... over what others are doing out there!   You might make some friends who have a common interest, and get invited to some REALLY Private spots.......

[Lavman]

Last weekend at the Bomo derby we held onto first place all day with our pike, folks must have figured out where we were because Sunday we had ourselves some CLOSE neighbors.

Quite honestly I was not upset about it, we ran flags both days and had folks all around us having little luck. It's all about HOW you fish not just location. I could be hauling fish left and right and you could set up right next to me with your own techniques and get skunked and vice versa (I am ANYTHING but an expert at fishing).

We also had a neighbor that had two rat dogs out there. The little dogs came right over at the scent of our "On Ice Bar & Grill" and were a pest for like 20 minutes, there was no sign of their Owner's even looking for them SO we treated them to a diced up hot sausage and a plate of greasy peppers and onions so they could have "take home" treats for their careless owners. I only hope the dogs got the craps AFTER they got home and were sleeping on their Owner's pillow

[1Badboy]

We also had a neighbor that had two rat dogs out there. The little dogs came right over at the scent of our "On Ice Bar & Grill" and were a pest for like 20 minutes, there was no sign of their Owner's even looking for them SO we treated them to a diced up hot sausage and a plate of greasy peppers and onions so they could have "take home" treats for their careless owners. I only hope the dogs got the ****s AFTER they got home and were sleeping on their Owner's pillow

now thats using your head !
(and being nice at the same time 
i love it !

[ckashner]

as far as I can tell the biggest tournament series is the NAIFC...their rules have a no closer than 5 meters (16.4') rule....not saying its right or wrong...in deep water jigging panfish I think the more the merrier...I really miss Smelt fishing and our little shanty town...

[finlessbrown]

i was fishing a pond this weekend and a guy asked me if i would mind if he set up his tip-ups awfull close to mine. i told him go ahead (i little courtesy goes along way with me). but then i noticed that he set up 10 tip-ups. not that it bothered me but i can't believe someone would have the balls to set up extra lines in front of 3 people they don't know

[TRT]

There is a reason many of us choose not to fish tourneys. I compete at work in sales and have no interest in competing
while relaxing. I think crowding comes with the territory on tourneys,  Champlain, and fishing near a state access. If
you want your spot to be yours alone, I think midweek or small bodies of water that you don't mention on a public
forum is the way to go. I fished with 2 other dads yesterday and 4 boys under age 10.  A 6 year old thought his
foot long smallie was a trophy and a 9 year knew his 18 inch smallie was a 9 year old trophy.

[ICE WANDERER]

Yesterday my buddy and I got up around 3:30 am to go up to one of the bays in Champlain where we did real well the previous day.  On Saturday, there were only 2 other guys that were fishing within earshot of us, and we had been there long before they showed up.

We were the first one's on the ice Sunday, just before first light.  At about 10am....people that apparently slept in til 8.......started to show up.  Every few minutes I would glance behind me and notice they were getting closer.  Apparently they were all related and were "tipped off" about the "hot spot" by one of the 2 guys that fished near us Saturday. 

Anyways...this group ended up being at least 13-15 people strong, maybe more.  A dog, a couple four wheelers....and a whole bunch of people kept coming closer and closer.  I was getting irritated.  The whole group encroached to less than 100 feet.....and then 2 of them came REAL close and started fishing OUR HOLES!!  They were less than 50 from me, fishing a hole that I had recently drilled! 

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD PEOPLE!!!   Where is your sense of etiquette?  It's a BIG LAKE!!  GO FIND A SPOT THAT'S NOT IN MY LAP, AND FISH YOUR OWN HOLES!!

So my buddy took my gas auger over and drilled 2 holes less than 4 feet from the 2 closest guys.  Then one of them started to drop his line down the new hole!!  UNREAL!!  We had some words.  They never asked if they could move in real close.

Every situation is different.  When fishing a small pond, you might expect to be fishing closer to people.  But when your fishing the biggest lake in the state....you'd think you could find a spot that wasn't 50 from where I'm fishing.

URRRRGH!!!!  Very frustrating!!!!  Some people are rude. 

Not much different than going to a Matinee.....finding only 2 people in the entire theatre.....and sitting down right next to them. 

This is the very reason why I don't tell people where I catch fish.  I felt violated.  Everyone has their personal space.  How close is too close?  They never even spoke to us.........just slowly edged their way right on top of us.   

The least they could do is ask you if it is alright to set up somewhere close but not on top of you. I was fishing 1 day & wasn't doing well& I noticed a few guys about 200' away was hammering them, so I took a walk over w/out my gear started a conservation w/them in no time the asked me to join them. I made some new friends & we had a good day. A few days later the tables were reversed so I walked over to them told them to move their gear over, we all a good catch. But it is a thing of respect.

[TroutWhisperer]

Earlier this year I was alone at a new spot covering a lot of ice trying to find the fish.  I came down towards the end of the area and saw 2 guys catching fish.  I wanted to move in so bad.  It had taken me all day and hadn't really found a good pounding spot, but I stayed a few hundred feet away.  Then their ice auger motor died.  They didn't have a backup.  I asked them if they wanted me to drill some holes for them. They were happy, and that was my introduction.  We ended up fishing together, basically.  Now I've made a couple of friends.  We chat on the phone.  The story would be different if I had just barged my way into the area they were fishing and not been courteous.  A little courtesy and common sense goes a long way.....whether it's in the parking lot at Wal-Mart or out on the ice.