learn wreck etiquette please

[baadbobby]

So, opening day of Sea Bass, Saturday May 22, 2010, I head out by myself hoping to nick a few keepers on the African Queen reef site. I had no plans to hit the Queen herself, but with just me, I hoped to hit a few of the smaller snags in the area without having to run for deeper water. I tried a couple of the smaller pieces and caught a few, with one keeper, then I moved over to another little piece that I had some luck on last year. Now, this piece is really small; while drifing, you get one quick drop. I am most capaple of dropping the hook, and pulling it, as I did it for living for years on one of OC's most well know head boats, but conditions allowed for drifting, so I did. I drifted this little piece, just nicking away, getting a single or double header with just about every pass, 1:7 keeper/throwback ratio. I worked this little teeny tiny snag by myself for about 1.5 hours until someone else decided to muscle in. Two guys came in and fell right behing behind me in my drift, and while I was a bit annoyed, I just let it go. Then within about 5 minutes, another boat come barreling in for some of the action; I'm really pissed at this point, but let it go. Well, the first ones to come over apparently thought they had full rights to the snag, and dropped their hook right into it. No one else could get near the little piece, and these a$$holes couldn't have cared less. Learn some etiquette before you go out and make total a$$es of yourselves please. There are close to 50 wrecks/snags just in the African Queen site, which is less than 500 acres. These bozos couldn't seem to locate any fish on their own on the very first day Sea Bass was opened. I took the hit in fuel and motored out to the Great Eastern site and worked 2 little snags, made away with 19 keepers.

[Hardbound]

Sometimes its hard to believe how careless people can be . Really a bad taste in good fishermans mouth. Most likely didn;t know how bad they were screwing up.

[shoot-straight]

this is the reason i did not fish sat..... parking lot.

[Gotta Gaff 'Em]

My favrite one is one youve got a chum slick going and someone will tear through it at full throttle right outside your baits! If you see someone anchored and chumming give them a wide range, we usually give 1/4 mi so we dont screw up the slick if we can. Just common sense guys

[rich daiker]

So, opening day of Sea Bass, Saturday May 22, 2010, I head out by myself hoping to nick a few keepers on the African Queen reef site. I had no plans to hit the Queen herself, but with just me, I hoped to hit a few of the smaller snags in the area without having to run for deeper water. I tried a couple of the smaller pieces and caught a few, with one keeper, then I moved over to another little piece that I had some luck on last year. Now, this piece is really small; while drifing, you get one quick drop. I am most capaple of dropping the hook, and pulling it, as I did it for living for years on one of OC's most well know head boats, but conditions allowed for drifting, so I did. I drifted this little piece, just nicking away, getting a single or double header with just about every pass, 1:7 keeper/throwback ratio. I worked this little teeny tiny snag by myself for about 1.5 hours until someone else decided to muscle in. Two guys came in and fell right behing behind me in my drift, and while I was a bit annoyed, I just let it go. Then within about 5 minutes, another boat come barreling in for some of the action; I'm really pissed at this point, but let it go. Well, the first ones to come over apparently thought they had full rights to the snag, and dropped their hook right into it. No one else could get near the little piece, and these a$$holes couldn't have cared less. Learn some etiquette before you go out and make total a$$es of yourselves please. There are close to 50 wrecks/snags just in the African Queen site, which is less than 500 acres. These bozos couldn't seem to locate any fish on their own on the very first day Sea Bass was opened. I took the hit in fuel and motored out to the Great Eastern site and worked 2 little snags, made away with 19 keepers.

I feel ya Bobby. I was sharking on Saturday and had a boat run full spped thru my slick and almost got my deep ballon----about 120 yards from the boat. You aint alone Man----lots of A-Holes in the ocean on a flat day

[Russ D]

Damn thats ridiculous. I've seen some pretty terrible behavior by wreck fishermen, but guys running through a chum slick when they have no reason to be within 5 miles of another boat really drives me nuts. There's just no reason for it whatsoever.

[PA228G]

Okay, I'll ask - what is the proper etiquette - since that is the title of the post and I'm relatively new to this ?

For example, if your plan is to run to site XXXX and when you get there, or near there, someone else is fishing, do you:

a) stay Y.Y nm away (and is there a rule-of-thumb for Y.Y other than figure it out)
b) drift (or anchor) with the gang
c) proceed with your plan A, which may or may not be consistent with the first N persons there, i.e., anchor vs. drift
d) go with plan B, i.e., motor elsewhere

It seems to me that the proper etiquette answer is much more obvious if someone is trolling or chumming, etc.

