Great post Prof!
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#1 sell all your old lures / equipment to me and only buy whats hot, because everyone knows only the newest hottest lures and bling reels and rods catch there
#2 find someone who is catching and stand near them and fish, you are bound to hook up
#3 Read 3 or 4 striped bass internet boards all day make it to the 1000 post club as soon as possible

Seriously, I am no pro, but fished it enough over the last 6 or so years to learn a thing or two and its really common sense and patience, just like anything else. All the top fishing spots with easy access get crowded, look at the salmon river, or Chatham during com season the past few years. Crowds aren't for everyone but if you like to fish there then embrace it and have a good time instead of knocking it. Sometimes you have to laugh stuff off. Complete googans will catch bigger fish than you and there will be days that you triangulate the sun & stars and baitfish patterns but still strike out only to find out you should have been at the cribbin etc. not to mention all the donations of plugs and jigs you will certainly make I agree with Andy's points completely. Keep a cool head, watch and listen before doing anything and pick up your and others trash. I'll add if you think your gear is under gunned it probably is. That place will have you thinking a 15lb fish is a 30 when its out in the current on a big tide. Not that you need to spend tons but gear up a bit if possible.

Seems to be a lot of people on here who know the right thing to do...Perhaps someone can share their thoughts on the matter a little deeper. I'm honestly curious about the consensus on here....

When you set up at a spot, what radius do you think you own? Does that radius tighten as more fishermen begin to surround you or because of your time of arrival to that spot, they are expected to keep proper distance from you?

In this thread, I think I am reading that if someone gets there at 3am and sets up camp, they have some rights...so when a biker shows up at 4:30am and there are breaking fish slightly to the left of the camper (w/No bike), they don't have the right to cut him off to the fish because he was there earlier. Is that correct? Or does the school have to be directly in front of the camper in order to receive that respect?

Does that mean that a fisherman on a bike is exempt from certain etiquettes? Leap-frogging, as I call it...happens all the time with Canal-Bikers, is that considered wrong to someone who set up camp, especially if they get cut-off from casting due to someone pulling up on a bike who's only staying while the fish are actively out front? What if it's a Canal-Cruising Gang? Should the camper just reel in and wait until they move on before casting?

No seriously, how much area do you own when you setup and make your first cast?

...and lastly...Is this all spot dependent? Meaning that it only relates to running current? ie: Canal, Jetties, Breachways, etc///...


Disclaimer: Over 5,000 posts and still haven't added anything of worth.

I would like to think that you at least "own" the rock that you are standing on and your casting radius. If someone is dumb enough to crowd me to the point where they will get hit with my cast, then they deserve it.

I think that you have first rights to any water that you can hit with a cast. Anyone should be able to fish the same water, but if they can't fish it without screwing you up, then they should move.

Regardless of who got there first, if you move, you give up all rights. If someone shows up 2 hours after you and is fishing 50 yards away, you have no right to encroach on them, just because you showed up to the body of water before they did.

Great post Paul but I have finally figured out how to fish the Ditch without getting aggravated, don't go during prime time. My fishing is now restricted to vampire hours.
RIRockhound and I figured that metric out for Narragansett and SoCo about 6 years ago. We never saw daylight with a fishing rod in our hands. We caught tons of big fish and were alone 99% of the time. Rain, wind and a 2 AM high tide will thin the crowds dramatically.

My rules for crowded fishing, applicable at Halladyne Run, the Ballfield, Under the light at Montauk, Any breachway or jetty, the river near my house and the Canal.

1. Have fun
2. Talk to the guys next to you
3. If someone is not having fun and is ruining your fun ask them to go away
4. Have fun
5. When you tangle with someone, say you are sorry or accept their apology gracefully
6. have fun
7. Don't take it too seriously

I have fished with a friend of mine on the Salmon River, in a spot that they have fished for probably 30 years now. It is on one of the most crowded sections of the river. They have fun and if you are being obnoxious THEY will ask you to go away, nicely. They can handle raw beginners and show them the ropes with a smile, sometimes even make friends. It's hard to believe that people go fishing to not have fun, but some just like to beotch.

Yes, it did happen on the back but there was difference. You had a truck and could just move and, most likely, find fish. At the Ditch, if you are not a biker and the Biker brigade shows up and jumps in your bootmarks you are SOL. The "leapfrogging" thing annoys the crap out of me. Yes, I do have a bike. No. I do not use it at the Canal. My preference is to walk, which now is out of fashion. i cannot compete with the 10 speed crew so now I am relegated to the 0'dark 30 hours. Not that I mind. I'm still finding fish and still having fun. So we have to change with the times I guess. I like the solitude of middle of the night fishing. Always have.

