100 hole drillers rights

[wirenut45]

that other thread got me to wondering: how long do you keep ownership of your holes. if you,re on hole 99, ,n, look back , ,n, theres a guy fishing no. 1 whats your reaction? if the holes are 10 ft. apart, you,re 3 football fields away, ,n, prolly not even on his radar, i mean,he prolly don,t even associate you with them. now to toughen up the q. ,s,pose he has a pile of fish at his feet at a hole you drilled but gave up on ? i mean, whats common courtesy both ways- driller ,n, squater.? wire

[Stickhick86]

Imho, if you gave up on the hole and you are 3 football fields away, I would say that is your loss. but if that person is squatting in an old hole right on top of you, that is a different story. I know I have chased a school around by hole hoping so I wouldn't want someone jumping right in on top of me.

[Gills-only]

Depends on what state you are in !! Most lakes I fish u can’t get 300 yards away as u would be on the road !!  Once I “leave” the area I started and I am 20 yards or so away, I left, have at it, I have went back later when other guys have moved in and just start fishing like I just got there, hardly ever have any problems

[hunts2long]

Many years ago (70's) I fished a lake in Western NY with 2 other guys. We fished most every weekend. At that time it was a pretty good perch lake and got a ton of fishermen. We very seldom even took an auger with us. We would stop have a good breakfast and then go start fishing. We would just use holes others had drilled and had moved on. We did very well. But I believe there was a better bond with others. Today it seems it is too much about I and Me and not about Us and We....Just my .02....h2l

[Gills-only]

Many years ago (70's) I fished a lake in Western NY with 2 other guys. We fished most every weekend. At that time it was a pretty good perch lake and got a ton of fishermen. We very seldom even took an auger with us. We would stop have a good breakfast and then go start fishing. We would just use holes others had drilled and had moved on. We did very well. But I believe there was a better bond with others. Today it seems it is too much about I and Me and not about Us and We....Just my .02....h2l

.        I agree,so much “lake”rage now, guys don’t want anyone within eyesight, I guess it is how you were raised. I did have a guy drop his line down a hole, that I put my spud over to “save” it for hopping back. I drilled 3 holes, put spud over one and was hopping around in other 2, all within like 30’ from each other, this guy walked up and dropped his line over my spud and started fishing. Didn’t move it though, I walked over and asked what he was doing, and he said someone put their spud over this hole, I said that would be me, he wondered why, I told him I was gonna fish it in a few minutes. He reeled up and wandered off. He also didn’t bring anything to punch or drill a hole !!

[filetandrelease]

Hunts how true that is , but i guess I would get  upset if they tried to fish my holes , my shack only has 1 seat 😉 but when I move it’s all theirs

[Agronomist_at_IA]

My feeling is if a guy drills a few holes and starts fishing one then leaves....once he starts the auger up to drill another set.....the first set of holes he drilled is free game. That or if a guy gets about 30yards away and fished some holes then it's free game.

[wirenut45]

thanks all. reason i asked, a few yrs. ago there was a thread on another site( yes shanty, i,ve cheated on you, but just once, haha) ,n, some guys were butthurt if you cane in the same county their holes were in, seems like. so, dont want my butt kicked for barging in on anothers territory. again, thanks, wire

[mi500]

I never really care how close someone is to me.  It’s all public. If I find a hole I like I tend to camp on it.  I have even told people what hole was hot and what they were hitting on if they were friendly through out the day.  Now if they jump in one of my holes I left and start slamming them I usually wander over and see if I can figure out what they are doing differently. 

[Unclegillhunter]

I never really care how close someone is to me.  It’s all public. If I find a hole I like I tend to camp on it.  I have even told people what hole was hot and what they were hitting on if they were friendly through out the day.  Now if they jump in one of my holes I left and start slamming them I usually wander over and see if I can figure out what they are doing differently.

yep I have many times moved a few feet and had someone come up and ask how the fishing was and told them that hole over there was doing good just moved a little deeper. Had folks come up and ask if they could fish in some holes I had cut and not using. One old guy came up and asked to fish a hole I had cut, didn’ Have a drill I said sure spent a couple of hours chatting hearing about the good old days and ended up with a handful off really nice hand tied ice flys! You never know!
Keep it safe! JDL

[jerryfishing]

I agree with someone fishing my old holes if I move out of an area, but I generally find a spot away from easy, crowded areas on lake so I don't have to compete or share holes with others. What pissrs me off is when I trek out to an area where nobody is at and after I catch a few fish; here comes someone relocating themselves to fish along side of me and in my holes I am currently using. Some people have no respect or common courtesy.  IMHO it appears as though our world has and is becoming more selfish. Everything is all about "me"  nowadays.

[Ice Scratcher]

I haven't been there all day or yesterday, so I don't know who made the holes, and I don't care, if they are abandoned for a while...

The holes I want to keep, get surrounded with my gear. Usually no more than 25 ft from my sled or shanty..

Sometimes I'll find a hole I like, so I'll drill another hole right next to it, and put a unbaited tipup as a place holder..

Also if you fish too close to me, and I start not liking you, your going to find out why, I, as a courtesy, fish away from the crowd...

<°)))>{

[ActiveTrapChecker]

I try to set a boundary with the traps, leaving a hole between each and within them to jig. Hub is generally set up in the middle of it all. I don’t move much, but being the first group out helps grab enough ice to keep base at the same spot all day

[Seamonkey84]

Usually when I punch a lot of holes, it’s to locate fish, and they are usually 5-10 paces apart in a grid or T pattern. If someone is fishing nearby, I’ll ask if it’s ok with them if I start drilling close to them, then I’ll tell them they can use any hole that I’m not fishing at the time. If they find the fish for me, I’ll fish the next hole over or just punch another one nearby on the same structure. I jig while everyone I fish with or run into just set traps, So it doesn’t bother me if a few of the dozens of holes Ill probably end up punching are getting used, as long as I get to check it first. While chasing schools, it kinda helps having more lines in the water spread out.

