Anchored or not anchored

[pstmacteae]

As a fisherman with a spot lock on his front trolling motor I have wondered does using my spot lock constitute anchored or just position fishing?

I have been reading that drift fisherman while boat drifting, sometimes let their path get too close to spotlocked fisherman who become upset. They state that I am anchored here.

Thinking about this situation, I believe without anchor rope out to an anchor then attached to a boat you are technically not anchored. You are a position fisherman.

So who has the courtesy right of way for the spot two fisherman in different boats want to fish?

Even if one of the boats is drifting, shouldn't they still have some sort of boat control so they can avoid collision problems.

I know (all) boats are to do what is necessary to avoid a collision but what is the courtesy rule?

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Whenever I took my boat through the Bear Trap on the Madison I found that a GPS anchor had trouble holding my boat in position accurately, while I needed to be focusing on other things. There is really only one safe way to go through the Kitchen Sink there (see picture) so conflicts with other fishermen, whether spot or rope anchored, was never a concern.