On Priest, it is almost accepted. So long people stay out of where I can cast I don't even pay attention to them.
And the immigrant population does not care, I stay just out of casting distance but I pay no attention to them, other than being sure they don't run over me with their boat. If I pull up to a spot and they are there, I just fish around them. I cannot the number of times, I have caught a fish and they pile in on top of me. I crotchety old dude, so after I have my say they usually back off.
And a few places on Priest you can't do anything. The immigrant population lines the bank, as many as 30 people, wading, at 11:30 at night and the all the lighted floats looks like a carnival. They keep everything they catch, nothing is culled. A couple of what used to the best spots for hybrids and also popular bass fishing spots, cannot even be fished. I guess it is a free country, and them fishing doesn't bother me, well other than I can't get to what used to be the best spots, that is legal. But them keeping every fish they catch isn't legal, that is what makes me angry. I have told them when they catch short hybrids and occasionally a striper that they have to be 15" long and the limit is 2, they just yell back white bass. They keep any and every bass they catch. They don't let anything go. From what I understand, they are selling what they catch, but no one can catch them. Makes me mad to that if I kept one fish over the limit and was checked I would get a ticket, but they walk out with 5 gallon buckets and keep everything they catch.
The TWRA could assign an officer to Priest full time and he would stay busy writing tickets. Honestly I don't even care if he writes tickets, as much as just educate. I try, well if they admit to understanding english, they will ask if I am an law officer and when I say no, they say nothing I say means anything and just go right on breaking the law. I almost never see them release a fish. They are also putting up tarps in the trees along the banks on Priest and leaving them. Looks like a homeless encampment along the banks.
Tournament fishermen have for sure given my issues, so when I am hybrid fishing, I pull up and fish right past them, I stay out of casting range, but if I am topwater fishing for hybrids, I fish wherever, the tournament have sure never paid attention to me hybrid fishing.
Priest has become an absolute circus and a zoo. The immigrant population is unbelievable, nothing wrong with them fishing, but there is no respect for the law by them. I even see them throwing cast nets and they keep whatever they catch. I wish there was a way to educate them. On that and boating safety.