From Bob's P.P. BB - Inconsiderate Fishing Partners

I just read an interesting post thread on the P.P. BB ("Be on time/Do as you say") about fishing partners that are often late or don't show up. It seems that its' a little more common than I thought. And fishers expressed being very fed up with that. They should be! There is no good excuse to be a consistently lame fishing partner. And no excuse to keep a lame one either. I've been pretty lucky to have good reliable fishing partners over the years. But I have had experience with the kind being discussed. To be late for or miss a planned trip on rare occassions is OK as long as you call with an explaination. Anyone that is a frequent offender, especially one who doesn't call with an explaination and appology, isn't one who I would remain a fishing partner with! Those types are disfunctional &/or need to find another recreation. How hard can it be to set 2 alarms, the second one out of reach from the bed? Here is your chance to make suggestions or vent about this unfortunate scenario. - RT

[Phish_on]

Intolerable !

I'm always reminded of that movie "A River Runs Through It" where the guy shows up late, hung over, and with the coffee can full of worms (the hero-guys being fly fishing purists) -

"Here in Montana, we are NEVER LATE for CHURCH or FISHING !!! "

I will not have lame fishing partners. No second chances. That's all !

[White Willie]

get your money for gas and bait before the fishing trip your friends wont be late to many times if it involves money. I give my friends 20 minutes and then im gone i dont let them mess up a good day of fishing because they want to sleep a little longer. And every one that I fish with has been left at the dock or boat ramp because the were late and you can almost bet its on a day when the fishing was great.

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mike schoenwald

[Bait O' Eggs]

One of my best friends has been my main fishing partner for about 14 years. I have been letting our friendship allow him to walk all over me by being habitually late, forgetting tackle (which I always ended up supplying), forgetting bait, even forgetting his pole and borrowing my spare on more than 1 occasion, Would have to say I have had him in my sled at least on 50 trips +/- and I have never seen $1 for gas yet. It is just not my way to ask for money, I guess its not his way to voluntarily pay,.... etc etc etc.

His wife has him on a pretty short leash and his hall passes have been becoming far and few between lately. He is one of the few people I know that could walk into any boat dealership and just pay cash for anything off the showroom floor. Yet he does not own a boat because he loves his money to much to part with it. The man loves to fish and wants to get his kid into it, but wont invest the money and effort to do it. The final straw came earlier this year when he wanted to take his kid shad fishing and as soon as we got in the boat the kid was sniveling he wanted to go home. Since we went fishing anyway the kid opened my tackle box and ended up pitching a couple k14 Quickfish into the river (on the previous trip the kid tossed my hand turned cherry fish whacker I made in the water). As we sat their anchored watching my tackle float down the river I decided he can be a friend but not a fishing partner. It was a decision that was hard to make, but I felt tons better once it was decided.

Good friends are good friends. Good fishing partners are far and few between.

[Osprey]

Remember guys..the zipper goes in the front (sorry girls)
I really hate the excuse...OH I was late because I needed to put some ointment on my Emu...what ever

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Row quietly and fish a Cataraft !!-------<'))>><



[This message has been edited by Osprey (edited 08-29-2000).]

[Crusty]

A friend at work indicated an interest in fishing with me. I gave him a date and he asked if I had a cell phone. I told him "No." and he suggested that I borrow one so that I could call him when the boat was in the water. The trip of course never happened, I became inexplicably busy.

On another occasion an erstwhile friend wanted me to guarentee that we would catch fish. He didn't want to "waste time sitting in the boat all day". That trip didn't happen either.

Crusty

[TideWater]

There is another side to the coin of this subject.

Those who invite you to go fishing with them and have the attitude that you owe them your first born. This is after paying for the gas.

And

Those who invite and expect you to be their bait-(person?)/slave.

