Fishing Etiquette FAILS (Don’t Do These Things On The Water!)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Boating, Fishing Tips, Salt Strong Podcast, Weekly Newsletter: 5-16-21
Total disrespect.
It’s happened to all of us on the water!
So in this episode, we have the Salt Strong team on to share some of the craziest fishing etiquette fails that have happened to us.
We even share a few things that we’ve accidentally done in the past (aka learning lessons).
If you love hearing about the crazy things that happen out on the water from googans or jet skiiers, then you’re going to love this.
And if you’re a new angler or boater and want to make sure you have proper etiquette, this is a must-listen-to episode!
You can watch the video version of this podcast below, listen to the audio version by clicking the play button underneath it, or listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify.
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Fishing Etiquette Fails [VIDEO]
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Fishing Etiquette Fails [PODCAST]
Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
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Related Podcasts:
- HOW TO FIND 90% OF ALL FEEDING FISH IN YOUR AREA (90/10 FISHING RULE)
- SALTWATER FISHING TACKLE MISTAKES: A GUIDE FOR NEWBIES
Here’s a timestamped table of contents:
- 1:05 – Meet the cast of characters
- 3:49 – Check out Luke’s new haircut
- 4:12 – The no-motor zone violation
- 6:33 – Seadoos (love them or hate them)
- 8:43 – Pier fishing rules of respect
- 13:02 – How small crafts sink in no-wake zones
- 15:05 – You are liable to damages (it’s the law)
- 16:15 – This is why you must be aware of who is around you
- 17:34 – Small crafts like kayaks don’t belong in a channel
- 19:04 – Don’t cross this line
- 21:30 – Justin’s beach snook incident
- 23:15 – Practice coastal distancing
- 25:18 – New boat owner’s stressful situation
- 27:37 – Boat ramp fails
- 28:05 – Make sure you are ready to launch when you are on the ramp
- 29:15 – Top 5 boat ramp mistakes video
- 30:43 – Do you really need a headlamp?
- 32:17 – Let’s all drift together
- 33:25 – Here’s beach space rule
- 34:31 – Stay in your casting lane (on the pier)
- 37:52 – You’re in the fishing war zone here
- 39:44 – Please ask before you cast
- 41:27 – Hand grenades and seadoo torpedos
- 42:04 – Hey, I like your piling
- 43:01 – This is how to be respectful under a bridge
- 44:10 – Do not cut off Tony on a shoreline
- 46:08 – Can you claim a spot that you aren’t anchored to?
- 46:47 – How much distance do you need on the flats
- 48:15 – Skip the docks if you see this
- 49:35 – Order of respect: Wade > Kayak > Boat
- 50:58 – Justin is a repeat offender
- 52:58 – Anglers helping anglers
Conclusion
Inevitably there will be a situation where rules are not being followed and that can be downright frustrating.
And sometimes dangerous.
So, my advice is: read the signs, take a safety course, but most of all…
Be respectful!
What are your best stories of fishing etiquette fails?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who is just starting out, needs to hear this, or just wants a good laugh, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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One of my pet peeves is when fishing under the lights on a pier at night. That guy that has two “unlimited slaughter poles” with those dead bait,8 ounce weighted, pre-rigged wire rigs that they have cast out at a 20 degree angle to each side. And he’s actively fishing in between. They’re effectively cordoning off a 40 yard pie shape of water so no one else can fish that area. Some of them have what is almost a campsite there as well. Happened more than a few times.
A lot of bad behavior at boat ramps and on the water is caused by ignorance. We could eliminate some of this if each state would give out an informational pamphlet with boat and fishing licenses. Maybe you guys could move this forward and even help write them. I would also like to see an officer at the boat ramps on the busy days to direct, instruct, and keep the peace. Some people won’t listen to anybody without a badge and a gun. If that officer could also hand out pamphlets, some of those knuckleheads might learn something.
Ive seen a person launch there boat only to watch the boat float away because they did not take the time to have the lines out and ready before backing into the ramp.
