Fisherman throws jig at divers

[Hetland]

Divers were perhaps rude (it is a big site, and I have shared it with other dive boats and fishermen without crowding or complaint). Fisherman was criminal (harassment at least, assault if the diver was injured).

I've seen more than my share of @$$hole fishermen on the water, and you can't tell some people how it doesn't really matter if we're diving on "their" spot or not. I've seen people catch nothing on my SI, then actually watch them hook and fight fish while I'm under.

I've also interacted with a good number of friendly fisherfolk, who are willing to share, and work together so that everyone can enjoy our limited resources. We can lead by example by being polite and helpful when we can. I recently salvaged an anchor for a boat that was stuck, and I'd bet they won't be as pissed to see divers show up next time.

 

[kalik]

The Russian Freighter is a fairly large site. One fisherman cannot own the entire wreck. Regardless, attempting to kill a human being is wrong, especially over a fish. As to chumming, chum away, I ain't scared of sharks. N

Ive seen both sides to this story many times. I have seen fisherman come up when a dive boat is tied in with a flag up and just start fishing. This problem has been going on forever and it will never cease. As for chumming I agree with N. BRING IT I love sharks. We pulled up on the hovercraft last weekend and a fisherman was on it but not anchored in. Rule of thumb if he aint anchored we will. My deckhand asked if it was OK to dive here and he grumbled "I guess so" so we took an end. While my DH was down he found about 10 8oz leads on the structure. After we put the divers in the water I called to the fisherman and threw him the leads in a empty water bottle. After that he was our best friend. Cant we all just get along!!!

 

[sladerer]

This shows poor etiquette on the divers part. Being both a diver and a fisherman the divers
should have headed for another spot, just as I'd expect the capt. of the fishing boat to do
if he got to a site that had divers down. My family was in Destin in July, several days of diving
and one charter fishing day. The capt. of charter was less than pleased when two boats w/
divers showed up on the wreck we were fishing, but he pulled up and headed elsewhere - even
if grumbling.

On a bigger wreck, there should certainly be room for both.

There's no excuse for intentionally trying to hook a diver or even purposefully casting near them.
Something about two wrongs here

 

[UnderWater Angler]

This subject is discussed quit frequently and often quit heatedly, being that the fisherman outweigh the divers 300:1, on another forum i frequent. They always try and say that divers kill the bite, but the opposite is usually true from what I can see, especially with us spearos. Every time we shoot a fish a feeding frenzy ensues, so I would imagine they would welcome it...but o well!

 

[frankc420]

Rule of thumb when fishing is generally, be quite and wait, if you have divers jumping into the water and going down where the fish are, the fisherman's first response will be, "Well great, they are going to scare off the fish!" -- We all know this is not true, in my experience more fish will come toward a wreck if a diver is on it. Especially schools of AJ and Snapper.

I remember being on a Liberty ship in Pensacola and when we got there, no fish. A few minutes later we had schools of fish circling us and there was a fishing boat on site when we showed up, they said their fish finder showed nothing. When we came up, they said that fish started pouring in while we were down. I didn't ask if they caught anything, I was too busy getting my fish on the boat =)

 

[Nemrod]

I have un-hooked their hooks from foulings, retrieved their anchors and lures, untangled one line with fish-on and even gotten them a flounder, recovered a high dollar dropped rig (I saw it fall). There is something about fishing that can bring out a possessive streak that is unwarranted, none of these areas belong to anyone and the larger areas can certainly be shared given that there are only so many diveable locations. More times than not it is the fisherman who misbehave, like about 98% of the time.

I would really like to see monofiliment outlawed as an environmental hazard that it in fact is.

N

 

[2degrees]

I agree that we should all work together. As far as the ship being large I do not think that is the issue. If it is large then the divers should have been far enough away that someone could not cast to them. (unless the guys were master casters) In the grand scheme of thing I say don't pet the sweaty things.

By the way, I am going diving tomorrow on a lake near a dam covered in rip rock where fishermen like to fish.

 

[mad~dog]

divers should have been friendly and taken him for a nice litttle swim and changed his outlook on life. either that or showed him what his boat plug looked like

 

[paulwall]

I am not familiar with fishermen getting any special protection here in the sunshine state. Do elaborate.

Sorry lame attempt at humor...

 

[frankc420]

Sorry lame attempt at humor...

Thread killer!