Posted by Rich Thiel on 2002 PM:

Encroachment (All tournment Fisherman should read)

I wrote this articale a couple of years ago and the topic here on the west coast has well has the east coast still come's up. Its entitled "Encroachment". All Tournament fisherman as well has Non-Tourn Fisherman should read this to save yourself as well of the Sport from getting a bad name.

John or Frank: if I posted it under the wrong spot, please fix it, LOL

Rich Thiel
Professional Guide and Tournament Fisherman

 Tournaments today are many, with many recognized Organizations on the West Coast, fisherman today have to pick their circuits in a manner that hey can participate and can afford.  Most all the organizations today have Team Events, with the major organizations having Pro Events Only.  All have one rule in common "Encroachment".

 

      Encroachment means, anyone coming within a specified distance of XXX, can be ask to leave, in which he will have to or back off to that specified distance.  Each organization has a specified distance.  This distance is between boats.  They vary in distance of 25yds to 100yds depending on the rules of that particular organization that you are involved with.  Before the event starts, ask the attending "Director" what is the distance?  He will be more than welcome to answer it, believe me.

 

      Most tournament fisherman today are well disciplined and are all out for the fun of the sport, but are some that are not so!!!.  These individuals can cause a big concern in the sport, to the boat in approaching and to the Tournament Director.  They know who they are!.

 

      As a Tournament fisherman since 1974, a past Director for 6+ years, I've run across it in conversations, seen it, been approach to judge on it, and even been challenged in a tournmant in the past on it.  It's a mental approach that you have to take to overcome the endurance of the subject.

 

                                                          Example

 

      Has a tournament fisherman myself, I pre-fish before I enter a tournament, I therefore should have a clue of whats going on at the lake.  I go home and set everything up to WIN.  The next weekend is the tournament and I enter.  I'm on fish!...

My draw number is boat "1",  Great .  I blast off and I go to my Number 1 hole, I'm on it and catching fish, another boat sees meand comes over and tries to barge in on my good fortune.  If the gentleman is a gentleman, he will stay within the set distance, if not, he maybe disqualified for encroachment if turned in.  Which in reality, know one really wants to do.   Solution:  Ask him to back off, leave or be disqualified.  All this in a gentlemanly fashion.

 

      Know, lets reverse this situation and I drew the last boat out.  I get to the first hole and I find that a boat is sitting on it.  What do I do?.... I ask the boat first if he is in the Tournament (if you don't recognize him),  If yes, move on, as a tournament fisherman you should have backup spots, at least 3 to 8.  They maybe different in techniques but what are you going to do?  If all else fails you can come back later to see if the boat is still there.

 

      Another situation, a boat is sitting there on one of your spots that you had plan on fishing during the tournament and isn't in the tournament.  What do I ask him (I don't want to ruin his or her day, nor give the sport a bad name).  Ask the boat first if you may fish behind him, never pull in front of him. good way in starting a bad situation.  He may just let you have the hole if he knows your in a tournament.  Talk to him and make him feel confortable with you there, if he or she looks new to the sport, tell him what to try if their not catching fish.  If their fishing for something else.  It's a judgement call.  Call it "Oh Well" and go on to another hole or spot.

 

      Us fisherman have to remember (in most cases) that the boat pre-fished, and he but is time in on the water to win also.  For you to come in, "DONT DO IT", it may cost you then and down the road in future tournaments.

 

       Most, encroachment rules are broken during a Team Event and very seldom broken at Pro Events.  But, it has been known too happen.

 

 

 

RICHARD H. THIEL

 

 

 

Posted by bobn on 2002 PM:

rich--read your article on tourney fishing--i don't want to appear as a hard ass but -------as a non tourney guy, i don't think it's your hole as you say--i was there first--sorry --now you come up and want to fish in my shadow--you become the nuisance--what if i take the stance, i was here first go away you are invading my privacy-where does the "little guy go from here"-the oh well move on to another place by you sounds good to me-bobn

Posted by Rich Thiel on 2002 AM:

Bobn, Hmmmmm,,, I think you miss read or understood a couple of line's, but most of what you had mentioned is correct..... You don't have to move. Has a Tournament Fisherman, Guide or just another fisherman like yourself, I should have the courtesy too move on or anyone else to do the same.

