Board stabbed in dispute between angler, surfer

I can tell some of the Pier fishermen are bored as hell and just looking for an opportunity to F with people for the entertainment that it might bring. Worse is when they throw fish guts and chum the waters around the pier while people are surfing, swimming, wading

 

At IRI, when boats get too close to the jetty, the a holes will cast weights at them.

 

I don't surf at a spot if there's guys already set up fishing. I don't swim out with a speargun at a spot where guys are already fishing hook and line. I don't show up at a spot where somebody's surfing and start fishing or spearfishing.

But I don't surf OR fish from piers.

 

I recall back in the good ole days in OCMD, surfers used to carry fingernail clippers in the water and cut lines.

 

LB, what you practice - that’s called common courtesy - sorta like wave etiquette... if he’s there first, I find another spot. Therein lies the thread - only a complete asshole does these things and it’s a total fuck you. There’s a crew of little groms that will throw rocks and shit in the water in the area a surf caster jumps in a break up here on the north side of the beach if it’s being surfed already. And the fathers are usually the local surf crew so it’s an ass beating if a grom is messed with ... like a little wolf pack lol

 

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The only feature at my spot is the sandbar. There are no piers, rocks, jetties, or wrecks that will hold anything worth catching at this time of year. It's all sand sharks and skates. Yet here they come, with rods and rigs big enough to haul in a tuna. Giant-thighed wives in tow. It usually even the wrong tide. Being a fisherman, I wonder why they put such immense effort into something that will yield minimal gain. If they are willing to listen I tell them to rent a boat and hit the inlets and bays for fluke or hit up a party boat, which is always a good time at this time of year. To some I think it's just part of their week long vacation; a tradition of sorts. A Facebook moment with an 18 inch sand shark. Sometimes a crowd of slack jawed yokels gathers to gaze at the mighty, toothless beast. "Wow! That guy caught a shark!"

 

I think it’s a bait and switch - their hoping that the adage of where there’s surfers there’s sharks is true and that their wives become menu items.

Or maybe it’s the only place they can get far enough away from them not to hear the complaining.

 

All G. I was just messing.

 

The a holes on the jetty have a point. The boat has the entire ocean to fish, why do they come tight up on the rocks? Once at the old Juno Pier, that kind of disrespect was common, then once a boat fired a gun off in the general direction of the pier. That got the sheriff office and the local police involved and the boats got the word and stayed off a bit. At least out of casting range.

At the new Juno Pier, which was built by taxepayers money, but mostly funded by Lott Bros Bait & Tackle and other local fishermen along with Surfrider Foundation money. So we have a deal: 1. no shotting the pier, 2. when paddling out along the pier, about 100 yards out on both sides is a sign that has an big bold arrow that points away from the pier, at that point paddle at least 100 feet from pier. There are signs at the pier bathrooms with the rules, along with a few more basic surf etiquette guidelines.

Things still get sketchy when the spanish mackerel run close to shore, and its a north swell so if you are surfing the first peak on the north side, going left, you have to cut back before you get tangled in mono. The Latinos from Miami don't know the rules so they cast at you. The Asians don't care anyway, so they cast at you and the Bubbas see that going on so they join the fray. And then the spinner sharks come along and bust every thing to shreds.

Sometimes surfing the pier is not such a good idea.

 

The current in the inlet moves pretty good, the boat floats by and they are not really that tight on the rocks. Most boats are further out, but once in a while you might get a little close on a drift. Had one time I was on the boat side of it. We drifter a little close and this dude start screaming at us to get the F outta there. Seriously, we were not that close! Then the dude proceeds to cast his lead head jig at the boat. Second cast he gets it across the stern, I grab his line and cut it, then proceeded to tell the dude what to do with himself. That inlet is too small to get that pissed when someone comes near you! It's not like we parked right in front of the dude and tossed the anchor.

 

I was on a pier last year watching a paddle out for a local surfer's son and all the inbred fisherman at the end of the pier (most all of whom weren't locals) knew what was going on and still cast towards the circle in an effort to hit someone. That's how fuck!ng insane they are around here. I couldn't believe what I was watching! It's also the last time I almost got into a fight because I told everyone of those fisherman how fuck!ng pathetic they were. I think I shocked them with how loud and aggressive I got but when a child dies and you're still insistent on being a d!ck, you've crossed a line and need to be taught a lesson. The circle was probably 30+ yds from the pier so there really wasn't even an issue to begin with. When I'm surfing near a pier I always try to stay a reasonable distance from them, but even then, they will go tattle to the pier owner in a second. That's when I generally get loud again....ask where they're from, explain I'm a local, talk a little sh!t, etc. But what really annoys me the most is when the pier is almost empty and they still insist on setting up camp right at you and then commence to complaining about you being in their way. It's insane and it's only going to get worse over the next few months. I myself love fishing but these people are a different breed.

 

My neighbor is a boat captain and he hates anyone that doesnt own a boat. I used to fish with him all the time. One afternoon we both got sorta tipsy and on the way in he proceeds to put the boat very close to a fishing area. I was wondering what he was doing then he proceeds to start cutting lines. Full riot ensures. People screaming, throwing shit at us. I didnt know what to do. My lunatic neighbor (aka the captain) was off his rocker. I told story to my father and he says, "did you ever wonder why i stopped fishing with him 10yrs ago". Pops was a genius. Sorta off topic but felt like sharing!

 

The reality with piers is, they are “fishing piers” not “surfing piers”. I have always viewed it as a calculated risk to sneak over and catch one setting up off the pier.

 

In real life, yes they are fishing piers. But on this here site they are bonafide surf spots. LOL

Actually, if the old fishing pier got blown away by a storm, and there was no pier for years and years, then the surf community along with the fishing community helped pick a new location, raise money and get permits approved thru public hearings and petitions to the local gubment, it is a fishing/surfing pier. The is the story of the new Juno Pier. But most people who fish off it don;t know. Most people who surf it don't even know. So in reality yes,it is still a fishing pier and surfers need to be aware of the inherent hazards.

Surfing anywhere has it's inherent hazards, and if the pier is the only spot breaking, or the best spot breaking, its a surf spot. Because surfers surf it.

 

Only if you are shoting the pier does it become a surf spot....