Driving while blind

I ran across a situation yesterday that has occurred before and will occur again, but is preventable. Before I start, I'd like to point out that I'm not setting myself up as some sort of expert---just somebody who has dealt with the situation before and has some experience.

There was virtually no current, so once the wind washed a freelined LY around to the lee of the octi, there was nothing to keep it in place, even though it may have looked like everything was OK. Those baits, including some dead cigar minnows, were free to float or swim at random, creating some really impressive tangles that weren't evident until somebody reeled in. Since there was nothing biting, nobody was reeling in and the tangles increased exponentially.

I was trying to stay out of trouble by floating my LY four feet under a float and only some 25-30' downwind of the pier using green florescent line---easily visible setup. Didn't matter---every time I reeled in, I was presented with a rat's nest tangle of clear mono and dark braid---ended up cutting off my own leader and line three times to get out of it. Of course, each time it happened, there was a small run of reds happening and the tangle put me and whoever else was involved out of contention.

Obviously, the other fishermen were standing there happily envisioning their baits floating straight out downwind when in reality, they were every which way under the surface, including back toward the pier, creating unsuspected tangles like barbed wire on a battlefield.

I gave up bait fishing in frustration. Tied on a big spoon and eventually scored.

I'm not trying to set myself up as some example of perfection: I have won several awards for unsolvable tangles, but I do try to watch my line and bait drift and try to keep tangles from getting started.

Watch your line. Know where your bait is and what it's doing.

I am always gratified at how well folks on the pier get along in dealing with tangles---the tangles are usually caused by simple ignorance, not evil intentions. It's just the ones caused by continued and willful ignorance that bother me.

Good fishing everybody. Say "Hi" next time I tangle your line.

LOL!!! - I enjoyed that Mr. Wire!!!!

George you missed a calling in your life.

ETA:
On second thought, you haven't.
You are fulfilling it right here with us.