# East Bay Blowout with Unsportsmanlike Conduct



## Tiki Bay Fishing

Took a family of 4 over to East Bay on Friday. We drifted Little Hanna and Hanna a few times but the wind kicked up pretty good and killed fishing for us. 

But most importantly was an incredible display of poor sportsmanship by two guys in a Triton boat. I admit I drifted within about 50 feet of them due changing wind direction. I apologized and quickly trolled away from them. 

When these guys got ready to leave they rigged a weighted treble hook and threw it across all 4 of our lines we were using to dredge croaker. As I was reeling in a tangled mess of lines these guys sped off the reef. 

I used this as a teaching moment to tell the 11 and 14 year old boys that there is no place in this world for poor sportsmanship!


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## Tortuga

I do believe I would research their TX numbers and post up their names on 2cool... Pretty sorry excuse for fishermen...


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## Bocephus

Tortuga said:


> I do believe I would research their TX numbers and post up their names on 2cool... Pretty sorry excuse for fishermen...


X2


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## pipeliner24

Not doubting your story but I'd like to hear the other sides story,because what you said they did sounds exactly what a lot of people on here claim they'd do if someone was potlicking them.


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## Tailchsr

Have a similar unsportsmanlike story. I and two buddies were wading the pocket at Seawolf Park. We're fishing with live shrimp and popping corks. A nice school of trout moved in and it was every cast for a nice one. Another wader, using plastic, waded over to fish the school. We continued to catch fish every cast and the other wader didn't get a bump. Finally, frustrated, the other guy gives us a look, and wades out to where the school is, scattering all the trout. Then he smirks and wades off. What a jerk!


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## bmc4041

Captain Allan Scott said:


> But most importantly was an incredible display of poor sportsmanship by two guys in a Triton boat. I admit I drifted within about 50 feet of them due changing wind direction. I apologized and quickly trolled away from them.
> 
> When these guys got ready to leave they rigged a weighted treble hook and threw it across all 4 of our lines we were using to dredge croaker. As I was reeling in a tangled mess of lines these guys sped off the reef.


I posted in another thread today that I have a Triton but promise that wasnâ€™t me.


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## Topwatersonly

Not agreeing with what they did but drifting within 50 feet from somebody? Why didn't you troll away from them before you got that close? No excuse for what they did but most people can cast a least 120 feet.


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## rtoler

I do not agree with what they did either but as a professional guide you should know better than that. I had someone do that to me the other day that shut our bite down. After he left the bite came back. i think there is a term for people who get to close to you while your catching fish...


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## Reel Screamer

rtoler said:


> I do not agree with what they did either but as a professional guide you should know better than that. I had someone do that to me the other day that shut our bite down. After he left the bite came back. i think there is a term for people who get to close to you while your catching fish...


He said it was an accident. Maybe he was busy rigging a line or getting a fish off and looked up to realize he was too close. He used his trolling motor and moved away AND APOLOGIZED. What else was he supposed to do? The fact that you had to mentioned he is a â€œâ€œprofessional guideâ€ made me laugh. Are you the type who thinks he owns the bay and expects Hannaâ€™s to have a clear path for your drift at all times. Otherwise they are potlickimg you. Get a grip dude.


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## Reel Screamer

.


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## TOM WEBER

Reel Screamer said:


> He said it was an accident. Maybe he was busy rigging a line or getting a fish off and looked up to realize he was too close. He used his trolling motor and moved away AND APOLOGIZED. What else was he supposed to do? The fact that you had to mention that you are a â€œprofessional guideâ€ made me laugh. In fact, I suspect your the type of â€œ professional guideâ€ who thinks he owns the bay and expects Hannaâ€™s to have a clear path for your drift at all times. Otherwise they are potlickimg you. Get a grip dude.


AGREE We all make mistakes. Apologize and move on. He did. The term GRACE comes to mind.


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## TOM WEBER

Will post again. My post was also deleted. He apologized. Word for the day is GRACE...we all have made mistakes. Anyone that says they have not is less than honest


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## TOM WEBER

Apology GRACE No man is perfect. No excuse for doing that to a guide with kids on board.


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## rtoler

Your right! Grace it is! Amen:fish:


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## hjm

It happens everywhere and I bet it happens more on the weekends. I had 2 guys in a bay stealth pull up less than 100 yards from me Saturday morning, run right through the fish, circle back around and anchor up next to me. They saw us catching fish and recognized me as a guide so I guess they assumed it was a good spot. Really killed my bite but there is nothing you can do about it.


