Any luck?

[flyvice11787]

Here I am, minding my own business, picking away at a couple of fish, and along comes this tool. The conversation goes like this:
Tool-"Any luck ?"
Me-no answer
Tool-"ANY LUCK ?" (as if I may not have heard the first time)
Are you freakin' kidding me ??? Do you really expect me to tell you??? No hello, no greeting of any sort, and you want me to tell you if the fish are there ??? I don't know you from a hole in the wall. You showed up at the end of the tide, way too late, probably so you could get a good night's sleep. I got home from work just before midnight last night, ate dinner, got a couple of hours of shuteye, and got up at o-dark thirty to catch the tide and the bite. DO YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO TELL YOU ANYTHING, SO YOU CAN BE IN MY SPOT TOMORROW MORNING SO YOU CAN CROWD ME !!!????
Rant over, carry on .

[numbskull]

"Don't fish angry".........Redlite 2008

[luds]

Harry,
Sounds like you had too much coffee and not enough sleep! I'm sure I'll have a similar demeanor at some point this year but it's too early!

I will say that I rarely ask that unless I'm at a well known spot or I know the person really well. If I do ask and it is a good spot sometimes I'll follow it up with one of the best Swingers quotes.

"This place is dead anyway"

It's like a Jedi mind trick and they leave. You have to do it with the right amount of swagger.

[Raven]

that "tool" may have had endless opportunities...

buy a boat.... and relax

fishing is for fun

[spinncognito]

Wah Wah Wah.... so someone asked if you were having any luck and it pissed you off? Perhaps you should have replied, "I have been picking off a few, how have you been doing this season so far?" That tool may have told you he had been into fish all night at ___________.

Any Luck? is a common question and if you are that miserable fishing perhaps you should find a hobby you enjoy.

rant over
carry on

[crash]

Relax, its not even May yet. Unless you have a bent rod tell him its dead and not worth the time to fish it, don't just ignore him, its just inconsiderate. I hate it when fishermen are rude to each other, you don't have to be the nicest guy in the world out there, but you don't have to be a complete douche either.

[nightfighter]

It is too early for that. Unless you fish in NY. But, if you had shown me that kind of attitude, I would have ripped you a new %$%$%$%$%$%$%$. I am done taking %$%$%$%$ from self righteous people while fishing anymore. K-bar is on the belt and a nine foot whip in my hands.

[1dozenraw]

Dam... it's what guys that fish say to each other when they cross paths.

You don't know him... he might have been out all night... I don't get it.

Heck, you can lie to him and still be friendly.

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by 1dozenraw

Dam... it's what guys that fish say to each other when they cross paths.

Exactly.

[Pete F.]

Uh oh, I always say that. I guess I could say Hello Sir, first but then again I've never let what anyone told me keep me from fishing. I already decided to fish there and usually for a reason.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

this situation is the one i am torn the most about in fishing. on one hand you have a completely valid argument. we have all been in that situation where you just don't wanna fill guys in, due to not wanting to be crowded out and the such. (this isnt specifically about you and your situation mind you. just a generalization.)

on the other hand... for most guys out there "any luck?" is a greeting of sorts. i use it all the time. (i do through in a hi first though) not because if he says yes i'm gonna take up residence right next to him. or be there the next day. i'll find some place down the beach. or as VERY LAST resort due to area restrictions ask if the minds if i take up a spot.reasonably away ofcourse. (but the latter is pretty doubtful) buuuuuuuut i ask to strike up friendly convo. i can tell if i am buggin the guy after about a minute or so and bid fair well. otherwise you can get some great chit chat in and learn some things about the area, and possibly ::gasp:: make a new buddy to run into out there.

(next part is for the sake of argument)
i mean i came to that spot to fish. whether or not you are catching doesn't matter to me. from my personal view you are in ""MY"" spot of the day/night. granted if you are there i'll move down the road a bit. but you catch my drift. cause it's the same in your eyes when you show up to fish and there's someone already there. you know you have all done it... show up see some one right in or close enough to your favorite perch. and sort of grumble to yourself under your breathe. then start running through a list of people in your head, about who might have told the guy about the spot.
(end)

however these days i have stopped trying to make friends almost all together. some chatting at the shops, (usually much to short cause we are always rushing to make tides) and this board are the only places i talk to people about fishing.

