# Surf fishing etiquette question



## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

I'm relavtively new to surf fishing for anything other than sharks, so I'm not to sure how things typically go. Heres my question, is it common/accepted practice to set up on a whole directly on top of someone who is already fishing there?

The reason I ask...I was fishing this evening east of protifino, one guyabout 100yds west of meand no one as fareastofas I could see to the east of me. This guy come walking over the dunes and stops about 20ft to the west of me and starts rigging his rod. Once its rigged he walks to within 10ft of my closest rod and start setting his stake. At this point I approach him and ask why he feels the need to fish directly on top of me. He babbles a bunch of crap and picks up his stuff and moves down the beach a ways. 

Maybe I was in the wrong confronting him, but I know when I am looking for a spot I try to respect other peoples space. This same situation also happened to a friend of mine this morning. I know people have "their holes", but if someone is already fishing there is it acceptable for them to jsut set up shop on top of you when there is plenty of open beach all around?


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## Big Ed (Apr 7, 2009)

While we have to remember that it is public property, it does seem a little disrespectful to set up right on top of someone. Maybe he just wanted a little company. :grouphug


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## ShaneLane (Aug 3, 2008)

what i do if someone is near or where i want to be just simply ask if they care that i fish next to them 9 times out of 10 the guy usually has no problem. Shoot the breeze with them you know. But for someone setting up directly on top of me like 10 ft away without at least coming and at least say something would kinda bother me. Then there is the other side like Well this is public land we can fish anywhere. so i mean i would say something. just my .02


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## HighCotton (Oct 2, 2007)

he walks to within 10ft of my closest rod and start setting his stake.

Probably didn't know any better. It'scommon courtesynot to croud anyone who is set up....especially if they are on a bite. I would allow a 50 yard buffer at the least. I am never surprised whatonlookers will say or do these days while surf fishing. Most folks are just curious.


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## Hellcat171 (Jul 19, 2008)

Everything in life seems to have a boundary. For me, 10ft while surf fishing wouldbe too close as well. 

The problem is more realistic then personal. Hopefully a surf fishing neighbor has a good sense of conditions and uses the right equipment. Someone 30 yards away can still be a pain if they dont use enough weight and thier gear rolls over yours and constantly needs to be untangled.

Personally, I like talking with other surf fishers. We share a common interest and I can always learn something. Sometimes its as simple as shrimp vs fleas.

People do get territorial over "their" holes. Fishing is so supersticious anyway. Special lures, special lines, special holes etc.

If someone set up too close for my comfort level,I would state that "I'm new and my gear is probably going to get all tangled up in your stuff if its that close, but that I was only going to be here for thenext 6 hours or so." They should get the point even if they're obtuse.


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

If they have plenty of beer tell them to come take a load off!:letsdrink


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## fishingfromagunship (Oct 26, 2007)

Agreed. I'm a cost vs. benefit kind of guy. It's just fishing. Now if they are acting a-fool and showing their asses, it's a different story...:nonono


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## mpmorr (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Dylan (4/15/2009)*If they have plenty of beer tell them to come take a load off!:letsdrink


Best advice so far:letsdrink


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## naclh2oDave (Apr 8, 2008)

Seems like people just don't get it. If I walk over the dune and see someone is there I either get back in the truck and go or at least keep walking down the beach, I think that twice a stones throw from the last sand spike is pretty safe. 

But then again this guy could come visit you. Here is a guy thats like 50 years old, I saw him walk by, after he floated by. Granted he wasn't fishing but damn :doh



















Right through my spread, lucky he didn't get hurt. I tried to tell him I was shark fishing but he was too far away. :hoppingmad


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## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

I could see setting up close (not 10ft close) to someone if space were at a premium, but it was far from that today. The guyed seemed to be pretty clueless as to what he was doing and more mad at me that I was confronting him about it. You would think things like that would just be common sense.



> *Dylan (4/15/2009)*If they have plenty of beer tell them to come take a load off!:letsdrink


Wellif he would havehad acooler with him,we may have been able to work something out!


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Life's a beach. Relax and enjoy. The one who makes all the rules looses,..........THE POINT.

Skip


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

Funny you should post this topic. I was pompano fishing Saturday. One other guy was at that spot so I set up 40-50 yards away. I drug the rake a few times and got nothing so I went down the beach to a little point. I picked up a couple of singles and then got 10 in one drag.

OK, I'm ready. I went backand baited up and threw out my two rods. I noticed the guy down the beach wasn't having much luck catching fleas. He must've been out because his rods were just sitting in the pipes.

Then he walked down the beach and starting digging right in front of me. I don't mean he worked his way down. He walked right down to where I was , skipping 40 yards of sand in between us. I watched in amazement.

I talked to him a little after that and he seemed like a nice guy. Maybe his idea of etiquette was different than mine.

A few minutes later, a 12 year old and his father decided right in front of my rods was a great place to try out the surfboard. They walked 30 yards from where their family was sitting to do this. Of course, the kid got the surfboard caught up in my line. I was amazed.


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## HighCotton (Oct 2, 2007)

You get the PFF blue ribbon for surf fishing patience this week, Nacho Dave! You are a better man than most.


