Surfcasting and boats near shore

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

Yup, that's the way I operate also, it's called respect.. I give it and I expect it.... and for the clowns who think throwing metal at someone's head is the answer..remember, metal flies both ways..

True. But tin from a 7' boat road doesn't fly nearly as far as one from my 10.5 footer does.

[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.

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by Grapenuts

HA! here we go...what's going to happen with all these new wet suiters swimming out to rocks that the beach guys like to throw their plugs to and around....you now become the boat...is it still ok to throw a 4 oz. hopkins at you in hopes you'll move else where? when one swims to a rock 50-100' out you have now killed that area for anyone else to fish thats on the beach.

Grapenuts...if I am out front first then its my spot.....I can always turn around and fire back! Second option is to head towards shore and kick some a$$!

[piemma]

You start throwing 4oz hopkins at my boat and I start throwing 9mm rounds at your head

[piemma]

So before all you surfguys get your panties in a bunch, the last post was meant to show how stupid this argument is. Just give each other the same respect you expect. It's real simple.

I have fished both ways from NJ to P-Town and never had a problem in the surf with boat fishermen or in the boat with surf fishermen. Just common courtsey.

[The Dad Fisherman]

On the North Shore it tends to happen a lot during the Fall Run when birds and blitzing fish are work the shore. Guys come crashing through the blitzes while you're casting....drives me friggin nuts.

It happens to me at least once a year up here at that time.

[MotoXcowboy]

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

Yup, that's the way I operate also, it's called respect.. I give it and I expect it.... and for the clowns who think throwing metal at someone's head is the answer..remember, metal flies both ways..

clown-no..i wasnt really thowing at their heads.. i dropped a plastic popper in a 15-20ft radious at the guys who got to close. wasnt tryn to hurt em just give em a heads up i was there too. my earlier post came across wrong. i figured they could snorkel/spear anywhere else but they didnt seem to give a s^&*, so i walked home.

[NIB]

I would like to think that most folks are normal thinking.The basic rule of first come first served should apply.In NJ we have jetty's that extend off our beaches.Many have the remnants of the longer rockpile that once was.Under the water line they extend out much further than what s exposed.Good fishing off the tips.Boaters know this also..If a boater comes up on me I will fire one off to the side.Most get the idea.It kinda stinks when I am Livelining.I will swim a bunker quite a bit(100 yds) from shore sometimes.There are still times all the screaming an waving still does nothing..I have had trollers pick up my line.
Then there is the blitzing fish thing where people on both sides seem to lose there minds..
Casting lures at anyone is not a good Idea.Those who claim to do it should think twice.Any lure or sinker you can reach a boat with could easily kill someone...You are ultimately responsible for your actions..If you hook a boater a kayaker or a surfer..
There are times ya might get plenty angry.No inconvience is worth the consequences..

[RIROCKHOUND]

I see divers in front of me, I'll be pissed, but I have a few reasons not to cast at them
1. I know a lot of them in RI. they are good guys and wouldn't do it on purpose
2. It just isn't right. You snag them in the head by accident, you aren't going to be too happy. I dont know how good you are with a plug, but, casting a popper or hopkins, I'm not accurate to 10ft all the time...
3. They have spear guns. I don't.

I fish 99.9% at night, after dusk and before dawn.
I have had one problem w/ a Yak, who came across the front of the rocks. I posted a rant here, and got a PM apologizing w/in a day. He didnt see me on mky rock, no lights on me or him. %$%$%$%$ happens.
The only time we've seen boats that close to where we fish is when they were on the rocks. Ask PIemma... he could have fallen out of the boat, and not hit water, as the expression goes...
You guys are further reinforcing why I dont fish open shorelines during day/dusk.... I'm sure there are a lot of stupid people out there in boats, and wetsuits, but I've met my share of goons on the rocks too...

[parker23]

Courtesy should be in all of our vocabularies. I like fishing alone, however, sometimes I find myself in the proximity of other boats/surf guys. I like to keep a distance that allows everyone to fan cast their stretch of rocks.

Just me...Confucious say:

Treat others as you like to be treated.
Bruce

[BigFish]

Sign me up for the "Clown Brigade" then Dave! When some tool in a boat, who can fish anywhere he would like, feels the need to crowd my zone which I was in first, probably worked hard to get to, and spent time and gas money to get there, and they feel the need to cramp in on me......YUP! I will cast close enough to let them know that HEY!, ya might want to back off cause' you just might get hit!!! Its not like I floated into their chumline or drift line......because I can't and wouldn't! As you say Dave....I give respect and I damn well demand the same!!

