Ethically, how close can you fish to a "permanent" ice house / shanty that is not occupied. Repeat - not occupied.
If I get out their early and "nobody is home" how close can I fish. I'm not talking feet - I'm talking yards. I respect the space but how much territory is theirs to claim. I fish out of a portable ice house.
Do you leave when someone finally arrives - if they do?
No one owns the ice. I feel you can fish where you want to. First come first served. people get too territorial when it comes to "their" holes or water. You are looking for trouble walking up and getting into someones face over a hole in the ice. That is a dangerous situation that could escalate fast. It just should not be happening. There is too much water out there to fight someone over a bluegill. Just my two cents.
Last winter, I went to a popular lake with a small group of friends, looking for gills. After drilling and checking with our Marcum's, and finding no fish, we relented and moved down further into the bay to join the "community". I drilled 2 holes and immediately got into some nice gills. After putting 5 keepers on the ice, I waved to my buddies who were about 100 feet away, searching also. They came over, and I showed them where I drilled and told them to pop a few holes of their own. About 15 minutes after we settled in, a guy comes over and starts walking around us, mumbling something, sounding disgruntled. Then he comes over to me, the shortest guy, and starts to get in my face and yell that we are in his holes. I respectfully showed him I was fishing in the 2 holes I drilled (6"), and was avoiding the obvious 8" holes (that were apparently his) scattered around just behind us, about 20 feet away. Keep in mind we are in an area that was littered with holes and a lot of people. He wasn't having it. I decided to tell him he could have the whole area and we would move. He was older, and I was concerned he would pop a blood vessel (Not kidding here). One of my buddies tells him he's not moving and to get over it. I intervened, managed to diffuse the situation, and all of us fished this area peacefully for the next 2 hours. I even stopped fishing to introduce myself and we have subsequently run into each other a few other times, always yakking it up before we got to fishing.
I think this happens with some regularity on the most pressured lakes, more than others care to admit.
I, like others, would love to find a productive lake with absolute solitude to ice fish. Short of buying land that surrounds such a lake, that is nearly impossible here in deep SE Wisconsin.
After the last week of being up on super popular lakes. Upper Red and Winnibigoshish I can safely say that there seems to be no such thing as too close.
The one day we found and area all to ourselves and were doing no really well, after about 45 minutes we had a whole lot of company. The one guy wandered over by us, so I asked why he chose this particular area. His response was they watch with binoculars to see if anyone is catching and move in on that area. We were setup probably a quarter mile away from everyone and by the time we left the lake that evening there was at least 50 people all piled on top of one another.
As I said before I try to give at lest 50 yards on a popular lake, and as far as possible on Some of my sleeper lakes that aren’t really well known. Hell I’ve went and found a different lake already when I pulled up to one of them and someone was there already. It’s like a 60 acre lake that doesn’t really have a second spot.
For people around me, no such thing as too close. If you want to fish right on top of me have at it, I rarely stay in the same spot for a prolonged period of time anyways. Just make some conversation, offer a beer and I'm happy.
When I choose a spot, too close for me is the same structure area. I usually have several spots picked out prior to hitting the ice, if someone is on one spot I just go to the other spot. But that's just because I don't like people, hence the reason I ice fish.
I prefer to be left alone and given my space but what upsets me more than someone setting up close to me is the guy who sets up next to me and starts drilling holes right at prime time. I've learned to pop a half dozen extra holes when fishing the evening walleye bite. If they're going to set up next to me, at least they don't have to scare all of the fish away.
Here's another angle. I had a buddy who lived on a lake with a modest walleye population. He and I worked second shift, so we would set up just a little ways out from his shoreline on the first break. Good consistent spot. Some guys walk up to us one night and we small talk with em. A few days later after work, we get back to his place, only to find that these same guys have set up their permanent right over this spot. My buddy gets livid and tells them they've gotta move it. They tell him to go f**k himself. He tells them ok, leave it there, and I'll burn it down to the ice and walks away. Next day, it's gone.
Not saying he was in the right, but they got the point.
Agreed that it depends on the lake. So much is just common sense and common courtesy in my opinion. I’m on about a 100 acre lake right now. Had it to myself. Another guy came. I waved. He waved. He’s fishing Way over on a bay. Sure, he could’ve Fished next to me and I wouldn’t have made a huge issue of it. But, I think courtesy on a lake like this is that you have a few spots in mind. If one person is in your spot. You go to spot number two. No reason to really fish close to anybody when there’s only two people on 100 acres.
He could certainly be fishing close to me and it still wouldn’t be rude I don’t think. But if he were within say 50 yards that would be kind of surprising and seemingly unnecessary. Just my opinion.
I'd say it all depends on the lake. Lakes like Poygan, it's full on combat fishing. Safe distance is usually under 50ft, depending on crowd, but just don't be a jerk. If your gonna fish close, treat the other guys like they're your friend, work together, make the occasional comment on color or marks, plan moves together to cover more ground. Don't be loud, but respectful. If the guy(s) you move in on still want to be jerks, then just do your own thing. It really can be a good way to learn new lakes. But Poygan is a special place where that style of fishing works.
Now, if I'm on a 50 acre lake, and there is 3 people on the whole lake, it's a different ball game. I will usually maintain at least 100 yards, but will sometimes walk over to other groups and chat. More then once I've talked to a group on the ice and ended up fishing with them. I've drilled new holes for guys who have hand augers, and given rides back to shore via 4 wheeler to walkers. It takes nearly nothing to be nice, and it sometimes earns you a pile of info.
I've had guys drill my spread before, and I have the same approch, talk to them and be friendly, and if there still jerks, I just keep talking, and try to be the most annoying nice guy until they submit and leave or I decide the spot isn't producing and let them have it. Lol. Most guys get the point.
But to answer your initial question, if the permanent shack is empty, I'd drill as close as I want, if they show up and are decent, I might move away a little, but if they're jerks, I stay put. Guides can be the biggest jerks, so definitely call the DNR and report them if they harrass you, no room for that, IMO.
