# Busy bodies



## Guymann

I like to fish in my kayak and fish the piers when the fish are biting everyone is happy. The ones that either can't fish or pay attention to there own selves want to get in your business while you are trying to fish I don't mind people talking but sometimes leave something alone and mind your own business sometimes that's a courtesy and some etiquette when fishing if you're out to ruin someone else's day please stay home. love to fish and socialize but some people just ugghh!!!!


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## MrFish

So, don't fish near people if you don't like them.


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## Caleb 850

some people can be super talkative and want to know everything but but if someone needs a couple tips id be down to help em out, but some people just seem like they dont want to see anyone make a mistake and in a perfect world they wouldnt but its a public pier and not everyone out there is as much of a expert as some


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## RedfishNone

Perhaps if your fishing and a rookie approaches trying to be social and maybe tries to learn something you should just be honest with not only that person but also yourself and tell them to go away. Everyone knows that there are people out there that are not friendly all the time and if you are one of those people it's best to just be that person instead of masking it in false kindness then trash talking behind their backs on a forum. Perhaps if they got the vibe that they should leave someone alone from the very beginning they wouldn't linger. We've all been exposed to that. You think to yourself damn he's an asshole and move on. But pretending to be nice then trash talking later causes a major loss of respect.


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## MrFish

Hit 'em with a stun gun. That'll teach them to be busy bodies.


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## Diggety

Great. Now every time I ask another dude fishing on the beach "how's it goin?" I'm gonna have to check for stun guns before checking out his gear.

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## RedfishNone

I think that some have forgotten what it was like when they first started fishing. Some started as children and were taught with kindness while others started much later. For me I didn't start until my late 20s. I was raised without a father or grandfather to teach me with that kindness. I relied on others and asking a million questions. It's not a competition people. There's no championship ring or trophy at the public pier. So why get frustrated when someone with less experience is seeking guidance. I will never withold any information that will help another enjoy the outdoors. After all it's the taxes in fishing and hunting accessories that fund a portion of the conservation. If others stop seeking guidance and lose interest due to someone who wants to be left alone then in time there will be no one left who holds an interest in these things and it will eventually be gone forever and our outdoor spots will become hotels and restaurants. So be kind and accept the newcomers because they hold the key to the future of the things we love. That's all from my soapbox.


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## ThaFish

What an excellent report. Really appreciate the info.


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## Pier#r

Here's your shirt...


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## ceci1357

I work around people all day. This involves questions and the everyday BS that goes with it. Sometimes it just gets old. When I go fishing I kinda zen out. I need to. I focus on the water sign, winds, shadows, and wildlife, including the bust body herons,lol. Then theres the drunk guy, the guy that walks up beside you and shines the billion watt flashlight right into the water where you are fishing, the guy that feels the need to crawl in your back pocket. So I kinds get the OP's point. 

I've fished the bridges for over 20 years and it rarely gets better so I've learned to bristle. Very soon after approaching me they get the idea I want no part of whatever they are attempting to do. Most of the time that works and when it doesn't I go to bristle stage two. Some of us can't afford a boat so you have to just hope that luck will give you a peaceful time.


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## The Real Amarillo Palmira

ThaFish said:


> What an excellent report. Really appreciate the info.


This is my favorite reply. :thumbsup:


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## softbutchharley

*My .02.......*

Pier/bridge fishing is a community for me. One of the times I actually socialize with humans...(no, not anti social, just don't get out enough lol ) .Recently had a very rough time at a local pier with a character. One of the MANY experts to be found on any pier or bridge at a given rime. The cops were called and escorted this character off the pier. Everyone has a bad hair day of course. I am very keen and attuned to peoples space and that "bristle"  And yes, I am a talker and overall cheerful person, but I realize not everyone wants my brand of cheer and vibe. All good and I just leave those folk alone to enjoy their day like they want. That said....I love my pier rat friends, and I believe it is a reciprocal thing. And yes.....I have 2 boats and an entire state full of fish and water to enjoy besides the pier. And I do  We live in a beautiful area of the world, and there is still enough to go around for all to enjoy. I try not to limit my outdoor experience to a 2 foot square on a pier.....Life is way too short for me. Stepping down from my soap box now.... Be safe peeps !!


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## Mark W

http://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...=296d0d4f98da464df732285802c7a039&oe=59C1836C

This is from 6 years ago. I would like to thank everyone that made me feel at home as a tourest at the Pensacola Pier, and later helped me catch my first king at the Navarre Pier.

I now have access to a boat and a summer home....and plan on buying a house and retiring in the area. 