Like I said at the beginning,,, I should have atleast 3-8 holes, if you are anyone else is on one, "For me, Oh Well" and go too the next.

Rich Thiel

Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 AM:

Rich, I enjoyed your encroachment article. As a tournament director of a new club, this is something I'm considering right now. I feel that the boat that was there first has supreme right to fish and not be bothered....whether that boat is in the tournament or not. I have two examples....one in a tournament situation....I observed one boat flipping a willow tree and positioned approx. 30 feet from the shoreline......another boat also in the same tournament cut between the flipper and his tree.......that is inexcusable and should be immediate grounds for DQ. Another time I was not participating in the tournament but was out on a small lake that had a tourney with about 15 boats. A boat was parked on my hole when I arrived. I waited for the guys to finish up and asked permission to fish behind them which they gladly granted........on my second cast 9-14 largemouth that would havew won the tourney, lunker and definately Mr. Bass awards. The guys were gracious but I did it right by asking them in the first place. Most of our tournament waters are small. I'm considering a 100 to 200 ft safe zone. We do have some narrow water and would obviously have to change this so boatsd and navigate on it. I would like to see what rules you keep in place if you have the time to send them to me.-Thanks-Craig

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Posted by wnybassman on 2002 AM:

Most of the tournaments I am involved with do not have a "set distance" rule. We usually use the "sportmanship rule" instead.

Granted, our lakes may be bigger, but some areas do get very congested. I have seen 3 boats go abreast down a stretch of shoreline. One fishing the docks, one in the weeds and the other outside of the weeds, all 50-75 apart.

Basically, if you respect other anglers space (tx or non-tx anglers) there will not be problems. If you go in and act like an ass, then there will be problems.

I have always felt a "set distance" rule was always more of a problem maker, because many folks can not judge distance very well. Then there is squabbling over what is 90 feet, or what is 110 feet.

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Posted by Lieutenant on 2002 PM:

Situation

When I was in NC I had pulled up to a nice bank filled with stumps and standing timber. I had been there about 5 minutes, line in the water when two guys (probably fishing tournament) came right up behind me in deeper water.

They proceeded to cut infront of me and fish the bank I was throwing to. They were 40 ft away, I felt like throwing my carolina rig at their heads! I mean what the hell, I have never experienced anything like it. Then again I have never fished I lake with so many bass rigs buzzing around either. I don't think I would like to live there if that is the norm!

I hope I will always have more courtesy than that!

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Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 PM:

I know an old timer who I fished with in Florida for years. He had a tuna stick rigged with a bunker snagger. One day that same situation happened to us and he picked up the snagger cast it into the boat and yanked it through acroos the deck pulling off whatever was on the front deck. The guys in that boat didn't say a word, they thought he was crazy and high tailed it out of there!!!! Problem solved!!!

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Posted by Scully on 2002 AM:

fishing etiquette

Rarely if ever (that I can remember) has a member of my club (48 members) filed a complaint against another memeber for encroachment. This covers a span of 14 years and 131 tournaments.

Our rule regarding encroachment is simple and vague.

It reads. "A distance of not less than 100 feet is recommended as a safe distance between boats."

The object being to make it a "boating issue" rather than a fishing issue.

In larger tournament such as Foxwoods and Federation events, I have seen this problem arise on more than one occasion. Fishing is supposed to be fun, regardless of the competition. Some anglers I know take themselves much to seriously. There are many more SIGNIFICANT things for one to be concerened with. How about the economy, the war on terrorism, Isriael & Palestine, Iraq, The UEO, Valerie Putin, Venezuela, the drug wars in Columbia, Castro, revolutionary rebels in the hills of Mexico, the price of gas, and on and on. So when I go fishing, I want to take my mind off all that BS and have fun.

If somebody is on a spot I want to fish, I dont bother to stop, I just go to the next one. Its just not worth a potential hassel.

Scully