How close do you get

[zippyduck]

How close do you get to other competitors?

What is an acceptable distance to fish near another competitor, is it 100 yards or closer.
In club tourneys I have fished really close to guys without interupting their fishing. In bigger tourneys I usually stay well a way from other guys.

[Nutoy]

Our tournament rules state, 50 yards from a anchored boat(visible anchor line and trolling motor out of water), and 25 yards from a non-anchored boat.

To me, it depends on the circumstances.
If we are both beating the bank and they are moving very slow throwing weightless plastics and I am running on high flipping, I'll get to within 30-40 behind them and then idle past them about a couple hundred yards and continue doing what I was doing.
 
If it's a offshore hump or ridge, I always stay much farther away than the rules state. Usually at least a couple hundred yards or more, or just go to a different hump or ridge.

I don't want someone crawling up my butt or throwing across my line so I don't do that to others.

[Princeton_Man]

Our tournament rules state, 50 yards from a anchored boat(visible anchor line and trolling motor out of water), and 25 yards from a non-anchored boat.

To me, it depends on the circumstances.
If we are both beating the bank and they are moving very slow throwing weightless plastics and I am running on high flipping, I'll get to within 30-40 behind them and then idle past them about a couple hundred yards and continue doing what I was doing.
 
If it's a offshore hump or ridge, I always stay much farther away than the rules state. Usually at least a couple hundred yards or more, or just go to a different hump or ridge.

I don't want someone crawling up my butt or throwing across my line so I don't do that to others.

Our rules are the same and I too try to be courteous to other anglers tournament or not. That is unless they crawl up my butt first.

[WTodd]

I usually tell them that they left their lights on in their truck; boom open spot.


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[SteelHorseCowboy]

I've been told "at least twice as far as you can cast".


On the bank, depending on the type of fishing, I may plop my stool down right in the middle of a crowd and start shooting the breeze with folks I've never met before in my life.

[Oldfart9999]

I try to just leave them alone. I was fishing a row of docks one day when a boat came up and one of the guys pitched over my line on purpose, didn't say a thing, went looking for the tournt director and blew him in, he said he'll take care of it, never saw the guy again.
Rodney

[Wizard]

You try to be considerate, especially if there are lots of anglers and a lot of derbies.  Some anglers take or look for offense. Just bad dudes. Fishing for money brings out the worst in some anglers. I've seen some bad scenes on the water and at the weigh-in. Best idea I've seen is taking a cell phone image of rule breaking, intruding of your spot, cheating, etc.. Things are easier to stop when the Tourney director has evidence. If trouble starts, most anglers will back the guy with the evidence.

Wizard

[zippyduck]

You try to be considerate, especially if there are lots of anglers and a lot of derbies.  Some anglers take or look for offense. Just bad dudes. Fishing for money brings out the worst in some anglers. I've seen some bad scenes on the water and at the weigh-in. Best idea I've seen is taking a cell phone image of rule breaking, intruding of your spot, cheating, etc.. Things are easier to stop when the Tourney director has evidence. If trouble starts, most anglers will back the guy with the evidence.

Wizard

Best advice I've ever heard. Not that I have had a problem but it would make life easier if it does happen.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I try to just leave them alone. I was fishing a row of docks one day when a boat came up and one of the guys pitched over my line on purpose, didn't say a thing, went looking for the tournt director and blew him in, he said he'll take care of it, never saw the guy again.
Rodney

That's when you "accidentally" pitch across his back with something that has large trebles.

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[Oldfart9999]

That's when you "accidentally" pitch across his back with something that has large trebles.

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Nope, I did the right thing, I was fishing from a 14 footer, now I could ask him if he knew what aluminum can do to fiberglass. Still wouldn't, just turn the guy into the tournament director and motor away. There's enough trouble on the water.
Rodney

[coldfront]

I try to just leave them alone. I was fishing a row of docks one day when a boat came up and one of the guys pitched over my line on purpose, didn't say a thing, went looking for the tournt director and blew him in, he said he'll take care of it, never saw the guy again.
Rodney

very effective response.

[D.W. Verts]

My first ever altercation with another tournament angler came in about 1981 when this dude from Nebraska got tired of watching us catch bass after bass from literally one ten foot spot (it was at a water outflow pipe from a resort). He sat there fifty yards or so away for maybe fifteen minutes, then cruised right on in. We gave him the stink eye, and he said "You aren't at anchor."

Well, we weren't, but bad form is bad form. 'Ol Denny was lookin' to make a name for himself way back then.

[coldfront]

My first ever altercation with another tournament angler came in about 1981 when this dude from Nebraska

was wonderin' if  you were gonna go 'denny'





by the way:  i figure a trolling motor deployment equals 'at anchor'.  even more so with today's spot-lock.