Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

[mike64]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

From CATransplant's and reelfishin's stories, obviously there's a lot of nutty boaters out there

In my situation, I think it was more of total disregard that I was there than actively trying to mess with me. I just ended up moving to a different spot. Then a storm blew in, so fishing was not in the cards for me that day.

 

[Devious]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

this will sound crazy, but i ride a jet flea, i wakeboard from it, and i fish from it. i've been on every angle of every argument and someone usually walks away pissed off.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

I'm certainly not advocating taking matters into your own hands, except passively, as in my story. Folks who maliciously harass other boaters are likely to be a real problem if you take any hostile action. It's best just to move on, in my opinion. Don't buy trouble...there's plenty of it around for no cost.

Whenever you can, calling the enforcement folks is the best plan.

For me, in a 12' boat, I always recognize that I'm very vulnerable to someone in a larger boat if they decide they really want to harm me. So I try to avoid confrontations.

The Colt is in the tackle box if all else fails and someone's seriously trying to harm me. That hasn't happened, and I doubt it will. Actually the biggest risk around my area is on the lakes in the Twin Cities proper. Some of 'em aren't in the best areas, and there have been times when several unsavory folks have been hanging around the parking lots at the ramp. Generally, I transfer the Colt to a shoulder holster then put on a windbreaker after docking the boat when I'm at those lakes, and I don't do it secretively.

 

[mike64]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

I'm certainly not advocating taking matters into your own hands, except passively, as in my story. Folks who maliciously harass other boaters are likely to be a real problem if you take any hostile action. It's best just to move on, in my opinion. Don't buy trouble...there's plenty of it around for no cost.

Yes, your course of action was perfect-- you got a little revenge and protected yourself form further harrassment by letting them get themselves into trouble. Great story. Well played, sir!

 

[tomatolord]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

submerged islands...those are hard to come by

I prefer STUMPS....sort of like those electric fences for dogs..

Nothing like em, motor slowy around them and sit in the middle of the stumps.

Great for fishing
The buzzers think you are just sitting out in the open like an idiot, so it is safe to buzz by.

the sound of a 200 hp out board getting rammed out of the water and the engine over revving is quite the site to see.

Oh they wont look at you when it happens becuase of the damage they may have just caused to boat and motor.

But they sure do leave you alone after that, well that guy does, but there is always another one.....

Tomatolord

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

boats or other water craft have no business that close to another boat. it is unsafe and against the law. The other day though we are crusing down the river and there is a boat seeming to be anchored right in the middle of the channel. No skier down flag or nothing. We get just past them and realize they do have a skier down.

 

[bamadave]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

For those who think it's ok to throw sinkers or anything else at a boat need to check out the marine laws governing MISSLES. Anything throw at a boat is considered a missile and is not treated lightly. Someone wronging you does not constitute you doing anything stupid. I don't care how reckless someone else is, but to deliberately throw something and possibly hit someone, maybe a passenger instead of the captain, is assault with intention to harm, is not cool. If you are being harassed, report the incident and move to another part of the lake. uh, oh, I forgot, dealing with men here, not gonna be pushed around, gotta push back like you did on the play ground.
Anyone that has EVER thrown anything at another boat, don't care about the reasons, should have their boat and license taken. But the offenders should have their wee wees whacked as well.

 

[sneno77]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

I run into the same problem all the time and have developed a unique solution to my problem. I love to fish a narrow bay that has great smallmouth fishing. Last summer while anchored in 30' of water drop shoting for smallies, I had a boat buzz into the bay pulling a kneeboarder. I didn't think much of it, as the bay is one continuous curve w/ high steep sloping banks and they couldn't see me when they entered the bay, but after the fifth trip in and out of the bay, past my anchored location I was getting pissed. The reservoir I fish has tons of good boarding locations and I felt it was incredibly rude behavior on their part to continue buzzing me after they knew I was in the bay fishing. The bay is only 300' across at the widest, so I figured I was safe from the recreational crowd when I chose it to fish. I'm running an 18' jet sled w/ a 225 Johson HO w/ jet pump. When they came back for the 6th run I was ready for them. I had my anchor pulled and my motor trimmed up to the point that the jet stream was aimed about 4' over the water. I slowly idled around until the transom was lined up parrallel to shore. Steering the motor around to point at the circling boat, I opened up the throttle and unleashed a few gallons of all natural coolant into the offending boat. No one got hurt and I had the bay to myself the rest of the evening. You can probably imagine how much water the 225 jet spits out....they were a little more than soaked.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

since I have a little 14'er I just tend to pull anchor and find another spot.

