Walleyedan: How to treat your fishing neighbor

Where did ya catch 'em? In the lake, in the lip or maybe on some lake that wasn't even the lake you were on.

These answers are answers you can get out of a fisherman that spends a lot of time on the water and who might be reluctant to answer that age old question. I've been fishing for quite some time now and I will now answer that question with honesty, if someone is so bold to ask! Was it always like that? Nope.

A lot of fishermen and women are protective of their spots and don't like the word to get out. The more people you tell the more pressure you will likely see on that lake or spot.

Thank God that He made a lot of lakes for us here in Minnesota. People that don't fish often don't quite "get it" when it comes to this whole topic and let me tell you, there have been friendships lost and probably even physical altercations over fishing spots.

"You're on my spot."

"You're way too close."

"Who told you about this spot? It's a big lake."

"You want to fish in my boat or my house?"

I actually had a fish house park so close to mine this winter that I thought I was going to have to ask them to move their house so I could hook up to mine. That's actually a slight exaggeration, but not very far off at all. Nope, they're not my lakes or spots, I know that. Everyone likes to show people their catch, especially in these days that we are living in.

Social media is dangerous, too. You head out to your fish house and catch a whopper or two and post those pictures to your social media platform and now the dude that knows your on Gull or wherever just has to open his fish house door and grab the binos. Bingo, there's the new spot!

This topic has so many tentacles to it, I could go on and on. And every one of you avid fishermen can plug yourself into these situations (either side). It's been going on for years. We all like to catch fish and are all quite observant as to who's where and what's up. Very few seasoned fishermen will pull right up on you, but there are some. Do onto others as you would have done to you.

I will finish by saying that we all learn from others at some point. Maybe it was dad, grandpa, brother, sister, cousin, uncle, friend, coworker, fishing guide or someone else along the line. This sport is like no other.

Fishing is fun, fishing is learning, fishing is solitude, fishing is for food, fishing is a way of cleansing one's mind. Thank God for the fish!

Tight lips,

Walleyedan