fishin courtesy

[juniorshanty]

I don't know about the rest of you good ol vermont boys out there, but it really ticks me off when you get out to your regular spot,  and someone has tipups set within 20 or 30 yards of your shanty, especially when you've been fishin it for some years, and the person or people set up are from out of state. I know no one owns the  ice, and I'm not one to tell someone they can't set up close to my shanty, but on the same hand, I won't set up close to someone else's shanty, out of common courtesy. For example some guys were set up pretty close to our shanty on bomo this morning, from new york state and we get out there before first light, so it's not like we were late,  we actually had to change our lines where we usually set up, and the guys know we are out there every weekend from last year.  So come on, let's all be adults and just show each other a little fishermans courtesy and not try to "steal" someone else's spot, it's a big lake find your own spot.

[bud-fish-er]

I was fishing Missiquoi  last year. Set up Friday night around 4pm. Saturday at around 5am a group of guys from NY set up tip-ups that did a circle around ours. These guys barely checked their tip-ups and had them over 400 yards from their shanty. Later that day the game warden came and checked our stuff and we asked him what the rules were about how far away tip-ups could be from your shanty. He said each tip up had to be check within 1 hour but he had no way of proving it. You can't really do anything about it and I guess you have to live with it. Some people just don't have the courtesy.

[CJiceaddict]

On big lakes I definately think setting up too close to others shanties is rude. On the other side of the scale though- When I used to live in the Keene NH area, there were lots of small places to fish and most with one or two really good spots to fish. People would put permenant shanties in those two spots and get pissed if you set up anywhere near them. It basically made the places not worth fishing- But on larger lakes, there are so many fishing spots- why would you crowd around a shanty with so many options?

[Jack Magnum]

I don't know about the rest of you good ol vermont boys out there, but it really ticks me off when you get out to your regular spot,  and someone has tipups set within 20 or 30 yards of your shanty, especially when you've been fishin it for some years, and the person or people set up are from out of state. I know no one owns the  ice, and I'm not one to tell someone they can't set up close to my shanty, but on the same hand, I won't set up close to someone else's shanty, out of common courtesy. For example some guys were set up pretty close to our shanty on bomo this morning, from new york state and we get out there before first light, so it's not like we were late,  we actually had to change our lines where we usually set up, and the guys know we are out there every weekend from last year.  So come on, let's all be adults and just show each other a little fishermans courtesy and not try to "steal" someone else's spot, it's a big lake find your own spot.

  I would normally agree with you on that opinion but have changed my thinking now. I am on early ice and I know guys go around with optics and when they see you catching fish as soon as the ice thickness permits they'll put their shanties right where your fishing. Then they figure they have staked their claim. Last year I was with my son and we were catching quite a few panfish. I saw them watching us from shore and the next thing I knew they had the wheeler drag their shanty within 30' of where we were. I normally try to stay away from other shanties BUT if I know them to be vultures I will just go early and fish where I want. If somebody is already there I will NOT intrude on that fishing grounds. Bottom line is just because somebody puts a shanty there doesn't mean it's sacred grounds. Like I said if somebody is already there I will steer clear but I get alittle frustrated with the vultures that DON'T put in the time to find fish and watch you from the sidelines in warmth of their trucks and as soon as they see your catching fish they desend on ya like the vultures they are !!!!

[Jack Magnum]

  I would normally agree with you on that opinion but have changed my thinking now. I am on early ice and I know guys go around with optics and when they see you catching fish as soon as the ice thickness permits they'll put their shanties right where your fishing. Then they figure they have staked their claim. Last year I was with my son and we were catching quite a few panfish. I saw them watching us from shore and the next thing I knew they had the wheeler drag their shanty within 30' of where we were. I normally try to stay away from other shanties BUT if I know them to be vultures I will just go early and fish where I want. If somebody is already there I will NOT intrude on that fishing grounds. Bottom line is just because somebody puts a shanty there doesn't mean it's sacred grounds. Like I said if somebody is already there I will steer clear but I get alittle frustrated with the vultures that DON'T put in the time to find fish and watch you from the sidelines in warmth of their trucks and as soon as they see your catching fish they desend on ya like the vultures they are !!!!

