Things To Ponder To Make Your Trip Enjoyable

 

Life is waaaaaaay too short!

It is.  We just have too little time on this Earth to worry about the littlest things that, in the grand scheme of things, won’t amount to diddly poo.

There are a-holes in the world, plain and simple.  You aren’t ever going to change them and to be blatantly honest, some of them don’t  even realize it.  In the end, you let them win by allowing their behaviors and actions ruin your day.

So don’t.

That being said, don’t succumb to becoming an a-hole yourself.  We run into a lot of others on the water, some are great.  Some will talk and converse and share information.  Some aren’t.  That’s just life.

Here too, the 90/10 rule applies.

Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.

If you are a novice fisherman, and don’t really understand some of the unwritten rules of the water, you NEED to read this.

How Not To Be An A-Hole On The Water

Don’t Splash The Pot…

Whether the boat already stationed in the area you had planned to target is slip bobbering, jigging, or trolling and pitching; it is common courtesy to give them some room.  They were there first, respect that.  Don’t pull in next to them at full throttle, don’t ‘buzz the tower’ with a 3 foot wake.  Be polite and courteous.

If they are trolling or pitching, it is acceptable to fall in line a considerable distance BEHIND them, but please, please, please don’t be a jerk and cut them off.  That would be rude.

We had two separate instances of this on Saturday.   We didn’t react because reacting would have solved nothing.  We actually pin pointed a point off in the distance and cut across a little bay and trolled it with cranks as we went and actually picked up a Walleye in doing so.  Karma is always in play!!

Bridges Are A Slow Zone

If it’s Highway 57 bridge, Highway 20 bridge, Highway 19 at Six Mile bridge, or Woods-Rutten bridge; it does’t matter.  Be it occupied by other boats or just shore fishermen, it doesn’t matter.

These are slow zones no matter what.  First off, its the law. There are signs proclaiming it and the wardens will ticket you.  Second, its rude!  Some of those shore fishermen may not have the luxury of owning a boat, some of those shore fishermen may only have the option of fishing at the bridge to try to catch fish.

Don’t ruin their day by flying through the bridge at full throttle disrupting their fishing, possibly getting them wet, and maybe even putting them and yourself in danger.

Recreation Doesn’t Just Mean Fishing

Most of you reading this are recreational fisherman.  You are doing so for the fun of it.  Chasing Walleyes and Pike and Perch and White Bass for the fun of the chase.  It is a hobby (or obsession) and you are not in it for financial gain.  So, it should be fun.

The same goes for that young kid on the jet ski and that young lady with the ski.  They are trying to enjoy the recreation that they too may be obsessed with.  The waters of Devils Lake are public domain, owned by the state of North Dakota and are open to anyone.  Nowhere does it say that fishing takes precedent.  All recreationists have the same rights to use the waters of our great state.

If you plan on targeting any of the well known water recreational areas, be prepared to put up with some boating activities without throwing a fit.  If you want to avoid such activity, then there are different places to fish that aren’t prime recreation areas.

The more common water sport activity areas include:

Creel Bay

Black Tiger in front of EastBay Campground

Haybale Bay

South 6 Mile in Front of the Resort.

There are probably others but those are the major ones to avoid if you really don’t like that kind of activity.

Be Prepared BEFORE You Get To The Launch

I see it ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Truck and Boat pulls up to the launch with 4 guys in the truck.  They pull on to the runway, start backing down, get about 5-10 feet from the water and stop.  All four slowly get out of the truck, mosey around and nonchalantly place one rod at a time in the boat from the back of the truck.  They might even take the time to re-tie a rod or two, check the oil, wash the windows, tell a couple jokes; all while 6 other vehicles have pulled up and are waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

Don’t be that truck.  Have your stuff ready to go before you get to the launch and in the runway.  It is not polite to make others wait for your unpreparedness, it’s rude.

Also, if you are a novice at putting the boat in, please be considerate.  It is not unmanly to accept help from others, in fact, it is courteous to speed things along.  In my younger days I would happily let 2 or 3 other boats launch in front of me just so I didn’t impede someone else’s trip.

A little courtesy and goodwill on the launch goes a long way in making everyones day a good one.

Defer To The On Coming Fishermen

When trolling or pitching, we ALWAYS give way to oncoming traffic.  Have always done this and I probably always will.  Even if it takes my boat out of the prime lane and out of good casting distance from where the fish are, I am always going to let the oncoming boat have the lane.  The only time I have not done this is when the other boater insists, and when this happens I express my gratitude.

To me, it just makes sense.  Im out there to have fun and explore, not ruin someone else’s day. Besides, like I said, Karma is always in play.

Don’t Impede The Roadway

You see on certain areas of Devils Lake on occasion.  There are a few well known community trolling spots, i.e. The Golden Highway.  Thirty boats will be trolling the roadbed cruising at 1.0 to 2.0 mph hour when some Jabroni from Timbuktu decides he is going to drop anchor and jig and slip bobber right in the middle of the road.

He is doing nothing illegal, not breaking any laws, but this isn’t exactly being courteous to others.

What’d I Miss

I’m sure there are more…

In fact, I guarantee there are more, so let’s hear them.  Fishermen helping other fishermen be courteous!!  Tell us yours in our comments section.

Make The Water A Happier Place

It’s not a long list and the things are not difficult, but if EVERYONE abided by these simple principles while on the water, EVERYONE would have a much happier and more enjoyable day.

Good Luck Out There!!

Hold On To Your Rod…

And

CATCH MORE FISH!!