etiquette

[CrappieJohn]

Imagine sitting in ther boat on a quiet run of water casting the shoreline for crappies, when a boat on the horizon appears. The whole lake has opened itself up to travel, but as you fish the other boat just makes a bee-line for you. Not slowing or attempting to give a wide berth, this boater passes within feet of you, the guy waves, and then continues down the shore for a hundred yards and noisily runs to shore. This happened to Rick and I on Tuesday. Apparently this dope just doesn't get it.
Much has been said about boating do's and don't lately. It seems to be a real problem. I have always been one of those " actions are louder than words" guys, but yesterday got the better of me. The one-who-thinks-I-am-silly came dangerously close to having this indian circle his floating wagon train a few times and then leave. I gave him a piece of my mind instead.
In all is wisdom, why doesn't this stated make it maditory for persons purchasing a boat for the first time to attend handling and rights classes and have those renewing a registration take a test to assure that they KNOW how to act in a boat. And then enforce a "call-in" system to report those who choose not to abide by some standard of common sense as well as common decency. And this should not pertain only to boats...jetters and skiers need to abide by some sort of standard as well.
Aside from being a down-right annoyance, persons pulling stunts as this create very dangerous wakes and boat rocking. Young children or elder persons who are not so swift afoot could easily find themselves in the drink.What gripes me about this incident yesterday is that there are rules in the books about yeilding to water-craft not under power by an outboard....they are required to stay so many feet from such crafts. It doesn't bug me much if the person passing has enough brains to keep the boat up on plane so it's not plowing water, the wake is minimal then. This character went so far as to throttle back a bit.
This site is a phenominal place. MANY persons read or contact this site every day. I think it's time to begin a rally of sorts to get something done about these illigitimate boat/watercraft operators. We all know that this spot is covered by the DNR and other state entities. If we make enough noise here, we might be able to illicit so changes for next year that will make us a bit safer on the water.I would dare to say that the vast majority of us who are registered on this site are conscientious operators. We have all been victims of this sort of sloppy boatmanship brought on by others.This spring has already been wild with posts/replies about these water-borne fruitcakes. For me it is getting old. I am a small boat owner-14' jon/20hp-but when I buy my stickers it is assumed that I KNOW how to operate my craft safely. The mere purchase of registration stickers for some seems to be a passport to lunacy, but they too are assumed to know the rules.
It has become very apparent that even well-heeled, rollin-in-the-dough, pretty boys that run out and buy a boat for tearing around on the water need to find out if they are "in-the-know" before the purchase. The same with jets. We need to find some way to get a zero tolerance law for alcohol in effect- nothing on board, you register any content, you are toast. The water is a wonderful place to be if some common sense or etiquette is used. The bad thing about water is that it is terribly unforgiving in situation where abuses that we all are hearing about turn to accidents. The water, regardless of the time of year does not deal many second chances. Now is the time for the law-abiding to take a stand against the "law dis-respectful". Think about it. I think we can make a difference.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom
muckbootsonline.com Pro Staff
Culprit Tackle Crappie Pro Staff
[email protected]

[hanson]

Well said CrappieTom,

As a small boat user myself, 14' Lund with a 9.9 Johnson tiller, I know exactly what you are talking about. And honestly, I bet it happens every time I'm out on the lake. We'll be anchored bobber fishing for bluegills or crappies and a water skier will come by and we pretty much will have to stop fishing and hold onto the boat until all the wake has passed.

I do realize that recreational boating is just as big if not a bigger activity than fishing in the summer on most lakes. They bought a license for their boat just like the rest of us but it seams like a little common sense in how you navigate could solve a world of problems.

PWCs are another story all together. I'm still worried my grandpa is going to end up in a fight or jail one of these days. He tolerates alot of stuff on the water but thats one subject that just gets him going.

As more and more people decide they need to own a boat and enjoy the outdoors, the lakes will get more crowded, the landings will get more crowded, and peoples frustrations will grow. Adding alcohol to the mix isn't helping anybody.

Its also not just the pleasure boaters drinking and boating. Lots of fisherman are doing the same thing. I learned about that one on Mille Lacs last year and couldn't believe how common it was. We were staying at Barnacles and all these boats were just pulling in when they ran out of beer, running up to the bar, and coming out with another 12 pack and heading out in to the lake. It was like a McDonalds drive through there. Unreal.

