Why it pays off to pay attention

[waterinthefuel]

I know that us jetski'ers are hated by most fisherman who don't own one themselves, and some even hate us even though they do have one. Well, the other day I was doing some decent speed manuvers in the cove in front of our camp. I typically stay at least 500 feet away from the shore, but this time I was moving pretty good and swung out toward this old dock and obviously-a-long-time-since-anybody-had-been-there old camp. I was half-azz paying attention to the bank when I glanced at the old dock (which I was making very rapid and noisy progress toward) and focused on a small aluminum boat with a nice couple in their 30's or so fishing under it. Being one who always wants to make as good an impression as possible about jetski'ers in general I had to think quick. I turned the handle full left and jammed the throttle to spin it. It's the quickest way to stop. I felt so bad. Had I not done that I'd have ended up not 50 feet from them at a really good clip.<br /><br />I felt bad and now stay away from all docks and areas that I can't easily see and avoid any boats in the area.<br /><br />I always wave when I ride my jetski and in my boat. I get few waves from the jetski and everyone waves to me in my little boat, even if all I did was go park the bike and jump in my boat. Please, to any fellow jetski'ers out there reading this, respect boaters. We want to be liked, not hated, on the water. And to any boater reading this, some of us really aren't looking to annoy you with our wake and noise. We're just looking for a good time on the water just as you are. Respect us, show us courtesy and we can all have a wonderful time enjoying our watery playground.

 

[Hunky Dory]

Re: Why it pays off to pay attention

Thanks, I think more of us are trying to get along than not. <br /><br />Imagining what the couple could be saying about your spin turn without knowing that you were attmpting to avoid them...

 

[roscoe]

Re: Why it pays off to pay attention

I have no problem with jetskiers as long as they keep the required distance away.<br />And as long as they don't block the river channel with stunt driving.<br />Afterall, they are watercraft and need to follow the same laws as any other watercraft.<br /><br />Some of them sure look stupid though, when there is a 5000 acre lake to run, and they have to come and do stunts within 100' of someone.<br /><br />For these occasions, I keep a big musky bait handy to cast over their heads.

 

[Dave Abrahamson]

Re: Why it pays off to pay attention

Wish the idiot this weekend in the small canal where we,(and about 4 other boats),were fishing thought more like you.<br />Like previously said, he just HAD to go 70mph 25 feet from my danged boat!!!<br />oh...if the fella is reading this...sorry about the gold spoon almost hitting you on your next(and last) pass, sometimes I let a cast get away from me.

 

[booger man]

Re: Why it pays off to pay attention

had a bad experience last year with a jetski, mid summer i was at decent size lake know for some average to poor fishing and 95% tubing ,skiing and jetski's so i'm used to the boats and such going by 30ft from the bank...i can deal with it or just go into the no-wake coves....but later that day i was moving to another spot at wot (didn't hear the jetski over my outboard coming to jump over my wake,a fellow boater saw it and told me after....well the engine died on me {bad check valve on fuel line,starved the engine of fuel} and this 20somthing guy landed and hit my swim patform and grazed the back corner of the boat....well when we all checked to make sure we had our fingers and toes, he flipped out on me saying i tried to kill him,i didn't take the remark as well as i should have ...the fish & game warden got the situation back in control and his parents paid to fix my stuff..but he just didn't get the fact that we both could've been badly hurt by landing a couple of ft to the left,he was just pissed about his screwed up handle bar , scratches on his hull and his fine...only takes one idiot to ruin it for everyone.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: Why it pays off to pay attention

I object to the part that they don't own one themselves. If you said I wish not to own one I would agree with it. I also do not want a boat that can go 100 mph on a lake or river not wide enough to run one. Does that make a difference?<br /> I have been on natural lakes where there is room to run whatever in the middle but where do the zoomers go. In the protected bays where in tandem they can create waves and jump them. Too windy or choppy in the middle? <br /> I am on a inlet from one lake to another. They are both long and narrow. I have sat on my deck and watched idiot jet skiers, and some power boaters, come out of the channel and not care about canoes, paddle boats etc. I have expressed my opinions and the boaters have seen that they were in the wrong but since the jet skiers think they are so small they are not the problem. <br /> Years ago I was fishing a lake west of the twin cities and was in a bay. The only other craft was a old guy on a paddle boat. This was one of the older types with small pontoons with a bench seat. As we were fishing we got closer and saw what looked like a shotgun leaning up on the bench seat. It seems no one came around to bother us. <br />Later we were out away from that location and were bothered with jet skies, water skiers etc. In stopping at the cafe on the way home we saw the older genteleman having his supper. We struck up a conversation with him and I mentioned we had seen him earlier on his paddle boat. In asking about what appeared a shotgun he laughed and said it was simply looked like a shotgun. <br /> Apparently years earlier he was out in the fall of the year. He had bought the paddle boat for duck hunting. He set up his blind close to shore but it was one of those bluebird days where it was all sun/warmth. No ducks but he always had a fishing rod with so figured he would do a little drifting and fish at the same time. Well apparently he drifted off to sleep and a fast boat came zooming by. The waves rocked the paddle boat, the gun fell off the seat(wasn't on safe) and luckily it went off over the water away from everyone. From that day on his rep was he was crazy and would shoot at you if you came too close. <br /> Maybe that is what it takes.

 

[sprouticus]

Re: Why it pays off to pay attention

^^^^^^^lol.....good story