# Beware the Claim Jumper



## Sr.Jigger

What's a claim jumper ? Just like in the old gold days when a guy hit gold and the word got out, People came running to move in on you.
It's happen to me twice now in one week while fishing. These guy's don't put any work or effort into finding fish or asking for advise prior to hitting a lake. They pose as their just slow trolling by until they see someone catch a fish, then they parallel park next to you within casting distance and set up camp.

That's a reason to tear up someone's man card. I wanted to yell over at them that I have a right-to-carry permit and I'm mentalally unstable so don't piss me off. I did manage to get 2 legal size - 17" saugeye with several short throw backs. You had to land them quick and keep your net low to avoid attention.
Think I'll do like Foxbite and fish at night. Catch some bigger ones :B.
Water temp was 53 degrees.


----------



## Dragline

LOL, Your right. Right now there's as many guy's working to catch fish as there is guy's looking for guy's catching fish. I've seen spot's that look like floating parking lot's. I can't fish like that so I stay away.


----------



## Saugeyefisher

A big reason alot of people quit putting reports with specifics un them... catch a fish,post a report only to finf 100 guys fishing the next day.... very aggrevateing. Especially on tbe water... heck we even have it happen on erie...


----------



## Flathead76

Just look on here sometime as to how many members visit this site compared to guests. I only give good info via PM on here to members that have helped me out in the past for this exact reason.


----------



## C J Hughes

I am ALMOST over the sickness . Unable to share the truth on how and where I caught fish. I do have a much better day on the water when I don't glare at the guy who pulls next to me and drops his anchor . To stop this urge to shoot someone over fishing that you have , simply tell yourself you have a enough fish in your freezer to stock a food bank .
Now if you pull up next to me I will tell you how what and where I am catching fish , I will also tell anyone at the dock the same info that will listen to me. What I have found out is that most old guys( the type of people I run into on the lake during the week) don't like to be told what to do, they even get pissed off sometimes. BUT I can go on fishing without my blood pressure going to the roof and I honestly have a much nicer day on the water . It helps talking about it to people who have the same sickness some people ( people that don't fish) look at you like you are crazy when you say you wanted to shoot the guy that pulled right up next to you and started fishing!They will never understand our sickness. Maybe we could start a club meet once week on the water . that would help just don't come over to my boat if you see my NET out .


----------



## JignPig Guide

Sorry to hear about it Sr. Jigger. 

They either know what they are doing and are rude. Or they are unaware of what they are doing, and just don't know any better.

Good luck man.


----------



## Lewis

Jigger...I think I ran into those same guys this week.
Last week it was a couple guys watching me with binoculars.....lol


----------



## mac79

Just want to be part of the ranting ....
I do alot of trolling and it gets me so mad when i have been running back and forth on a shelf or point . picking up fish on every pass and turn for another pass and some jerk whose been watching us from across the lake pulled up right on the route ive been doing. When your doing 4 wide with planers it sucks to change routes at short notice...

What yall think if im making figure 8s is it my spot?
or do i give that spot up every time i turn for another pass?


----------



## Sr.Jigger

Guy's, I understand a boat trolling back and forth working a area of lake. Some of my best friends love trolling. It's easy to tell when a boat is working a shore edge area back and forth. YOU give them the room to do their thing, they was there first and don't impede their path. That's cool.
I don't mind sitting shoulder to shoulder to people in a movie theater, air plane, any sports event or night club but with a large lake you'd think you shouldn't have to have someone close enough to share peanuts or popcorn with.
I'm just saying !!!


----------



## TheCream

That's when it's good to be a fly fisherman. People start creeping too close, I just get a little wild with the casting. A shot or two across the bow with a large bass fly usually scares folks off that are a little too close.


----------



## foxbites

yes go at night! Nobody around to bug ya and saugeyes bite better in the dark


----------



## kayakmac

It doesn't get any better from shore, was at buckeye last night, caught a couple of dinks no one around me for 75 yards, suddenly I have company right where I'm casting, I just went home, not really a confrontational sort. I'm thinking I like my kayak and the solitude and beauty of a river so much more!


----------



## briney dave

I do not minda at all sharing what I have learned with a guy who wants to learn how to fish better. I had a guy about three or four years ago come up to me when I was about done for an evening and ask straight up for some help. 