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## FishFinder

*Conduct*

I was wade fishing a West Galveston reef one morning fishing a tournament. My boat was maybe 50 yards away anchored in some shallow H20. I was on some nice trout. Had a 6lb on the stringer which some guy drifting say me land. He proceeded to drift towards me and got about 15 yards away before cranking up. I told him not to get so close next time. He cussed me out and did a donut around me. Of course that shut down the fishing. That's the worst I have encountered. I have have seen a few. Ended up in 2nd place. Just needed one more bite which that fool obviously shut down!


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## beerdruid

Geez, the guy said the wind picked up and he drifted too close to them by his own admission.


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## Hooked

Anytime someone does this sort of thing I think you just have to consider what you want your day to be like. Whether the person apologizes or not, there no reason to let this ruin your day.
Something happened to us (myself, wife and two daughters) about 30 years ago only it wasn't a single boat. We were anchored on an East Bay shoreline hammering the trout using live shrimp under popping corks. Within half hour we had 10-12 boats drifting by us within 10-15 feet. Close enough we could chat with the guys in the boats. This went on for probably half hour or more. There was never an apology uttered. I could have easily let this ruin our entire day on the water but thankfully, I kept my temper in check and my daughters learned a valuable lesson about etiquette on the water and quite possibly the value of not getting angry over petty stuff.

Some of you may remember a talk radio host many years ago who always ended his program with the phrase "Don't Let Anything Steal Your Joy".


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## Moochy

As a good friend of mine says “Don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff”


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## Tortuga

StabbinFlatties said:


> As a good friend of mine says â€œDonâ€™t sweat the petty stuff and donâ€™t pet the sweaty stuffâ€


Way I heard it was..."Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's ALL small stuff"

I like your version better, though...LOL


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## Fishin' Soldier

beerdruid said:


> Geez, the guy said the wind picked up and he drifted too close to them by his own admission.


Hanna's on a crowded summer day?? Yes, you will end up too close to someone. That's to be expected out there. You are going to fish amongst the masses, expect to get crowded. The other guy is a tool.


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## FingCM06

Sounds like the other guy was anchored up. Donâ€™t be an *** and anchor on top of a reef in east bay when there are probably 20 other boats drifting that reef. Should of cut his anchor rope if that was the case. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pocjetty

StabbinFlatties said:


> As a good friend of mine says â€œDonâ€™t sweat the petty stuff and donâ€™t pet the sweaty stuffâ€


Because I know you personally, I'm guessing that your "friend" looks remarkably like you.


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## pocjetty

Accidents happen, and if a guy is big enough to apologize, I'm giving him the benefit of a doubt. Not only that, but if you have that big a beef with a guy, you don't attack his stuff. That's like vandalizing his car at the ramp. If you think that what happened is so bad that you need to attack something, man up and get about your business. If it wasn't bad enough for that, just move on. But snagging fishing lines and running off is momma's boy behavior.


That being said, you might have trolled away from him before you got within 50 feet. And after trolling away, you were still within casting distance when they decided to leave. I know you guys fish differently up there than we do here, so I can't say whether that's considered acceptable. But unless it all happened within a couple of minutes, you could expect some unpleasant reactions down this way. Not justifying what he did, but I bet if you asked those two boys they would tell you that the lesson they learned is that it's best not to drift right up on top of someone, even by accident. Which is also a pretty good lesson.


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## Moochy

pocjetty said:


> StabbinFlatties said:
> 
> 
> 
> As a good friend of mine says "Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff"
> 
> 
> 
> Because I know you personally, I'm guessing that your "friend" looks remarkably like you.
Click to expand...

&#129299;


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## BlackSpots

Your blasting him and YOU got within 50â€™ of HIM?? Your boat is probably 20â€™-25â€™ long! I canâ€™t say what I would have done, but it probably wouldnâ€™t have been very nice either. A good heart felt apology is good, but you werenâ€™t paying attention if you got within 50â€™!!!! I can honestly say Iâ€™ve never done that. Not even close


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## Txredfish

A couple of years ago, we were in my boat and catching some nice reds. a pot licker pulled up within 30 feet of my boat and threw across my line and hung on my line. I said a few choice words. He then started up and ran to my right where he suddenly hung up his motor in the shallow water. He was hung up so bad that he and passengers had to get out push boat. A really weekend idiot.