i gotta tell ya it kind of sucks. not really fishermen's faults. with access so restrictive to places these days, they almost have no choice but to be defensive when approached. but still, it would be nice to be able to approach some one and say hi and see whats goin on. (not nag the guy to death or crowd him out)

last year i met one plugging guy (the bucket patrols are usually easy to get along with) while actually fishing. ONE, just One. we just happened to be sharing a rock. (it was a BIG rock and after a 40min drive we were not about to not fish it because of one guy. could have fit 20 on it) and after about an hour or two, he was nice enough to suggest a new a spot since that spot was pretty dead. so we all went and got skunked at the new spot. (lol)

to me that just sucks. i'd love to meet some new guys out there in the surf and on the rocks. but don't even bother trying anymore due to the "stay the hell away from me" attitudes out there. i completely understand people are out there to fish. but would it really kill some people to have a brief 5min convo about fishing? don't even have to share any decent info.

on the other hand.. we all do have those leave me alone moments. for me though that has less to do with the fishing and more to due with my current attitude. maybe it's just every time i run into some one they have had a bad day?


i guess i'm just wishing socializing on the water wasn't such a frowned upon thing. would be nice to get in a few laughs with a stranger every now and then.

[Rmarsh]

Sounds like you need some medication for that problem your having.

[BigFish]

When I come across a fisherman in my travels, as a way of saying hello and being polite I say just exactly that....."Any Luck?" It means no harm and all I am really looking for is a general response......"Ya its ok" or "Kinda quiet" or "Got a few shorts".......but its just my way of saying Hello and engaging in some polite conversation. If the guy stood there just watching you Harry you probably would like that less. I always try to be polite as we do share the same passion.....right? I can on occasion be a bit moody...I have had my moments.......but "Any Luck" is mostly just a greeting between fishermen in my opinion.

[Jenn]

I agree. I have said it in the manner of just friendly conversation starter and gotten a sour puss response (or better yet just an ugly glance) Look it....I didnt ask what you were using, how, when , etc. etc. etc......If your not in the mood to share is it SO hard to be a kind human and simply say "not really" or "kinda slow" or better yet "nah just got here and you"? This is generally what I say when asked and I dont want to necessarily share any info.


This is what gets me (and not just with fishing) people just dont seem to be nice to each other anymore. It has made me not even want to say "hello" when passing someone on a walking trail, while fishing, etc. I am afraid I will get some nasty response...


Sad really....

[flyvice11787]

Originally Posted by numbskull

"Don't fish angry".........Redlite 2008

Nope, that's why I left after a few more casts .

Originally Posted by luds

Harry,
Sounds like you had too much coffee and not enough sleep! I'm sure I'll have a similar demeanor at some point this year but it's too early!

I will say that I rarely ask that unless I'm at a well known spot or I know the person really well. If I do ask and it is a good spot sometimes I'll follow it up with one of the best Swingers quotes.

"This place is dead anyway"

It's like a Jedi mind trick and they leave. You have to do it with the right amount of swagger.

No coffee, I had to get back to sleep for a couple of more hours after I finished my rant.

Originally Posted by spinncognito

Wah Wah Wah.... so someone asked if you were having any luck and it pissed you off? Perhaps you should have replied, "I have been picking off a few, how have you been doing this season so far?" That tool may have told you he had been into fish all night at ___________.

Any Luck? is a common question and if you are that miserable fishing perhaps you should find a hobby you enjoy.

rant over
carry on

I was happily fishing until someone I do not know came along and wanted me to tip him off as to whether there were fish present or not. IMO, if he wanted to know if I was having any luck, maybe he should have shown up when the tide was still running, seen and heard me hook up (just like the other guy who was there before me and was still fishing after I went to leave) .

Originally Posted by crash

Relax, its not even May yet. Unless you have a bent rod tell him its dead and not worth the time to fish it, don't just ignore him, its just inconsiderate. I hate it when fishermen are rude to each other, you don't have to be the nicest guy in the world out there, but you don't have to be a complete douche either.

It's too small of a spot to lie to someone. If he's back there tomorrow, and sees me there, it's too easy too figure out I lied, especially if he got to talking to the other guy that was there (which he was) .

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by Jenn

This is what gets me (and not just with fishing) people just dont seem to be nice to each other anymore. It has made me not even want to say "hello" when passing someone on a walking trail, while fishing, etc. I am afraid I will get some nasty response...


Sad really....

i hear ya.

i am not the most clean cut person on earth. i admit it. i can look down right scary to some people. (or like a run of the mill scum bag to others) but i was still raised to be kind and courteous.

that said.. you should see some of the reactions i get when trying to be nice. the biggest thing i get the "what a jerk" look from doing is... holding the door for people. it's just amazes me. i mean i don't do it to get praise. i was being nice. but also i most certainly do not do it to get a nasty look of disgust. had i known that person was gonna be a jerk about it, i would have felt much less obligated to nice.