Here are some highlights of my dumbest questions:

Number 3
Is this fish good to eat (giant hardtail)? Old guy "Yes they are great eating". The next day, a young girl in a bikini asks the same old guy the same question. "Hell no, they taste like shit". Keep in mind this is after I tried eating it. 

Number 2
12:00 noon, sun beating down, maybe three people on the end of the pier...the bite is long over. I ask the guy next to me, "Will King Makeral bite on a hartail?" Before he could answer, a 40+ lbs king shot out from under the pier and smoked my baitcasting catfish reel. It was literaly smoking before breaking apart at the seams and locking up. I'm now a proud owner of all Penn rods and reels. 


Number 1
Year #2 The first day with my new polarized glasses. I ask a 20 year old, What kind of fish is the big brown fish hiding under the Manta Ray. Within a minute, there were 20 somethings repeling in from helecopters, trampling small children, and of course pushing me out of the way....screaming, "COBIA!!!"


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## kingfish501

Mark, number 2 was very funny to me because years ago, a tourist from Tennessee watched us throwing live cigs at the old Dan Russel pier in PCB. I hel0ed him make a king leader. His Ambassaduer 5500 got smoked. He shrugged and said it was an old reel. He broke out his Ambassaduer 5000. Giant jack killed that. He went to WalMart that night, bought a brand new 5500. His next king was scream off his line. He tightened the drag down. His favorite rod broke, the brand new reel got smoked. 

He went down to the beach, told his wife to pack up, they were heading home. She wanted to know why they were cutting their vacation short. Gary looked her in the eye and said " leaving hell, we're going to sell the house, sell the business and pack up everything...we're moving here."


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## dan111213

Hence the reason you should stay in your individual, selfish, lonely, no friends, no social skills kayak. Enjoy a day a fishing by yourself my friend .


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## softbutchharley

Hell......I prolly have stood accused of bring a busy body  I take my selfish self off the pier if it's too crowded for me. LOL at the cobia related pier experience !!! I've had a few "gentlemen" tell me I could not fish in the area with a bait line where they were looking and talking and waiting to see a cobia. Of course they were not line in water fishing but they had a space they wanted to "keep clear" in case they saw something to cast at, at some point. sigh......all good, life's too short. And yes, I have had strangers help me innumerable times landing larger fish with a gaff or net. MANY former strangers helped with tips and info. Antmore I just steer clear of "bristle " looking folks. And I realize not everyone wants to visit with me lol !!! Stay salty my friends !


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## Dmoney

I will go ahead and qualify that although this is not a fishing "report", it is a report of some sort. I will report that I love pier fishing! In my 40'ish years from Pensacola to PC I have encountered all types. Butchccharley, we have to have some cosmic connection in that many times I have taken myself "out of the game" to seek a quieter, less congested spot on the pier only to be rewarded by a stray, marauding King, hellbent to destroy some googan such as was mentioned that had the Ambassadeaur's. That could easily be myself! I also like your classification of the "bristly" people. They are out there ( and the busybodies). If you get out of your boat ( or yak) , you will encounter them. At the end of the day, there is a reason they and we are here. It is the love of our chosen hobby. I can still only repeat; "keep a line in the water" , smile ( don't bristle), and fish on. I promise you it has brought more together than apart. FishinDon


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## stc1993

You meet more good people fishing than AH's.


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## johnf

I think in your most polite voice you should say "I don't like people, go away" That would do it for me. I'm a talker.

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## MrFish

stc1993 said:


> You meet more good people fishing than AH's.


That's what you think! Everytime I start fishing a PUBLIC hole, a hundred assholes start slinging weights at me! They're chipping my gel coat.


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## bryansul

I remember a personal situation a few years back at chickenbone beach. I always bring a rod with me when the family and I have a beach day. This day the beach was particularly crowded, so we walked down the beach to the Pickens side so I could cast without being too close to swimmers. A very animated and intoxicated older "Lady" approached after we setup to dress me down for attracting sharks, etc. My wife's friend was with us, (retired St Louis policewoman) set her straight. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Still not sure how many sharks I was attracting with my piece of frozen shrimp, but no swimmers died that day. Some ill-informed people see a man with a fishin pole and think we all chum the water trying to catch Jaws.


