The problem is not that America is overly violent, we have a mental health/drug abuse problem and we fishermen put ourselves at an elevated risk of being assaulted/mugged.
 
A good number of us carry fishing gear that could easily be flipped for a hundred dollars or more. Add on top of that sunglasses, watch, cellphone, etc. Many of us end up fishing alone because everyone is too **** busy and coordinating schedules is a nightmare. Then a lot of those that fish frequently are older/retired and may not physically be able to run away let alone put up a fight. We fish odd hours, walk back to the car after dark or night fish when there are less and less people out and about and the parking lots are near empty.
 
Add on top of that, many of the river fishing locations/ramps are in sketchier areas because of the regions history. After the industry left, that strip of land between the main road and the rivers turned into mediocre housing at best for a lot of locations. That concentrates people that don't have a lot of money, may have substance abuse problems or mental health issues, and then they see us fishing all alone. Now, before you get on me, yes I know poor doesn't automatically equal criminal, mentally imbalanced or drug user. Just saying that one can and does often equal the other when you work the numbers either way. 
 
At the end of the day, I have to get home to my wife & kids and I take precautions that, no matter the situation, increase my odds of getting home. Yes, I know that I'm far more likely to get killed by some drunk/texting driver on the road home, than I am getting shot fishing the river under the bridge somewhere. I'm far more likely the get a hook in my finger and die of some weird infection than I am getting beat over the head for my tackle box. However all of these things can & do happen, they are not equal but all exist. So I wear my seat belt, pay attention and carry both a first aid kit and Smith & Wesson.

This post was initially about poaching ....... but I'm curious.
Fishing at night, the bite has been good, walking back to car around midnight. Two "unsavory-looking" characters appear out of the darkness, walking what you think is toward you. You have fishing gear in both hands. At what point do you drop the gear and draw your gun?

Sujie
This post was initially about poaching ....... but I'm curious.
Fishing at night, the bite has been good, walking back to car around midnight. Two "unsavory-looking" characters appear out of the darkness, walking what you think is toward you. You have fishing gear in both hands. At what point do you drop the gear and draw your gun?

Well, you created this post about poaching, but failed to even contact the authorities about said poaching you allegedly witnessed.
 

Sujie
This post was initially about poaching ....... but I'm curious.
Fishing at night, the bite has been good, walking back to car around midnight. Two "unsavory-looking" characters appear out of the darkness, walking what you think is toward you. You have fishing gear in both hands. At what point do you drop the gear and draw your gun?

 
 
When they say, "Hey, what do you have for us?".....Two "unsavory looking" characters shouldn't walk up to a complete stranger around midnight in a parking lot anywhere...unless they want shot. 

Sujie
I'm sorry, psu_fish, for not living up to your expectations.

Believe me, the bar is VERY low for you.