Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

I like to do a good amount of Rock-Hopping along the N. Shore and have one pet peeve: DIVERS! They show up in groups of 5-25, often with thier wives and children in tow and spend a good 1/2 hour right behind the fishermen getting prepped. Then they proceed to walk right past you and slide into water almost directly over your line. Divers, in almost all my experience, are the rudest, most inconsiderate creatures to swim in the ocean. There are lots of acess point just 40 or 50 yards away from where I am fishing but they insist on jumping in to my honey-hole. Of course when they emerge it is right onto the rock on which I stand.
:af:

Divers also claim one of two things: There are no stripers withing 2 miles of this place or there are all schoolies which follow them around because they "like the bubbles" they create.

Once I had a diver claim that there were two cow bass (at least 40") right below him. This guy actually was surfacing and telling me where to cast. I never hooked into a fish and hafta wonder if he was messing with my head.
I am sure that some of you folks have had similar experiences and that some of you are divers. Am I the only one who gets annoyed by them?


Spin:hs:

Re: Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

Shore divers are concerned with safe entry and exit. There are lots of factors that go into this including stage of tide, wave sets, surge, shore and bottom characteristics, landmarks, etc. It's not as simple as you think it is.

Also, shore divers have far, far fewer access points than shore fishermen, and considering the fact that they have to lug up to 80# of equipment they are further limited to a short distance from the parking lot.

Sounds like you have a pretty short fuse.:rolleyes:

Whenever I see divers I always try to pump them for info on the structure and anything they might be seeing below. Might as well make the most of a situation where you have to share the beach. At least they're not seals. :hihi:

Yep,I do what weewee does.. I interigate them for info.. if they dont tell me, then On goes the 11/0 trebble hook:laughs:

Re: Re: Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

Ok using that analogy...Your fishing and a couple of "Bait Dunkers" show up at your spot. They have 80 #'s of "Equipment (coolers, Lanterns, chairs) and they need to have access thats a short walk from the parking lot. Are you going to pack up and leave? Probably not...Why...Because YOU WERE THERE FIRST.

Just because somebody has stuff to carry doesn't give them the right to take over your spot.

I say they should Move On!

I haven't had the same problem. Last year I launched my kayak from plum cove beach in gloucester, as I went in 2 divers were coming out. They said they saw several large stripers just off the beach feeding on clams. I didn't have clams but I hooked a nice fish on the tube right off the beach. They obviously were not concerned about the diver, and I knew the fish were hanging off the bottom. I have seen some pretty big stripers diving and as long as you don't get too close they don't find you threatening. Seals on the other hand wreck fishing. One hungry seal can sent all the stripers to deep water. I don't mind kids as long as they stay clear of my back casts.

Re: Re: Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

I said pet peeve but I do have a short fuse with anyone who is inconsiderate and rude. It is not like they even say excuse me. They just march on by and climb on back. You must be one of the friendly divers.

Surfers are the worst, most ignorant bastards I know! Bar none!:rocketem:

I'll second that BF.
I've never had a problem with divers....Yet.

I look at divers the same way I look at boaters who drift rather than anchor up---a momentary minor annoyance. Most divers aren't going to stay in one place once they enter the water. Gives me a chance to check my leader for abrasion and re-tie if need be. By the time I'm done, they're usually gone. I also don't have a problem holding up a cast for 30 seconds or so if some guy drifting an inlet in a boat happens to be in range temporarily.

Jet skis, and boaters who drop the hook 100 feet in front of you, well, that's a different story :af:

When you fish a rocky area, you often choose your perch based on ease of access to the water to land a big fish. Divers also look for the same types of places. A little common courtesy would be nice ("excuse me, do you mind if we take a couple of minutes to go in here?") but common courtesy is an uncommon virtue these days---I've learned not to expect it.

Of course, night fishing usually eliminates 99% of these hassles ;)

Amen to that MikeP!:btu:

well said wise Mr. Mike P.

