Surfcasting and boats near shore

[Back Beach]

Been on both sides of the equation. Was passing through C'town breachway one time w/my brother and people were casting right across our bow. One nearly decapitated my 6 year old niece with his braided line. We did share words but moved on.
One the flip side, I’ve had people in boats pile on top of fish we were working from shore on the cape. It sucks, but get over it.
In all honesty, only a complete a$$hole would cast an object at another person. If there’s a bad situation brewing, simply move on. No need to escalate over a lousy fish.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Been on both sides of the equation. Was passing through C'town breachway one time w/my brother and people were casting right across our bow. One nearly decapitated my 6 year old niece with his braided line. We did share words but moved on.
One the flip side, I’ve had people in boats pile on top of fish we were working from shore on the cape. It sucks, but get over it.
In all honesty, only a complete a$$hole would cast an object at another person. If there’s a bad situation brewing, simply move on. No need to escalate over a lousy fish.

I think it is completely a matter of mobility. That surf guy may have had to deal with a few mile hike with all his gear and getting into those fish is the reward for all his effort. In order to "simply move on" for a shore fisherman, that may involve a 30 minute hike that puts him maybe a mile away and tired from lugging his gear again.
On the other hand, a boater can easily just put the boat in gear and more than likely find more fish some where else. It has been said here many times that boat fishing is easier than shore fishing and I think that's exactly the reason why the tin flies.

However, this all pertains to boaters that feel the need to roll up on a school with blatant disregard. I see no reason why they can't just work from the opposite side of the school. No disruption to the fish, and tight lines for everyone.

[Rockport24]

yeah kayakers can do that too, which is annoying because it's like, why get a kayak if you can just fish it from shore anyway? I have kayaked around some of my favorite surf spots, but I was very aware to stay clear of anyone casting, that said, it's easy to forgot too and think you're the only one around, most of the time now if I kayak it's in an area inaccesable from shore, because isn't that the point? the north shore has miles and miles of rocky coast line that is private and thus inaccesible, so you can kayak or power boat as tight as you want to shore without any issues, no need to be on top of people

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

However, this all pertains to boaters that feel the need to roll up on a school with blatant disregard. I see no reason why they can't just work from the opposite side of the school. No disruption to the fish, and tight lines for everyone.

In my experience, boat vs. boat or shore vs. shore conflicts are much more commom than boat vs. shore or vice versa. I rarely, if ever run into boats when surf fishing. When I boat fished alot, I rarely ran into surf men. The best thing about the loss of vehicle access on the cape was the lack of yahoos tracking you down with their headlights deep in the night. This made the fish more difficult to access, but there were fewer conflicts as you were usually alone.

Oh yes, to answer the original post.....use good judgement and if you're going to cast something at someone, use an unweighted sluggo.

[Circlehook]

Are boat conflicts that serious of an issue at 2 or 3 am? I could see at noon on a Jetty on a Saturday in July, but not in the middle of the night.

[Mr. Sandman]

I disagree, This target practice you preach is where the problems begin. IMO you cross the line when you try to hurt someone or harm property.

[fishaholic18]

"This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me?"

[Squid kids Dad]

This thread is even being talked about on another board by a former member...Get over it on both sides

[Got Stripers]

If you think that crap is isolated to shore fishing think again. I can't count the number of times I've been fishing isolated structure, only to have guys come right on top of me, drop anchor and start flinging their chunks right on the structure I'm fishing. No offense to you charter guys, but I'd say in my personal experience, they are the worst offenders. Not sure why that is, maybe it's the pressure to put their clients on fish and it matters not who was on the spot first.

[BigFish]

Its because they feel they have more of a right to it than you do Bob! Its called ignorance!

[Blitzseeker]

At night I think you have to give boaters the benefit of the doubt that they don't know you're there onshore, though they certainly should know the beach is nearby and be mindful of that anyway. I would never cast near a boat at night.

