Terror:

Most of us who boat, whether sled or driftboat, have had that unpleasant experience and rest assured, yours isn't the first nor will it be the last.

I suppose I am like like you in my personality and, as you know, how we come across to the offenders can produce a whole variety of outcomes. When confronting defensive boaters like you describe, I have had the best results being firm, blunt, but polite. The message sent is "I mean business too, and if you will fish it correctly like us you're welcome to join us with no hard feelings".

This has generally given me favorable results but there are those who just don't get it. In those cases, I usually move on because:

1) I don't want to go to jail for murder.

2) There is no sense in staying as the
knuckle heads turned off the bite anyway.

Good luck in a difficult situation!