Ticked off a fishermen

Hey guys, I know we've had a thread like this before, but I had my first (in over 3 years) incident with a fishermen this morning, and I need to get advice.

We have a large bay area, and then a channel which winds around and opens into a smaller bay. We always ride up and down the channel to get from bay to bay, and it usually is calmer water = better riding.

We went down the channel today, there was a fishermen near the shore, and we just rode through. We were not close to him, although I would say it was about 50 feet (the channel is 75 feet or so wide). We rode in the other bay for awhile, and then came back. He had planted himself in the middle of the channel and was using his trolling motor to maintain his position. My wife was driving and asked what to do, so I just told her to stop. I took over driving, drove slowly past him, dragging my rider through the water, and then as I passed him, I took off pulling my rider.

He proceeds to start his engine and chase me down, cruising maybe 50 feet away from my rider. The rider didn't try jumping, we were afraid he'd run us over. The guy finally veered off, so we stopped and got our rider in the boat, then approached this dude. He was HOT, talking on the phone with the DNR. They apparently weren't concerned with his plea, cause he hung up, then told us, "You have to go down the channel at idle speed, if you come back, I will cut your rope."

There are no buoys, no signs, etc. concerning no wake, and I've been doing this for 3 years. I am going to call DNR on Monday, but what do you guys do when there is not much space to get by a fishermen, but you are pulling a rider?

thanks for reading this beast

the dude is an •••••••

if there is not much space, stop and go ride somewhere else. the safety of your rider is more important than perfect conditions.

Make sure the fisherman is legal by fishing in the channel. Sometimes that's not legal.

As far as your boat running the channel, if there are no "no wake" buoys, sounds to me like your in the right.

Most of these guys can fish anywhere, but a ski boat needs at least 5-6 feet of water for the rider to be safe.

next time you go past him have the rider soak him down the first time and then jump the boat the second time...

Fishermen don't understand why we like to ride so close to shore to get the good water and boarders don't understand why fisherman can't fish elsewhere.

Solution: Board in numbers with bigger wakes.

go get yourself some fat sacs for the boat on top of whatever you have and don't stop next time,turn around and enjoy the show.

I have had fishermen I've never met before come and lecture me as I'm launching. There are a lot of people who are desperately looking for a conflict because they are bitter about something. I pretend I dont speak english and it seems to work well.

that fisherman is a •••••. he had no right to do that, especially following your rider in tow. that is poor etiquette and extremely unsafe. he should get hid boat impounded.

I agree with all of you except that the dude was probably just sick of getting waves, I mean like I've been in both positions and I can say that when you are trying to fish and you are usually suppose to slow down near fishers or in chanels so I think it was a lack of respect in both areas, except when your wife slowed down the second time. but he shouldn't have chased you guys at all that was just stupid.

Don't go and piss off people that you don't need to. Sometimes fishermen are also hunters, know what I mean.

If you were within 100 feet of his boat and going faster than idle speed then I'd say he had a reason to be upset. In Ohio you’re supposed to maintain 100 feet between boats and regardless of how far you are from another boat, dock, or whatever you’re responsible for the damage that your wake causes. Wakeboarding boats are designed to make big wakes, which should cause more damage, so you should be more careful than most other boaters.

I really enjoy my time on the water and away from the rest of world. I do it wake boarding, others do it on jet skis, and still other in bass boats. I wouldn’t want to ruin the same or similar experience for someone else. I’d like to say that I do my best to avoid problems like this.

but the channel is only 75 ft wide and at least he dropped speed and dragged the rider..

Hey Loren, you and your wife were in the right IMO. The fisherman had something up his A** and couldn't get it out. It seems that the only way he could get that something out was to chew you guys a new one. Slowing down to below five miles per hour, dragging your rider, is completely respectable. Unless you were dragging your rider at above that speed which I highly doubt, as your rider would probably be yelling at you to slow the f*** down. Good job on your part and what comes around goes around. That fisherman needs a new hobby to relieve his stress.

BTW Edward...just because your a fisherman doesn't mean you hunt and are crazy. In California the craziness comes in all forms. You should swing by Orwoods on a hot summer weekend and watch UFC on the docks.

Read your boaters manual, BOAT WITH A SKIER HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY. Jib off his boat and continue.