Also, even when I have friends on other boats on the lake fishing I still stop a good distance away and wait for "the wave" before I come putting up next to them to see how things are going. I dont want to disturb things if they have a good spot going.

 

[salty87]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

there are dumbasses in every crowd. the island outcome above is great though.

one problem is that wakeboarders will look for smooth water. boarding in chop is not fun and can hurt. so most of these run-ins are simply people looking to do different things on the same water. i doubt wakeboarders are really targeting fisherman too much. getting a chuckle, maybe...tormenting your afternoon, probably not. when you're out boarding, it's not uncommon at all to keep seeing the same boats at different spots as conditions change or other boats show up and blow the water out.

another problem is society's feeling of entitlement, lack of courtesy, more balls than brains...yada yada. nothing different going on here than any freeway, mall, grocery store around the country. sad but that's life.

get their numbers and make the phone call or just move on.

as has been mentioned, a group of 20 year old guys...whether in a boat, pick up truck, the side of the road...isn't going to be a think-tank of reason. don't be surprised when they take offense to you hurling pieces of metal in their direction. some of them are hoping you do try something.

all that said, i don't understand why we can't just share the water either.

 

[mike64]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

Well said, salty87. I agree with salty, bamadave and others re: hurling sinkers and other forms of active retaliation. Not a good idea and not my style...though I admit I did find sneno77's story kind of funny. And CATransplant's and Tomatolord's stories are great

I'm surprised how many people in this thread trying to fish have gotten purposely harrassed by idiots. Like I said, with me I think it was more a case of complete disregard to a guy fishing in "their" boarding area than active harrassment.

 

[hubbard53]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

geesh...all boaters seem to be crazy people. Those that buzz by on jet skis and those who hurtle 3oz sinkers which turn into dangerous projectiles to any object going > 25 MPH

I am a new boater...courteous and cultured, who strives to be conscious of everyone else on the lake - for their safety and mine.

I've seen "innocent" fisherman achored in the middle of a busy lake drinking beer and watching their poles baited with livers hoping to catch a bottom feeder. Then they curse and flip you off if you cause a wake. In my opinion, they're being passive-agressive and LOOKING for a problem...

Jet skis and wake boarders don't bother me...my boat can outrun them and actually entertains them with its wake. . .

Seems that people jsut need to chill out. If you're driving a golf cart (or Prius ) on the roadways, you need to be defensive and steer clear of the fast lanes? So if you're in a 12' tinny on a active watersports lake, i think you have to be defensive . . . at least in my area, there are limited HP lakes where I can't go where you would have no problem with wakes and harassment

/shrug

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

geesh...all boaters seem to be crazy people. Those that buzz by on jet skis and those who hurtle 3oz sinkers which turn into dangerous projectiles to any object going > 25 MPH

I am a new boater...courteous and cultured, who strives to be conscious of everyone else on the lake - for their safety and mine.

I've seen "innocent" fisherman achored in the middle of a busy lake drinking beer and watching their poles baited with livers hoping to catch a bottom feeder. Then they curse and flip you off if you cause a wake. In my opinion, they're being passive-agressive and LOOKING for a problem...

Jet skis and wake boarders don't bother me...my boat can outrun them and actually entertains them with its wake. . .

Seems that people jsut need to chill out. If you're driving a golf cart (or Prius ) on the roadways, you need to be defensive and steer clear of the fast lanes? So if you're in a 12' tinny on a active watersports lake, i think you have to be defensive . . . at least in my area, there are limited HP lakes where I can't go where you would have no problem with wakes and harassment

/shrug

That guy out there on that lake fishing has most likely been doing so longer than jet skis have been around.
I don't have problem with a guy on a jet ski passing by, it's the @#$%^ that continuously circles the boat or runs over your fishing lines.