Re: Re: Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

Maybe all you naysayers should read this AGAIN. :smash:

I am guessing Roger owns a boat.....thus he does most of his fishing from it so these issues really do not light his fuse?;) Roger, am I correct?:huh:

I think the real menace are the people who take short fish/leave their CRAP in the rocks to spoil great locations.

People need to look at the bigger picture before we start losing spots because of idiots.

I think we just need to get rid of the idiots!:behead:People who do those things are never gonna see the big picture!:smash:

Funny how fishermen complain about surfers yet surfrider foundation is one of the largest groups that does routine beach cleanup....

And most of the trash is from inconsiderate fishermen... :rolleyes:

Don't take this at pointing fingers, I hate inconsiderate anyone...
I've had people give me crap while surfing the outercape even though I'd been there since dawn patrol.
"Can't you move to another spot?" Can you? thanks...

Quit hating on other groups just because they inhabit the same spots, start working together to get rid of the crappy people.

I agree that we should not hate on other groups. It has just been my unfortunate experience that most of the folks in the shore diving group are crappy people.

:splat: [B][B]my unfortunate experience

Divers usually swim out a long way , far out of reach of your casts. When we dove , we would swim out 1/2 to 1 mile so we didn't bother fisherman except shortly to entre and leave the water. Someone ruins your night , you can get angry. Someone incomveniences you for a monute , you need to be patient.


it does bother me when parents let their kids get close to fisherman who were in a spot first.

**************************************************
Make no mistake , if you hook a kid on the back cast , you will get blamed.

***********************************************
By my reconing , its not the kids faults , especially if they are small but it is the parents fault , not the fishermans in my opinion.

Re: Re: Re: Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

That's how I feel. If you are there before me, it is your spot. But if I there first don't expect me to move.

I'm a diver, and still get extremely bothered by some divers. It's just like anything, some divers are intelligent and considerate, others are stupid/rude and don't have a clue.

Nothing worse than being out on the boat, laying down a nice chum slick, start hammering fish, then some idiot decides to dive your slick because he knows there are fish there to look at. I’m sure a lot of the guys who fish the rock piles from Boston to Scituate have had this happen.

This happened to me last year out at the Graves. These divers pulled in a few hundred yards away from us, saw us catching and started heading right for us when they hit the water. I could see them heading right toward the slick, and they were under my boat at one point? I was tapping the bottom of my hull trying to send them a message to leave the area, no such luck. Then low and behold I hooked up with a fish, and then the diver:af: I ended up having to cut my line because I figured that was the only way the diver could get some slack so he could free himself. Anyway, he comes up and starts yelling at me saying that I almost killed him, unfricken believable. Was working that area for a few hours then I had to pull anchor and leave because all of the commotion spooked the fish.

That diver was lucky, next time Diver and fish will be landed:laughs:

Re: Re: Re: Re: Divers: Friend or Foe?
 

Um.. you're missing a key point. No one needed to move, and no one took anyone elses spot.

Divers do not typically scare the fish away. In fact, I've had big stripers swim to within 12 inches of my face mask when I’ve been still on the bottom. When I was on the move, they, along with tog would generally stay just 10 - 20 feet from me.

FWIW, I fish from shore, used to dive lots, and own a boat. BFs remark about boat ownership shows a total lack of knowledge about me and boating in general. For example, two weeks ago I shared a spot drifting with another boat that came over when they saw me pull in a fish. We were often 10 to 20 feet from each other in a slow drift. I supposed I could have gotten mad, thrown tantrums and treble hooks, and run over the guy in a smaller boat. But why get aggravated? We chatted a bit and after a while he headed off.

I suspect some here would throw a gasket if someone disturbed they're territory to within 20 feet. Personally, I try not to let others control me by getting upset.

i am a scuba diver let me say that in order to have a safe dive you need a proper entery point from the shore not all divers are like the ones you met up with

i saw a 3ft striper swim in front of me

Regardless of whether you get angry, throw a tantrum, scream and yell, or you say a polite hello, intergrate for data or anywhere inbetween.

If someone has staked a claim, be it a fisherperson, surfer, swimmer, beach-goer, or if you picked you table at a restaurant. If someone walks up and intrudes on your space, it is rude.