I fish the Tampa Bay and Gulf area and it seems like if you go out wading, kayak, or a boat it is like fishing with a giant magnet. Everyone within miles around will come over to the spot you are fishing. Not only fishing the same water, but within whispered conversation distance. I’ve been out on the flats and been crowded out within minutes. Miles of open flats with no boats but they had to be on the same piece of water. I could have tossed them a beer they were so close. We packed up and left it to them. Just a pet peeve.
Great podcast. I’d like to throw out some important conservation fishing etiquette as well like not anchoring in seagrass beds or trimming the motor up when riding skinny water over seagrass. Another thing that drives me insane is when anglers fish mangrove lines, get tangled, and leave a mess of line in the trees functioning as a death trap for all sorts of animals, especially birds. If you’re inexperienced, stick to weedless rigs when casting to mangroves. Tangles are bound to happen but you can almost always get them out. As a last resort, cut as much line as you can out of the trees if you have a snag you really can’t get out. These are just a few items of many and honestly I feel there could be an entire podcast on responsible conservation focused fishing!
My other tip was the comment about the headlamps–If you have to have it turned on, purchase one that has a red light setting because very few fishes have red-sensitive pigments in their retina and can’t see it. Additionally you won’t blind Tony or anyone else in the process!
Luke, you are a saint for not chasing down that jet skier and giving him a lesson in on the water etiquette. I like your patience sir
Now that I’m retired, I’ve completely given up trying to fish on the weekend. It’s a war out there – at least in the St Augustine intracoastal areas, from the boat ramps to the backs of the creeks. Poor fish. During the week, I have to contend with guides – but at least there aren’t as many of them and they usually have to hang around the holes where you fish bait since their clients are (usually) cast challenged.
So I definitely think y’all hit on a topic that everyone can relate to and has their own experiences with. Ive had way too many to mention over the years. I will never forget wade fishing one of my favorite areas in Boca Grande and two boats pulled in on top of where we were casting. There were 3 of us spread out fishing a flat. We were catching reds, trout and a occasional Snook, when these two boats pulled right in over the holes we were catching the fish in. So we adjusted our casts hoping the fish moved closer to us. The guys in the boats had live bait but only caught undersized fish, and catfish. They couldn’t figure out how we were catching fish one after the other and the couldn’t get a good fish on to save their lives. The boats they were in spooked the fish closer to us and as a result we never missed a beat, the bite was crazy. This just ticked them off, but what they didn’t understand is their boats were spooking the fish, where we were hooking fish 10 feet in front of us at times. There is no better way to fish a flat than wading in my opinion. There was nothing wrong with my boat, I very rarely fished out of the boat. It was just transportation to and from the good spots. Anchor up and get out and wade. Made some of my best memories fishing that way. Great Podcast. 👍
I am now retired and enjoy a lot of fishing, both freshwater and inshore saltwater fishing. I am also a Salt Strong Member. I worked over 25 years with the then Florida Game & Fresh Water Fish Commission now FWC. I spent over 10 years as the supervisor on the St. Johns River. I appreciate your thoughts and comments on etiquette on the water. I don’t know if I have seen it all but I think I have witnessed most of it. There are some boaters out there who are just rude and don’t care about anyone else. Not to slam Jet Skiers or single them out but for the most part they were the worst. Then you had the large cabin crusers / yachts, for them it appears most of them just don’t care about anyone else, they will wash you out of the water. However it appears that the majority of boat or water craft operators just simply do not have a clue what they are doing. They know nothing about the rules of the road, they don’t know what an idle speed is, when they enter a slow speed minimum wake zone they don’t understand what a minimum wake is, they think if the going slow bow up plowing throwing a high wake they think they are okay because they slowed down. Generally people go out and buy a new boat go to the ramp and have no clue about what they are doing. For the most part if I saw flagrant violations they got a citation and instructions on to operate their boats and not be disrespectful to other boaters. The only way to deal with the big boats was to announce prepare to be boarded and leave them with all the necessary paper work they deserved.
For the most part there is no cure for disrespect. Some people just don’t care.
Set the boat all the way down or stay on flat plane. Don’t so down and throw a big wake.