Hey Loren,

In our state (MD) there's a 100 foot law so in your case, I'd have to stop, run the channel at slow speed, and then start up again...PITA I know, but as wakeboarders, me thinks we ALL need to be respectful (even to the extent of going out of our way) and show the "public" our sport is 1) here to stay 2) we DO know and respect the rules

Wes

75' wide channel? There is no way you should be boarding in a channel that narrow. If I were the fisherman I would be super pissed. A boat with a huge wake sending rollers at me from 30 - 40 feet away. I wouldn't have called the DNR I would have called the police. By the way I'm sure your boat numbers are recorded in some complaint. 75' wide channel - I hope you width estimate is way short. If 75' is a close estimate then WTF are you thinking?

I have a call in to TWRA to find out the specific rules for that body of water. In the reg manual, it only mentions slow speeds in the bay (where there are bouys). I should add that we have been boating here for 3 years, and have never had a problem. There are docks all along the channel (X-stars, X-80, Bu's, etc). They (the homeowners) all board up and down the channel. It seems unreasonable to expect the 3 or 4 boats that usually are boarding the channel to not use it because 1 fishermen decides to go there.

I truly want to know the rules, and I'll report back what I hear from TWRA....some of you act like I was being reckless and outright rude. I may have been, I didn't think I was. I thought chasing me down and threatening harm to my boat and cutting my rope was rude.

In retrospect, the channel probably is 150-200 wide. As we go down the center, you could (if you were rude) slide the docks. I figure rope at 75 feet x 2 = 150-200 ft.

"Jib off his boat and continue."--Seth
This man should get an award!!

Where exactly were you? Back in the creek area or out in the lake itself?

In texas wakeboarders are hunters also.

or the Law...

I think you have to be 200 feet from shore to be pulling someone. That means 200 feet either side of the boat for a total of 400 feet.

Seth you're wrong: from the US Coast Guard web site http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/Rules/Rule18.htm


(a) A power-driven vessel underway shall keep out of the way of:

a vessel not under command;
a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver;
a vessel engaged in fishing;
a sailing vessel.

See also Narrow Channel rules The fisherman was wrong too. http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/rules/Rule09.htm
"...(c) A vessel engaged in fishing shall not impede the passage of any other vessel navigating within a narrow channel or fairway...."


Van, I'm not form CA what does UFC mean?

get used to sharing the water and getting f*cked...
The law in NY is 100 feet, which means your RIDER has to be 100 feet... add 75 foot rope and figure 150 ft your safe(boat distance)...from shore, parked boats, mooring fields, docks etc... and I dont like to be a rider if I can cut out and touch something like a boat, makes me feel unsafe and if that guy is crazy enough to threaten you like that, whose to say he wont throw a cast at your rider... also, what happens when you land and pop the rope and just go skidding out into the flats, you can make yourself fall but why have a boat 30 feet in the flats to hit if you did fall and just slide out or something... Ive had fisherman cut me off before, Ive had the local sheriff pull that move too.
I was wakeboarding in a channel probably 6-700 feet wide, 200+ is shallow water I was cruising 100ish feet from shore and a fisherman was sitting in the middle prolly 250-300 from shore, so I wasnt exactly 100-200+ feet from everything threading the needle... the sheriff rolls up and trolls down my lane, I think he was trying to bate me into breaking a law, something Im not gonna let an •••••••••••
Long story short, there are d*icks out there... don't be one, show respect, get respect is what I say. If you pulled that on me, I would most likely say something as well, and I don't fish... I don't appreciate people I don't know getting too close to me in any situation...


edit- after reading through this post entirely I honestly cannot believe what half of you people wrote. I hope you all were kidding and if you weren't damn some seriously ignorant people on this board. I'm 20, Im supposed to be the irresponsible one! I would feel unsafe riding around half of you!

(Message edited by wakebordr11 on October 10, 2005)

im from ca and i have no idea what ufc means...

Whaaaat Duane, no jibbing the boat? j/k

The fisherman should know not to fish in the middle of a channel or pass, but try to communicate with the guy and go let him know that he's leaving you no choice but to come closer than you'd like. He may not agree, but most likely he won't try something stupid after you've explained the situation.

We've got a similair spot on our lake where if a fishing boat is positioned on this point we have to get closer than I would normally. One time these three guys were fishing it and one of them throws his hands in the air as I passed so I pulled over there and said "Do you want me to stay further away?" (I knew the answer) and he said "That'd be nice!!" and I explained that I didn't have another option because of another boat on the other side of the pass at the time and I appoligized.