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## Andyaton

im about to be that guy asking questions in July.. ya'll can ignore me and tell me to go away, but im going to steady watch you and copy every move you make. You will get the feeling of being watched and probably feel very uncomfortable! lol .. I don't care! Im not driving all the way to Pensacola to be the only one not catching fish.. and if you like a spot and it has activity then you better hope that you get there before I do. If someone comes up to the spot im at and tries running me off or tells me that I cant be fishing a certain way, they have another thing coming. Someone might as well call the police on me right then. I fish the gulf here in Texas and I know somewhat what im doing, but with the water being more clear there, I know the species of fish are going to be different and ill have questions. I can take a hint, but out here im willing to give advice to anybody that asks. I had one friend that taught me everything I know about catching Specks, reds, flounder, and some of the other species like that around here in the muddy water. During October through December when the flounder are running I get a lot of people watching me pull in flounder after flounder while they sit wondering why their not catching anything. Not only will I give advise and what to do, ill even share some tackle if I feel it can help them catch that one fish that will make their whole weekend. Don't be selfish, one day you may need something and someone is going to tell you to go screw yourself. Like mentioned previously, people seem to forget where they started from


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## kingfish501

Andyaton said:


> im about to be that guy asking questions in July.. ya'll can ignore me and tell me to go away, but im going to steady watch you and copy every move you make. You will get the feeling of being watched and probably feel very uncomfortable! lol .. I don't care! Im not driving all the way to Pensacola to be the only one not catching fish.. and if you like a spot and it has activity then you better hope that you get there before I do. If someone comes up to the spot im at and tries running me off or tells me that I cant be fishing a certain way, they have another thing coming. Someone might as well call the police on me right then. I fish the gulf here in Texas and I know somewhat what im doing, but with the water being more clear there, I know the species of fish are going to be different and ill have questions. I can take a hint, but out here im willing to give advice to anybody that asks. I had one friend that taught me everything I know about catching Specks, reds, flounder, and some of the other species like that around here in the muddy water. During October through December when the flounder are running I get a lot of people watching me pull in flounder after flounder while they sit wondering why their not catching anything. Not only will I give advise and what to do, ill even share some tackle if I feel it can help them catch that one fish that will make their whole weekend. Don't be selfish, one day you may need something and someone is going to tell you to go screw yourself. Like mentioned previously, people seem to forget where they started from


Hopefully, you have a better attitude in RL than you do behind the keyboard. Also, if you are pier fishing, some of what you do in Florida might be against pier rules...and yes, locals will correct you on it.


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## Andyaton

its not about having a bad attitude on my part, Im the friendly guy that wants to learn the ways somewhere new. Ive been pier fishing before I know how some local people like to take advantage of people that they can tell are either new to fishing or the area, I can look at peoples setups around here and how their fishing and tell you if they know what their doing or not. Some locals/people like to tell you that you cant do something or come squeeze in on your spot because they feel like they can take advantage of you. Im just saying im not that guy and will get stepped over. Like I said.. I love fishing and will teach a complete stranger everything I know and even give them some tackle out of my bag which turns out to be money out of my pocket or tackle that I now need to replenish. Its not a big deal to me, so its people out there that have the "bad attitudes" that really get me heated because they act like people wanting to learn in a hobby that everybody on this page claims they "love" give so much grief and hassle to the person. A lot of it is greed and they don't want to teach because that might be a fish that they don't catch. So..... yeah I do have a little "attitude" towards those who claim to love the sport and act like its a chore to show or tell someone some tips on how to increase their chances. And this is the reality of it in "Real life" and "behind a keyboard"


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## kingfish501

Andyton...again, the attitude...the locals are all bad guys looking to take advantage of you. Since we are all a bunch of AHoles, why bother fishing with us? Fished the northern Florida Gulf Coast before? First you say you want to learn, then you say you know all about pier fishing . Someone letting you know you are violating pier rules...or state law is picking on you? If someone tells you a fish is too short, better listen...FWC doesn't play games and won't cut you any slack just because you are a tourist. Someone tells you you can't balloon a bait...better pay attention...it can get you booted off the pier. Someone tells you the bait you just caught is a baby AN and you cannot use it for bait...pay attention. I've fished Texas and it is nothing like fishing here.

Leave the chip on your shoulder at home, check your attitude at the door of your hotel and come out to learn, enjoy and fish and you'll do fine.


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## softbutchharley

I have pretty much stopped my pier fishing for a bit in Navarre. Stay out in the sound and river in my boat more often these days. I guess I'm just not socialized well lol !! My partner and I call it a "Lord of the flies" mentality on Navarre pier at times. I realize there is ettiquet and social graces involved to be able to co mingle....but for myself it became too much of an effort to fall in line with the free liners in a row and the newbies all over the place. Limits my fishing style and experience...so I go where I have fun. And I also left the lord of the flies to have their style of fun un fettered by folks like me attitude  It's always about enjoying the day and having fun..NOT competitive for me. I have met some of the sweetest and joyful and great folks fishing the pier. Also have come across the most disgusting, bully types imaginable. Like real life huh ? lol
My .02 and hoping all have the experience of fun and fellowship on any piers ypu may fish


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