Any luck?

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by piemma

So let me inflame the conversation.


I told him to get the #**^&% off of my rock.

?

Piemma, first let me say as a newbie to this site, I have learned a lot from your posts. Fatherhood forced me to recently switch from the boat to the surf, so I have a lot to learn.

You asked for comments on your story. Different people have different levels of tolerance, and situations are different. When I first started in the surf, I hit the Quonnie breechway on a Wednesday night at 1 AM. I was the only one there. All of a sudden a few more guys show up. Why can't I tell THEM to get off my rock?

I guess you could have used it as a learning situation for that guy, and politely explained to him the courtesy surfcasters are expected to show on eanother. I'm new at this, and I fish alone most of the time, so I can certainly see the possibility where I'm doing something that an experienced surfcaster might not like. If that's the case, I welcome any insights and tips on how to improve. Constructive criticism is fine.

With all due respect, if your first reaction was to tell me to get the ^*%$@# of "your rock", I would politely reply, "or what"? You're seriously going to take a swing at me over a public fishing spot? You're seriously willing to hurt me, get hurt yourself, get arrested, get sued, over a fishing spot?

Lots of internet chest-thumping on this topic. I can't believe so many of you are that confrontational. Not typical of my experience, where boaters and fisherman have shown to be friendly, helpful, and laid-back. I'll chalk it up to being internet tough guys, I hope that's what it is...or I sure don't belong here.

[piemma]

Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

You have to understand where I was and the time in the morning and the fact that there are 30 other spots to fish within 100 yards of where I was standing. You also need to understand that this guy waded through water, for a considerable distance, to get to me. He could see that it's one rock about 6 feet across and there is only room for one guy.

If he was wise he would have gone right by me as surfcasters are a solitary lot. If I wanted a fishing partner RI Rockhound or Nebe or JoeP would have been with me.

No, I wouldn't have gotten violent. If he didn't leave I would have calmly reliquished my spot to him, waded back to land and then shined my light on him for the next hour.

If you think that surf casting is a team sport you probably shouldn't be here. 30 years ago when we were market hunters and sold fish for serious money it would have been a different story. Ask some of the old guys about the days on The Back. The sharpies "carried" and it was war if there was encroachment.

Sorry you didn't like my reaction. I would be interested to see yours, in the same situation.

Suppose you were in your boat and a clown pulled up withing 10 feet of you. Would you offer him coffee and pleasantries or would you tell him to *&&%#$ off?

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by piemma

Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion.


Sorry you didn't like my reaction. I would be interested to see yours, in the same situation.

Suppose you were in your boat and a clown pulled up withing 10 feet of you. Would you offer him coffee and pleasantries or would you tell him to *&&%#$ off?

First, as I explained, I was in that exact situation at Quonnie. I'm by myself, and all of a sudden these guys are right on top of me. I'm a very laid-back, non-confrontational guy, so I politely asked why they were gathering around me (as I said, it was my first time there). They explained the rotation, and I was fine with it, as I have never felt comfortable calling "firsties". If I'm in a spot, and someone else who can only fish once a week, drives for 3 hours to get to that spot, I'll accommodate him if I can.

In the boat, it has hapened many many times. The fish erupt right where I happen to be, and everyone comes zooming over. When it stops being fun, I move to somewhere where I can enjoy myself.

I'm out there to relax, recharge the batteries, and have fun, not to get in a fight. I did 2 tours in Iraq, I know what's worth fighting over, and what's absolutely not worth getting upset about.

Sorry if I assumed you were leaning toward violense. Get the $%@$ off my rock sounds like a threat to me.

I gather you bought a boat recently. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I felt like someone cut a piece of my heart out the day I sold it, and I look forward to guying another once the time is right.

Fair winds and calm seas, and thanks for all the advice you give,

Jim

[snake slinger]

nobody expects to be alone on a breachway but if someone tried to get on a rock i waded out to would get the same response from me that paul gave them

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Lots of internet chest-thumping on this topic. I can't believe so many of you are that confrontational. Not typical of my experience, where boaters and fisherman have shown to be friendly, helpful, and laid-back. I'll chalk it up to being internet tough guys, I hope that's what it is...or I sure don't belong here.

Nahh, Jim it's okay - ya don't have to go anywhere, surfcasters are just a different breed as opposed to their boating brethren that you're more used to -

For the most part, it's posturing, not unlike Gorillas in the Mist...

Of course, the threatening old silverback could be piemma...



This is from The Hibernian Center of Comparative Zoology:

"Surfcasters - like the rest of the simian world - can be fiercely territorial when provoked.

While the younger male surfcasters are gregarious and known to travel over a broad range in larger groups, the older male specimens often become solitary in their search for prey and tend to frequent a much smaller area

Ordinarily quiet and focused in their nocturnal search, they can become quite agitated if surprised or provoked and should be approached with caution in the wild.

Little else is known about the species given the difficulty of studying them without alerting them to the presence of the observer."




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