# Boats too close



## Doad (Aug 27, 2001)

Was out at Seagull last night, having a really great time catching small croaker, with an occasional trout and roundhead in the mix. Sometime after dark, 'the crew'-guys who'd been in contact with one another in order to meet-show up. My wife and I had a pretty nice spot in the middle of the 'T', and I had my heaver out there (first time: had a hookup on it-a pretty nice 4-foot blacktip, I think, that broke me off while we-this one lady who'd fished for years and really knew how-tried to pier net it) with a whole croaker and also fishing for bait at the same time. Anyway, some 'honcho' decides to usurp my spot by placing his gear down in between my wife and I. So I pick it up and move it out of my way. Indication no. 1, that I have no need to be in an environment fueled by greed and aggression like that. Shoulda left right there and then, but you know...I don't care to be bullied and I can 'take one to give one', if needed, if you know what I mean.

Later, some stupid boater comes too close to the pier, and incites everyone's testosterone levels to that of a young male stallion catching his first scent of a mare that's ready. So, one (although more than a few guys were threatening to do so) of 'em heaves his 4-5 ozs. at the boat, and apparently hit? them...not sure. 

'Course, the boat moved out of the area. 

Is it really worth getting so aggravated and selfishly inclined, friends, to insist on literally 'throwing your weight around' and perhaps risk having to relive an event for the rest of your life? That is, AFTER you get out of prision for say, involuntary manslaughter? Or worse? 

The point: No matter how many boats get too close, or how many fishermen have 'your spot', no matter how hard you try, one can never-NEVER get all the idiots and 'greenhorns' or boaters or lines from people not using enough weight, etc, out of one's way-EVER. Accept the facts and enjoy fishing; try to work something out with people in an amiable way.

Or get out of sportfishing. You're gonna hurt someone which only in the end hurts yourself. Perhaps even worse and with far more repercussions than just one episode on a pier. One's conduct could affect their whole family for decades. Of course that boat was too close, and he heard the people yelling at him. No need to go any further, period. I don't care how tough anybody thinks they are either; there's always someone tougher, always someone else waiting to show up someone else. This is not competition; it is pedantic sophmorism and breeds even more contempt in others around them. Is that supposed to be a good time then? Or, do some fishermen 'forget' to take their meds before going to the pier?

I needed to express my concerns for my fellow pier junkies, because, though I like to be 'alone' often when I fish, I also like to feel as though things are 'safe'. That the people who are regulars are neighborly is a fact, because I've met a few of 'em and have really enjoyed myself learning and teaching, and just hearing their stories and stuff. Cdog, its great to know ya, and I hope to see you again sometime. 'Scott'-or whatever your handle is...nice meeting you too. Sorry I missed James and Brandon, but I saw some Sandbridge children out there; hope they aren't the one(s) I'm witnessing trying to pull these kinds of stunts out there!

Thanks for your time and tight lines amigos! I'll be out there again; hope to have a GOOD time with ya!

Doad.


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Doad what you saw is what I expect to see on weekends. KAOS. the problems increase on weekends during the week things are much calmer. People(in general) just want to have a good time and are anxious so they do stupid stuff.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

Doad

Sorry your trip had so many pitfalls. Seems to me the "first come" rule didn't apply at all. And as for the tossed weight-that's the side of a fisherman that is rarely seen. But when one is after shoreline reachable "game" I guess the only sense that comes into play is OCD. Maybe even a little PDD. And for those, one does need to take their meds each and every day. Throw in a buddy that one tries to show off for, then you have ignorance--pure and simple.
As Digger has said, you can expect that at certain times. Thank goodness we don't see it often. And definately not enough to make us want to shy away from the sport. 
I never go for the thrill of the hunt. Just like to take the relaxed recreational mentality view of my time on the water. But there is a limit to what one can take. And although we all have them, it's good that many don't walk onto piers with their "push buttons" showing. And unlike the impatients (or should I say "outpatients") that throw their weight and agressive attitudes around, the civilized ones of us save it for when it really counts. For the sake of your responsibilites, be it kids, spouses or loves, is where the ground should be held. Protect them, not a pier spot or water zone, and you can't go wrong.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Doad,it was a pleasure ta meet ya an the Mrs. Glad ya made it home safe. The T is a tricky spot to fish with people coming out an casting an you set your rod where your line goes. I didn't see what you were talking about but "most" people out there are just used to putting the gear where the line goes.