Anyway, my 2 cents on what seams to be a difficult problem to solve. I'll do my part to help but that isn't enough. Everybody needs to start respecting the water and respecting other people.

I also think you should move this thread to the Main Forum CrappieTom.

Have a good day everyone!

Chris Hanson

[big drift]

If you this activity call in to your local sheriffs dept. with a description of trhe boat , passengers, numbers on the boat if you can, direction of travel and behavior. They will then dispatch someone. If not an Boat and water officer probably a resort owner or landowner that has been speacially deputized for that lake. Hope this helps.

[big drift]

If you this activity call in to your local sheriffs dept. with a description of trhe boat , passengers, numbers on the boat if you can, direction of travel and behavior. They will then dispatch someone. If not an Boat and water officer probably a resort owner or landowner that has been speacially deputized for that lake. Hope this helps.

[united jigsticker]

Tom has hit a subject that has struck a nerve on quite a few of my outings.

I let it go the first time in almost every case, since they are only passing by, and it's typically not worth my time, effort, or confrontation as it will do no good.

But if it persists, that little inner-flame starts to ignite, and I have to comment to the "citizen" about their etiquette.

On a few occasions, I recieved apologies from the accussed parties, and they altered their boating habits, at least for that day.

On other occasions, I have been told to fish elsewhere because I "have the whole lake to fish", where my rebuttle was "you have the whole lake to BOAT". I have been told it isn't my lake, etc etc etc.

One guy, for instance, was giving his 2 young kids a boat ride in his speed boat. He was doing about 45 MPH as he would come by about 20 yards away and make a tight turn around me, and head the other way on the other side of me, again, 20 yards away.

This was a safety issue, not only for his high rate of speed and the distance and manner in which he was driving around other watercraft, but because he also was allowing his YOUNG children to HANG over the front of the boat while he was speeding across the lake.

When confronted and asked if he realized he was doing some very unsafe actions, not only for himself, and others, but also his kids...He said, HEY, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS BUDDY..

My reply was if he was going to race by me in such a close and dangerous manner, that it had already been made to be my business.

A few more words were exchanged, and he went in for the day. But he still didn't agree with me.

I have had people come run my line over, wave, and then when asked if they realized what they did, they tell me too bad, go fish somewhere else...I have had the County Sherriff show up...Because the OFFENDER called them on me.

I bite my tongue now way more then ever, because, at the end of the day...It really matters not.

If I knew it would change something about their boating habits for future outings, I'd speak up more...But I've learned, more people get defensive and angry now more then ever. It's not worth it.

With that said, I still burn bad when someone does it to me, and if it occurs from the same person more then 2 times...I'm like the dog that has to bark at the mailman...I can't keep it shut.

I try to practice the old "treat others how you'd like to be treated" when boating or fishing around other craft.

I have realized though that it makes a difference where you're boating at.

On lakes up north, a good 75 yards is a decent right of way.

On the lakes down here, you're lucky to get 30.

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Good fishing,
UJ
[email protected]

[rod-man]

hey guys first let me say I have been there
I have progressed from 14ft boats to a 21ft 288hp
I have been buzzed or trolled (between shore and me 30ft) by guys in small boats too
now I'm not defending those guys but..
please don't lump all big boat/motor combos
in with them I make it a point to give a wide berth and slow down so I don't cause too big of a wake if possable and in close quarters sometimes
a small wake is unavoidable but from me it's never on purpose and always apologised for I
am a fisherman just like the rest of you and don't all that much time to fish and I like to enjoy it as much as the rest of you with out any hastles I think education is the key and law enforcement when possable but untill that happens try to let cooler heads pervail and be safe out there we have enough anti's working aganist us without adding to there cause by doing something stupid
so be safe keep some to eat put some back for the next generation and try to play nice
we all have to share what water is there
Thanks Rod-man

[Uncle Grump]

I guess I can chime in on this....

A couple years ago, the night school started (early Sept), my son and I decided to head over to Beaver Lk by Ellendale. Its not a big lake, maybe 80-90 acres. We found a spot by some lily pads we wanted to fish, in about 6-7' of water. The lake was deserted, with the exception of one other boat, a ski boat, run by two young guys - late teens or early 20's. We were the only trailer in the parking lot, so it was obvious they were residents on the lake.

