# How are you Dealing with sightseers on your pier



## Joe Dionne (Mar 4, 2005)

Here in Jacksonville Fla.We are beginning to have trouble with walkers who pay a buck to walk out on the New Jax Beach pier and tend to hug the railings and stand in the way and shoot the bull with each other while fishermen are trying to cast out or reel in a decent catch. How are ya'll dealing with this situation at your locations?

WE NEED RULES!!!!!!!! :--| 

Joe Dionne  
jacksonvillebeachpier.com


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## Fish Hunter (Jul 31, 2002)

*In the past*

I would carry my then 5 to 7 yr old with me (they are now 17 and 13) and just before they would cast, I would loudly tell them to try not to hit anyone with the hook this time. It usually cleared a nice area. Still works with the 13 yr old, (being on the small side) during the spot runs. We can usually have elbow room in just a few moments. Problem is folks getting wise to the ploy now.

Usually if they are adults, I will ask them to just move. If they do not, then they are fair game when I cast or set a hook. Opps, sorry about that, here let me cut it out.  :--| 

That or just drop a nice size doggie around their feet. Should really see the faces, when you get a oyster cracker or lizard fish of any size. All of a sudden you have instant space.


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## mellow_fisherman (Mar 30, 2005)

i just tell them i charge fifteen a ahour for in fo twenty if stay longer and ruin my fishing


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

i've had them pick up one of my rods for a picture...then i tell them $20  ...tourons got no respect...just hollar excuse me and cast...the smart ones will move...


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

i just act like they aren't even there, however we do chain off the end when we're king fishing. I caught one one time when we didn't have it chained off, and the tourons were so close to the guy who gaffed it he barely had time to swing it over and as he did, the hooks fell out and got caught in the waist of his shorts


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## mellow_fisherman (Mar 30, 2005)

if its tourist season why cant we shoot them


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

mellow_fisherman said:


> if its tourist season why cant we shoot them


And you call your self mellow.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*All kinds of pranks were played in the past...*

At night when they would get really thick out there,we'd take a king carcuss,wire him to the deck,tie four lengths of 12 lb clear ande,that you could barely see at night to the tail of the carcuss. We'd lay him right in the middle and we'd sit over in the darkness of the four corners with the line in our hands. Tourist would get right on top of that king just to get a closer look,pier lights were kinda dim,then one of us would giver a yank..   The reactions you would get from that were priceless.. Course there was the time,similar to bluerunners situation where they were crowding a friend of mine while he was trying to hook a live bluefish for bait. He turned to them and looked,grabbed the bluefish took a huge bite outta the belly and blood and guts squirted everywhere.. :--|  They scattered pretty good about that time...


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## the rhondel (Feb 6, 2003)

Thank goodness you don't hang out with that kinda crowd anymore  ....the R


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

Drop a really stinky egg, that does the trick. Just make sure it's loud.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*Yall are such pranksters!*

Simple solution....take a whoopie cushion out with ya.....put it somewhere like under an oversize shirt or jacket. When the tourons head your way or block your way...simply apply pressure to the cushion by leaning into the rail if the cushion is in the front of ya or lower your arm if it's on the side of ya....then look that/those touron dead in the eye and give em a wink and a smile.....and say...."Oh..what relief!"  
Then repeat the process as needed.


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## RedskinFan228 (Jun 28, 2004)

to tell you the truth after being on the pier all day and/or night with a bunch of ugly smelly old fishermen  its a welcome relief to see some pretty female tourist faces and in some cases bikini's asking questions or just watching us fish. Nothing wrong with some eye candy now and then. especially when the fish are not cooperating.


