Snowmobiles

[keith411]

Is it like a tradition or a game up here for people to drive into peoples spreads and see how close they can can get to your traps? All day there was people ripping by our tip ups like it was perfectly okay. Like we have nine traps spread out and people just rip by. One guy came with in fifteen feet of me. Is that normal up here? just seems disrespectful when there is a whole lake to drive on.

This trap was set before the snowmobile tracks were there. Some dude just stared at me and my brother while hauling and mowed it over. He was like sorry dude the traps are really hard to see. I mean yea i guess they are hard to see when you aren't looking in front of you. Never experienced this kind of disrespectful behavior before while ice fishing.

[ME icehole]

Douche bags

[o2rmk800]

I would have started throwing sno balls at them

[StevenB]

No, it not normal behavior. Were they fishing or just riding? I presume just riding because most fishermen/women respect others and know what to look for.  Bring a Louisville slugger next time and hit one outta the park 😀

[rdhammah]

a$$holes

[hardwatergrampa]

sorry dude a 75.00 trap I would want more then sorry dude  unless it was unavoidable

[jacksmelt71]

call the wardens next time! no reason to be hitting that trap! unmarked polar maybe. if i had my sled, we would be having a talk!

[Frankr]

My guess - Someone from NJ. With only the rarest of exceptions, snowmobilers from Maine are courteous, friendly, and wouldn't even think about buzzing somebody ice fishing, much less running over their traps.

[joefishmore]

I am not so sure about that.

[chillywillie]

I am not so sure about that.

Agreed.  There are a lot of Mainers out there acting like jerks on snowmobiles as well.

[Moosekill]

Lets see, to be fair, when there is a lot of snow, it can be tough to see traps when you are driving across the lake at 50mph, and accidents can happen.  I also sometimes see people put traps up in places where there is going to be traffic.  I guess if you put your traps across the main access from a boat launch to the main part of the lake you are kind of asking for issues with snowmobiles going by, and snowmobiles have as much right to use the lake as ice fishermen do.  That being said, I get annoyed when there is a huge lake for someone to snomobile on and he decides to ride by my traps for fun.  I would speak to them after the second pass, assuming they didn't realize what they were doing is rude. 

[woodchip]

with this snow cover its a good idea to mark traps with branches or sticks,  Pile UP SOME SNOW WITH SHOVELS  IT HELPS MAKE TRAPS MORE visible  with a stick or branch on top helps .Some fishermen  set there traps on a snowmobile tracks to stay out of slush and another mach following tracks.

[Alex Delarge]

Is it like a tradition or a game up here for people to drive into peoples spreads and see how close they can can get to your traps?  Is that normal up here?

If you consider anything South of Medway, "up here", ... yea that's pretty normal.

[JDK]

I have had tip ups run over on Long Lake and Big Eagle.  They weren't from NJ either...just sayin.

[caught_the_fever]

call the wardens next time! no reason to be hitting that trap! unmarked polar maybe. if i had my sled, we would be having a talk!

X2.   I understand snowmobilers have the right to use the lake, just as others have the right to fish the lake as well.  No one here would accept someone drilling holes right beside where your traps are established if there was plenty of available ice (Crystal Derby an obvious exception).  Similarly, snowmobiles should give respectful (and safe) distance.  No right to destroy a trap.  Basic respect and consideration. 

[robbfishing]

this is the reason I carry 2 skimmers  just saying

[piscesman]

Over 10 years ago I made wooden flag posts with cloth attached. Put them on my furthest tip-ups and haven't hade an issue to date. More snow = less visibility and problems to follow........
      Kim

[jethro]

I'm a sport snowmobiler that does on average 3000 miles of trail riding a year. That goes hand in hand with a lot of lake travel. I've been doing that for 20 years now and I have never run over an ice trap so I don't understand it.