I also want to address your statement about out of staters moving in on ya. Last year a friend and I were hitting the fish pretty good and we have a small area kinda quartered off with chairs and tipup baskets etc. We had our holes drilled inside those boundries when all of a sudden this VT guy came right up to one of my holes and without so much as a Hi he proceeded to sit on his trap and pull the top down. Talk about some nuts !!!! I had my holes closely spaced and when he did that I was really shocked. I don't care if out of staters  are fishing here because we all have one thing in common .The love of hardwater fishing. What I do get upset at is people that don't think anything is wrong with sharing your holes.Don't matter where you reside we all run into those types of vultures.

[BaitWrangler]

I hear you on that Junior!

I was set up last week when a small family decided they were going to set up 10 feet from where my stuff was.  Their first 3 holes were dug within 15 feet of 2 of my traps and when they were all set up, they decided to make home base about 15 feet from the rest of my traps.  Couple that with a little kid being dragged around by a dog about 2 feet from stuff.

Seems like everything they did as the day progressed became less and less courteous.  Next time that happens, maybe I will scare one of their kids and maybe they won't come near me from now on.

Or bring a bone and through it near the dam so maybe the dog will drag that kid right over. 

[Jack Magnum]

I was fishing Missiquoi  last year. Set up Friday night around 4pm. Saturday at around 5am a group of guys from NY set up tip-ups that did a circle around ours. These guys barely checked their tip-ups and had them over 400 yards from their shanty. Later that day the game warden came and checked our stuff and we asked him what the rules were about how far away tip-ups could be from your shanty. He said each tip up had to be check within 1 hour but he had no way of proving it. You can't really do anything about it and I guess you have to live with it. Some people just don't have the courtesy.

I agree with you 100 percent on that. When I used to fish lakers and salmon on Lake george as soon as I started getting flags I would see other guys move in on me.Of course you know when fishing for those speices you spread your tip ups out so when you get one on it won't run into another one of your lines. These guys would move right in within a few yards. I would get SO aggravated. I would tell them if their lines got tangled with mine I was gonna be cutting line and it wouldn't be mine. There's NO reason to crowd Other fishermen Especially, When the lake is 32 miles long.

[Jack Magnum]

I hear you on that Junior!

I was set up last week when a small family decided they were going to set up 10 feet from where my stuff was.  Their first 3 holes were dug within 15 feet of 2 of my traps and when they were all set up, they decided to make home base about 15 feet from the rest of my traps.  Couple that with a little kid being dragged around by a dog about 2 feet from stuff.

Seems like everything they did as the day progressed became less and less courteous.  Next time that happens, maybe I will scare one of their kids and maybe they won't come near me from now on.

Or bring a bone and through it near the dam so maybe the dog will drag that kid right over. 

I can also relate to that incident. I've had the same thing happen kids and all only instead of the dog dragging kids it was the mother pulling the kids around my tips with her wheeler. Well, You know what that does to the fishing. I eventually picked up and went elsewhere.

[Lord_of_the_Perch]

Placing a shanty on public water does not (or never should) imply "ownership" of that area. If a shanty is on the ice, and vacant, anyone has the right to fish around it.
I am a stong believer of never crowding anyone when fishing or hunting; but just because someone has a shanty; or duckblind; for that matter in an area doesn't constitute exclusive rights to that spot.
   

[slopoker]

i make thing very clear about ice fishing.. i go to a spot and try on my part to keep "fair grounds" but i i think someone is to close, i have no problem telling them to move along 

[BigG3206]

You guys make some great points and for the most part I agree with most of them.  I know myself that I don't get within 75 to 100 yards of any shanty that is on the ice unless there isn't anyone there.  Even then I don't get too close.  I do have to agree though that just because you have a shanty on the ice, it doesn't mean you have ownership of the area.  It's like everyday life, some people have more courtesy and respect than others.  I guess it just come down to how you handle the ones that aren't so courteous.   Just my 2 cents. 