[flyvice11787]

Originally Posted by BigFish

When I come across a fisherman in my travels, as a way of saying hello and being polite I say just exactly that....."Any Luck?" It means no harm and all I am really looking for is a general response......"Ya its ok" or "Kinda quiet" or "Got a few shorts".......but its just my way of saying Hello and engaging in some polite conversation. If the guy stood there just watching you Harry you probably would like that less. I always try to be polite as we do share the same passion.....right? I can on occasion be a bit moody...I have had my moments.......but "Any Luck" is mostly just a greeting between fishermen in my opinion.

Larry, I did say that the guy never even greeted me. I don't like to answer "Any luck?" to someone who I don't even know because my telling him "No" means I have to lie to the guy, and "Yes" would tip him off too much for a small spot. If it was reversed, I'll usually greet someone I don't know first, and if I get a reply, then I might venture to ask if he was having any luck. Usually, I'll wait for the guy to leave the spot and ask how he did, so it doesn't seem like I just got there and was looking for a report.

[saltfly]

Originally Posted by flyvice11787

Larry, I did say that the guy never even greeted me. I don't like to answer "Any luck?" to someone who I don't even know because my telling him "No" means I have to lie to the guy, and "Yes" would tip him off too much for a small spot. If it was reversed, I'll usually greet someone I don't know first, and if I get a reply, then I might venture to ask if he was having any luck. Usually, I'll wait for the guy to leave the spot and ask how he did, so it doesn't seem like I just got there and was looking for a report.

Have you ever thought that that "was" his greeting?JEEEZ!

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Just wear camo and nobody will see you fishing in the secret spot.

[BigFish]

As I said Harry..."Any Luck?" is my standard greeting to a fellow fisherman. Just because he asked it does not mean he is trying to learn all your secrets. Just being friendly. I won't be changing my greeting.....like it or not....thats who I am.

"Any Luck?"

[glennjan61]

My brother in law use to cringe when we would be out fishing and someone would ask Any Luck? He would get mad at me cause I would answer them or tell them what I was using if they asked. I am sure I have asked the same question many times as a form of saying hi..not really for a serious response just as a kind of ice breaker. There will always be someone who will crowd you if they even think you are catching anything. I have even ended up fishing with a guy who approached me just that way....ended up liking him...go figure.

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by flyvice11787

Here I am, minding my own business, picking away at a couple of fish, and along comes this tool. The conversation goes like this:
Tool-"Any luck ?"
Me-no answer
Tool-"ANY LUCK ?" (as if I may not have heard the first time)
Are you freakin' kidding me ??? Do you really expect me to tell you??? No hello, no greeting of any sort, and you want me to tell you if the fish are there ??? I don't know you from a hole in the wall. You showed up at the end of the tide, way too late, probably so you could get a good night's sleep. I got home from work just before midnight last night, ate dinner, got a couple of hours of shuteye, and got up at o-dark thirty to catch the tide and the bite. DO YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO TELL YOU ANYTHING, SO YOU CAN BE IN MY SPOT TOMORROW MORNING SO YOU CAN CROWD ME !!!????
Rant over, carry on .

I don't blame you. At least someone could do is say hello first. Chat you up about the weather, or god forbid, be real nice and introduce himself, or barring that pat you on the fanny, wink at you, then ask how many, where you caught, and on what did you catch them with.

One more thing, and being serious this time. I respond to that question from someone I don't know about as well as I respond to someone saying, "hey, hey you", as I am walking away, because thats the most polite way they know how to hail someone they don't know. I don't turn around for hey or hey you, and I don't respond to fish questions from someone I don't know. I will tell anyone I do know when the come across me somewhere though.

[Crafty Angler]

Hey, I was gonna recommend decaf but I thought I'd check your member profile first

It says:

"flyvice11787 has not made any friends yet"

.........

[The Dad Fisherman]

So.....Any Luck?

[Joe]

I typically don't engage people, but when pressed I'll feign deafness.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Joe

I typically don't engage people, but when pressed I'll feign deafness.

I just shut my light off and go around them.

[riverrat55]

WOW!!!
Just a simple question,which I am sure you have asked other fishermen many times!!!
And to refer to another human being as a TOOL???
May GOD BLESS YOU!!!

[wheresmy50]

Like others, that's my standard fishing greeting.

Here are a few of my typical responses when greated that way:

"No"
"A few"
"Slow pick"
"Not bad"

[striprman]

When someone asks me "any luck", I reply "no", and usually I'm not lieing

[JohnR]

I usually remain enthusiastically non-committal

No big deal really and maybe don't read too much into it...