I agree about the jet skiers. They have NO water etiquette. They just pilot back and forth on the lake and cut off other boaters and make a lot of noise. It IS fun watching them wipe out after they've scared away all your fish though!

I am an avid kayak fisherman and the jet skis are my big problem. I always respect everyone on the water. It’s open to everyone. But when I’m out anchored off or making my way to a spot and they just fly by. They don’t care. I have had a couple of them get within 20 feet from me. This is just downright disrespectful. I just don’t get it when you have a lake that’s 200 acres so why the hell are you that close to me. It’s not like they can’t see me. That’s what drives me crazy.

I agree with the bassman.  Those jet skiers are really irritating.

yeah fanatic then they look at you like your in there way. so now i just find lakes that are way out of the way and ones that most boats cant get to. so much better and i can relax and not have to hear them or smell exhaust all day

I have found casting a 1/2 oz weight to them, tends to keep them away from me!

PWC can be fun, but like everything else in life if you're not responsible with it things can go bad. One day a few years ago I was fishing in the boat and a jet skier intentionally drove around me 3 times causing a huge wake and almost swamping the boat. He stopped just out of range. I know this because I cast a jigging spoon with a nice big trebble hook hanging off the back to a spot directly under his jet ski but missed by a foot or two. He had some not so kind words but left when he realized I was winding the line in as fast as I could for a second "cast". Most jet skiers I come across give me plenty of room, but there are always a few

Posted By Hossinonimus on 06 Jan 2012 03:48 AM
PWC can be fun, but like everything else in life if you're not responsible with it things can go bad. One day a few years ago I was fishing in the boat and a jet skier intentionally drove around me 3 times causing a huge wake and almost swamping the boat. He stopped just out of range. I know this because I cast a jigging spoon with a nice big trebble hook hanging off the back to a spot directly under his jet ski but missed by a foot or two. He had some not so kind words but left when he realized I was winding the line in as fast as I could for a second "cast". Most jet skiers I come across give me plenty of room, but there are always a few

Funniest story EVER!

First off. I did not read anything after the first post.(yet) But I had to post this now.

During a recent catfishing trip I have noticed that these so called Bass Master's seem more like spoiled children. Running by you at break neck speeds with total disregard for fellow anglers. If you ask me the Bass is the most overrated fish in the water. I think catfishing deserves more respect than it gets. Nothing is more exciting to me than to hang into a 30-40 lb Flathead. Bass fisherman in my home state of Alabama totally ignore wake zone and will cast right over you and if you bank fish they cast at you tangling there lines with yours. We all share the water and have a passion for fishing. It just seems here in my State of Alabama home of the Bassmaster's it seems the own the water and are snobs. After all in my opinion it is a higher degree of difficulty to catch a monster flathead head at 40 plus lbs with live bait that it is to catch a 4lb bass with a plastc worm. (I've done both)


More difficult to catch a 40# flathead than a 4# bass? Cast and wait, or cast and work your bait? I'll take drinking beer and watching my line to move all day. Easy work. It takes a small, and I mean small, effort to catch bass. It takes even less to catfish.

I think some tournament people might be a little pushy because there is a lot on money on the line, still, there is no excuse for bad manners. If a tournament angler does stupid and/or disrespectful actions, try to ger their boat #'s and report them. If it is non tournament people, including jet skiers, you just report them also. Won't say it will always be easy to do.

I will admit I could have been reported once on the Colorado River, I blew through a no wake zone because I didn't know it was there. I launched a couple of miles upstream on a tributary (at Millers Camp) and hit the river at Walters camp. The sign was facing the Colorado river and we didn't see it until we passed it. When we headed back to Millers a few hours later, I went real slow through that area.

Everyone at some point has that happen to them.