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

Gessss how do I go about this without going to jail  I heard of these guys (dont know them of course) pretending to have a knife fight and tossen old bait at each other, that worked one time then I heard of a guy once (didnt know him either of course) when the woman asked to see his pole he said sure as soon as you show me (*&^%$*%#@) well needless to say she huffed away. Good thing I didnt know any of them guys (sure do miss my buddies on the planks) 
Glad he didnt ask what happend when some boats got to close to the pier (dont know them guys either)


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2005)

Drumdum said:


> At night when they would get really thick out there,we'd take a king carcuss,wire him to the deck,tie four lengths of 12 lb clear ande,that you could barely see at night to the tail of the carcuss. We'd lay him right in the middle and we'd sit over in the darkness of the four corners with the line in our hands. Tourist would get right on top of that king just to get a closer look,pier lights were kinda dim,then one of us would giver a yank..   The reactions you would get from that were priceless.. Course there was the time,similar to bluerunners situation where they were crowding a friend of mine while he was trying to hook a live bluefish for bait. He turned to them and looked,grabbed the bluefish took a huge bite outta the belly and blood and guts squirted everywhere.. :--|  They scattered pretty good about that time...


I was at a pier once when these guys nearby were casting a dollar bill attached to the end of the line out on the pier deck and wait for a touron to see it, reach down and pick it up only to gently yank it from their grip. It was funny to watch the tourons chase the dollar bill all the way down the pier hoping to catch it. After they realized they were the butt of a joke from everyone's laughter, they turned several different shades of red. Too funny!


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## f1b32oPTic (Oct 15, 2004)

using them for cut bait


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## Wilber (May 20, 2003)

Just tell them,
"I don't mind going back to Jail"
or
Keep a really "Ripe" fish head on the rail and ask them to take it to the trash for you.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

*Show em' the hooks!*

Had a problem on a party boat out of San Diego one time. This bozo was trying to come between two spots as identified by cutouts on the rail. I had one spot and a guy had the spot to my right - about 2 foot from each other. This guys swings his rod inbetween us and starts fishing. I casually put down my bottom rig and grabbed my 8'10" tuna stick complete with a 7 oz Krockodyle lure. I waited for him to cast then hooked his hat with my lure and said "Excuse me - I just started using this thing!" After a close call with a 6" lure swinging in his face - he packed up and left!

Tell em "Heads up" and if they don't move - tough!

Sandcrab


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Most of them are fine, just curious. But the occasional bozo comes along...

When I was in my mid-teens, I was fishing for spanish mackerel off the Virginia Beach Pier. Everyone was winging their Gotchas behind them and flinging them out. One angler in particular wasn't even bothering to look behind him.

A tourist came up and kept getting too close. People told him to be careful, to which he replied with an unpleasant suggestion about where they could stick their rod.

The uncareful angler and the loudmouth tourist crossed paths a few minutes later when, on the backcast, the Gotcha snagged firmly in the tourist's neck, about a half-inch from his jugular. And it was DEEP. We had to cut the line and send the guy off to the emergency room with his new piece of jewelry.

Joe, I don't think there's any simple solution. Common sense and basic manners would keep most of these situations from happening, but both seem to be in pretty short supply these days.


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## jjaachapa (Aug 7, 2004)

Jeez, I'm tempted to stay off the piers. Seems like if I sneez in the wrong direction someone will get all worked up. What a joke ! Its only fishing. Ive fished off some hard core piers before, mostly in the Gulf and I've never heard of such problems. Then again the piers I would fish off wouldnt get much turons. That could very well be the problem. Oh I got it! Lets build a pier for fishing only! Wow makes me want to sell the King set up I put together this winter and stick to the surf.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*I do the same thing as I do when driving a car....*

I keep my eyes peeled and am always aware of my surroundings. And keep lookout for my son as well. ...Call me Hawkeye, lol.
Always expect the unexpected. Ya know you can trust your actions...but have to be prepared for any possibilities...just in case.


