Five Tips to Become a More Courteous Fisher

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Before you head out on your next fishing trip, it will pay to know some of the rules of common courtesy. If you’ve been noticing other fisherman glare at you while you’re out and don’t know why, it’s possible you may have been violating some of the unwritten rules of fishing – or even some local laws. To make sure that you are more courteous the next time you’re out looking for Muskie, here are some rules of common courtesy you’ll want to follow.

1. Give other fishers their space. Fishing is often a territorial sport, so if you crowd another fisherman or bring your boat too close to theirs, you’re being obnoxious. You’re also being dangerous, as you want to keep plenty of space between each boat. Some potential consequences to fishing too close together can include scaring away the fish they were trying to catch and creating a wavey wake that throws the other fisherman off their balance. Be sure to keep your distance.

3. Throw a few back. Don’t come into their lake and catch up all the fish. You might think this makes you look good in front of other fisherman, but they’ll only resent you for showing them up. Be sure to throw a few fish back – including some large ones if you have caught some already – to keep the sport in the area alive.

4. Respect the professionals. If you’re in an area where there are professional fisherman around, be sure to give them plenty of space out of respect for their livelihood. This doesn’t always apply to inland lakes, but in coastal areas, you’ll see a lot of commercial fishing boats and you don’t want to get in the way of them and putting food on their family’s table.

5. When in doubt, think. If you’re getting glares, ask yourself, “would I be annoyed if I were them?” Try to put yourself in their shoes and see if your behavior’s been obnoxious. You can’t please everybody all the time, but you can work to be more thoughtful.

Photo Credits: bugeaters