My son and I each catch a bass, and I thought we were going to have a good evening on the bass, when those two young "men" blew in to the little bay we were in, right thru the weed bed, and dang near swamped us. They passed within casting distance of my boat.

Obviously, my boat, under electric power, was hampering their ability to ski on "their" lake. I hope we didn't offend them too much - silly me - attempting a quiet evening of fishing. We were going to be there an hour, maybe 2.

That's the last time I fished w/o a cell phone - next time its hull numbers and a call to 911.

UG

[Guest]

yes indeed!! a lot of us could write a book about the bad experiences we've incountered while out trying to enjoy being on the water (or just trying to get there), dock or shore; buzzed by the inconsiderate, being moved in on (not just for conversations ether), the ones at the landings (you know the ones), so to sum this up they need to get educated (one way or another) and i believe if the dnr would or could publish the etiqette in the reg. booklet it my help and i'm sure there are some of us that would be willing to contribute to it from past experiences but then again they probably wouldn't read the reg. booklet anyway so a book is in order. let me know if i could contribute to it.

[2dalake]

I've got sort of an alter ego story. A few years back I was fishing crappies with a couple of other guys. We were anchored shallow (about 8 feet) and pitching slip bobber rigs out to suspended fish about 15 feet down over 25 feet of water.

We were just up the shore from a little family resort, about 100 yards away. No other boats in sight in any direction. Two mid teen girls came down to the water and jumped into a 14 foot rowboat, complete with a boombox blasting VanHalen. I like VanHalen but it has it's place and this ain't it right?

They start rowing out to us as we're landing and unhooking crappies, they are yelling and laughing and having a good time, boombox blasting....right over our floats. We had to reel them out of the way of their oars. They went all the way through our spot until they were just upwind the last float, then picked up the ANCHOR and tried to heave it overboard. Being mid teen girls they couldn't lift it high enough, because instead of lifting it by the anchor they tried to lift it by the rope, about four feet up from the anchor itself. As they tried to heave it over it started swinging and was banging on the inside of the hull and gonging like some sort of giant church bell.

They thought this was hilarious, and were laughing a loud as witless mid teen girls can. Remember that they were just upwind? As they gonged the inside of their boat with their anchor they were drifting back right over the fish.

This was too much for me. While my buddies stared in disbelief I picked up a big spinning outfit I had along and clipped the biggest spoon I had to it, and made a cast for the bow of their boat, since they were both in the middle and the stern, adjusting the volume on "Jump". It landed smack in the bow with a CLANG! They both screamed of course. I gave the rod a flip and my spoon popped out of the boat. I reeled it back and actually caught a little two pound northern on the cast.

Then I told them I was sorry, I guess you two are a little close to us. They rowed back to the resort. When they got there they hollered at us that they didn't mean to P**s us off. They went up to the cabins and then some jerk I took to be Dad came down to the dock and glared at us with his arms crossed for a few minutes. We were not impressed and ignored him.

So you don't need to be well helled or have a power boat to be a jerk.

[mnrstrider]

Funny I didn't even think you needed a boat to be a total jerk and ideas of what makes a person a jerk vary, I've probably [PoorWordUsage]ed people off, and not known it, to date no one has said anything to me yet, And I personally don't do to other what would [PoorWordUsage] me off.

That being said some people just never get it, I believe these people who are short on wit are also, short on attention span, and move on the other hobbies in due time. I in my short days have witnessed, and been in the boat with people that had no idea what they were doing while boating, and or fishing, to date none of them have boats anymore, nor fish. So it is a short lived cycle IMO, then again you do people new to this idea of fishing and boating, adn either they get the concept or they eventually move on themselves.

What can you do? really... 99% of the time I just shrug it off, I wish I could do it 100% of the time.

[pikehunter]

Hey folks ... I'm going to have to agree with the consensus ... I fish out of a canoe quite often and it amazes me the amount of people who think a canoe doesn't belong on the lake and "buzz" it just to make their point.
Some people just don't know any better. For the boaters out there, here's one slight tip: Don't go half-throttle past a canoe. To tell you the truth, I'd rather have you pass me full speed .... half speed makes the larger wake with most boats!

keep fishin!