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

jjaachapa said:


> Jeez, I'm tempted to stay off the piers. Seems like if I sneez in the wrong direction someone will get all worked up. What a joke ! Its only fishing. Ive fished off some hard core piers before, mostly in the Gulf and I've never heard of such problems. Then again the piers I would fish off wouldnt get much turons. That could very well be the problem. Oh I got it! Lets build a pier for fishing only! Wow makes me want to sell the King set up I put together this winter and stick to the surf.


its not that we get mad at them, often its for their own safety that we ask them to move away. king fishing in particular, theres several treble hooks and a large multi hook gaff coming over the rail, and it can get pretty dangerous, not to mention the fish's teeth. Myself I don't have a problem with people who ask questions politely and i will gladly help people out and answer any questions they have.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

jjaachapa, don't let it put you off. Most people out there are perfectly decent. It's that small percentage that cause most of the problems.


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## Scubaguy62 (Jan 10, 2005)

sand flea said:


> jjaachapa, don't let it put you off. Most people out there are perfectly decent. It's that small percentage that cause most of the problems.


Right...like the super anoying kid this last Saturday, who kept telling us how many fish he's caught. I looked around to see if his parents were near and then I pulled out my fillet knife and threatened to use him for chum...


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

seagull is the worst and the best for tourists...most are curious and polite when they ask questions...the ones that let there 5yr olds run wild either don't know or don't care about the dangers...some come from all over the world and ain't got a clue...if they touch me stuff they have gone to far...take a picture with the camera they have around their neck...most other piers don't get bus loads of tourists like seagull does...but i guess you gotta live with it if you are gonna fish there(until harrisons is back up)...you can still openly wear a licensed gun in va. can't you?


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## Scubaguy62 (Jan 10, 2005)

rattler said:


> seagull is the worst and the best for tourists...most are curious and polite when they ask questions...the ones that let there 5yr olds run wild either don't know or don't care about the dangers...some come from all over the world and ain't got a clue...if they touch me stuff they have gone to far...take a picture with the camera they have around their neck...most other piers don't get bus loads of tourists like seagull does...but i guess you gotta live with it if you are gonna fish there(until harrisons is back up)...you can still openly wear a licensed gun in va. can't you?


I'm not sure if in FL a licensed gun can be worn openly. However, the Florida house and senate have recently submitted a bill to Dubbya's brother, Jeb, which repeals a person's duty to retreat from an open confrontation outside the home or vehicle, and allows a person to use deadly force, if threatened. Of course, that will be subjective to what defines "threat." The bill, if approved, is scheduled to become law in October this year.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Im with redskins on the eye candy A good looker always helps the apperance of the fishing area. Jusy make it clear to the on looker that there could be a dangerous situation and take proper caution.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

yes, va is an open carry law. however you do that, and suffer from the other laws such as inciting a riot, disturbing the peace etc as others may feel """""unsafe""""" also, if it becomes hidden at all for even a minute, you now have a concealed weapons violation. im not sure how the bay bridge falls as far jurismydicktion, but if its federal property at all, no go. also, if its md side, no go either way CCP or not. but save yourself the trouble. its your right as a virginian, thank the lord you dont live in md to apply and recieve a concealed handgun permit(CCP) and just stick it in your pants, and hopefully a BG will never make u have to pull it. 

by the way, va isnt like CO or FL, you shoot someone you better actually have a reason.
just for reference here is a link to just browse to find out what laws apply here in va

http://www.packing.org/state/index.jsp/virginia


neil


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

NTKG said:


> yes, va is an open carry law. however you do that, and suffer from the other laws such as inciting a riot, disturbing the peace etc as others may feel """""unsafe""""" also, if it becomes hidden at all for even a minute, you now have a concealed weapons violation. im not sure how the bay bridge falls as far jurismydicktion, but if its federal property at all, no go. also, if its md side, no go either way CCP or not. but save yourself the trouble. its your right as a virginian, thank the lord you dont live in md to apply and recieve a concealed handgun permit(CCP) and just stick it in your pants, and hopefully a BG will never make u have to pull it.
> 
> by the way, va isnt like CO or FL, you shoot someone you better actually have a reason.
> just for reference here is a link to just browse to find out what laws apply here in va
> ...