I'm not talking about a busy lake, my experiences have been on a wide open river with nothing else around but some fishermen and a couple of jet skis. I have zero tolerance for a scum bag that intentionally creates a problem on the water. There's just no reason for a jet ski to come into the shallows or to circle an anchored boat repeatedly within an arms length of that boat. The way I see it, a guy like that is just asking for it. They also know that a small boat has little or no chance of chasing them down, so they have no fear. They don't bother the larger boats, only those most affected by the wake created. I've even watched a few run aground trying to get around a boat. (Where we fish is back up against a high sod bank, with a steep drop off about 10' off the shore. We often anchor only several feet from the bank and fish off the drop off). Any jet skier passing between the boat and the shore on a half mile wide river is just out for trouble. They have a thousand or more feet of clear water to pass by on, there's no excuse.

 

[hubbard53]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

That guy out there on that lake fishing has most likely been doing so longer than jet skis have been around.
I don't have problem with a guy on a jet ski passing by, it's the @#$%^ that continuously circles the boat or runs over your fishing lines.

I'm not talking about a busy lake, my experiences have been on a wide open river with nothing else around but some fishermen and a couple of jet skis. I have zero tolerance for a scum bag that intentionally creates a problem on the water. There's just no reason for a jet ski to come into the shallows or to circle an anchored boat repeatedly within an arms length of that boat. The way I see it, a guy like that is just asking for it. They also know that a small boat has little or no chance of chasing them down, so they have no fear. They don't bother the larger boats, only those most affected by the wake created. I've even watched a few run aground trying to get around a boat. (Where we fish is back up against a high sod bank, with a steep drop off about 10' off the shore. We often anchor only several feet from the bank and fish off the drop off). Any jet skier passing between the boat and the shore on a half mile wide river is just out for trouble. They have a thousand or more feet of clear water to pass by on, there's no excuse.

yep i just posted in another thread about my wife practicing maneuvering at slow speeds and having boats get close to us or anchor near us where there are thousands of other acres

I understand now.

 

[mike64]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

I played hooky from work Friday and went fishing on a different lake-- totally different experience. There were a few boarders and skiers out but this time everybody kept a nice distance and I had a great day fishing. Not that I caught much, but it was a nice day out on the water.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

Im not one much for fishing, but some of my friends are. I will go out to either board, or just relax and have a few beers while anchored in a cove. Never mix the two, for obvious reasons.

Norris lake is quite large, but is narrow and curvy for most of it. I try to be respectful of fishermen who anchor in the back of a cove, or anchor near a shoreline.

However, if they go fishing enough, they should have since to stay the heck out of the few long staight shots of the lake that are good for boarding and skiing.

Though, I have seen on other instances where folks pullign tube will go into a cove where someone was anchored down fishing, and continue to just do turns as they stay in the cove. This is to stay out of the main waterway, which I think is a good Idea. However, there is an abundance of coves on our lake, and there are many others to go to when you see someone else already enjoying one. When I am planning on anchoring down, I check all 3 of my favorite coves to see if anyoen else is anchored there. If they are, I try to anchor in the same cove a good distance away. Thus, occupying less coves for anchoring and leaving more for play. Thus, tryign to "share" the water. then again, I am a cuteous boater, and since I live withine 10 miles of the lake, I try to do most of my boarding on weekday evening when hardly anyone else is out.

 

[DJ]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

I've found the best defense against knucklehead boaters is my Boston Whaler.

They all THINK I am the law.

 

[salty87]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

I've found the best defense against knucklehead boaters is my Boston Whaler.

They all THINK I am the law.

around here, the po-po always has their bumpers out. you can spot them from a decent distance.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

They stopped using whalers a couple decades ago around here.
They are easy to spot though with the blue light high on a mast and their BDU's. Their navigational demeanor is characteristic too.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Boarders repeatedly buzzzing by while I'm trying to fish

On Norris, they ar ein center consoles, pretty easy to spot here. I wish they used regular open bow boats so they fit in better. Would make people think before being stupid.