[Bait O' Eggs]

RT
I try not to read Dear Abby

I dont invite people to go fishing to only cut my expenses. I am going fishing whether or not they are coming, Hence I have the expenses either way. Poor logic? I dont know, just my perspective. I would not go fishing with somebody else and not offer to pay for my fair share plus a little. My buddy is not like that, a charater flaw in my opinion. We all have flaws so I just let it slide for years. I never invite somebody I dont think I will enjoy spending the day with. I really enjoy my buddies company, even though his wallet is a one way street. I invite people to go for the companionship, commrodery (sp) and story telling, not for the 10 or 20 bucks I might get out of it.

So, why did if feel so good to made the decesion to ditch him as a fishing partner, I dont know it just did.

My first 2 trips to B10 this year were solo, because I did not want to invite him, and the other guy I would take was busy. Most people always need to be home early. If you are going with me, you had better pack a lunch and maybe dinner to. Go hard or go home will be the motto of the day.

Nice forum to get this off the shoulders, I have never told my buddy he's not going any more with me. It will just be.

[Jeffhead]

For me I like to go with family and friends I enjoy being with, fishing is second. With the guys I go with alot I just want to trade trips, that way neither one of us has to feel obligated to "pay up" at the end of the day. Just invite me the next time, that's all. I guess I'm kinda like BOE I'm going anyway, if the friends pitch in cool, if not no big deal. I do have friends that I fish with that don't have a boat and they may not always chip in but will make it up in other ways. I guess what I'm sayin' is when I don't "expect" anything it seems to come back a hundred fold in other ways.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

[KrystalFlash]

Hey!

As far as fishing buds go, the good ones are few and far between.
All I can say is, Been there, don't want to go back.
I have found it easiest to lay out the terms prior to departure. That way everyone has a good time and I don't worry about someone being late, who is going to pay for the gas, bait, etc. They know the deal up front, and if they don't agree, they don't go. Simple.

Good rules of thumb:
When invited on a fishing trip:

Show up on time.(or early)
(Doughnuts/Coffee optional)
If you're on another person's boat, always offer to help pay for gas.
Bring your own gear or, if you use their gear, kick in a little extra.
If you lose gear(whoops) or destroy(SMASH!) it, replace it.
Don't act like a jerk. Odds are the other party will remember the boat, not the person.
Offer to help with the clean up after the trip.
Have fun!
Fish on !

It is good to be Lucky!!! >< )))'>

[This message has been edited by KrystalFlash (edited 08-29-2000).]

[Oakie Drifter]

I just have to comment here too that I have a strict policy on this matter. Everyone that fishes with me knows that I will wait five minutes then forget it, Im gone! I dont care so much about them paying for gas and whatnot, as I dont often take others except for my roomate, Dot. She goes in with the bait and gas everytime. Im am VERY strict on the time thing as we all know that to get that good hole you have to get there early!

Hey come on Bev; at least allow 15 minutes. Something could have happened that caused someone to be a litte late and they might show up just a couple minutes after you pulled away. If it's really important to get a good anchor spot that requires that you must be there by a certain time then explain that to the person so they can make an extra effort to be there early. In that situation I can understand leaving on schedule without them if someone is late. - RT

'Eggs, you made the right decision! However, like dear Abby has written in her column: If you allow people to unfairly walk all over you, then you are part of the problem. Let people that you fish with regularly know that expenses should be shared. Gas, oil, maintainence, ins., and usage depreciation add up to a lot of expense for the one providing the boat! Guests should at the very least help pay for gas. - I also have a suggestion for people who fish in my boat, and think it's proper etiquette for all really, and that is to share fish caught. For example, on days when only one fish was caught among 3 anglers I suggest that the lucky angler keep half the fish and give a quarter each to the other 2. Hen's eggs may be another story though . Opinions? - RT

[PeterMac]

My friends boat has a sticker -

"This boat runs on gas, not friendship!"

Pretty simple concept.

Peter Mac

[finclipped]

People never cease to amaze me. I have always been very upfront with folks I take out that fishing expenses, in particular gasoline, need to be shared among those fishing.

