Surfcasting and boats near shore

[Rockfish9]

This topic is an age old war, I remember how ugly it got in the late '70s and early 80's..I remember one issue on Plum Island when a boatman and a surfman got into a heated argument from their prospective perches, some how the surfcaster figured out who, what and where and sabotaged the boatmans trailer and truck.. the matter ended up in a court room.. then during the moritorium era, you could fish anywhere you wanted... no issues... only the real die hards were left and they respected each others privacy even though he fish pool was smaller.

All this is why I fish Sunday night through Thursday night... never on weekends.

I've been on both sides of the fence, I fish from a boat until October, then I fish the surf until I quit for the season... If a group of "surfcasters" are tight on a spot I've been fishing alone for some time, they are going to have to share, and in most of my experiences over the last 40 years, it hasnt been a problem, if I havent "been there lately" I'll move on and leave them to their "discovery", if the fish are there, there are usualy some close by ion a simular"spot"... if, in the coarse of the night and I'm running the last curl of the wave( via electric power) and should come across a caster I didnt know was there, I'll do what i can to continue on, moving outside of his range until I'm out of his "jurisdiction",I'll pull my lines or hold my cast until I'm past.. there's room for everyone....I dont like fishing in a crowd, thats why i have a boat... but if I'm fired upon.. I have no problem firing back... with a 12 gauge flare gun, I'll be leaving the area anyway, I have no problem defending myself....I've done it before and I'll do it again.. there is no need for beligerant behavior from anyone.. weather they are fishing from shore or a boat.....
Kayaks are realativly new on the salt water fishing scene, and few of them could use a lesson in edicate...but thats a subject for a different thread....

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and repect the "other guy" a little curtosey goes a long way....