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Seems to me there is some tradition to being a hard man jerk out there. A law of the jungle primal type of thing. Almost sexual. You defend your turf and intimidate the upstarts. Drive off the challengers to your harem. The bigger and meaner the better.
It becomes almost expected of fishermen as they reach their peak, the act of intimidating or humiliating others as a sign and privilege of what you have "earned". A tradition that becomes an accepted behavior for the very best fishermen, and one that many up and comers are quick to emulate as they seek status and self-approval through the sport.
I note a strong tone of this in many magazine articles (C Soares in particular) as well. The talk of charter guys running others into the stones, all part of the initiation to the sport, and fair play once you've earned your place. I think it has close parallels to hazing and bullying in other phases of life. I think many of us buy into it at some point in our fishing lives.
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