I knew he was watching me and sort of pegged him for a jumper but in fact he was just clueless about how to fish. 

I showed him what to use to get started and how to rig it, and explained as the season goes on what sorts of things the bass typically do in reaction to those changes in conditions. 

the biggest thing I shared was making sure not to look like a jumper and that there were plenty of places to catch a bass or two from all along the water body. 

I gave him a rigged senko and sent him off to the store to grab a fresh bag to learn how to rig by looking at that one and shook his hand.

I have no idea if he still fishes as the place is big enough to not see the same person again but I hope so and I hope I set someone straight about claim jumping without an unpleasant confrontation 

some guys are just going to be jerks and that is that but I bet many more just don't know how or where to start learning


----------



## pkent

went to seneca lake last week for a few hours of night casting for saugeye.fished the lake in the mouth of the spillway.got there at 4pm and waited untill dark.about 5:15 three guys in a big $ bass boat showed up and started casting cranks all aroud me,at one time the boat was ten feet from my feet.at about 6:30 one of the guys wraped a rip stick around my rod tip.what would the three guys do if I was in the boat & they were the ones on shore.


----------



## dgatrell27

If your trolling back and forth and not sitting on a spot its fair game after you are passed it. I don't have a crystal ball in my boat telling me you are going to make another pass. I don't fish for saugeyes, only bass. With that said, I spot fish. If there is a point or rock pile I want to fish and the boat in front of it is trolling as soon as they are clear I wouldn't think twice about fishing it. Guys using binoculars are everywhere, especially is tournament fishing. Granted it sucks, nothing illegal about them doing it. Unethical, yes! Learn to deal with them, as in get a couple muskie lures and pick them up when guys get too close!


----------



## rizzman

Try trolling the night bite out of Cleve. this time of year, if you turn on your head lamp and net a fish you wont be there alone for long......


----------



## Spillway

I have been guilty of doing it and being a victim. Not on Lake Erie but it can happen anywhere..nbd I figure it balances out and and fishermen are typically friendly! Shore fishing, I always ask if it is OK if I want to move close to someone on a honey hole. Never had anyone say no if there was enough room.


----------



## backlashed

Sr.Jigger said:


> ... People came running to move in on you.
> ... They pose as their just slow trolling by until they see someone catch a fish, then they parallel park next to you within casting distance and set up camp.


I know exactly what you are saying. I've had bass fisherman trolling by cast INTO my anchored boat, the first time I almost got the trebles snagged in my thigh. Don't get me started on crappie fishermen.


----------



## chadwimc

Public water is public water...


----------



## MassillonBuckeye

chadwimc said:


> Public water is public water...


Love that pic!


----------



## buckeyebowman

JignPig Guide said:


> Sorry to hear about it Sr. Jigger.
> 
> They either know what they are doing and are rude. Or they are unaware of what they are doing, and just don't know any better.
> 
> Good luck man.





Lewis said:


> Jigger...I think I ran into those same guys this week.
> Last week it was a couple guys watching me with binoculars.....lol


No, JignPig, they know exactly what they are doing! And they are rude! I've had it happen to me more times than I can recall. I and my buddy, or my BIL, would work spot after spot after spot until we'd finally start to hit some fish, and here comes the armada! I have no doubt about Lewis's post, that there are guys out there with binos watching everybody else! One time, at Pymy, there were 3 guys in a boat who followed us all over the north end! My BIL got so PO'd that he proceeded to troll circles around their boat! We didn't really expect to catch anything, we just wanted to screw with them! BTW, we don't call them "claim jumpers" we call them leeches, because they will suck the blood right out of you!


----------



## beaver

I don't run into too many problems with people moving in on me when I'm catching fish. I guess we just don't have good enough fishing to worry about it where I go. Haha

However I do run into rude fisherman while I'm trying to duck hunt every year though. I have a lake that I occasionally hunt. I'm usually the only one there. I get there at 0400 and set my decoys and blind up on the back side of the lake. Usually around 0900 a couple guys show up to fish. No big deal to me. It's public and there is a whole lake to fish. They usually work the bank with jigs. When they get to the spot that I'm clearly hunting with decoys spread out, you would think they would have courtesy to give me space. Nope, they either troll right trough my decoys or set anchor just yards away and eat their sandwiches like they're waiting for me to leave. It's an electric only lake and I've seen them fire up the 9.9 several times to get back up to a good drift. If I wasn't such a reasonable person, I'd have half the mind to just follow them around the lake all morning shooting at coots.