Not trying to be an a$$ - I've simply never run out to these published wreck sites that people get into fights over and don't want to be one everyone bit&^es about.

... and lastly, no I wasn't out there last weekend.

[rich daiker]

Damn thats ridiculous. I've seen some pretty terrible behavior by wreck fishermen, but guys running through a chum slick when they have no reason to be within 5 miles of another boat really drives me nuts. There's just no reason for it whatsoever.


Yup...and he was a local OC boy at that. tride to hail him on the radio, but he was not talking????

[rbr]

Okay, I'll ask - what is the proper etiquette - since that is the title of the post and I'm relatively new to this ?

For example, if your plan is to run to site XXXX and when you get there, or near there, someone else is fishing, do you:

a) stay Y.Y nm away (and is there a rule-of-thumb for Y.Y other than figure it out)
b) drift (or anchor) with the gang
c) proceed with your plan A, which may or may not be consistent with the first N persons there, i.e., anchor vs. drift
d) go with plan B, i.e., motor elsewhere

It seems to me that the proper etiquette answer is much more obvious if someone is trolling or chumming, etc.

Not trying to be an a$$ - I've simply never run out to these published wreck sites that people get into fights over and don't want to be one everyone bit&^es about.

... and lastly, no I wasn't out there last weekend.

Asking is the right thing to do so as your 8th grade teacher used to say, don't be afraid to ask.

#1 rule is the "Golden Rule" which is obviously an over simplification but putting yourself in the other guy's shoes can help with your decisions.

But some guidlines should be, if you come to an area and someone is anchored on your numbers it's his. 1st come 1st serve. If it seems resonable that their is room enough to get close COMMUNICATE your intentions, "Hey do you mind if I slide in here?" If they don't like the idea, move on. Likewise if you come to your numbers and noone is near it, anchors away.

If you come to a group of boats that are drifting don't pulll into the middle and anchor up. Bad form. Instead approach from UP CURRENT and get in line for your drift. Drift alll the way through the area then make a wide circle bag to the top of the line and drift through again. It should be an orderly leapfrog and motoring should be done wide of the fleet.

If you approach boats that are obviously chumming, chunking or sharking again, try to approach or pass UPCurrent, if not stay at least 500 yards away.
If you intend to join the fleet come from the upcurrent side and either drift or slowly motor down to the area and determine if they are drifting or anchored.
Either way if they are anchored either anchor as well or move to the outside so your drift won't put you no top of them. If you anchor allow 150 yards to either side and 500 yards down current.

Also you should be aware that if you fish from the Jackspot out to 30 fathoms and you see boats trolling they likely have a WWWWFn Back line for Bluefin Tuna. And By WWWWfn Back I mean 300 yards behind the boat. Give everyone plenty of room.

Bert

[Regulator]

Me and my fishing bud ran out of IRI to fish the BSB opener to a wreck 20 miles to the SE. We left super early so we would not have to go with plan B or C; we were the first ones there so anchors away. 30 something Contender shows up a while later and surveyed the area and anchored up a bit north of me all the while never causing any issues with my fishing, if he hailed me I would have been happy to suggest that he could have squeezed in a little tighter. Charter showed up and made a short drift then headed off. A forth boat showed up made a couple drifts and headed off too. Bottom line there was zero issues, we were there first and rewarded with the sweet spot and managed to weed through 100+ BSB to put 18 or so of fat ones in the box, the biggest being 3 pound 19 incher. There is a lot of structure to find fish on and fishing is suppose to relaxing, I think if you follow what Bert suggested act to others as you would wanted them to act toward you; fishing will have better chance of being fun for everyone. Yea I have been yelled at and I have yelled too it will happen, we all have our own opinion as to what is proper etiquette.

[baadbobby]

Great explanation. Thank you.

[tunafisher21]

I had a friend in a similar situation. When the 2nd boat showed up they tried idling to hold position over the wreck.

Low and behold on my friends next drift he collided with the other vessel.

I don't mind sharing a spot, especially one marked on the map, but as PA228G mentioned you need to fall inline with what the other boat is doing.

Tight lines,
Tuna