There are alot of aholes out there. Always have been, always will be..

 

I don't fish around many boats and I never troll through any packs (on or off reefs), but some do and the reason is because it's productive.

It's all just one more example of "if it's what I think I should do....I'm going to do it....to heck with the other guy".

But you better not think about doin if to me!!!

 

Maybe there were a lot of newbies on the lake with the free fishing option. Saturday, I had two casters/drifters literally shut down about 20 yards right in front of where I was trolling. The first time I was able to turn 90 degrees and miss the boat. The second time I had to stop, put the kicker in neutral and pull lines to avoid the caster/drifter. The guy looked at me like he was clueless what he just did. So, these issues always go both ways. That's why it's always terrific when you can find your own fish away from packs whether casting or trolling.

 

The trollers want to troll around the reef for the same reason that the casters want to drift around the reefs, that's where the fish are. With so many people after the same fish on the same structure there are going to be congestion issues and conflicts. I mean if you think about it a troller could post a thread " why do the caster/jiggers feel like they have to sit right on or by the reef?" Fisherman/women are going to bunch up just like the fish do. As the season progresses the fish spread out more and so do the boats. And of course there is always a portion of the crowd that is either rude, clueless, or still learning. That is the guy that sets down 20 yards in front of your troll or the guy that barely clears your boat with his big boards and flips you the bird while your on a drift like you were supposed to move for him.

 

Three years ago, I was one of those people, but I had the reef to myself, so I wasn't disturbing others. I couldn't figure out why no one was working the reef. I had no idea what a planer board was. People who fish inland are accustomed to fishing structure and the reefs are structure. These guys don't know that walleye suspend in open water, so they naturally go to the structure. When I first started, I'd contour troll two lines with reef runners around Kellys shoal working progressively deeper as the day went on. It worked well enough to get us hooked on trolling. We'd be landing walleye around the reef and have the place to ourselves. At the time, I wondered why the other trollers were out in deep water. I saw people running mast setups and wonder how in the world they could be trolling with three rods per side standing straight up. Everyone has to start someplace.

 

some just don't know any better. then you have that 10% that's going to do whatever it takes to try and catch fish, and to he!! with anybody that gets in there way. there is much better trolling this time of year than doing it on the reefs.
sherman

 

Saturday a caster stopped a ways directly in front of me trolling and I thought no big deal just turned a little to give him and my boards room to clear and that would have worked fine right up until he casted over my outside board creating tangle and to top it off he started yelling at me......he was casting with what I think they call an erie deary

 

Any good Drift fisherman will tell you once you drive over the top of a reef most fish will scatter. That is why most of us try to only drift over these areas. So with that being said yes why would someone troll across a reef area ? There are plenty of suspended fish around reef areas to target trolling ?

 

Im not condoing the practice, but perhaps not everyone has a finder that contains charts. They may know they are in the area of the "reef" but don't have enough detail to know when they are actually on the reef in order to skirt it. Just a thought? Let's all get along out there.

 

Why would a drift fisherman casting not even within a mile of a reef?

 

Youre not serious?!? Sounds like you didnt adjust far enough to avoid the drifters cast. You think he was casting something they call an erie deary huh?? Duh!

 

It doesn't matter if you are fishing, hunting, or driving your car. Thers a large % out there that are clueless( I've been one of those a few times). unfortunately there are a small % out there who just don't give a dang about anybody else but themselves. That "Do unto others" thing.......its pretty good advice.

 

No problem A...I am still a little miffed about that incident and then the topic comes up here

 

The reefs are for jigging the flats are for trolling. At least that is how I see it. Some are ignorant and some just simply do not know

 

I'm a newbie at Erie. I would never try to be 'that guy' on erie. Me and a large boat were trolling almost parallel this weekend but working slightly towards each other. He had big boards and I had inline. I made a correction to move more in line with him. He was overtaking me at a slightly higher speed and thought that should remedy it because he could overtake me without an issue and I technically had right of way by being vessel overtaken. We ended up still being close and our boards were gonna hit. I just decided to pull in for a minute on that side. He had a bigger boat with harder to handle boards, plus I think he was chartering and I like to give the guys making a living more space. No big deal, I reeled in. He moved by, gave a big wave and shouted thanks and I dropped lines back out. Felt good thinking I did right....

That being said, I'm sure I'll do 100 dumb things this year that are no-no's to outweigh that. Some of us aren't trying to be jerks, we just don't know. That's why this site i so great. I now know not to troll over reefs

 

Ill troll the reefs & jig the flats. Its all a matter of common sense and courtesy.