Neil, remind me to never give you chit while we are fishing....


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## sleepy319 (Jan 23, 2004)

*Help Me To Change My User Name*

*HELP ME CHANGE MY USER NAME*

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW I CAN CHANGE MY USER NAME ON THIS FORUM PLEASE EMAIL ME AT: [email protected] MY FORMER USER NAME WAS SLEEPY319


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

sleepy319 said:


> *HELP ME CHANGE MY USER NAME*
> 
> I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW I CAN CHANGE MY USER NAME ON THIS FORUM PLEASE EMAIL ME AT: [email protected] MY FORMER USER NAME WAS SLEEPY319


Uhmmm your current user name is SLEEPY 319 too.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

Cdog said:


> Uhmmm your current user name is SLEEPY 319 too.



lmao!!!! contact flea, he did it for me


neil


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

OMG MY NAME IS NO WERKING HOW DO I CHAGE IT TO SANDFLEA!!! SOMEONE HELP ME!

Bloody hell. Either I'm in raging prick mode or the idjit quotient has gone up around here lately.


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

looks like you should be wearing this shirt tonight flea


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

awesome shirt.. where can i get one????


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

www.t-shirtking.com


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## RedskinFan228 (Jun 28, 2004)

you know thats what i love about this site:

you get fishing reports

meet new freinds

and get a good laugh

hell where else can you get that?


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*New Year....*

*New Ocean View Pier*.

Everyone's gonna be on their best behavior when the tourons come flocking in, right?


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*When I'm.........*

In a good mood, I'll drip clam juice on em before casting out or bounce a dipsy on their feet or knees. If I'm in a bad mood well..........


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## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

some lady spread a picnic blanket on the pier and started bitchin at everybody who got near her and her 2 toddlers she had brought into the hook infested area. So when I took off a dead sardine and threw it over my shoulder, carma took over and landed it in the potato salad. I thought she was going to tear my head off the way she was screamin. "Watch what you're doing, youstupid punk. What if you had hit my child. Can't you see I have this spot reserved. I should have you arrested. Thanks a lot for ruining my children's picnic. Thanks a lot you ***hole." SO one of the older guys on the pier "loses control" of a ladyfish and it ends up whackin her kid in the face. She went nuts like the thing attacked her kid

But she stayed on the pier. One of the kids knocked over a bait bucket of sardines and shrimp when the stupid woman told him to play "free the fishies." THe guy who lost his bait told her that babies make good shark bait and brought out a 6/0 rod and reel. She threatened to call the police.


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## Smashed (Jul 1, 2005)

Had a 7-year-old with a zebco 202 combo rummage through my tackle bag once and start grabbing my shrimp. I was busy with a 3-foot bonnethead on my hook and a turned around to see the kid elbow-deep in my stuff. The kid got up-close and personal with "the baby hammerhead" and ran back to his sunburnt grandparents who had been busy asking another guy if there were actually fish around here.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

I don't have a problem with non fisher type people on the pier. Just a little common sence and kindness goes a long way. What I DO have a problem with is drunk fisherman and fisherman keeping illegal fish. I just let it go there.


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## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

i used to be a little wary of fishin off the piers for these reasons, but i soon learned that if you just act normal and polite and give the old crusties their space, you will learn alot and make some good friends too


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

Heck you meet strange folks everywhere 
you go fishing....shore, pier, headboats, 
charter, etc , etc. It's part of fishin...