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## Doppler

Been watching this one for a few days. First it’s just fishing...when it can **** you off - quit doing it. I had a guide (mr pillow) call me in closer once to help corral a school and 4 of us sat there and chased a school for 45 minutes and caught fish after fish. We met each other again at the fishing show - real class act that guy. Second - when someone gets close to me I admit I call them a peckerhead to the others in my boat but I avoid engaging them in conversation because i always tend to get a middle finger...get a life. Third - yea you drifted too close but apologized and that should have been the end of it. Fourth the hook snagging business is pretty low... I admit I’ve gotten up close on people before I realized what I was doing, been yelled at too. I’ve also had guides see me catch fish and roll right up on me with customers. I’ve been with guides that wouldn’t shut up about all the “weekenders” - some of them tend to do this as grand standing to their customers; those were the guides that weren’t putting us on any fish and trying to blame anything they could for the crappy day. So - we have all done something boneheaded and have had the same done to us. I remind you all this is fishing - it’s not an extreme sport...it’s leisure let’s act like golfers do; polite. On a final thought - I’ve had boaters scream past me and hook up right after they pass: I assume they scare them my way so it’s not all bad. Have fun - try to give some grace and just be outdoors.


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## rtoler

I don't mean to stir the pot but I smell a potlicker or two on this thread...


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## Bonestock

Doppler said:


> Been watching this one for a few days. First itâ€™s just fishing...when it can **** you off - quit doing it. I had a guide (mr pillow) call me in closer once to help corral a school and 4 of us sat there and chased a school for 45 minutes and caught fish after fish. We met each other again at the fishing show - real class act that guy. Second - when someone gets close to me I admit I call them a peckerhead to the others in my boat but I avoid engaging them in conversation because i always tend to get a middle finger...get a life. Third - yea you drifted too close but apologized and that should have been the end of it. Fourth the hook snagging business is pretty low... I admit Iâ€™ve gotten up close on people before I realized what I was doing, been yelled at too. Iâ€™ve also had guides see me catch fish and roll right up on me with customers. Iâ€™ve been with guides that wouldnâ€™t shut up about all the â€œweekendersâ€ - some of them tend to do this as grand standing to their customers; those were the guides that werenâ€™t putting us on any fish and trying to blame anything they could for the crappy day. So - we have all done something boneheaded and have had the same done to us. I remind you all this is fishing - itâ€™s not an extreme sport...itâ€™s leisure letâ€™s act like golfers do; polite. On a final thought - Iâ€™ve had boaters scream past me and hook up right after they pass: I assume they scare them my way so itâ€™s not all bad. Have fun - try to give some grace and just be outdoors.


Couldn't have said it any better.


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## Lunkerman

Glad I don't first that water.


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## O&G-HAND

Canâ€™t wait to get my Reef Recon for Hâ€™bird. Hehehe

Hundreds of reefs to go and fish if someone gets too close. 

â€œBut by the GRACE of God, there go Iâ€


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fishinguy

Drifting up on people happens on the reefs in East bay especially if they are anchored or holding with the troll motor. It's really not a big deal. I've done it and had it done to me a few times. When the wind changes the predicable drift line changes and sometimes you don't notice until you are too close. It doesn't really effect the bite.


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## pocjetty

fishinguy said:


> Drifting up on people happens on the reefs in East bay especially if they are anchored or holding with the troll motor. It's really not a big deal. I've done it and had it done to me a few times. When the wind changes the predicable drift line changes and sometimes you don't notice until you are too close. It doesn't really effect the bite.


That's a good perspective. I'd like to think that I wouldn't let myself drift up that close, but I know that fishing styles are different in different bays, and so situations can be different.

That response is green worthy.


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## Its Catchy

Stuff happens. I don't like the crowds and dealing with that so I stay away from crowded weekends and popular spots.

OP got a little close for whatever reason, apologized and tried to correct the situation. Guy's in other boat got mad and acted like jerks.

Life is too short to get to riled up about something like this.