----------



## MassillonBuckeye

buckeyebowman said:


> No, JignPig, they know exactly what they are doing! And they are rude! I've had it happen to me more times than I can recall. I and my buddy, or my BIL, would work spot after spot after spot until we'd finally start to hit some fish, and here comes the armada! I have no doubt about Lewis's post, that there are guys out there with binos watching everybody else! One time, at Pymy, there were 3 guys in a boat who followed us all over the north end! My BIL got so PO'd that he proceeded to troll circles around their boat! We didn't really expect to catch anything, we just wanted to screw with them! BTW, we don't call them "claim jumpers" we call them leeches, because they will suck the blood right out of you!


We call it "getting paylaked".. Me and my buddies do it to each other but can laugh about it.. Paylaked or "I'm just keeping your spot warm".. Lol. Not usually very fun if its not someone you know though..


----------



## glasseyes

I fish from the bank and have had the same thing happen to me, most of us have if your catching fish on public water . I used to let it bother me but have learned to just not let it ruin my day. If I'm pressured that much I will just move. That's also one reason I spend a lot of time searching out new areas if I can to just have peace and quiet and still catch fish. Most of the time in a boat it's hard to hide if your into fish on a public lake. easier from the bank I think. Just to bad you have fisherman that have no ethics and just don't get it. To them it's just catching fish no matter who has found them.


----------



## petewv

I fish because I enjoy the company of other people. I am not going to go hungry if I do not catch the biggest or more fish than all my friends. If catching fish was all there was to fishing I would have quit a long time ago.

I remember when my son was about 10 years old and he was running the trolling motor and keep getting close to another boat. I told him not to get on top of those other fisherman they said they did not have a problem with it. I can still see the BIG bass he caught from right under there noses. Everyone get a big laugh out of it. Fishing is suppose to be fun


----------



## glasseyes

petewv said:


> I fish because I enjoy the company of other people. I am not going to go hungry if I do not catch the biggest or more fish than all my friends. If catching fish was all there was to fishing I would have quit a long time ago.
> 
> I remember when my son was about 10 years old and he was running the trolling motor and keep getting close to another boat. I told him not to get on top of those other fisherman they said they did not have a problem with it. I can still see the BIG bass he caught from right under there noses. Everyone get a big laugh out of it. Fishing is suppose to be fun


If you fish because you enjoy the company of other people I would imagine you are a minority to most fisherman. I don't fish for food although I do keep fish on occasion. Most fisherman don't either. We fish because we love the sport.


----------



## MassillonBuckeye

petewv said:


> I fish because I enjoy the company of other people. I am not going to go hungry if I do not catch the biggest or more fish than all my friends. If catching fish was all there was to fishing I would have quit a long time ago.
> 
> I remember when my son was about 10 years old and he was running the trolling motor and keep getting close to another boat. I told him not to get on top of those other fisherman they said they did not have a problem with it. I can still see the BIG bass he caught from right under there noses. Everyone get a big laugh out of it. Fishing is suppose to be fun


Yeah I had a guy slip in right next to me once and proceed to catch all the fish I had failed to for the last 30-45min.. Taught me a thing or two that guy! I wasn't mad, just seemed a bit strange at the time he'd walk right up next to me. Friendly enough fella. I was casting Out into the water and he started casting to the side and into this pocket just nailing saugeye. Shared some tips and his spot with me basically. 

Only thing I really get mad about is when it gets dangerous out on the boat. Someone buzzes ya too close or going to fast or feel like they weren't paying attention. Not trying to have any accidents out on the water. Stay calm and stay safe out there!


----------



## Dragline

It's a respect thing. Why can't people see that. The most of us go fishing as a stress relief,,,, R+R from the daily grind. some piece and quite,time alone, time to unwind. Time to think, time away from the crowds.


----------



## trickys10

thats why you need to carry a big catfish rod with a 3 oz chunk of lead they get the point real fast when you start continuosly casting towards them


----------

