Can Fishing Bring Out the Worst in You?

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by numbskull

The deleted thread was interesting. Two guys who know each other. One gets to a spot first. The other is put out and gets nasty. Things escalate. Friendship's get ruined. We all sympathize with the victim, but I suspect most of us have been on the other side to some degree or the other. Let's have a poll and come clean.

Things definatly change.. that's for sure... "friends" tend to get a little more secrative if not down right testy...this seems to happen more when you have to work a little harder... I have a life long friend who is retired , thus he has more time on his hands than I do( yes I'm jealous)... he seems to make a habit of calling when he's finding it tough for bass ( or cod and haddock for that matter)... he and I fished together for years, he knows a good deal of the places i fish, he just does not want to invest the time and fuel to go and try them... , since his retirement, he no longer fishes with me, but when he can't find fish during the day, he'll check my boat for evidence ( blood ,scales,flies, general disorder etc.) knowing that i wont wash it or stow anything when I get in @ 2Am and need to leave for work @ 6:30 the next morning.. then the calls begin...at this point, I haven't heard from him since mid winter when he sends me pictures of all the trout he is catching ice fishing while I'm at work ( an invite to join in on the fun is never made)...at that point i have no choice but to LIE about the bass fishing.. because if i dont, he'll be in my way next time, more than likely with a buddy ( kid on the dock too lazy to get a real job and THINKS he's going to get rich selling stripers )... most people that know me learned a long time ago not to ask, I just think he feels entitled... I normaly dont tell anyone ( well maybe one trusted friend, because they haven't invented a torture nasty enough to get him to talk) or ask anyone whats going on one way or the other.. it keeps things peacefull... if the area i want to fish is conjested... I'll move on.. i like running the only diner in town... I just dont want to be forced out by someone i know.. it's a big ocean.. I'll find more fish.. sometimes just not as close...

Recently a member here PM'd me about fishing together, he's a real good guy... but i declined because he fishes out of a Kayak... I still have a few places that are a 'yak free zone, i told him i want to keep it that way.... I felt bad, I truely did.. but I knew, if I took him to the spots that were hot at the time... I'd have a armarda of 'yaks there the next time I wanted to fish.. been there done that..... so.. the moral of the story is.. when it comes to fishing ( bass fishing in specific) I'm just another S.O.B. on the water....