As far as "BubbaGump" the moron chunking lead at the boat, it is a problem an I have a respect of why they do it but I don't agree. After waving off the 20th boat it gets annoying. But I still feel that it is as much a show as anything. Anyway getting away from that ratrace an spending some time on th sand for th next coulpe o weekends,good luck an look forward to seeing ya again.


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## 8AnBait (Jun 24, 2002)

I believe that all piers should have a stated rule that the end or t of the pier is for king fishermen and people with heaver's or large fishing poles… Just like say Road Anthony for name sakes... An that people with spot poles should say stay off the end … People should not put chairs and coolers at the end of the pier it’s a given that fishermen and women that throw heaver's stay at the end of the pier for the safety of the people… You don’t see us down in the middle chucking 8 ounces of lead around people that have know ideal what's is going on… but hey I guess we all pay to fish their… You can ask Scott, clayton/Cdog, mark/sandbridge, jhon/Carolina, danial and the rest of the well known fishermen that fish CBBT/OTB, and I bet you 9 times out of 10 while talking to them they will say the same thing.. Now that night when that kid that pulled out early hit the bow of that center console off the right hand side I do agree that that is wrong.. And if you are going to do it you should do what is known as a trip line throw it awhile before the boat gets their right across the area of were they are going to go and let their boat prop eat the line when they go threw it… don’t ever try and hit the people on bored….. that’s 8 ounces or more of lead and it can kill someone…. Let me tell you they will have learned a lesson when they are cutting the line out of the prop…. Doad me and mark were the ones that sat the poles down between you and your wife apparently in the 8 foot open gap we saw between you but only to sit the rest of are stuff down back behind the beginning of the T and its not like we spread them out between you they were all bundled up in rode straps… we never fish directly off the middle in the lights any ways but THANK YOU for your patients while you kindly touched are poles and moved them….


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## skunked (Jun 4, 2001)

Well we're all an idiot at least once a day, just keep that in mind. Boaters can be complete morons but 99% of them are not. And finally i think that a good sling shot and some rotten fish heads would be more effective than an eight oz. weight


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## Stingray101 (Sep 14, 2001)

i couldn't age more with skunked and 8anbait. it's all right to let them know that you're out there and don't appreciate their ignorance but don't sling lead at em. it just ain't worth it. put on an old sinker and lt em cut the line out. they won't come tha close again.


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## newpl (Nov 12, 2001)

As someone who has spent many hours on piers all over VA and NC the shear believe that anyone without a heaver should not be allowed on the end of a pier is ridiculous. These piers are public piers that we all pay to fish off of. I realize that many of you guys need the extra space to spread your stuff out but I have as much right to be there as you. I am a flounder/ sheepshead fisherman and need to fish as close to pier pilings as possible. So if in effect this area was closed to bottom fisherman-those other than heavers I couldn't fish here. If you go down to Emerald Isle, NC you will see alot of piers that do not allow bottom rigs on the ends. These piers are usual barren of people and there are not alot of fish caught. However the piers that do not allow any king, pin, shark fishing from the end are much better piers. I guess that it is a personal preference. 

Having experienced the wrath of a Sandbridge regular last year I have zero desire to go back. The tide was out and people were forced to fish closer to the end. I am sure many of you could care less.
NOTE: Be careful how you treat people. Piers such as seagull and Sandbridge are state funded. There must be a cohesive getting along of everybody. If a enough people don't go on the pier you will never see the additions so many of you want.

I am sorry but I thought that the Good Lord blessed us all with the ocean and the life it contains. How dare anyone of us monopolize what we don't own.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Well 8anBait you asked for my opinon so here goes.

Would it be nice if the T was reserved for heavers?Yes,it gets chaotic when there are 10-15 people fishing that "know" what they are doing when a biggun gets on.Add into that mix croaker fishermen that cast an go over 5 lines and don't move their rod to where they cast an it can get ugly.

However the pier is for everybody that pays to get on it an having a "us vs them" attitude will only hurt everybody in the long run. That citation(not the good type)that you an Mark got the other night for two many rods could be because of this attitude. All it takes is one person getting p!ssed cuz someone "muscled" his/her spot an complaining to the popo an "we" might be looking for a new place to fish. As Rodney King said "Can't we all just get along?"


