Distances on the ice..

[GiantSquid]

I have never fished the ice before.  Hopefully, I'll be going on my first trip Saturday at Hopatcong.  I do a lot of surf fishing and hate when people walk right up and fish 15' away from me when there's 100s of yards of empty beach.  I don't mind talking to people passing by, or answering questions for folks but some people just don't understand the etiquette.   Similarly I know that I don't understand the etiquette of ice fishing. 

How far away should one try to fish from other fishermen? 

When using tip-ups how far away should they be from each other, or from other people's tip-ups?

If fishing with a buddy can you have your jigging holes close together and keep the tip-ups at some appropriate distance?

Beginner questions I know, but I'm looking to catch fish without causing trouble.
 

[pickerelpete]

Hopatcong usually gets quite a crowd and how close you fish depends on how much room there is on the ice in your spot.  Generally ice fisherman are a friendly bunch but if you are not sure if you are too close just ask before you start drilling.  "Hey am I too close...don't want to spook the fish."  This works great and starts a good repore with your neighbor.  Some days you may be right on top of each other but that's how it goes.

Spacing tip ups- I use a pattern and pace off 5-8 paces between holes in either a line, a square or a circle with a central hole for jigging.  Drill more holes than you have tip ups so you can rotate them and jig in between them.  A pattern gives others the idea that you may know what you're doing. Avoid staking out a large claim on the ice that is way more than you will fish.  I have seen guys space tip ups along a 100 yard stretch of prime shoreline only to get others angry.

All good questions for a beginner.

[Ski Hunter]

I have seen guys space tip ups along a 100 yard stretch of prime shoreline only to get others angry.

I'm one of them guys...I never run the shoreline though and always run from the shore out to deeper water...and sometimes more than 100 yards 

[pickerelpete]

Ski- that's the polite way to run a 100 yard line and a great way to find and follow the fish.  No one should have a problem with that set up.   8)

[JigAwhopper]

if I can throw something at you....you're too close,  or start popping holes inside mine that's no good either.  I think the biggest peeve I have when guys move in on you without asking first.  This is not the Salmon River,  plenty of lake to go around especially at LH.  Most guys are very friendly but you got to talk to them first then they will probably let you fish their own holes.

[projoe]

i was fishing monksville about two weeks ago, in the trees, and a group of russians put there tip ups along the shore line which was fine but they also put them on the outside of ours. in a sense they sandwiched ours, on top of that they walked across our line of tip ups to get to them to check them. they may have been the most inconsiderate group of people i have ever seen on the ice. On top of that only one of them had a license.

[chrisk]

Squid if you fish the north side of Halsey a crowd won't be a problem. Walk a half mile from any parking area and you have the area to yourself usualy.

[tonyrad]

If you fish an area where people stack up, you will normally tend to run a tighter pattern. Areas where few people fish and you spread them out and move them fairly often. I tend to go the other way when the crowd builds, noise and BS normally keeps me out and away. Like several have said, courtesy demands that you ask when in doubt, time tends to help you understand standing off a correct distance.

[stripedbass]

I used to worry about that early on in my ice experience just some common sense and determination should make your first year memorable. keep at it early putting the time in will pay in the end

[KingKool]

I agree,if its a smaller body of water or a spot on a big lake that is popular then you set your tip ups a little closer to each other.
Some people are just inconsiderate and that i never understand.
On a related story sort of...i was fishing woodport late in the season last year and noticed some empty skimmed over holes that someone had the day before. So i just said what the hell,saves me from drilling so i put a tip up in one and then some guy appeared on the deck from the house directly in front of me and says that they were his holes. I just stared at him and once he went back in i proceeded to drill a hole a few feet from it..of course he never even came out to fish that day.

[tonyrad]

Yesterdays holes are always first come first serve. Guy on the deck has an ownership thing I guess. The state owns all the water, but not access to the water. If you get on and you fish where you want, no one can run off. That is unless there are special rules on a locked up lake, not on lakes that have public access. I have not checked the rules of late but I doubt there are any stand-off distances on public water. Of course if a property owner asks you nicely, the courteous thing to do would be to move.