[QUOTE=Pete F.;945512]My rules for crowded fishing, applicable at Halladyne Run, the Ballfield, Under the light at Montauk, Any breachway or jetty, the river near my house and the Canal.

1. Have fun
2. Talk to the guys next to you
3. If someone is not having fun and is ruining your fun ask them to go away
4. Have fun
5. When you tangle with someone, say you are sorry or accept their apology gracefully
6. have fun
7. Don't take it too seriously

I have fished with a friend of mine on the Salmon River, in a spot that they have fished for probably 30 years now. It is on one of the most crowded sections of the river. They have fun and if you are being obnoxious THEY will ask you to go away, nicely. They can handle raw beginners and show them the ropes with a smile, sometimes even make friends. It's hard to believe that people go fishing to not have fun, but some just like to beotch.[/QUOTE


I wish more guys would adopt this type of attitude. Good post Pete.

If you happen to catch a fish somewhere in the high 20's to mid thirties with a giant magic swimmer in its mouth and about a foot of leader say thank you to me if you see me.
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Funny you should say that. I do have a bike and use it occasionally at the CCC. However, what I've found is that I fish far less when I bring my bike as opposed to when I don't. A very common mistake made by many, is that they fish more with their eyes than with their gear. You simply can't do this in the wee hours, you have to FISH to find em'. Although the mobility does have it's moments, I just find that I do more riding and looking than fishing, and when the fish are down or simply not showing, I'm missing out on everything but the gossip.

I must add though, the bike does help alot in getting to spots that are far from the vehicle or possible parking. It is nice to be able to fish a far away spot a lot sooner than on foot. I too, get a kick out of the gossipping gangs...:rotf2:

treat other fishermen as you want to be treated.

try to help and educate noobs.

iffin' a nimrod or two set up on you and he/they can't take subtle and not so subtle hints just move- life's too short.

have fun.

Here's a new rule. Do what the law requires and take your fish home to clean. Or, at least, throw the #^&#^&#^&#^&ing racks in the #^&#^&#^&#^&ing Canal, instead of leaving them on the rocks or tossing them in the bushes or woods. :mad: :af:

There are 3 or 4 spots on the mainland side that smell worse than the New Bedford waterfront smells during a 3 day heat wave. And one of them is in a place where the residents regularly complain to the Selectmen about fishermen making noise and leaving a mess. :wall:

Hey, no skin off my ass. I can walk to the Canal from my house if I have to.

Taliban fishing.

I was at one of those spots last night, it smelled like there was a dead body in the bushes. WTF.....
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Hey, i have deeds to many of the prime rocks along the canal. If anyone is interested in "claiming" their spot, let me know. It's $500 first year and $99 a year after that on a self renewing lease. There is a " rockowners association" that you must obide by their rules, and NO mobile homes allowed!! I feel this is a great deal if you are worried about loosing your favorite rock.
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Or if you decide to toss an eel that is over 3 feet long and weighs a good 2 pounds with a 3/0 Gami and for some strange reason don't catch a 100 pound bass. Take your MAN EATING EEL HOME OR THROW IT IN THE WATER not at the top or the herring run for everyone to see and smell. Taking the hook out of its head would have been a good idea too.

Umm, did you not read my post? I posted specific directions as to how not to piss off the canal guys. Please do us a favor and stick to your boat because you clearly don't have a clue as to how things work down there...

Yeah get a bike and chase fish all day instead of letting them come to you...

Nice #^&#^&#^&#^& head post
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I love #^&#^&#^&#^&head posts! Btw boat fishing is for #^&#^&#^&#^&heads. We are launching tomorrow at 3:45 for some #^&#^&#^&#^&head boat fish that don't count. Lol
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You better not be fishing on my numbers!
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Is that the big river on the way to the vineyard?? :D
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Pudding head!
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x2 :rotf2:

for me I practise the same etiquette anywhere ... it starts with self respect and then respect towards other people. I do not do what I do not want done to me - regardless of the "excitement" level.

You would think alot of this stuff is common sense but not for everyone I guess

There was a time 30 years ago that we would catch our own eels and we wanted the biggest we could catch up to the point that they were near impossible to cast can't tell u how many really big fish we caught but still have the memories burned into my head.
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Same thing applies to the outer cape. The fisherman up there hate the people who come to fish 'their' waters and, heaven forbid, make a post on a forum about it.