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## fishinganimal

A weekender has the right to fish wherever they want using common sense and etiquette. A guide of all people should never get within casting distance of a weighted cork. No excuses IMO unless its an emergency situation. But the guides deserve the same respect. Its only going to get worse because of social media reports and pictures. Somebody is going to get hurt if this **** keeps up. Its sad that there is no respect on the water and its just as bad on the lakes. I will just move on but I am Locked and Loaded in my boat.


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## awesum

fishinganimal said:


> A guide of all people should never get within casting distance of a weighted cork. No excuses IMO unless its an emergency situation.


Well .... he said ....

*..."I admit I drifted within about 50 feet of them due changing wind direction. I apologized and quickly trolled away from them. "...*


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## BlindCowboy

StabbinFlatties said:


> As a good friend of mine says â€œDonâ€™t sweat the petty stuff and donâ€™t pet the sweaty stuffâ€


I love to pet sweaty stuff.


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## waterspout

I'm fishing tomorrow. stay off my water! thank you in advance


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## fishinguy

waterspout said:


> I'm fishing tomorrow. stay off my water! thank you in advance


This wind with my t-top and needing new trolling motor batteries guarantees I'll catch you on the drift. See you out there


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## Jaysand247

It's always crazy in east bay. About 3 weeks ago several boats were drifting Hannah's and 2 guys cut right across the reef about 100 yards from several drifters. I don't get mad anymore I just shake my head in disbelief that there are people that stupid in this world.


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## RedXCross

It is definitely summertime!!


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## ypharck

*Punks*

I think they were way out of line when they intentionally threw across your lines. Besides the drift...I wonder if they also had a problem with the way ya'll were fishing? That was a form of assault. Somebody is going to get seriously hurt acting like that. Complete punks!


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## fishinguy

Jaysand247 said:


> It's always crazy in east bay. About 3 weeks ago several boats were drifting Hannah's and 2 guys cut right across the reef about 100 yards from several drifters. I don't get mad anymore I just shake my head in disbelief that there are people that stupid in this world.


That will kill the bite. It really ****** me off but I also quit getting upset about it. Usually you can tell by looking at the boaters that they have no idea what they are doing. I just move on to the next reef after that.


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## pocjetty

I didn't want to put the stink-eye on a good day of fishing yesterday, so I decided to dump this in a thread ready-made for it:

The area we were fishing yesterday was mostly pretty skinny water. The whole time we were fishing, there was this big Grady White (I think) that was chugging around in non-Grady-White water, trying unsuccessfully to potlick everyone they could see. They would run up to spot, stay there for about 15 minutes, then pull anchor and head to the next one. They must have seen our rods bent, because just as we were starting to start our wade back, they pulled up maybe 50 yards from our boat. They were so close that StabbinFlatties said he worried that they were going to roll up and loot something from his boat. The ridiculous part was that they stopped in the line directly between us and the boat, and tossed their anchor. We literally had to walk way out of our path to get around them and their fishing lines. And I realized something: _it doesn't have anything to do with whether it "disturbs the fish", or whether they have a "right" to be there. It's a jackass thing to do, in and of itself, and no amount of discussion will make it anything else._ It's like backpacking into a remote area, finding a nice secluded spot to set up a tent, and then having a group of people set up their tent right next to you. That wouldn't "disturb the trees", but it's just a sorry thing to do. Legal, un-preventable, but sorry.

We had a great wade, and they didn't diminish that in any way - we just laughed at them. But it's one more sign that our society is eat up with "social justice", but has pretty much abandoned the idea of personal manners.


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## fishinguy

pocjetty said:


> I didn't want to put the stink-eye on a good day of fishing yesterday, so I decided to dump this in a thread ready-made for it:
> 
> The area we were fishing yesterday was mostly pretty skinny water. The whole time we were fishing, there was this big Grady White (I think) that was chugging around in non-Grady-White water, trying unsuccessfully to potlick everyone they could see. They would run up to spot, stay there for about 15 minutes, then pull anchor and head to the next one. They must have seen our rods bent, because just as we were starting to start our wade back, they pulled up maybe 50 yards from our boat. They were so close that StabbinFlatties said he worried that they were going to roll up and loot something from his boat. The ridiculous part was that they stopped in the line directly between us and the boat, and tossed their anchor. We literally had to walk way out of our path to get around them and their fishing lines. And I realized something: _it doesn't have anything to do with whether it "disturbs the fish", or whether they have a "right" to be there. It's a jackass thing to do, in and of itself, and no amount of discussion will make it anything else._ It's like backpacking into a remote area, finding a nice secluded spot to set up a tent, and then having a group of people set up their tent right next to you. That wouldn't "disturb the trees", but it's just a sorry thing to do. Legal, un-preventable, but sorry.
> 
> We had a great wade, and they didn't diminish that in any way - we just laughed at them. But it's one more sign that our society is eat up with "social justice", but has pretty much abandoned the idea of personal manners.