[Ice Scratcher]

I've actually had a guy come over and move in on my holes... I thought he might be trying to hear my radio in my shanty better... So I found a good bubblegum pop/rap station, turned it up, and left him fish that area... While I hole hopped all around... Lol...

Some people might be doing you a favor by not fishing near anyone.. Some people don't like people..

<°)))>{

[slipperybob]

I don't care about the holes.  I do care about my equipment...don't touch it, and don't even try to steal it.

There was this one time when this group and one guy thought he was really sneaky.  He yells to his buddy about 50 yards away, "Hey you've forgotten your fishing rod."  Well his buddy ain't never been there where the fishing rod was cuz I watched them the whole time they came over.  The fish weren't biting, barely even a mark on the flasher all morning long.  Yes our group did drill a whole bunch of holes.  I walked up, stared at him, and I got my Grivel crampons on too.  He pretends to putz around for several minutes kept trying to get his buddy to come over and claim the fishing rod.  His buddy finally said, "That ain't my fishing rod."  Finally the would be thief left with his party.

[Buckmaster7600]

If I'm still using the hole I put something in it or by it. If someone comes and uses a hole I drilled I hope the catch the biggest fish in the lake.

If I'm catching fish and you come up and drill a hole within feet of me I will tell you what I think of you if you come up and talk I will tell you to drill a hole.

[acmarcus]

I've been both the hole driller and a hole follower. If i am looking for fish and start drilling all over, 20 yards or so and holes are fair game. If i am coming out and some one has a bunch of holes, ill holler and ask if they mind if i fish them. Have yet to have some tell me no. How ever i don't come in to their local area(20ish yards)

[Iceassin]

Really? Someone actually drills and fishes 100 holes? Sorry, but that's outrageous. If I were to drill that many, which I wouldn't, have at 'em. 

[hunts2long]

Could it be that these 100 hole drillers are why there has been so little ice the last few years...h2l

[Capt.Jim-N.J.]

Not that this is agreeable to all, but North American Ice Fishing Circuit (NAIFC) Rules state in Rule #6 , direct quote, "Participants may drill as many holes as they wish, However,
     any open hole may be fished by any competitor as long as they maintain the 15 foot rule. Hole blocking is not allowed. Leaving equipment next to a hole does not stop an-
     other fisherman from using that hole if you are over 15 feet away

Slipperybob - All of my gear has at least my initials engraved/magic markered/stamped into it just for that purpose
     

[Ice Scratcher]

If I'm catching fish and you come up and drill a hole within feet of me I will tell you what I think of you if you come up and talk I will tell you to drill a hole.

I like that, I actually drill extra holes for friends I haven't met...

But if you cut through my camp, just dropping a transducer, in every hole and not saying a thing..

I guess I'm a friend you'll never meet...

<°)))>{

[wirenut45]

Scratcher & others, i,ve never had that experience, mainly because i,m in love with the sound of my own voice( according to my late wife) anyone gets close ,n, i,ll start the conversation. have met many friends i didn,t know before that way.

[Stickhick86]

For me the only problem I have with someone jumping into a hole of mine is when they are trying to be sneaky about it. I have no problem sparking up a conversation with anybody on the ice. If you need help on the ice, I will be the first one to give it. Your auger dull and need some holes drilled, I'll do it for you. You wondering what they are biting on, I'll tell you ( that's if I know).

[halfhooked]

its  very conditional  if I am going to set up tip ups i leave a bucket or something to mark the first hole once i get to last couple of holes get set up thats it  if plan to come back to a hole you leave something there to mark it  if not its fair game  especially if its got skim ice on it largest natural lake in rhode island is a little over 900 acres most are under 150 real hard to stake out the whole lake    by the by the biggest reason this old man got hooked on ice fishing  was the the fellowship              tight lines and good times   hope to fish with you all someday

[tater140]

I have had plenty of people fish holes i have drilled.  As long as their nice and dont get too close its all good.  It makes you feel good to invite someone over that isnt doing so well and helping them out with technique etc.  who knows maybe they end up extending a bit of that courtesy to someone else down the line.

[lefty2053]

The only time I see leaving a hole and still in charge of it is when you still have gear by it. No gear it is up for grabs.

[theangling1]

For me it’s all in how the other person approaches the situation.... walk out with no means to drill their own holes and just drop in a hole I’ve drilled and help themselves without saying hello and or asking if I mind and it’s not gonna go well, walk out with a means to drill their own holes, drill some themselves and ask if I mind if they fish some of the holes I’ve drilled and no problem .... that said, I rarely drill a group of holes in an area larger 30ft x 30ft and will continually hop holes.

[Kobey]

I've read some articles for the novice ice fisherman, and the first advice for fishing a new lake is usually to look for where other people are fishing or have been.  If they head out there and find a bunch of holes already drilled, they naturally try fishing them.  Most people don't visit forums, and learn to ice fish from their buddies or by trial and error, so I normally try to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[fishermantim]

My view is if you are drilling holes all over the ice, you can't possibly be fishing all of them.
If someone wanders over and starts fishing a hole hell-n-gone from where you are now, that's fine.
Now if same person tries to fish a hole you just cut 10 feet away, then there's a problem.

Personally, I don't mind sharing holes and experience with someone who might not be having much luck on their own.
I will even offer to cut a few holes for them (since in many cases the person doesn't want to intrude in what they perceive in "my space" ( )
I will even go as far as lending someone one of my jigging rods for them or their kids (when present) to use.

As long as people practice the basic social graces they will be welcome to fish with me!