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## *BRANDON* (Dec 2, 2001)

This is how i feel about this topic. I think the T should be for cobia and pin riggers. I feel that all chairs and coolers should be put on the back side of the T to prevent accidents like hooking a chair or the person sitting in it. I also think that you should respect the people who were there fishing first. I have been out to there and it gets real annoying when you have bottom rigs in with the heavers and pinrigs


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## newpl (Nov 12, 2001)

I have already replied to this but felt compiled to add another thought. If you hit a boat they can call the police and have you arrested. Two things to keep in mind even if a boat is closer than 300 yards you do not have the right to sling weight at them. If you were to hit their boat or them and caused damage you are liable. Believe it or not some people on the pier will rat you out, especially any bottom riggers that you were mean too.
Secondly if the police were called you can bet that the pier would catch alot of flak-would you like to see Sandbridge shut down again?


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

As quoted by a friend: ""Any boat close enough to hit with a paintball gun is to close. Any boat with several brightly colored splotches down it's sides are good ones to avoid.""


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## cocoflea (Aug 1, 2002)

Even thought I have never done the type of pier fishing you guys down there do I must tell you that weekend crowds are the same the pier I fish on is sometimes insane but for the most part if you tell the people that is not the way to do things they will understand. If you get the nutcase that want to show how macho he is your better just to leave things alone, or what I did is have someone with power(Game Warden or Police) talk to him and the macho will go out of him. As for the boats that is a tuff call I'm not sure how it is down your way but were I fish if the blues are close to the pier or shore things can get crazy and again I feel it is not worth the trouble. Every year we have a bluefish contest with a $25,000 first prize and one year the the fish were close to the pier and the police had to called to restore order it was insane.


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## 8AnBait (Jun 24, 2002)

What im realy trying to say with the end of the pier /T thing is that you should go with the majority if there are 10 people fishing heavers and one person spot fishing they should have the respect to follow the lead and keep their stuff of the front and man their pole like everyone else does……….. but agin everyone does pay to fish except at the cbbt where you are actualy paying to cross the bridge... An cdog we just got talked to about to many rods and it wasnt me and mark you know me I had my limit... It was shawn you know billy idle had to many i was just with him....


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## Doad (Aug 27, 2001)

First of all, my post wasn't intended to incite a big debate over what's generally acceptable 'protocol', like for example, on buckroe and avon/avalon piers, etc...I am well aware of what's painted on those signs. Second of all, I have seen, without a doubt, several heavers on the 'T' out there, and the owners of the heavers throwing gotchas, and fishing for bait, like my wife and I were. Thirdly, sitting in a chair, next to the rail on the 'T' when guys are trying to fish for big game fish like cobia and kings is asking for injury, and if you noticed, I didn't bring my chair out there, although I have a serious back (and now) a knee problem. I mentioned it to my wife, and when I did, she sat for awhile more, and then began to back up. There was another lady prior to her out there that did that, and we, yeah WE-being naive about the whole 'pier code' didn't realize what she was doing to disrupt the situation for the heavers. Fourthly, while I can say that we're sorry about our 'rookie' mistake, you guys have to just wait, like any and everyone else before you send 'signals' of pushing yourselves in because someone else has your prime spot. I mean, if we're going to follow some protocol here, let's be consistent, eh? There wasn't EIGHT feet between myself and my heaver. Although, I might not be right about how much space, that's really incidental. I feel that if you had made mention to me about what your intentions were, there would have never been any hard or 'bad' impressions about what it was you were doing.

So, anyway, I'm sorry that people were fishing on the pier for croaker when you came, but my wife and I were fishing for bait, which wound up being croaker. By the way, did you guys do any good that evening?

Its nice to get to know some of you; no doubt I could learn a lot about pin riggin' and just how to handle a shark. Laurie (don't know if that's the right spelling) knows I can handle a pier net, 'cause earlier I helped her get a four footer over the rail, but I wasn't much good after that. I was out there also last night, and met up with 'Butch', and we had the whole pier to ourselves most of the night. Caught three little sharks and a couple of blues, which I gladly gave to Butch for helping me get my fish in. He also gave the heads up on most of the regulars out there, that one basically wouldn't have too much trouble with 'em really.

Basically, I'm a fairly easy-going person I'd say; don't know a lot, but the little that I DO know is pretty secure I guess. Used to fish all the time in the Pacific Northwest for all types of salmonoids (steelhead mostly), and began a new love affair with fishin' when I came out here and saw my first striper blitz. Been trying to seek out other fishing species ever since, which led to buying the heaver this year. I really don't need to be the boss, or someone else's conscience about anything, but I believe that if we could all one day follow the same standards, at least while fishing, that we all would benefit, and so would the fishery, that's all. So would our families.

