Social Etiquette
Fishing on the Trinity River can be an adventure not only for the fish that we like to catch, but for other anglers as well.


Shore Fishing: In some of the holes on the Trinity, fishing can become crowded with people vying for the salmon that are in the river during the summer. There is no need to be pushy, abusive or degrading to other fishermen. When someone is fishing in a certain spot, there is no need to crowd that person or persons. It is first come, first served, and if you want to fish the spot, common decency would tell you to ask if you can fish there. Nine times out of ten you will not be turned down.

I have seen people be abusive to other people for a variety of reasons, and there is no need for behavior such as this just because somebody is not as good at fishing as you or they have a different technique.

One more thing that should be said: At 6 o'clock in the morning, you really shouldn't be drunk to the point that you cannot make a decent cast into the water. I have nothing against drinking, until it gets in the way of what other people are trying to do.

Boats versus shore fishermen: On the Trinity, people use boats as transportation to some of the better holes that are not easily accessible to shore fishermen. So why would you drift into a spot and take over the hole when there are shore fishermen trying to fish? I have seen this a lot and can't figure it out. They'll sit right on top of the hole or pull plugs and wreck it for other anglers, and seldom do they catch a fish. What a boat does is worry the hole and put the fish down.

If you are in a boat, you should just drift through the holes with shore fishermen in them, or park your boat above the hole and shore fish it like everybody else. There are certain holes on the Trinity that have escalated to a point that if it continues, there will be problems and it's not worth the effort.

As for boaters, if they are not using their boat in a professional manner, there are agencies that you can report them to. After an investigation they can be dealt with by local and state agencies; it starts with a complaint. Just remember professional courtesy.

Property owners versus fishermen: First, property owners, you don't own the river. You may own the river bed, but not the water. If a boat is anchored in a hole, you can't tell them to leave the hole because you own it – you don't.

And in a court ruling, if a fisherman is standing within the high water mark of the river, you can't tell them to leave because according to the court ruling, they can be there.

The only thing that a fisherman has to have to be there is either access by a boat, private property permission providing access to the river, or public access such as the B.L.M. land to the river.

Anglers have the responsibility to stay within the high water marks and can be cited for trespassing if caught meandering on someone's property. If you are fishing private spots with access rights, let us hope that you respect where are you and treat it as such.

And property owners, if someone is following the rules and fishing high water levels on the shore, you shouldn't confront them with weapons and threats. Your property could eventually belong to that fisherman after a civil case is brought against you. I have a copy of this ruling, and if anybody would like it, just pay the copying charges and you can have it.

Litter: There is no need for fishing line, beer cans, garbage or diapers to be littered around the holes on the river. We don't walk on all fours, and to my knowledge pigs don't know how to fish yet.

What you walk in with should also be taken out with you. In this age, three-quarters of general garbage doesn't decompose readily and will be on the river for years to come, especially fishing line and tuna ball/roe netting.

A simple rule I learned a long time ago: if visiting a special place, leave it looking better than you found it.




Written By VINCENT JAMES HOLSON
Courtesy Of The Trinity Journal