A topic that’s widely discussed these days among the local trails, particularly among the youth anglers, is on the water etiquette. How you conduct your business on the water is as important as how you conduct it off the water.
When I was a kid, my late grandmother decided it would be a good idea to “culture” my siblings and I by enrolling us in classes for etiquette. We learned how to use the correct fork, shake hands and conduct ourselves in a formal setting; however, much of that “culturing” has faded in my years of experience due to the fast paced world of suppers from a sack, an on-the-go lifestyle and being a product of the South Carolina public school system. Just kidding.
At any rate, the influx of youthful talent among the Bassmaster Elite Series combined with the grizzled experience among the veterans has raised the question of on the water etiquette.
Two Elite Series veterans were sharing an area this morning as a much younger angler entered the area, head down, trolling motor wide open. Not much was exchanged in the area of pleasantries, but it was noted to pay attention to the young angler and how he patrolled the area.
He proceeded to cruise through the area and on his way he went. Now fundamentally, he didn’t do anything wrong. “You’d have never done something like that to Denny Brauer or Tom Mann,” the veteran angler remarked.
“You’d have been snatched out the boat and dealt with.” To reference Denny Brauer or Tom Mann is certainly dating yourself as a competitor, but there is a point here that he’s making.
One of the veteran anglers noted that he doesn’t say anything to the young guys because he doesn’t like confrontation on the water. I asked if maybe the guys who push the envelope, often push it more with guys that won’t push back. “Maybe, that’s a good point.
”With the continued growth of competitive youth fishing and the influx of young talent among the Bassmaster Opens and the Elite Series, how we handle our business on the water is still very much as critical as how we conduct it off the water.