Crab Bomber, my trip didn't have 'so many pitfalls' at all; I was just mentioning something that I was pretty concerned about, when I saw someone heaving lead at Mr. Stupidboater. I did that once, and actually hit the top of a 'come parasailing' boat off Va. Beach pier. He stopped and was looking for the person that hit him, and I was wondering if I was on my way to jail or not, but the police boat came and escorted him back to port, and I never heard anything else about it. After I thought of all I could lose for just one stupid, thoughtless act, I made a decision never to act like that-anywhere-again. I had a great time, and met Cdog, who is a really nice guy! Butch, Scott, Sandbridge2, 8andbait as well-they all seem great. Hope to perhaps see you all nail all the fish you guys go after!

Tight lines everyone,

Doad.


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## Cobia Seeker (Mar 19, 2002)

Going with the majority is fine as long as you were not there first. I go to Seagull alot and always between me and my son we have 2 pin-rigs out and 2 baits out on the bottom.

We also do out bait catching and some panfishing right on or very near the T. If we are throwing Got-chas or catching spot for live bait I'm not about to move for 2 or 3 guys carring 5-7 rods a piece.

I have been squeezed out before, mainly at Buckroe thats why I choose not to fish there anymore. Our cart is always right next to the lightpole in the center of the pier at the T. and we will move out of the way for a cast but we do not move our rods just because someone can't cast straight.

As for throwing lead at stupid boaters, thats a big no no in my book. Believe me when I say if I saw someone throw and hit a person ar god fobid a child I WOULD turn that person in. Stupid acts like that get people killed. I saw a child in a boat in OBX get hooked with a got-cha and ripped his arm wide open. The parents beached the boat and had him rushed to the med station, he almost died from blood loss.

Would I turn the person in?? You damn skippy.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

I did need a lesson Saturday night on how to keep one's cool. The pier round crab drop nets/ aka pier fish nets----the ones with diameters large enough to punch holes into and hang overhead as a makeshift shower gave me a problem that night. Had some, I would saw regulars because I got the impression they knew their way around the pier, set up crabbing at a bench next to the one my son and I were on. They extended those darn traps from their bench over to the bench we were on and then went a bit too far as one of them they started tying on directly in front of the middle of the bench. Now my son was nervous enough being on a pier in the daylight. I was not about to watch him get even more nervous from someone running and jumping in front of him to pull up a crab basket. After looking at that guy I saw the "eye stare" wasn't going to work. When I mentioned that there were fishing lines out where he was about to tie that pot he said simply "oh" and proceeded to tie it up. He started talking in his native language to one of the 20 or so others in his group. I didn't understand what was being said until I heard what sounded very much like the @ss word, and that is when I lost it. I told him if he tied it there I would cut the line. That got results. Probably would have gotten myself tossed into the waters from that one but that was not an issue to me. We were there first. At least 30% of the benches in the area were unoccupied. Why did this jerk step past my son with the assumption that he was going to tie his line in front of us. I felt that my actions were appropriate. And you know, I would have cut that line in a heart beat if he had put it there. 
When I left home I had a slight headache. When I stopped at the gas station the gas nozzle had a hair trigger on it and immediately began shooting gas up into the air as I lifted it from the pump. Now I am trying to control this thing with gas coming out all over the place. What a mess that made. To make it even worse I had paid at the pump with credit and lost a lot of $ on that spilled gasoline. Guess by the time I got to the pier the fumes had taken their toll on me. Normally I have quite a bit of patience, even keep some in reserve. But when I looked into my son's eyes as he started sliding out of this guy's way sawing I'll move mom, that is when I knew it was time to put a stop to the rudeness. From that point on we had no negative experiences. Everything was fine. I even took it upon my self to fish off the very end of the pier. There was no one there and it felt great. I caught no fish there but it sure felt good to have the opportunity to give it a try. With only a handful of trout fishermen nearby, thank goodness nothing took that spot head I had out. Would have been interesting though. 
Not to say I would have overlooked a rude crabber hogging in if I were alone but that extra incentive came due to my duty to make sure my son was in no way in danger, be it physical or mental, from those actions and to achieve the goal I had left home with the intention of achieving. That being having a peaceful night of fishing.

Thats my two cents worth. Needed another 53 cents to go along that to make up for the 55 cents I was short of to buy a pack of bloodworms that night.


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