this situation is the one i am torn the most about in fishing. on one hand you have a completely valid argument. we have all been in that situation where you just don't wanna fill guys in, due to not wanting to be crowded out and the such. (this isnt specifically about you and your situation mind you. just a generalization.)
on the other hand... for most guys out there "any luck?" is a greeting of sorts. i use it all the time. (i do through in a hi first though) not because if he says yes i'm gonna take up residence right next to him. or be there the next day. i'll find some place down the beach. or as VERY LAST resort due to area restrictions ask if the minds if i take up a spot.reasonably away ofcourse. (but the latter is pretty doubtful) buuuuuuuut i ask to strike up friendly convo. i can tell if i am buggin the guy after about a minute or so and bid fair well. otherwise you can get some great chit chat in and learn some things about the area, and possibly ::gasp:: make a new buddy to run into out there.
(next part is for the sake of argument)
i mean i came to that spot to fish. whether or not you are catching doesn't matter to me. from my personal view you are in ""MY"" spot of the day/night. granted if you are there i'll move down the road a bit. but you catch my drift. cause it's the same in your eyes when you show up to fish and there's someone already there. you know you have all done it... show up see some one right in or close enough to your favorite perch. and sort of grumble to yourself under your breathe. then start running through a list of people in your head, about who might have told the guy about the spot.
(end)
however these days i have stopped trying to make friends almost all together. some chatting at the shops, (usually much to short cause we are always rushing to make tides) and this board are the only places i talk to people about fishing.
i gotta tell ya it kind of sucks. not really fishermen's faults. with access so restrictive to places these days, they almost have no choice but to be defensive when approached. but still, it would be nice to be able to approach some one and say hi and see whats goin on. (not nag the guy to death or crowd him out)
last year i met one plugging guy (the bucket patrols are usually easy to get along with) while actually fishing. ONE, just One. we just happened to be sharing a rock. (it was a BIG rock and after a 40min drive we were not about to not fish it because of one guy. could have fit 20 on it) and after about an hour or two, he was nice enough to suggest a new a spot since that spot was pretty dead. so we all went and got skunked at the new spot. (lol)
to me that just sucks. i'd love to meet some new guys out there in the surf and on the rocks. but don't even bother trying anymore due to the "stay the hell away from me" attitudes out there. i completely understand people are out there to fish. but would it really kill some people to have a brief 5min convo about fishing? don't even have to share any decent info.
on the other hand.. we all do have those leave me alone moments. for me though that has less to do with the fishing and more to due with my current attitude. maybe it's just every time i run into some one they have had a bad day?
i guess i'm just wishing socializing on the water wasn't such a frowned upon thing. would be nice to get in a few laughs with a stranger every now and then.