Arrogance is not reserved just for Bass Fisherman.
Let's just suffice it to say that the species someone is targeting has nothing to do with the fact that they don't exercise good fishing etiquette.   I have run into Bass fisherman, CatFisherman, Trout fisherman, kayakers, canoers, Swimmers, rock throwing children with their parents looking on,  etc who don't understand or worse yet care about showing some respect to others around them. 
I will have to see if I can find an old post I put up here years ago about etiquette.  It's an upbringing thing.  If people are shown proper etiquette early their in fishing career, they take that level of respect through their fishing lives.  Sadly, some don't get a good mentor to explain the do's and don'ts.
I am a kayak fisherman and will go way out of my way to keep far enough away when I see someone fishing from another boat or even more so, someone fishing from the bank since their fishing range is limited.
This is why it is great to start your kids off young and on the right track so that in the future they will appreciate the respect we all should offer to each other to allow us all to have an enjoyable experience.

Add some inconsiderate dog owners to the group. I can't tell you how many times I have been shore fishing at the local pond (some times with my dog) and had a person release their dog into the water. Not only is this rude, but a violation of local and county ordinances.

I have to agree to some extent. It seems any time I'm shore fishing some schmuck has to troll within 5 feet of where I'm fishing the second their boat hits the water. It does happen to be bass fishermen around my parts, usually throwing a spinner or crank, and in such a big hurry to retrieve for the next cast that they never even let the fish catch up to the lure. I have to laugh as they usually end up snagging one of my lines and glaring at me like I did something wrong, but at the end of the day, I watch them miss on 99% of their hits while I casually pull in 20 incher on worm n bobber.

Posted By AZAllen on 13 Jan 2012 01:00 PM
I think some tournament people might be a little pushy because there is a lot on money on the line, still, there is no excuse for bad manners. If a tournament angler does stupid and/or disrespectful actions, try to ger their boat #'s and report them. If it is non tournament people, including jet skiers, you just report them also. Won't say it will always be easy to do.

I will admit I could have been reported once on the Colorado River, I blew through a no wake zone because I didn't know it was there. I launched a couple of miles upstream on a tributary (at Millers Camp) and hit the river at Walters camp. The sign was facing the Colorado river and we didn't see it until we passed it. When we headed back to Millers a few hours later, I went real slow through that area.

The whole reason bass are so popular is that they possibly the most awesome fis in freshwater

Sorry az Allen was meaning to address bassbum who apparently has never fished for bass before. I do admit that there are some disrespectful fisherman and that catfish are a great gamefish. How how the actual fish is said to be no good because of a few people with no respect is Ridicules.

Posted By ariess on 16 Feb 2012 06:10 PM
Sorry az Allen was meaning to address bassbum who apparently has never fished for bass before. I do admit that there are some disrespectful fisherman and that catfish are a great gamefish. How how the actual fish is said to be no good because of a few people with no respect is Ridicules.

I would find it highly unlikely that bassbum has never fished for bass before, I simply think you misunderstood his post and the thread for that matter. What he was saying was that it takes more skill to land a 40lb catfish than it does to land a 4lb bass... As far as the fish being no good, I didn't see any posts with anyone suggesting that, the point of this thread was simply stating that a majority of people find bass fishers (those who fish only/mainly for bass and no other species) generally act like pricks with little regard for their fellow fishermen.

I also think that so called "arrogant bass fisherman" are worse in the South than other parts of the country. Mainly because there are more of them down there and because of the warmer climate bass fishing can be done mostly throughout the year as opposed to where I live (Pacific Northwest). Although we do have tournament bass anglers and bass fishing enthusiasts up here, we have SO many lakes and rivers here you rarely if ever see them and if you do I don't think they are as aggressive as down South.

How long is this goofy thread gonna last? Cat fishermen calling bass fishermen "arrogant".{1}*****ing about a bass boat going by to fast while they sit there in a pile of beer cans on the bank. The pot calling the kettle black? Wish I could think of something the trout and salmon fisherman did to tick me off...then we could drag them into this also...hate to leave anyone out!
                                                                                                             

Hey Mo! I once met a guy who was trapping minnows who ticked me off. I had been fighting a lunker minnow for about 35 minutes and ready to land it when the guy walks right over to my line, and put that minnow in his trap! Couldn't believe it. Asked him what he thought he was doing, and he said getting bait and if I didn't like it he had a quarter so I could call some one who cared! The arrogance of that minnow trapper. Just goes to show, you meet all kinds when fishing. LOL

Tight lines,

Salty Dan

Darn dirty minnow trappers!   Just noticed I have four posts on this thread...I'm my own worst enemy!