If the light is coming up, and they can clearly see you onshore casting into the water without any doubt and you were there first, and you're not in a heavy boat traffic area like a breachway, then I can't see how any rational human being would say the boat shouldn't stay out of your casting range. Those are the situations where I adhere to the "warning shot" methodology of making sure they see my lure hit the water right nearby. That always snaps them out of it and moves them along. The frequency with which that happens convinces me that the boaters know they were pushing the envelope too far and are out of bounds....I've never had anyone yell in at me from a boat when I splashed one down near them in daylight. In most things in life, quiet departure by one party during a disagreement means the quiet departing party knows they f'ed up.

[redlite]

I have hemmed and hawed about posting this cause every time I talk about it I start foaming in the mouth. will try and explain this as Politically Correct way without giving too many details or swearing.
lately I have been paying a boat to take me to fish a particuar island, drop me off to comm fish, then pick me up in the morn. it is a very, very long walk to where I fish. I then swim out to rock. now last week when I was there, using my headlght very openly, bailing fish, about 10 pm a boat comes putting in to just out of casting range with an eel, drops anchor, and starts to fish. FISH GONE. I yell at him, be the better man, swim my fish in hump em to my drop point. come back, boat is gone. swim back out, start bailing fish and along comes arsewhole again, putts in again, drops anchor again. not another fish rest of night. man was I PIZZED.
so this weekend I bring young Maximilius with me. Get out to spot, swim out, 3rd cast hook up to a decent fish, and while I am fighting fish, you can guess what happened....the same Douche Bagalow comes along, drops anchor so close to us that we had to hold our eel casts so as not to put them in the boat. I think people could hear the f' bombs from Maximilius on the main land. we moved twice more and they kept doing it. the thought of swimmin out with a bag of rocks crosses my mind.
now a couple of notes. both times I was shining my light at them and asked them politely to move. then the other night it was bright it was bright as day. I can understand that when comm fishin and $s come in to mind all courtesy goes out window. but when you have a boat you can go everywhere. why park where a shore guy is casting to, regardless if I am swimming out. if I was a boat, would they do it? probably. another note a very close friend of mine knows the guy and says that's how he operates. well, a lot of things have crossed my mind of what I am capable of and about how I am going to react when said Douche Bagalow does it to me again. hopefully it won't

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by redlite

I have hemmed and hawed about posting this cause every time I talk about it I start foaming in the mouth. will try and explain this as Politically Correct way without giving too many details or swearing.
lately I have been paying a boat to take me to fish a particuar island, drop me off to comm fish, then pick me up in the morn. it is a very, very long walk to where I fish. I then swim out to rock. now last week when I was there, using my headlght very openly, bailing fish, about 10 pm a boat comes putting in to just out of casting range with an eel, drops anchor, and starts to fish. FISH GONE. I yell at him, be the better man, swim my fish in hump em to my drop point. come back, boat is gone. swim back out, start bailing fish and along comes arsewhole again, putts in again, drops anchor again. not another fish rest of night. man was I PIZZED.
so this weekend I bring young Maximilius with me. Get out to spot, swim out, 3rd cast hook up to a decent fish, and while I am fighting fish, you can guess what happened....the same Douche Bagalow comes along, drops anchor so close to us that we had to hold our eel casts so as not to put them in the boat. I think people could hear the f' bombs from Maximilius on the main land. we moved twice more and they kept doing it. the thought of swimmin out with a bag of rocks crosses my mind.
now a couple of notes. both times I was shining my light at them and asked them politely to move. then the other night it was bright it was bright as day. I can understand that when comm fishin and $s come in to mind all courtesy goes out window. but when you have a boat you can go everywhere. why park where a shore guy is casting to, regardless if I am swimming out. if I was a boat, would they do it? probably. another note a very close friend of mine knows the guy and says that's how he operates. well, a lot of things have crossed my mind of what I am capable of and about how I am going to react when said Douche Bagalow does it to me again. hopefully it won't

Most normal people would have been fuming also
I got aggrivated just reading it
good luck with that
if you can show restraint, you're a better man than I.
if that is his M.O. , he is just begging to learn a lesson is what it sounds like to me, that is just evil what the no class douchebag did.
As long as it's open water, that stuff will happen I guess. don't make it right but.....

[BigFish]

Redlite....I will go with you! He will bother you no more!