Fishing Etiquette 101
Filed under Angling News |Fishing with other people: What should, and should never be done.
To read this in the best way possible, you need to imagine and generalize the scenarios being written.
During my past few seasons of fishing, I have had the privilege of taking many different individuals on outings and trips to my spots in the Chicagoland area and hot-spots in Northern Wisconsin. We are talking about people of various backgrounds, ages, genders, angling styles, and the list of differences can go on and on.
Basically, I have fished with some awesome people, who from just fishing or meeting while fishing, have become good friends of mine, and in other cases, some pretty ridiculous characters who likely will never get the invite to join me and catch fish ever again.
To be frank, I just returned from an unpleasant fishing experience with another individual in which I took him up north for a full week of fishing, did all of the driving, guiding, providing of lodging, and everything else you could imagine in which not a single “Thank you!” was said.
I am not a guide, but usually when I take people fishing with me whether it be on a wade to the local rivers, or by boat on the many lakes I fish up north, I usually try to be the one whose main focus is on putting the guest, or invitee, on some quality fish. Whether or not if I catch anything myself, that’s just the bonus because I know I can already do it. When being the “alpha male”, as in the person who is the leader, all of the places I take others I take fishing to are my thoroughly researched and scouted-out spots. These places are usually waded in the shadow of my footsteps, or fished within the confines of either of my boats.
Whenever I take others fishing with me, I share what wealth and knowledge I have of the sport as well as my previous success, and try to apply this into the others person’s success for the day. Almost all the time, it tends to work and we have a good day out on the water.
If you continue reading this, just remember. I am not a licensed fishing guide, nor do I get paid to catch fish. . . yet.
The point I want to make with this out-of-the-ordinary post is that when you take the time to put someone on fish, and to go on trips with them in which you are the fishing guide, there are some important expectations that the guide should have when it comes down to the invitee, client, or fishing partner.
Here they are:
The things you should and should not do when fishing with a guide or another fisherman who is leading the way towards your uneducated and clueless fishing success.
First, let’s start out with the sour stuff, which I can guarantee you will lead to a miserable fishing trip.
If I were to be the guide, below are my expectations:
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What should NOT be done:
- Never bring your entire tackle shop into the guide’s boat.
If joining the guide for a trip in his boat, the expectation he has of you is for you NOT to bring your entire God damn selection of fishing rods and lures and gear bags/boxes into his boat. When that happens, it takes up too much space and adds unnecessary clutter to the boat which already may be packed to the rim with the guide’s own various fishing odds and ends. Besides, you may be the one to blame if the boat somehow ends up sinking thanks to all of your crap.
The guide having all of his gear in his boat is a given, because he is the one who will be putting you on the fish - the boat it’s all in is his property and storage space anyways. Not yours.
Likewise, if traveling together with the guide to the destination by automobile, don’t bring or pack your entire house into his car on these trips either. Take what you will need, what is said to be brought with, and not what you need to take up space with. Consideration of the teacher and driver is key for he is taking the time out of his schedule to spend it with you.
- Bragging about outfishing the guide.
Numbers and lengths could be cared less for when it comes to the presence of being in my boat. In this case, the guide has numbers on you and that just means he is doing his job of helping you catch your numbers and lengths if that is what you are all in it for.
Likewise, if the guide has to try his best to assist you in catching fish in order for you to even consider begin bragging about what you may end up catching, it just means that you incredibly suck at fishing, are unbelievably annoying, and need help with managing the ego.
Again, a fish is a fish and most people see it that way. For me, it’s all about the experience and trying to outwit the fish swimming below the boat. Try doing it that way sometime and you may get more enjoyment and value out of the sport rather than be obsessive over fish totals, personal records, and exact lengths.
In other words, you do not know how to catch fish, and are NOT fishing for the right reasons.
- Being cheap in all facets of the trip.
Lack of compensation is what usually irks me the most at anything I do for others in life. Join me in the boat, or in the car while I drive you to the spot and put you on fish, or do ALL of the navigation in getting there, I would expect for the person joining me to assist with gas fill-ups, let alone pay for it all himself. Note - paying gas all yourself is not a requirement at any given time, but chipping for at least more than the bare minimum or half is respected and gratefully accepted by most.
The bare minimum when it comes to paying at the gas pump is doing a 50/50 split.
I have a cheapskate story that happened this past May at the gas station. Ask me about it personally and I will fill you in.
If I do all the work and furnish you with everything while you do nothing, I owe you nothing.
- Being unpleasant, a “debbie-downer”, a whiner, and complainer when something goes wrong.
On any fishing trip, any normal person should expect the good weather to turn bad, the strong bite to turn weak, and the good working boat to have the occasional glitch or malfunction. It can happen suddenly and believe me, it happens more than we may think. In other words, shit happens. Nothing I can do about it other than to fix it and get things under control in a stress-free manner. What you can do on your behalf is to not complain because on any fishing trip you should not have any reason to be like that. Usually when others get that way with me on trips, I let them know about it good.
- Being a spot whore, and casting your lines over the guide’s.
In most situations when fishing, the guide will usually be on the fish first because that’s his job; To find them before anyone else can. Whether it be wading in front of you, or casting in front of you by being atop the boat’s casting deck while you are on the main floor or in back, be courteous and do not cast over or tangle your line over his.