Well, he slowly trolled on around the corner and I stayed further away until he did so basically we comprimised and I think by communicating we curbed a situation that could have escalated. (I've fished that point and never caught a damn thing anyway)

lol david, that's what we should do. anytime you see a fisherman in a bad spot, quietly go over and confidentially let him in on the secret that you've fished that spot and it sucks and that the one just over there is *much* better.

don't forget that regardless of law or ethics, you are responsible for any damage caused by your wake. If you cause a little aluminum boat to capsize, you are legally responsible for damages.

UFC = Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC = Ultimate Fighting Championship

I'm just wondering what your response to his last comment was. I hope you didn't stammer out a "well you uhh are just a big poopy head". Please tell me you did something awesome like "I will castrate you and feed you your balls if you think of getting close to my boat ever again". That is how S gets handled. Then again I am small and scare easily, I'd probably offered him a soda. Have you heard of Airsoft? Just wondering.

The TWRA guy from my county has not returned my call, but I called the local state park and asked the ranger if he knew about the laws in the channel. He said that there is no policy against cruising up the channel, and that the fishermen had no argument against me. Having said that, he mentioned what J-rod said, that I am responsible for any damage caused by the wake of my boat.

So what do you guys do...boat across the middle of the lake all day long? I am really bummed, the channel was a great riding spot for 3 years and I feel like I can't use it anymore without showing disrespect. I've fished off the channel myself, and just assumed getting bobbed repeatedly was a price I paid for fishing the channel.

Bummed

Bigshow you are wrong. Coast Guard regs for fishing is for commercial fishermen, not recreational. However, riding is recreational also, ie- sketchy area. If you are not impeding the fishermen's safety they don't have jack! If anchored and fish boy's boat can handle wake you can rough him up all day long. However, your both sharing the waterway so it depend's on what kind of battle your up for. It's always better to try and work it out but I've found most fishermen have a disgust for people like us.
On another note, does anybody find it hilarious that fishermen couldn't put their boat's on trailer's in a reasonable amount of time if their lives depended on it. To all the fishermen I thank you for the year's of entertainment at the boat ramp!

I never said I didn't dislike fishermen equally, but what I was saying is there are rules and etiquette to boat driving (all kinds of boat driving). We so strongly emphasize ethics and etiquette on this site that I felt strongly to point out a few things. Yes he was in the wrong for getting close to your rider and yes you did the right thing in slowing down. I probably would have gotten after him before he got after me... but long story short, I've dealt with the ignorant old men on my lake, they know the deal. I would just say ride that spot but if you come across that situation again maybe turn around before you get to him/the fisherman at the time if thats possible? Im non-confrontation until someone confronts me haha

Chris, I don't see any distinction with respect to commercial vs. recreational fishing the regulation, I’m not sure what you’re reading.

I reiterate what J-Rod and I have already said you’re responsible for the damage your wake causes. I hope everyone make an effort to avoid the problems.

There are a lot of sculling boats on the lake that I do most of my boating on. They have 12 foot row boats with small outboard motors running as blockers, effectively keeping other boats further away from them. If you think fishermen don’t appreciate your wake the scullers, well they have to be steaming as well. I feel kind of bad about making such big wakes for them to negotiate, but the reason we’re both on the same lake is the same, it can be a very smooth lake. Early one morning one of the guys in the row boat drove up to us. He said that they were practicing for nationals and asked me if I’d mind running the north part of the lake for another hour. We headed north for a bit and by the time we came back they were gone. How about spending $30,000 for a boat with no motor, to each his own.

As far as fishermen loading their boast, the hardcore fishermen that I’ve seen are pretty quick. Out here it’s some family with an I/O that either wenches all the way up the trailer or blocks all the boat ramps waiting for the one guy that knows how to operate the boat to get back from parking the truck, just have to bite your lip sometimes.

Get some balls and go beat his ass

That was not very nice of him. It doesn't sound like you are in the wrong, and if recieved a threat of my rope getting cut, I'd be way heated. Yes, very important to consider that you are responsible for your wake and whatever damage it causes. Hehe, for all of you that get spooked or concerned about riding in narrow channels, don't come to the Delta We've got plenty of that!