Bob, good ideas.  I wonder if these questions and others can be maybe sent to some kind of "official" headquarters for the "Big Boys",i.e. FLW or someone to find out what they do or recommend.  Or maybe someone could find us a set of their rules and we can go from there.

Your questions bring up some grey areas.  Such as the backseater thing and the second day scenario.  Of course the whole thing about drawing for takeoff, etc. is that the first one to a spot usually gets it.  Nobody "owns" a spot on the water unless they are already there.  Question:  If you were fishing a spot yesterday and I saw you there then how long do I have to wait to see if you are going to fish it again today?

As was said, hopefully we are a conscientious enough club to use good judgement regarding our other members "rights" and make ethical judgements in our fishing.

But we do need some clear, concise rules.  Maybe we need to start a thread and everyone enter their ideas and suggestions and then we can come up with some guidelines.  But again when it involves "us" in a tournament and "other" fishermen we can only dictate what we consider fair.  I just don't want to be in the same boat with Smitty and Virgil when something happens..HAHA

Anyway, my overused .02

Rich

Howdy Gentlemen,
 I think the safest way to approach these topics are:
1) In the event that a tourney boat enters a cast away, you have the right to make a stink, only after a kind "what the HE#@ you doing?" comes first.
2) the general public will never understand the rules and courtesies we tournament anglers abide by.  Therefore we cant get angry at them.  Many of them think because we have the big shiny bass boats and are in a tournament, we must know where the fish are and be sitting right on top of them.  " boy how wrong can perseption be!"  They just want in on the action.  I dont agree with it but, we cant change it.
3) at Silver Lake in April, Smitty became furious at a weekend boater for unloading 1/2 the back of his truck, filling the ice chests, un-strapping the boat, finding the life jackets, ETC. all while sitting on the launch while the line is stacking up!  Point is there are things to be upset about that hold water.  FISHING ETICATE is more for those of us who don't want SMITTY ticked at US!
 MORAL IS:  if you wouldn't want it done to you, don't do it to someone else.  Rules governing these subjects aren't for the public, they didn't sign up at the drivers meeting.  My 2 cents        RON

Glad to see all the responses. I have been at the Jamboree all weekend.

Yes the two scenarios were from WBC members. That is why I asked the question. If they were weekend warriors I would have just told them to get  ed and make sure they did not get a cast in till they left. I would not do that to a WBC member. I wanted to make sure that there were a common law written or unwritten. I think that one of the times was a harmless accident. I am sure they did not know that the current was that strong. My advise to them would be STOP fishing if you get swept into someone elses zone. Everyone that was at the tourney saw how crazy the Yakima was. It seemed to work for the most part.

The other was definatly pushing the ethics line to a extreme. I believe this person figured it out and is learning.

Bob had some good points. You quickly learn who you can share info with and who you can't. As far as people wishing to return to there hot spots, speed. If that was a written rule there would be no need for 200 hp motors strapped to the backs of 20' tackle boxes. First arrive and it's yours. Kinda like home steading the west.

Some one stated a rule about the 200 foot rule to fishing vessels. Not true in our case. As a recreational angler you are not classified as a fishing vessel. To be considered "engaged in fishing" you must be trawling, gill netting, purse seining ect. Trolling is not considered fishing to the coast guard. Also if you claim to be a fishing vessel you must show day shapes or mast head lights claiming you are fishing.

Hey Glenn, it sounded like Chris was saying if you allow another boat or member to fish "your" water, then it should be fair game for anyone else in that particular tourney. Obviously if some idiot invades your water, then that doesn't give anyone else permission to fish it. I think 5o yards is way too close. Now depending how big a particular piece of structure is, then you should be able to have all of it. If there is a little cove or point or rock pile in deep water, it should be all yours. If a road bed is half a mile long like in the Poplars, I would think a few boats could fit. I always try to stay at least 200-300 yards away from someone on a stretch of bank and usually wont pull in front of them. If I do, it is a lot farther ahead than that. But it is frustrating when you want to cover a bank back and fourth a few times and someone pulls behind you. The bouy idea would probably work. I had one guy (meat-fisherman) start picking up my bouy though, like someone forgot it in the water. I would think anyone in a tournament would understand the purpose of that bouy, but you wouldn't be able to throw them too far apart. ????

As Mike said, first come first serve to a point. If you barely edge a guy with a smaller boat to a spot where he was yardin them the first day, then thats kind of weak.

The backseater thing is part of fishing. Thats how a lot of new guys learn how to fish or learn some half decent areas to fish. We all tell new guys to join clubs and backseat with guys who know what they are doing. Dont invite a backseater if you cant handle showing a spot.

Mark and I would have been blown by Lyle at Silver lake for a second time to a spot, but he pulled off and gave it to us. He still won it. When he beat us there earlier, we had to go father past and settle for that.

This is a cut right from the FLW and BFL tournament rules:

Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters accessible by boat, except areas designated as "off limits" or "no fishing" by local, state, or federal officials or within 50 yards of a competitor's boat which was first anchored (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight with the trolling motor in the up position).

As you can see it does not speak to a free floating boat.

It looks like if we want some other "distance" rule then we need to make it ourselves and incorporate it in "our" tournament rules

Rich


http://flw.flwoutdoors.com/rules.cfm?cid=1

Hey mike,  I understand all to well on this topic. I agree with Ron, "treat others as you would want them to treat you."  There have been times in the not so distance past where I had respected a wish of another and when I ask for the same wish later, it was refused. ??? At first I was upset,   then we talked later after we were off the water and straightened things out for the most of it.  Yes, the "rule" of distance is usally if you are within casting distance of another boat you should ask them if they mind you fishing that close to you. 9 times out of 10 they don't have a problem with it.  There have been times when I have shown someone a spot and they got there before me but when I arrived (finally) they made room for me. THAT is the club I joined years ago.  Brian (The Weedwalker)

The biggest problem about trying to enforce a "distance rule" is going to be the measurement..... if we say 50yards, then who is the judge and/or measurer?? and if there is a wind and the boats close to 48yards fort a few seconds, has the rule been broken?

The rule Rich Loth quoted also mentions "a boat that is anchored i.e. a line in the water attached to a weight and the trolling motor stowed" ....who of us fishes like that anyway?

Just playing Devil's Advocate, while I see where this goes.