[ilovetwofish]

I'll add more to this very good topic.As I said earler I fish mostly from the shore with plugs.Some times boats or kayaks or divers will be within casting distance and I will yell to get there attetion or flash my light and they will usually move most people are pretty cool about it.There have been times when some yahoo a-hole boater or whoever doesn't respect the boundries,in that case I have and will again give a warning with a cast that will usually take care of things.

I also fish in a kayak around the same areas when I see someone fishing from shore I always try to respect there boundries.I have had cast cross over my bow when I haven't seen them and got the message.What really drives me crazy is when I put the kayak in at gansett pier 5 boat ramp you dont have a big area to paddle to the open ocean,and you have to cross in front of all the guys frishing on the dock and usually one or two a-holes will play touch the kayak with the plug.If Iget hit im paddling back in and sticking a knife in your leg then going to jail or would that be self defense.

[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....

[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.

[Polar Express]

well said the heat of the moment is not worth the aftermath you made feed into.

[BigFish]

Its just a warning shot! Usually a big splash close by from a plug will get the message across better than yelling......"Hey! Crap for brains......get your boat out of my frickin' way!".

[fishbones]

Larry, if you're going to throw Bigfish plugs at my boat, I'll grab em' with the boat hook and cut them off. Then I'll happily move on to another spot with my new plugs.

[capecodder]

Let me turn this around a bit... this morning my friend and I were fishing the Race Point area from our boat. We were jigging as I have for years in 20-30' of water, well outside of shore casting range. No problems...

Well, I snag something on the bottom and reel in a sinker with a hi-lo rig and sand eels, attached to a rod on the beach! These guys had used their kayaks to get their baits out further and now are infringing on the boat guys turf!

Now before anyone gets upset, I respectfully waived to the guy on the beach and dropped his seaweed covered baits back in. We were careful to try and go further out, but as many of you know you don't want to be too deep. I have no problem with this method, just had not anticipated it.

[Brian L]

Personally, I never pull my boat into an area where surf guys are catching fish. If I can't find more places to go in the areas I fish, something's wrong. Rarely when the fish are blitzing are they contained in one little area. I've been on the beach side of it enough to know that it sucks to have someone drive in on you when you're fishing.

There is one thing that always gets me riled as a boater. There always has to be the couple of guys, that no matter what tide, what time, what day I drive out, HAVE to cast in front of the boat when I exit Charlestown Breachway. They look over with a frown(as if I'm in their way) and slowly reel in their line, as I slam the boat in reverse. I couldn't care about cutting lines, but it's the possibility of the line getting into my prop and fouling the seal. Gets real interesting when the breachway gets nasty with the waves. Brother Backbeach is right, If I could have jumped out of my boat and on to the rocks the day the guy cast his braid across the bow of my boat, I'd be in prison. Sonova-B put a nice red line across my daughter's neck. A quick move with my fillet knife kept it from getting worse, thank god. I barked at the guy in every concievable foul tongue and drove into the harbor with my kid screaming. Think twice next time you think of casting at or in front of a boat, folks. Someone who doesn't deserve it could end up paying the price for someone else's ignorance.

Another thing I always do when coming back in through the breach is signal to the guys on the rocks that I'm heading in. If it's at night, I'll flash my bow light or a spot light, if it's day, I'll give a wave and circle(if the water's not too rough). I always wait if someone's hooked up. Simple courtesy is the best policy, I'd say. It'd be nice if the guys on the jetty were always as courteous.

[Frankiesurf]

My best interaction with a boater was earlier this year. I was on a sandbar in the early AM. I was getting fish here and there, not steady but still a good bite. I see this 18 ft P.O.S. boat idling towards me in the channel but only about 50 ft away. He cut me off from where the fish were staged so I was a bit peeved. I held my rod and just watched what he was doing so this idiot didn't drift into me. I let him know, without yelling because he was in speaking range, that he was going to run aground. Now within fifteen feet of where I was standing he said back "I know what I am doing, I have been fishing here for twenty years. " As soon as he said "years" the four guys in his boat all jerked eastward in unison.

Now I could have walked over to help push him off but it was so worth seeing him and his buddy in the water up to their waists in early April. THey headed in the direction of the ramp shortly after.