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## derekxec (Apr 26, 2006)

around here if you look like you are going to cast they usually move for you..when you get the ignorant ones that wont move i just yell duck or bleed and whip my bait out...if they move they move if not they bleed


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

....i hate the busses at cbbt...
ive done similar stuff to what dd said....we tied a croaker to mono this past summer...a few people out tehre cobia fishing...we were sitting in chairs and everytime a person would walk by one of us would pull the line and the craoker would hit the person...was fun


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## jjaachapa (Aug 7, 2004)

Was doing a Hatteras cast with my Heaver at the OVP and almost took the sun glasses of a guy. He got the picture kind off quick.
Chapa


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## oldsalt (May 6, 2003)

So you guys own the piers and no one should walk down them,and you wonder why we have less and less areas to fish.:--| :--|


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## derekxec (Apr 26, 2006)

i dont mind them just respect peoples stuff and use ya brain and dont be ignorant when you see someone trying to cast MOVE how hard is it


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## MBsandflea (Jun 27, 2004)

Fortunately, I bought a boat this winter and won't have to deal with this stuff anymore, which is why I bought a boat. But, we used to do all the tricks, including whipping around with a dangling gaff screaming about how sharp it is to get people away so we could actually gaff a king when we got one. Or, jigging for spanish and pulling three or four up at a time, we'd just flip the lot over the rail and our shoulder onto the deck, hit one and they all seem to learn.....oh, the memories.

And no, I don't "own" the pier. But in my opinion if I pay to fish there I am entitled to fish without disruption from others if I so choose to have it. When you pay for a seat in a theater, you want to enjoy what you pay for without being infringed upon by loud boisterous behavior that interupts your peaceful enjoyment of the movie......the right to walk on a pier ends when you move inside the 13 foot area of my anchor rod or 7 foot area of my other rods. Stand back, stay out of the way and EVERYONE can see. Crowd me, annoy me and invade my personal space and no one will. I can be a nice informative person OR I can be the one you that recall ruining your enjoyable walk on the pier. It's that simple.


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Like's been said, most of the people on the pier are okay and give you space, its just a few codbags that don't understand the concept of, well, respect. I fished Bogue Inlet Pier alot last summer and most of the time even when everyone was plugging on one side there wasn't much trouble getting the bystanders to move. Gotcha plugs look pretty menacing. I did see one bystander completely ignore the "comin' over!" call and as a result get slapped in the face by a small bluefish. Another tourist from up North was fishing with a bottom rig when he caught a bluefish, a local kid asked him if it had teeth at which point the tourist stuck his finger in the fish's mouth.....It drew a little blood, but the question was answered. The best part was the smile on the kids' face after it happened.


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## Bassplug (Jun 18, 2004)

I don't mind the tourons on the pier to much. THey are mostly nice but i don't like them going thur my tackel box to see what i am using or taking fish out the cooler.

Some of the girls in shorts are nice to look at too.

Bill


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

i dont mind tourists, until they walk out on the end of the pier, where we are all king fishing. usually its not a problem, even though i guess they cant read the "KING FISHERMEN ONLY" sign.. but what really burns me...

is when they try and walk to the edge of the rail, between all of our rigs, and ACCIDENTALLY trip over a rod, or bump it or something. that really burns me.

If it wasnt for tourism, all the areas we fish we be nothing.. i know in emerald isle the income is 80% tourism. in buxton tourism is definately a big factor, and traveling fishermen, which are kind of tourists because they dont live there.



To all you tourists and tourons, keep giving our towns your $$$, BUT DONT STEP ON OUR RODS!



Jesse


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## derekxec (Apr 26, 2006)

Carolina Rebel said:


> a local kid asked him if it had teeth at which point the tourist stuck his finger in the fish's mouth...


last time i was at the local pier the guy that runs the bait shop told me that happened but it was an adult that it happened to...they had to send him to the hospital to get him some stitches...aparently he had tried to lip it and it started chomping on his hand

also i cant stand when people kick or knock over your rods....ive had a tourist knock over a $300 rod and "accidentally" step on it and broke the first foot of the rod off


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## oldsalt (May 6, 2003)

Glad I got a boat, but at times I am sure I get to close to your pier even if the ramp is next to it.


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## repair5343 (Jul 8, 2001)

I've seen boats get too close to piers, the next thing they see is a lead shower, they seem to get the message.
Also with a blue fish feeding frenzy going on some times bucktails are spit back on the pier I ducked the lady didn't, she left.


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