It has been my experience the same person who thoughtlessly walks into the water where you are fishing. Bumps you endlessly at a table in a restaurant, steps to within inches of you fishing, these people are rude. They are also the same people who tend to leave the beach a mess.

I a sure we can all come up with stories for or against any group that shares the territory we tread. The fact of the matter is there are a$$holz everywhere. And it is up the individual how they treat the inconsiderate and rude people then encounter.


I personally was very upset with a diver who didn't graciously enter and exit quickly. He and his girlfiriend with their cooler full of beer splashed around in waste deep water for 10 minutes not 10 feet from where I was fishing. Techncially, I hadn't caught anything before they arrived, but who really knows if I might have caught something. I left and moved to another spot because of this inconsiderate group.

I am not hating on anyone.

But I do have a question for you divers. given the weight of gear you have to carry and the safe entry/exit points.

If someone is standing where you want/need to enter/exit, what do you do?

you could, not unload you gear and drive to another dive site.

you could interupt the fisherman and ask them if they minded if you entered here.

you could march on thru.

IMHO - you move on to the next dive site. I personelly do not fish a over-crowded beach - regardless of whether the crowd consist of fisherpersons, swimmers, divers, or seals.

just my $0.02

Canal Rat, that was you?

i'm a diver, so far i have never run into fisher-persons when diving. the things im not sure some anglers understand is that there may only be one or two entry/exit spots in a location, where as there are most likely more fishing spots. divers are not just limited by whats visiable , but what is lurking under the water.

yea, but a diver isn't going to be sitting next to you for a few hrs, maybe a few miniutes getting into the water, and 10-15 getting everything broken down and back to the car/truck.

if both parties can be polite then things will be a lot better.:happy:

I read this thread in its entirety. I decided I just had to offer my own two cents.
I personally have never run into any divers while fishing so I am unable to verbally bash them here. I would read them the riot act right on the spot while they were in the act of messing up my little piece of fishing paradise. Now, you pro divers might not agree with that, be patient and read on. By telling them what you expect right off you are actually doing them a favor. You are making them understand that the water belongs to everyone. Hopefully they will be more aware of that fact in the future, possibly avioding an unpleasant confrontation in the future with another fisherman. If I were a diver I would have great respect for the 8/0 Gamagatsu Octopus hooks I use.
My main beef is with two other groups, surfers and some (not all), boat fishermen. The old adage, it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone, comes to mind.
Two instances occured this past summer. The first was with an inconsiderate fisherman in a boat. I was fishing a clam from shore. He was trolling far too close to shore. Despite my waiving arms, vocalizing my displeasure, he ignored me and hooked my line.
I proceeded to reel his gear to shore and promptly cut his line. I yelled to him, thanking him for the new lure. He was furious, cursing to his buddy about how he was going to kick my a$$ and such when he got to shore. I don't think he thought I could hear all of what he was saying. I gladly offered to return his lure to him if he had the balls to come back. He whipped his boat around and headed my way. By the time he arrived he was quite sorry for what happened. I figure the foot in height and 150 lbs. I had on him might have swayed his attitude. Lesson learned via. what I call shock therapy.
The surfer thing happened this past September. The surf was huge and the fishing was great. It wasn't like the twenty yards of water I was occupying was the only place to surf. There was still another SEVEN MILES of water on both sides of me that was free of fishermen. I just sat there for a while watching the two surfers screw up my little piece of paradise. My yelling and waiving arms were ignored. At one time one of the surfers actually gave me the finger. That is when I went into shock therapy mode again. I reeled my gear in and removed the hook and bait, replacing them with a 6 oz. pyramid sinker. I needed the extra weight for casting distance. While they were floating along waiting for a wave I was casting to their general direction. It only took a couple of casts to get the proper range. One got up on a wave and surfed right into my line getting it wrapped around his leg. You should have seen the look on his face when he realized I was reeling him in to shore. He had no idea there was no hook on the line. They moved on shortly thereafter.

shock therapy mode, lol:)