What I am getting at is that it always is those who know nothing about boating or fishing or those who think they know everything and the entire water is theirs because they are the "pros". Real fisherman seem to know what the deal is on shore or from the water.

[RIROCKHOUND]

%$%$%$%$ty situation Brian.
People dont think about that when they are firing a 'warning shot'
Internet tough guys.
How many have actually cast at a boat.
My guess is fewer than talk about doing it.

running the tourboat I was cast at a few times around Fort Adams. I never purposely cut a lineor cut off a cast, like you said, it isnt a good idea for the boat. But squeeze me between a sailboat, and the fort, and I'm going over a line. I'm sure there are lots of cases of boaters encroaching, it sucks. Is it worth hurting someone? is every cast perfect? Next time you fire one 10-20ft away as a warning, think about those muffed casts your had. take a breath.

Again.
fish at night in non-boat traffic areas. you will have zero problems.
If you are fishing the galilee channel, or another breahway, or a 'popular spot in the bay' you have to expect conflict.
Deal with it.
My guess is a lot of these '%$%$%$%$%$%$%$' boaters are in BOAT areas

I have more problems with light happy surf casters than boaters...

[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

[gone fishin]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

On the North Shore it tends to happen a lot during the Fall Run when birds and blitzing fish are work the shore. Guys come crashing through the blitzes while you're casting....drives me friggin nuts.

It happens to me at least once a year up here at that time.

DF - It seems to be getting worse at PI. Always seems to be when we have a decent bite on and it usually is some yahoo who you never saw before.

I was fishing a spot that normally has very little conflict last week. A yak fisherman decided to fish right in front of me well in my casting range, he knew he was pissing me off. I threw a pencil close to him to remind him that I was there. He ignored me and intensionaly trolled right in front again. I changed to a bucktail and picked his troll up. After he realized he didn't have a fish and saw me holding his gear he got the message and moved on.

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

%$%$%$%$ty situation Brian.
People dont think about that when they are firing a 'warning shot'
Internet tough guys.
How many have actually cast at a boat.
My guess is fewer than talk about doing it.

running the tourboat I was cast at a few times around Fort Adams. I never purposely cut a lineor cut off a cast, like you said, it isnt a good idea for the boat. But squeeze me between a sailboat, and the fort, and I'm going over a line. I'm sure there are lots of cases of boaters encroaching, it sucks. Is it worth hurting someone? is every cast perfect? Next time you fire one 10-20ft away as a warning, think about those muffed casts your had. take a breath.

Again.
fish at night in non-boat traffic areas. you will have zero problems.
If you are fishing the galilee channel, or another breahway, or a 'popular spot in the bay' you have to expect conflict.
Deal with it.
My guess is a lot of these '%$%$%$%$%$%$%$' boaters are in BOAT areas

I have more problems with light happy surf casters than boaters...

Since the stone was cast my way.....folks who have fished with me have seen me toss the warning shot......no "internet tough guy" here. COMMON COURTESY is the key but the problem seems to be there is little of that to be found anywhere.....not just in fishing!

[RIROCKHOUND]

Larry that wasn't aimed just at you specifically, it's the mentality on both sides that irks me.
I'm all for common courtesy, and I agree it sucks if some boat guy gets in your way. But BrianL's story above could have been a lot worse. Tossing a warning shot is what you intend, but think about what would happen if you missed, or the guy gooses the boat and puts it where you are landing your 'warning shot'. Some kid in the boat gets a line across his neck or a 4/0 in the head.

It is only fishing.
Some boat guy gets between you and a bluefish blitz, is not life or death.

remember that guys and we'll all be much happier.


I'm done with this topic.
going back to my rocks in the dead of night where we rarely see boats in close.

[BigFish]

Hi Brian. I think we are all on the same page...common courtesy is sorely lacking in these cases. I would never want to or try to injure someone....thats for sure. People who know me and have fished with me know I am all about the common courtesy and that I go above and beyond in this respect. I am surely not on the water to have problems.....I am there to relax and enjoy the fishing experience. I have had my share of run ins with people who just "don't get it"!! I have also done my share of walking away. I would hate to think anyone on here would intentionally or maliciously try to injure someone with a cast. Some of my posts may come across in this way in regards to this topic but that is never my intent. As said, generally a casual toss and a splash of the lure will give most decent folk an idea that they may have their boat in just a bit closer than they thought. After that.....I yell like a wild banchee and they will generally respond in kind and leave.