 

??????????? typo????????

 

Your keys get stuck??????

 

nope just confused by your post. most would jig the reefs and troll the flats.

 

Nope, i said what i meant & meant what i said..... Ive done all of the above and they have all worked. Trolling is ok over and along the edge of a reef, and jigging in the flats works very well at times too.... One person stated that he was a newbie and now he understands that trolling a reef is wrong. I say its all alright if you use a little common sense and courtesy.

 

Guilty as charged for trolling over the reefs on Sunday. We were fishing out of my brothers new (used) boat and being somewhat technologically impared, we didn't know how to use the depth finder! After losing a Husky Jerk we quickly figured it out though. What a great day on the lake though for a shake down cruse though. Going to have to buy some wind socks. Trolling too fast. Caught a few nice eyes. Remember, we are not here for a long time, so let's all have a good time. Happy fishing!

 

I would like to applogize to the two trollers I got up close and personal with Sat. We had a grandfather and his grandson on the boat (no experince trolling) and my neighbor and I. I was at the helm and we hit a double so I left the helm to help out and the boat got off course by the time things settled down. The Capt. of the other boat just ask which direction we were going and we got things worked out, No Problem.

Then we hit a quad about 3 hours later and the same thing happend, I left the helm the boat got off my heading and the poor guy I was bearing down on sure was ready to let me have it. We worked things out like adults and he congradulated use on a quad and he wish he had that problem.

I guess if I don't have an auto pilot I better keep my butt at the helm. Way all need to learn from our mistakes

 

They trolled there because there was fish there.....

Last time out I didn't see a sign "jigging only"

I just avoid that mess after ice out.

 

They trolled there because there was fish there.....

Last time out I didn't see a sign "jigging only"

I just avoid that mess after ice out.

No, they trolled there because they thought there were fish there and didnt respect anyone else!

 

Been fishing erie for 35yrs with my dad.My father still thinks that any pack of boats on horizon are catching more fish than us.Human nature to want to go to over to other boats to see what they are doing.The ice fisherman were complaining of the same problem this winter.The best fisherman/charters I know stay out of the packs and find their own fish.Rarely does the fishing stay productive for long in a pack with boats moving around.As for courtesy......we all know how people treat each other on the road.Why would you expect them to treat you better on the water.

 

Ive been fishing erie for 50+, there is less courtesy shown out there than on our roads.

 

Well like so much other stupid stuff that goes on while fishing Erie, they do because they can. And its always better where others are fishing. Happens all year long. Every time we get into perch or walleye other boats get thick. Most times we move on and find more. To many guys think an anchored bunch of boat means fish. Or several boats trolling a pattern does. I have fished with them. LOL! But always more fun to find my own. As Im a good fisherman and dont really need handouts. LOL!

 

Ethics in the outdoors in general is on the decline. Everyone sees the TV shows where it is all about the kill and the trophy and gets crazed. If you have the opportunity to take a youth make sure you instill that fair treatment of the game you pursue and your fellow outdoorsman is far more important than a limit of fish or a boomer buck

 

Its not the out doors its the USA! Morals, common sense and ethics are not at all common. As for the rest, to many Erie fishermen are a lot of non boater who read news and posts and want to go up. They buy a boat and hit Erie never being on a lake before. I'm beginning to think their needs to be a common sense test to allow a man to run a boat on Erie. See to many boats overloaded with people especially kids and no life preservers. Or 6-8 people in a small 14-16 foot boat with a .9.9. Many without the need safety gear and not understanding Erie weather or waves. I do believe its a stretch to believe these people should understand boating courtesy let alone why we fish the way we do. Erie kills many first timers or recent started boaters. Maybe its just too much to expect them to learn first! ;(

 

Couple years back we were jigging on a windy day and using the I-pilot anchor lock to hold us. A big ol rig came roaring up in front of us turned sideways and began their drift. As he got closer I could see he was coming towards me and I alerted him with a good morning doing any good as his back was turned towards me. He glanced at me and turned back around continuing his path towards me. If it wasn't for my buddy in the back of the boat pushing off on his motor he would have undoubtedly rammed me. As he drifted away he gave me the old "it's a big lake, go somewhere else" greeting. Yes I could have unlocked the motor and moved aside but felt it was his responsibility to move but then his boat was bigger than mine. Love it out there sometimes.