Ice Fishing Courtesy

[TroutBumDave]

My goodness, I know most of us are crotchety old curmudgeons, but this whole thread irritates the living piss out of me.

First off, thanks for the lecture, Mom. Secondly, I'd like to give my two cents on some of the points brought up here. Hopefully k2muskie sees this before Curt busts out the edit/delete button...

[quote k2muskie][font "Times New Roman"] [/font]
Soon hopefully many folks including families will be out enjoying ice fishing what a great time is all’s I’ll say. Some are seasoned ice fishing anglers while others are brand new to the whole ice fishing experience.

Here’s some basic ice fishing courtesy recommendations:

[/quote]

Recommendations? Laughable. What I read was a list of "You better do things the way I want them done, or I'll kick your animal/make a scene/cry/boo-hoo/complain like the very children I'm complaining about, etc."

- Its not my responsibility to keep Buddy from getting into any exposed hooks I may have lying about. If Buddy is overly aggressive and tries to nip expect that I’ll defend myself. A gentle "shoosh" with a boot to start and more to come if they persist. I don't usually blame the pet. Unruly pets are usually a reflection of irresponsible owners.

There is no way my dog is going near your precious ice tent, but if for some reason she finds herself over there, if you so much as "shoosh" your boot at my dog, prepare to face my wrath. My dogs are part of my family and I'd react the same way as if someone was kicking my child. I don't care how much a persons dog interrupts your fishing, keep your feet to yourself.

-If you take children please watch them for safety reasons and please don't allow them to run all over the place yelling and screaming.

Are you kidding me? This is like telling water to stop being wet, the sun to not be hot, or ugly people to just be attractive -- it ain't happening. Welcome to planet Earth, and, oh ya, a public lake. I promise you that it won't be my kids out there screaming/running around, but even if it was, they have every g'damn right to be just as loud and goofy as they want. This is not the FLW Ice Fishing Championships, this is a public lake. To expect otherwise, or in your case, demand, is idiotic at best and reeks of selfish ignorance.

You may think it’s okay

That's because it is.

but again others are out enjoying and don’t appreciate children running around and carrying on like they are on the elementary school playground.

Really? Wow. Let me just turn this around and say "People that go out into a public place, that is outside, and is meant for family fun and recreation, have about zero right to demand that people recreate quietly." If YOU don't like the kids having fun (gosh darn those pesky kids, always tryin' to have fun n' stuff), then how about you go to a private fishery where you can be as stuck up and snotty as you'd like?

Unruly kids are usually a reflection of irresponsible parents.

Whining old people who have nothing better to do than complain about how out of touch everyone else in the world is are usually a reflection of self righteousness, selfishness, and plain ol' unlikability.
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]

-If you packed it onto the ice, pack it off the ice. If you see trash do your part and pick it up not only on the ice but trails leading to the ice and parking lots. Your drilled ice hole isn’t a garbage disposal either…so don’t shove beverage cans, propane bottles, bait containers etc, etc in the hole.
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]
-If Mama Nature calls be prepared have toilet paper, plastic bag, container (plastic coffee cans with lids work great the same goes for 2 liter soda bottles)...several times in the past we’ve come upon ripped up clothing left on the ice covering the human waste...totally disgusting.

-If you have a tendency to pound a few brewskis and/or drop a few choice words, please be mindful of others around you especially families with children. Just because you’re in a tent doesn’t mean you can’t be heard.

Hey, at least we don't disagree on everything!

-Don't ask to use another angler’s auger. If your auger isn't working politely ask another angler if they'd mind popping a couple holes for you.

If someone asks me to drill a hole for them, I'll kindly laugh in their face, point at my auger and say, "Have at it, big boy." There is no way in Hell I'm going to drill a hole for someone else that isn't crippled or 80+ years old (Yes, that means I'll drill your holes TD). Want to borrow my auger? It's all yours. No worries.

These are just a few reminders when out on the ice with others. Please share your recommendations. Have a great hard deck season!!!
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]

Here's my recommendation: Stop taking yourself so seriously. Seriously.
[signature]