I started a new job this summer and wanting to make a few new friends, so I invited a new guy fishing. He made a comment that he "really" wanted to go fishing. Almost invited himself. I told him about my expense policy and he informed me that he would only pay if he caught fish. So, I told him to forget it. The interesting thing was he was genuinely surprised I told him this. We went Ocean fishing without him and limited the boat in an hour. What a dork.

Another guy I invited didn't show up. I think I'll just stick to my tried and true fishing friends.

[bait boy]

I gladly pay my way through a boat excursion through being the bait person (I also get to hook and feel almost every fish that comes in). For those of us that don't make adequate amounts for financing fishing trips I think that this is a good option. Make up for the lack of funds in hard smelly fishy work. I even pull anchor when necessary. As I get more and moore comfortable financially I have started to donate both time\effort and money to the fishing cause as my situation allows. I realize that most people\friends are going to go any ways with me or without me so I would rather be an asset to have on the boat to relieve some of the duties from the Capt. even if I don't put gas in the boat..

Have fun and keep me in mind the next time you need a boat *itch

Rick

I had this guy I used to fish with. He would religiously forget something EVERY time we fished. Some days it was his rod or reel or waders but it was always something. I always go fishing over prepared so guess whose gear he would use or whose coffee he would mooch. He even used the TP I always carried in my vest. He was single so we usually used he vehicle to go fishing but I always paid for all the gas and rightly so, and would most of the time supply lunch and bait if I had it. It got to be more than I could handle so I quit fishing with him

[Pilar]

One of the really cool things about fishing is that people of different stripes get together for some fun. I fish with my buddies because they are fun to spend time with. I don't care what they do for a living or how well off they are. Interesting conversations, shared fishing knowhow, some hard work and relaxation are the norm. Everybody contributes whatever they can and we share the boat hassles (clean up, repairs, whatever) no matter whose boat it is this week.

I've recently parted ways with one long time partner because he never really helped out and I can't afford him. He works in a convenience mart and doesn't make alot of money. So I don't ask for much from him, maybe boat launch fee or whatever he can afford. He can fish though, and that's what kept me in the game.

This summer we had a really bad day. My bud got drunk as he sometimes does and began to destroy my gear. He stomped on a seat and broke it. He also dropped a rod holder in the river. He has done this in the past and never replaced any of the broken gear. I let it go and chalked it up to alcohol poisoning. But we quit for the day cause the fun went out of it and went in. This infuriated my partner who wanted to drink and fish dawn to dark.

Most of my fishin buds will keep an eye on the boat and gear as if it is their own. I had to make a pit stop when we hit the bank and my former fishin bud was hanging out at the boat. When I got back, there was no one at the boat and some of my gear was missing??!? A really nice rod and an inherited (My Dads) 30 year old 4/0 senator II special. 15 minutes later he wandered back over to the boat after BS ing with some guys he met in the parking lot and we went home.

He refuses any responsibility for not looking out for my stuff and refuses to replace anything lost due to his negligence.

I have stood the watch on his boat and gear at the boat ramp many times. It's the only way to keep opportunists from raiding your boat.

A month or so later, he calls and wants to know why we don't fish every weekend no more. I explained again about not wanting irresponsible people in my boat. He offered to replace the gear. Too late, I said, but it will never happen again. Damn skippy, he's 86ed, maybe forever.

Bottom line is be tolerant of people, cause were all different. But if someone is wearing you out and causing you stress, find a different partner.

All I'm asking for is good company. I have to associate with people I don't care for all week for a living and I don't have to do it in my boat. It's that simple.

Go ahead, show up late. I'll wait, for a while, unless it's every time. Go ahead and dash to your rig when we hit the dock. The other guys will help clean up. They'll be going out again next weekend too. Go ahead and show a lack of respect for me or mine and I'll show you my back. The bend is your friend!