[Salmoneye]

I must be one of the few old enough to remember shanty towns where you and your neighbor couldn't open your doors at the same time as they would bang into each other...

 

[Fish Farmer]

Well, I figure no one owns the right to fish that spot if you happen to not be fishing in that area at the time. I will fish next to someones shanty if it happens to be on a weekday when I don't think anyone will be around. I may fish lake X throughout the spring and fall and know where the hot spots are. If your shanty happends to be sitting there for three weeks and only gets fished by the owner a couple times a week, then I don't see a problem with setting up nearby if you aren't fishing the area. I probably wouldn't pull up my tips ups though, but then again I wouldn't lay my traps in such a way that you couldn't fish out of your shanty.

I can think of many times when "my" spot has been taken over during open water, it usually seems to happen on weekends though so I tend to fish other days in the week when it isn't as crowded.

[Lord_of_the_Perch]

I thought it was illegal to leaves fishing lines unattended. Obviously those guys don't fish that spot "all the time" if they weren't there when you showed up.

[ICE_HOOK]

Yeah , I've seen these all over on bomoseen , just old champlain jacks they set up to mark their territory , they should not be able to do this , it's just bad sportmanship if you ask me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BigG3206]

As far as I'm concerned, if someone's not there and there aren't lines in the water, it's fair game to put your stuff there.

[VT snotrocket]

As far as I'm concerned, if someones not there and there aren't lines in the water, it's fair game to put your stuff there.

I agree with big g. courtesy goes such a long way. This year I had my 8 traps set up away from my shanty. Next thing I know here comes some guys with another permanent shanty and set up 25 yards from me. I said to myself no big deal. What got me bent was they started drilling and went right through my line of traps. They had all kinds of room to set up away from me. What really bothered me is they didn't say a word. I like to fish this piece of water during the week when no one is there. I set up close to other shacks, but if someone showed up i would move my stuff. When i fish a new piece of water with my portable shack I am my very careful not to get in someones way. If you talk to the people fishing usually they are pretty friendly. Get to know them a little bit. I never act like I own the water,but I will also never ruin someones set up.

[juniorshanty]

I just want to clear the air on this issue. I completely understand that no one owns the spot where they are fishing, and when there is no one at a shanty it is open for anyone to fish that spot, but when you set up next to someones shanty with plenty of open space to one side or the other it's just plain rude. If there is no where to set up without encroaching on someones shanty that is understandable, but when there is at least 400 yards between your shanty and the next and someone sets up within 30 yards of yours or the other, it's just shows you don't care about other fisherman. I'm not about to tell anyone they can't set up right next to "my" spot, but don't expect me to offer you a beer or some hot lunch if you do. 

[VT snotrocket]

I just want to clear the air on this issue. I completely understand that no one owns the spot where they are fishing, and when there is no one at a shanty it is open for anyone to fish that spot, but when you set up next to someones shanty with plenty of open space to one side or the other it's just plain rude. If there is no where to set up without encroaching on someones shanty that is understandable, but when there is at least 400 yards between your shanty and the next and someone sets up within 30 yards of yours or the other, it's just shows you don't care about other fisherman. I'm not about to tell anyone they can't set up right next to "my" spot, but don't expect me to offer you a beer or some hot lunch if you do. 

Right on junior!

[BigG3206]

I just want to clear the air on this issue. I completely understand that no one owns the spot where they are fishing, and when there is no one at a shanty it is open for anyone to fish that spot, but when you set up next to someones shanty with plenty of open space to one side or the other it's just plain rude. If there is no where to set up without encroaching on someones shanty that is understandable, but when there is at least 400 yards between your shanty and the next and someone sets up within 30 yards of yours or the other, it's just shows you don't care about other fisherman. I'm not about to tell anyone they can't set up right next to "my" spot, but don't expect me to offer you a beer or some hot lunch if you do. 

I hear ya.  It really comes down to how much courtesy people have.  When they fish that close to you it shows that they don't have much.