Animosity by fishermen towards wakeboarders

Yeah, another one of those threads.

So, yesterday, to other VT wake club members and I were out riding behind an unweighted Malibu Sportster ski boat. As I'm driving, I carefully avoid every fishing boat on the lake (and there are a lot), and give them ample room in the lake, like, hundreds of feet between us, except for the super narrow part of the lake, and I was always still over 50 feet away.

We start to come out into the bigger part of the lake, and the rider falls trying a hs bs 3. Suddenly, a fishing boat comes flying around the corner (not a bass boat, something else), and a guy sitting in the back starts screaming. I quote, very carefully, and with warning to kids on here, "F****T! I HOPE YOU F*****G FELL! F*****G SERVES YOU RIGHT! MOTHER*******!"

This was a guy that had actually come out after us, or something like that. In any case, I never saw him while I was driving, and I didn't come near any boats, save for this one Chapparal who thought it would be cool to split the 35 foot distance between the shore, our boat, and our downed rider going 35 mph with his kids on the boat. Other than that boat, we didn't come near a single boat. I just don't understand it... I'm courteous and I wave to every fisherman on that lake. Occassionally I'll get a half assed wave back, but usually it's that "I wanna kill you" stare. I've never had a guy drive by and shout like that before. Could someone maybe explain this?

Their boat had high sides, and we were in a ski boat which had virtually no wake as well...

I think there have been enough topics on here to show there are poor exceptions on both sides of this debate.

On another note, there's plenty of hunters around my lake building duck blinds, hopefully they don't turn into wakeboarder blinds

He must have been out of beer.

basically put they think that they should be the only ones on the water... you think they get mad on lakes you should come out to the delta were you ride by them 15 ft away.lol

i always smile wave to all the fishermen we come close too. we still will get the cold shoulder sometimes, but i try to make the fishermen know we are friendly. I also ask fishermen (at the dock) "did you catch anything?" this throws them off. I sometimes get a suprised look like "i didnt know you spoke my language!".

Oh, I know Mike K, that's what I was thinking as I posted this, but I was completely at a loss for words for how he acted. I could see his face and he wasn't just doing it to be an a-hole, he was genuinely pissed about something, and I don't know what....

Oh, and there were a few more expletives I could hear afterwards that were a little quieter, but you get the idea. I just honestly don't get what their problem is. The crowd boats in a narrow and blind turn, making it next to impossible for any other boats to get through without coming within the 50 foot range, and then get annoyed when we have a rider and are trying to make it through to the next section of lake from the docks. It just seems to have gotten worse with the onset of cold weather. Is that a phenom that you guys have seen before? Cold weather=less recreational boats=more fishermen?

I always try to ask the guys at the dock if they caught anything and they are usually pretty nice at the dock. When you get on the water it is a different story. I have always wondered if the fish are running from them? Is that why they have to go from point a to point b at 75mph? I have even seen them keep an extra pole in the boat with just a weight on it to cast at wakeboarders. It is amazing what a wakeboat with 3000 lbs of weight will do to the bow of a bass boat when you turn and arc the wake just right.

Cant we all just get along...

I make it a point to pass them along their bow, but I'm gonna start passing them to stern. Sink them and their will be less bass boats to deal with.

it's pretty funny but we lately i've noticed the same few boats out fishin in the spots we ride on the delta and they love it when we smash thru throwin down. they put their hands up in the air and whistle and whatnot. its kind of funny. i got worked a few weeks ago right in front of one of their boats and the 2 guys in the boat started talkin to me tellin me they really enjoyed watchin us ride all the time. i thought that was pretty cool.

we respect them and they respect us.

That is cool JR. We've had a few start dancing to our music or clapping when we fall or do a trick they like. It's gotta get pretty old staring at the levy for the regular guys out there, atleast we can provide entertainment.

One guy we had painting our house told us he liked it when boats passed by when he fished on the levy because it stirred up the bait so he didn't have to walk down and do it himself.

The best is the on the dock comments. I have fished a fair amount and know the routine. I always walk up and comment on their new Honda 4 stroke outboard, "so were you guys hitting the rock pile over by 2nd point" etc etc). You speak their jargon and wear dripping board shorts and they about fall over. It's hilarious.

No matter how you look at it, in the normal course of activities, wakeboarders mess things up for fisherman more than they mess things up for other boats. Being courteous and friendly will ease things for most others on the water, but some spew the visceral hate no matter how you act. Some feel entitled to nice water and I have come to the conclusion there is nothing you can for those types. I just try to give room and make sure when I am riding I do not cut out to their side. I have had too many lines cast on me.

I think fishermen think they own the lake because they have been doing it much longer than us. Fishing and Fishermen have been around alot longer than wakeboarding. Just as Water Ski'rs hated wakeboarders at first some how the older sport seems to think they own the water.

The two sports are so very diffrent and require some what of the same thing. SMOOTH WATER.
Yup we are all after it. When someone takes it or uses it for what we think is Usless we hate them.

Example: I see someone ripping up the butter on anything but a wakeboard or ski I hate them . Im thinking WTF is that dumb a$$ on the Tube or Jet ski doing. Get the F outa here.

Bottom line is I think most of the hate towards wakeboarder's is some what deserved. I personally have seen wakeboarder's do some of the most stupid ••••••••• have to sometimes walk in someone else's shoes to see what pisses them off or how your sport or activity is impacting other's. We all want the same thing (A good time on the water) It's hard for us to share all the butter and still get along. You might be paying for someone else's bad actions when you get dirty look's. Just think how anyone wearing a turban feel's. I say just try to do the right thing try to stay away and be aware of your wake no matter how big or small and don't sweat the rest.

Nick,
Ya'll just need to come to Dublin Hollow instead of using Peak Creek!

heres my .02. Either A. they are catching no fish in which case i think all of use wakeboarders should go to the grocery store before we ride and buy so salmon for them. And B. he is trying to come to terms that we are way way cooler than they are so just bring a sharpie and some paper and tell them sense they are so concerned with what we are doing here is my autograph and my phone # if he would like to discuss things futher. hope this helps ha

My bet is that your rider wasn't any good and that was really what upset the fishermen.

The other day we had a bass boat with 2 guys in it throw lures at our rider. So our rider let go of the rope and went to have a chat with em, it was pretty funny. The fisherman turned their backs to us when we were trying to talk to em but would still continue to talk smack. It came down to them sayin the entire lake is glass why cant we go ride in the middle?