HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown The month of March is many things to many people. For most it means the end of the winter doldrums and the beginning of spring. For fishermen, March means the same thing, and the beginning of the spring fishing season. It also means it is the time of the year when hundreds of fishermen will be charging outside onto area waterways, affected with spring fishing fever and March madness, a term used to describe the frenzy surrounding spring fishing. When it comes to fishing, the old real estate saying "Location, location, locationGÇ¥ would be most appropriate. That is exactly why, when weather and fishing conditions are right, the best shoreline fishing spots get very crowded. If you are a shoreline bound angler and fishing in crowded areas, the odds are soon or later you will witness or be involved in an ugly confrontation. The problems usually arise from competition for fish and space; the lack of common courtesy and understanding of basic fishing ethics. While everyone there is out to have a good time, when space is limited and anglers try to pack in too tight on waterway banks, problems are bound to happen and usually do. In his article "Don't get caught up in March Madness,GÇ¥ author Alan Peirce, environmental specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said "For starters, public fishing spots are "first come, first serve,GÇ¥ so it would be helpful to get an early start and get set up in a good location before the crowd arrives. Once you get in your spot, stick with it, and don't be tempted to relocate every time you see an angler bringing in a fish. While location is important, if someone is catching fish 50 yards away, it probably has more to do with the bait, tackle or presentation than the actual location where you are standing. The second thing you can do is maintain a safe distance from those who are fishing around you (easier said than done when people start crowding in), and keep your bait and line in the area in front of you. Depending on the wind and current, this can be very challenging, but allowing your bait to drift down stream and block access for others who are trying to fish is a guaranteed way to start some March Madness.GÇ¥ Peirce also said one thing that helps is to fish the way locals are fishing and in the same manner to help keep lines from crossing or getting tangled. Similarly, if they are all casting spoons, jigs or lures, you should probably try the same thing, as this will help keeping lines separated. When crossed and tangled lines do occur, it is best to simply apologize and help untangle the mess rather than starting a debate about who was at fault. It is also important that anglers pay attention to what is going on around them. If someone hooks a large fish that cannot be controlled during the fight, it is engraved in the basic code of fishing ethics, adjacent anglers need to retrieve their lines quickly as possible to let the angler fighting the fish to move laterally down the water way. If the line cannot be retrieved fast enough, let the other angler pass over you or under your line to avoid a tangle. If your line accidentally gets hooked on the line of the angler fighting the hooked fish, open your bail or disengage the reel to give line freely. Applying tension on your line in this situation will easily break the line that has the fish on, and this is a guaranteed recipe for some immediate March Madness. A final piece of advice that's critical when fishing in a crowded area: Look behind you before casting. Barbed hooks are not an ideal tool for body piercing, but they have been used for this purpose on many occasions. These accidents are most common in crowded fishing locations, and they can start a March Madness situation quicker than you can say "call 9-1-1.GÇ¥ Understanding a few of the basics is all that is needed to enjoy a great day of fishing and avoiding March Madness. Treating everyone as you would like to be treated is not a bad idea either. It would make a happier America.
Bob Brown is a freelance outdoors writer. He can be reached at robertb1285@fairpoint.net
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