The Olympic anchor throw is always the best part when this situation unfolds. I would like to think they just don't know any better.


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## Moochy

fishinguy said:


> The Olympic anchor throw is always the best part when this situation unfolds. I would like to think they just don't know any better.


What a perfect analogy because they had to get a couple warm up throws in before it felt right to him. It looked like they were trying to get height, distance, and splash.


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## Moochy

fishinguy said:


> The Olympic anchor throw is always the best part when this situation unfolds. I would like to think they just don't know any better.


What a perfect analogy because they had to get a couple warm up throws in before it felt right to him. It looked like they were trying to get height, distance, and splash.


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## saltwatersensations

As far as drifting too close it happens. Wind shifts, bad setup, anchored boats, multiple other drifters. Some one gets close to me no big deal. Id rather them drift past than crank up on top of the reef. I start my drift off the reef, drift all the way across then start up and make a wide circle around to set up again. The real idiots are the ones running all over the reef with their outboards. Be a sportsman and a gentleman. All there is to it. Its gonna happen.


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## pocjetty

fishinguy said:


> The Olympic anchor throw is always the best part when this situation unfolds. I would like to think they just don't know any better.


Heh. He's not kidding, they really did that. I supposed it's possible that they were dragging for a body, and left their grappling hook at home.

Like I said, I had to walk a wide circle around them to get back to the boat. As I got nearest them, they waved really big at me. I think that means they probably just didn't know any better. But that's still an all you can eat buffet of oblivious. Olympic Anchor Throw - made me laugh.

Have you ever read one of the threads here about working the birds mid-bay? The answers are always the same. Don't run right up to the school, and don't drift through them. What really cracks me up is that I have read certain posters give that advice about not spooking the fish under birds, and then turn around and say that it doesn't affect the fishing when someone does those same things in skinny water. I'm sure one of them will offer up some convoluted explanation, but we all know that's silly.


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## fishinguy

pocjetty said:


> Heh. He's not kidding, they really did that. I supposed it's possible that they were dragging for a body, and left their grappling hook at home.
> 
> Like I said, I had to walk a wide circle around them to get back to the boat. As I got nearest them, they waved really big at me. I think that means they probably just didn't know any better. But that's still an all you can eat buffet of oblivious. Olympic Anchor Throw - made me laugh.
> 
> Have you ever read one of the threads here about working the birds mid-bay? The answers are always the same. Don't run right up to the school, and don't drift through them. What really cracks me up is that I have read certain posters give that advice about not spooking the fish under birds, and then turn around and say that it doesn't affect the fishing when someone does those same things in skinny water. I'm sure one of them will offer up some convoluted explanation, but we all know that's silly.


This is why it is always good to have good arsenal of spots. Unless conditions are absolutely optimal (water movement and bait) I just leave for the next spot. I have tried waiting for the bite to turn back on but generally can get back on fish faster by just going to the next spot. The next move from these people if they see you still catching fish they try to creep over a little closer. I'm done getting mad about it heck I'll just wave as I leave. My radar combined with reef recon will show you exactly how they are running over the reef and speaking on that combo I can tell about a half a mile away how many people are sitting on a reef so I can make an early decision where I want to go.

I think outboard engines pretty much ruin the bite no matter if it is shallow, deep, birds or whatever it just seems to either scatter the school or just shut down the feeding activity. Not sure how far away if effects the fish but in my experience it is a couple hundred yards. Only place I don't really see it spooking them is ship channel spoil banks and I am guessing it is because of the large volume of continuous traffic.


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## rtoler

I always bring a bag or two of Frito chips and dump them for the seagulls. You would be surprised how many boats will leave their spot and hurry to the slick with the gulls....:rotfl:


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## Tiki Bay Fishing

I really enjoyed reading all the responses to my post. I had no idea I would stir up so much emotion among my fellow fishermen. It was a great exchange of ideas!


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