I don't think it is a good idea at all to report what you do, where you go, what baits you use, or what you caught. Why even have a forum?

Property damage was threatened, and that makes the whole thing not fun. Why do any of you guys ever make reports at all?

Forums exist for free flow and sharing of technique tactics to share each others joys and frustrations in this world. At times it helps to get people on the same page and educate regarding topics like these. I know there is some playful banter that occurs but overall people who frequent these forums take their fishing seriously. I think you would agree. For the most part if some one can tell you are putting in your time and still being frustrated I am more than Willing to bet there is more than one individual that would shoot a pm or respond to a thread of an individual who is having difficulty grasping a concept or a specific technique. Or help out someone who is living through a continuous skunking. This forum
Is not to provide pole numbers or specific locations of fish caught etc.

As far as the lower cape goes. Well there are a few in every crowd. If someone threatened you on a forum chances are they wouldn't act on it they obviously like to threaten with a keyboard an act
Like a tough guy. I have spots out there that I don't talk about. I share them with a few and for the most part when I fish at night I see no one until first light. If you were threatened in person I would report it to some one. No fish is worth injury or that type of behavior
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Reminds me of a line from "Fight Club"

rule # 2: don't talk about the canal

and rule # 3: don't talk about the canal

I was surprised but not shocked to see an entire post I submitted which outlined some of the better times and conditions where fishing the canal is most effective. Not a single spot was mentioned,very general information. Kind of made me wonder what the forum is for;Thanks for clearing it up.Looks to me as though the site is in a death spiral which is hard to do given the growth of the sport but with the attitude towards newcomers it gets as much attention as the backbeaches do recently.Too bad, it is a fun place and I have met some good eggs here. I am happy to point folks in the right direction if they are curious enough,send a PM.

Thanks Dude!

PM Sent.
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Ok Guys, time to sum this post up. Lots of good advice but mostly all common sense. Top things to abide by when fishing the canal (or almost any other place for that matter) All info from participating members of S-B.com:

#1. Have fun

#2. Talk to the guys next to you

#3. When you tangle with someone, say you are sorry or accept their apology gracefully

#4. Don't take it too seriously

#5. Treat other fishermen as you want to be treated. It starts with self-respect and then respect towards other people. I do not do what I do not want done to me - regardless of the "excitement" level.

#6. Try to help and educate new guys

#7. If you’re not sure of what to do or when to do it- like casting in order with everyone else - when its ok to cast when someone’s on a fish, or if you think you might be too close-you are. Please ask, we would rather tell you how to do it instead of yell at you. We would much rather show you how to do it and have a good time fishing responsibly.

#8. Please take your trash with you. This includes all wrappers, boxes and even any fishing line you may discard.

#9. Do what the law requires and take your fish home to clean. Don’t throw the racks on the rocks or toss them in the bushes or woods

#10. If you want a spot, get there early and CLAIM it. Don't come down right when you know it will go off and crowd the people that have PUT IN THEIR TIME and got there early.

#11. If you see someone hooked up, WAIT until they have the fish under control THEN start casting.

#12. If you are the first one to a spot, do whatever it is that you want, chunking, eels, jigs, swimmers, top etc. etc.

#13. If you are not first and have decided to set shop up near someone else you better first observe what they’re doing. If they are throwing a jig and fishing it all the way down thru the drift or a pencil popper or anything else for that matter you better not be within a hundred yards down current of them unless you plan on fishing a jig or something similar. If you are, then let him reel in before you cast. You then cast and hopefully he will understand you know what you are doing. He will cast after you and the guy up from him will follow etc. etc.. When done properly many guys can fish in harmony and all can enjoy the same spot.

#14. Never ever cast out when the guy up current from you still has his line out in front of you. If you do not only will he be f bombing you he may hook up and you will now surely tangle up with him. This is a sure way to get thrown into the ditch.

#15. The canal is a crowded place to fish plain and simple you need to accept that and try to have a good time. Getting pissed off is not going to change it and will ruin your day. There are going to be people that have no clue and your job is to inform them in a nice a courteous way so they learn and can next time show someone else the correct way to have fun. Have some patience with one another. All everyone wants to do is have some fun fishing. It is always going to be crowded at peak times and info will always be shared and very quickly so relax. It’s only fishing.

#16. Don’t spot burn with specific location etc.

#17. If someone taught you, teach someone else.

#18. Have fun

Perfect
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Great rules. Always fun to fish with others who are having fun. Doesn't take much