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

I inform them of 'THE HEX' that forces me to fish alone. All of my fishing buddies have deserted me because my mere presence means the fish develop lockjaw. Maybe I should make signs with warnings on them? a Quarantine sign; Perhaps? JMHO C2


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## POWER FISHERMAN (Aug 19, 2008)

Being 150 yards apart is too close. 

Deaver


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## Geronimo (Oct 2, 2007)

I grew up surf fishing for bull reds at the points atFt. Morgan, AlabamaPoint and the point at Ft. Pickens . If you were 30 yds either side of the point you wouldn't catch near as many fish. It was a common practice to have rods10-15 feet apart for over 100 yds. It was also common courtisy to help your neighbor out when he had a fish on by either lowering your rod so he could step over your line or raising your rod when he needed to go under your line while fighting a fish.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

> *Geronimo (4/16/2009)*I grew up surf fishing for bull reds at the points atFt. Morgan, AlabamaPoint and the point at Ft. Pickens . If you were 30 yds either side of the point you wouldn't catch near as many fish. It was a common practice to have rods10-15 feet apart for over 100 yds. It was also common courtisy to help your neighbor out when he had a fish on by either lowering your rod so he could step over your line or raising your rod when he needed to go under your line while fighting a fish.




Fishing the point and fishing the beach is a little different. There are a thousand pompano holes, but only one point.



I think the guy just liked you, and was mad you didn't feel the same.


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## Team Bloody Waters (Feb 24, 2009)

Yes I to have had all of these problems surf fishing people crowding me, boogie boarders, surfers, swimmers and I even had a guy walk down to the beach and throw bread to the sea gulls right in between my spread.....I swear to god! I aproached him kindly and said that he might want to move down the beach because a bird or two would get caught in my lines. This guy looks at me a says "Well move your rods this is a public beach". I thought he was joking at first but apparently he brought his 3 yr old daughter to start some S#$T with me, wich I thought was messed up. So he continues throwing bread to the birds and I tried to reason with him and then I lost my cool. I said alot of things I probably shouldn't have with his daughter there but I thought either onehes gonna swing on meor two he would have a little respect for his child and take her away from this situation. After catching two birds I reeled my lines in and started covering the bread he threw out with sand and then he just left. This is by far the most disrespectful encounter I have ever had fishing.


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## fishingfromagunship (Oct 26, 2007)

Maybe he was on a pre-Memorial Day scouting trip? :bptsopcorn


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## Boatjob1 (Oct 2, 2007)

" Here is a guy thats like 50 years old, I saw him walk by, after he floated by. Granted he wasn't fishing but damn







"










I had this same thing happen to me a couple of years ago and theres a very simple fix, (Homie can play this tooooo).I grabbed my BIG rod, got about calf deep in the surf and started screaming "SHARK" and pointing about 20 degrees to his starboard........ With the trail of s*&# that he left in the water and the commotion the fishing was screwed up anyway, but I can always think about that day and laugh my ass off (0 to 60 in 3 seconds, and a wake to boot)..........

I did have a great experience last Good Friday (posted my report in the inland section by accident). I had been scouting this wash for about 6 months and finally got to hit it and it was productive (see the post). Everybody walking the beach was asking me about what I had caught, and I just pointed at the box... They told me that I was the only one catching anything (as far as they knew). About 2 hours into it, somebody (w / wife androds) came up the beach and claimed there spot about 100 yards up from me. As they were digging for flee's he stopped by and checked out my catch, and I invited him to come up. He said he would stay where he was and appreciated the invite. I told him I would let him know when I was getting ready to pack up, so he could have the spot if he wanted it. There are some out there that do understand and know how it works......... When Chris gets these PFF flags in (if he has them made), I'm going to fly one when surf fishing and any and all of you PFF'rrr'zzz are invited anytime (though BYOB ok?)..... That stuff can get heavy dragging it down the beach... Tight lines all... T


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## Fuhrer48 (Oct 2, 2007)

thats awesome... other than the special situations described about above such asthe points where there is a specific spot that consistantly holds fish.... there is no need to set up 10 ft away from one another.If im setting up a spread i dont even set my own rods up 10 feet from eachother.... UNLESS you are on a hot bite in a hole and they seem to be feeding on a specific lip of the sand or something. I think its hilarious.The piershave their googans and the surf fisherman have their own set up googans!


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## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

Well I'm glad everyone else feels the same way I did about the situation. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the one in the wrong.


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## fishinstevez (Oct 26, 2008)

walk over to your closest spike and pee on it :usaflag


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## Shiznik (Feb 24, 2008)

There is ettiquete to being way too close to another surf fisherman. Those guys in questino just don't repect others space. I have met a lot of nice guys on the beach while fishing but it is usually from walking down to where they are to speak with them or vice versa. It sometimes gets so frustrating to where you just want to call them out and find out what their deal is and why the feel they need to set up next to you. If it were me, I would cast my closest rod that they were nearest to right out into the water their line was and let it get tangled just to show them they were too close. I set up 5 rods so that would still leave me with 8 baits still in the water. The guy I sure would move eventually. As for the fleas, not sure what I'd say about that. I'd probablly just share the spot in front of me so he can have some too, but the fishing too close is another issue in itself to me. I respect all fishermen and their space.


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## sonofabeachfl (Apr 26, 2009)

I'm a native expatriate Texan. There you can drive down the beach 150 yards with ease! Here all you can do is WALK!!


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