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I think the vast majority of us try to be friendly and even accomodating when fishing. Especially on the ice, where it's pretty easy to visit with others. But here's something that happened to myself and 3 others at East Canyon a few weeks ago, and it still makes me shake my head:
We were using a method we've tried when fish are moving a lot, but staying in a general area. After punching 7 or 8 holes in about a 30-foot by 30-foot space, were were hole hopping our way from one spot to another, carrying a pole and a Vexilar. If we saw fish we immediately dropped a jig, and most of the time got a rainbow or two before the screen went blank and we moved again. If nothing appeared, we'd only jig for a minute or so to try and bring something in. Then we'd move on again. This went well for about 2 hours, when all of a sudden a couple of guys who had been out much deeper than us began to head our way. They walked right in with their sleds, and promptly parked themselves on 2 of the holes WE HAD CUT AND WERE ACTIVELY FISHING!
They never said a word. I couldn't help but mutter, "Gee, I hope we're not in your way." All we got was a dumbfounded glare. Amazing. So we just kept up our movement with the remaining holes, icing another half-dozen or so 'bows before things slowed down at about 1:00. We then decided to pack up and go on to the house. During our time there, these clowns didn't catch anything. But I kept waiting on one to ask to use a fish-finder or something. I'd have lost it if that had happened.
[mad]
So is it just me, or is that pushing the envelope ridiculously too far? I mean, what would you have done in my place? Or what should I have done?
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Kick'em right in the icehole. hehe .. I think I would politely ask them why they chose to park them selves in my holes.
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Hm... That is pretty strange. Is there a chance the clouns didn't realize that you were actively fishing the two holes and thought that someone fished them and moved on w/o coming back? Just a guess...
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[  ]I agree that they pushed it too far. unfortunately some people are just what my wife and I call socially unconscious. they think only of themselves and not how it affects others. their task at hand is all that matters on this planet, etc. with that said, I also think you made the right choice over not pushing it any further. A few fish are not worth getting killed over (did I just say that?!!). it sounds like you kept catching, even with the interuption and getting into a fight on the ice would not have accomplished much more than what you said. sounds like they knew you were affected and if they really cared, they would have said something, apologized, and moved a little. But a completely agree, the frustration factor is still there in full force. at least you were catching. just my two cents worth.
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ive had people troll right up next to me in my boat before. i usually tell them their is room in my boat for them. this comment usually gives them the idea and they move on. last year at strawberry a guide boat, with a father/son client, came real close to us. they trolled along side of us for quite a while. instead of commenting, we just continued to catch fish. we caught kokes and cutts as fast as we could get our riggers down. they caught nothing. they stayed along side of us for a while, but the guide must of gotten embarassed and they finally moved on.
after that experience, i realized that the best thing to do isnt to make smart A comments, but to just simply outfish them! you did the right thing, and im sure you humbled them big time!
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Not sure that I would have been able to keep my mouth shut as well as you did. On several occasions, I have invited anglers to drill a hole within 5 feet of me (if I am catching fish and they appear to be new to ice fishing and are struggling); however, to have them just take over two of your active holes, without you inviting them to do so is extremely rude of them.
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I definitely would have made it clear those were my group's holes and that we were actively fishing them. If that didn't do the trick, then you have some additional decisions to make. At least the fish gods cooperated and kept the fish off their lines!
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[black][size 3]Maybe they are from California and assumed that these holes just appear LOL[/size][/black]
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Hole hopping. I think thats a great idea. I have cut a lot of holes and moved camp a lot and sometimes end up back at hole that had produced earlier, but not really hole hopped. If the hole were a long distance from where someone was fishing and I was just heading out on the ice I might be guilty of using anothers holes. If, and I do mean if, the holes they were in the area I was going to start fishing. But if I thought The holes were actively being used that would be a different story. There is a lot of ice but I don't feel like someone should homestead a whole area. I would most likely think they thought they weren't being used and just drill a couple more wholes in the area and give them the benefit of the doubt. Happy fishing.
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SOME FOLKS JUST HAVE NO KOOTH. BUT YOU DID THE POSSITIVE THING.
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That's a little harsh Flygoddess. Not all of us from California are that dumb.[crazy]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Just kidding there waterat[  ] Just like we get called Utards. Out of towners are always the blame LOL[/size][/black][/font]
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I thought we were SL UT's (Salt Lake UTah). Maybe they felt it was ok to just dip their rod in old ice hole. shame on them!!
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To keep this from happening again, you may want to leave something at the holes while you are moved to another spot.
This wopuld make it easy for you to let others know that you are still using them.
We had some dinks come to where we were fishing and surround my son, because he was catching fish. He showed them though, because he kept catching fish and their group of 7 only iced one small trout.
They never did get it!
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WOW!
I would have said something them. It might have been a simple question like "do you know those are our holes?" but I surely wouldn't have let them take over my holes.
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If that had happened to me as you described it or when the son was pressured I would have said somthing smart, I'm sure, but thats just me.
I have a hand auger and it's a rare day I can punch 7 holes in the ice. You'd see the red and white helicopter on about #5.
Next year when I have a new power auger I plan on punching lots of holes. One at a time to find the fish, then a dozen or so to fish from. I'm a social fisher and even more so ice fishing. So if you see me over at one of my holes slaying them, just ask first. I will say yes, but like Jack Nickolson said to Tom Cruise, in A Few Good Men"But you have to ask me first" or something like that.
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[reply]
"unfortunately some people are just what my wife and I call socially unconscious" [/reply]
That's a good way to describe many of those we rub fishing elbows with-
I'm often amazed at the epidemic of "potty mouth" you run into while on the ice. I assume most don't realize how far their voice carries in the cold mountain air... much too often while with family or a group of scouts we are flooded with a string of "F" bombs and otherwise extreme language floating our way from nearby "sportsman"- many I've been forced to confront and all have been apologetic...
Let's all work to keep our playgrounds clean ... PB
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Congrats on showing so much restraint. I think I would have had to let them know in no uncertain terms that those were my holes and I would like to have them back. I also would have offered them the use of my hand auger to drill their own.
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I know the feeling. Just last weekend, my bother in law and I were fishing East Canyon sitting in our tent and I was catching fish one after another. I was throwing some fish out the tent door for the smoker and I heard somebody drilling a hole. I thought it was my nephew trying to get closer to the action. I looked out the door to find some guy with his buddies drilling some less than 10' away from the tent door. I just looked at them and shook my head. I zipped up the door and threw more fish out just to get to them. They were there about two hours and didn't catch anything. By the looks of their fishing gear and bait they were definatley begginers .
If they would have just asked or said something I would have been happy to show them the ropes.
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That reminds me of a time over 30 years ago when a guy practically wedged himself between my brother and I while trout fishing from the bank. We continued to knock 'em dead and catch our limits while the "intruder" got skunked. That actually made it more funny and memorable.[laugh]
I'll bet you'll always remember your day too, and laugh. So thank the thoughtless guys that used your holes.
My wife recently told me, "you cannot control the actions of others, but you can control how you react, and if you let it upset you - or not."
I get upset myself when I'm fishing from the bank, and some clown in a boat continually paddles or trolls right over my line. If they stay long, I will reel in and cast right next to their boat. So, I guess we all have our pet peaves. I don't dislike boaters, just dumb [crazy]inconsiderate fishermen. Of course, we're preaching to choir on this site, since I'm sure we're all good sportsmen here. [angelic]
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