Ever have your line getting crossed over by someone who has trouble holding in his hormones? Annoying, ain’t it?
A fishing spot can be worked at all angles. Likewise, a boat can be casted from at all angles no matter where you position yourself at.
DUH!
C’mon. Let’s get real.
- Disrespect the guide’s office.
A fishing guide’s office may be his car, his garage or storage space, and boat. In any of these places, the guide’s fishing gear may be scattered all over the place. Just because the random piece of fishing gear is in the middle of nowhere or looks to be discarded does not mean that it is free for one person to take after the outing or trip and use for himself. In other words, STEAL!
If you want to be on the guide’s good side, leave alone all articles of fishing gear found within his office. Do not touch or use unless granted permission.
- On wading trips or anywhere, invite the entire neighborhood to come with.
In some situations, I have seen this happen. You invite your buddy or some random guy to join you at the river and all of a sudden, he randomly brings five or six other guys to join the fishing outing.
Not cool. Respect the guide who has catered himself and his spots to only take you and nothing but you on the trip.
Leave all the friends at home and bring them with next time you go by yourself.
- Hijack the boat or fishing trip.
Self explanatory. Guides plan trips for a reason. Therefore, just stick with the game plan and don’t think that you may be better or have a better idea. Have faith and trust in the teacher. He is the fishing guide, may make a living, and does what he does for a reason.
- Forget the fishing license.
Has not happened yet with anyone whom I have taken or gone with, and hopefully it never will. If it somehow happens, don’t expect to go fishing pending that the guide is at least half-educated on his behalf and does not allow you to go with.
Now we move on to the other half of this story, and it follows with this:
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What should be done:
- Lend a helping hand at the boat landings.
For the most part, the people whom I have fished with over the years have always assisted me in some way or form when it comes to launching the boat while others have just done the bare minimum which in most scenarios is doing close to nothing. Remember, the guide is the one who will be taking you fishing in his boat that is being launched out onto the lake or river. The least someone could do in terms of assistance is to get the life-jackets or seats ready, help with unstrapping the boat, let alone hold the rope and guide the boat+trailer down the ramp as it is being unloaded.
I mean, while the guide is backing down the ramp, or unloading, what the hell do you expect to do? Just stand there on shore and watch, or pick your nose while he is doing all of the work to get you out fishing?
- Respect the guide’s property.
This includes his boat, modes of transportation, provided lodging, furnished tackle, and everything that leads to a successful outing or fishing trip.
Remember, you are just the guest, or may go along for the ride, who happens to be in the guide’s presence.
- Reward, or compensate the guide in some way.
In some years after some outings, I have been compensated in some ways whether it be free gas fill-ups, paid dinners to the restaurant, invites to random fishing places and even future trips, and so-forth.
The guide takes you in his boat to his spots, may even drive you to them by car, and in some cases may even provide the lodging at his own expense.
Return the favor if you can do it over at your end. It will always lead to continued invitations, good friendship, and you may not be viewed as some cheap free-loading bastard.
Remember, on the outing, the guide does not owe you anything other than his fishing knowledge and magic of knowing where the big fish are at. Once the mission is accomplished, something should be owed back in return.
- Clean up after your mess.
Got fish guts splattered all over the boat and on the carpet, or leave trash behind in the boat or anywhere you happen to fish with the guide, clean it up.
I doubt that you would treat your own craft, or spots in this way.
- Thank the guide who put you on the fish and took you to his spots.
I piss on ungratefulness and on those who take whatever opportunities they get with another educated fisherman for granted. Literally.
This falls along the lines of “COMMON SENSE COURTESY”.
For example, Kenny Lookingbill recently took a novice fisherman to a local pond of his in central Illinois and after the novice had caught his largest Bass ever, Kenny was thanked for it!
Amazing!
If you have lost your manners, or don’t even offer a simple two-lettered token of appreciation, don’t expect to get invited to join the guide or friend ever again.
If a trip ends on a sour note like this, I usually tell them off as my father does to me when I piss him off or simply forget, by loudly saying the following: “You’re Welcome!”
If the other guy doesn’t get it, then he probably has no manners to begin with. I usually leave it on those terms and go fishing with other people who will enjoy the trips and be appreciative of getting the opportunities of going with. Those kinds of people happen to be the ones you will want to go fishing with on any given day - the ones who say thank you after you put them on their biggest fish ever. They are also the ones who happen to be the real friends.
- Be appreciative of the opportunity you get.
Same lines as the point above.
- If the guide happens to be licensed and charges, consider tipping him after the outing.
This is a complete bonus and is optional in every aspect. But if the guide gives you any top-secret information or something that is to be kept confidential, you might want to consider doing an under-the-table business transaction by slipping a few dollars into his boat or buying him beer. Trust me, it usually works.
Now we end on that note . . . . . There may be some points that I might have missed. If I manage to recollect them through my archives, I will add them to this.
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Again I am not a guide but sometimes act like one because I enjoy taking people fishing with me, and please do not take this post the wrong way. All of my views above have been formed and developed through my past experiences of fishing with various people. People of all kinds!
I just want everyone to learn common courtesy, and to apply these values into the next fishing trips you may go on with other people who happen to lead the way towards your future on-the-water success.
