marker buoys

[bucketmouth64]

I saw on a fishing show using marker buoys for a deep point. One was at the tip and the other I think toward an inside turn or something. They were fishing in between them. My question is what is the general rule using markers? How far apart can they be? How far can you be from your marker while fishing? And what should other fisherman do when coming up on buoys. I've had boats go by them or even fish near them. Do you say something if they fish the area you are working?

[Boedigheimer]

Bucketmouth64, I use a buoy most of the time when fishing deep points, humps, or main-lake inside turns. I generally only use one as a point of reference. But they are a tremendous help in visualizing underwater structure. Some people may say a GPS is all you need, but a GPS won't tell me EXACTLY where my jig landed in relation to the very tip of a point. Close isn't good enough. If your fishing the tip of a steep point, the G-spot may only be a few square feet. And yes, some people do seem to swoop in on any buoy they see, I use a black one.

[carlcmc]

i use the bright ones. easier to see. easier for other boats to see too :-(

etiquette should be to leave section alone that has buoys on it while someone is fishing it (with in reason . not a 1/2 mile stretch if you know what i mean). If they do, just smile and keep fishing or move. there are plenty of places to fish. I think using 2 is about a minimum for any size of structure. 1 only to mark one specific small area. i buoyed an underwater island that was 300+ yards long by placing them on each edge and in the middle. In 2-3 foot waves i had to have the middle one or i would never have seen the last one.

[delmuts]

ok! another question! what style of markers do you guys use? i have the flat rectangular ones that work, but if there is much wind they will unwind until the string is totally undone and the marker is off the spot. i use them alot for marking structure, and points. i finally had to cut the strings to different lengths/depths, so it would be close to the spot i wanted marked in the first place. are the other styles that work better?

[carlcmc]

mine were the three pack of red/yellow/green in the round end shape. i've been thinking of getting the foam ones that have the built in winder. that or getting a winder to do it.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Marker bouys... Plenty of questions here, I would like to answer each directly, then some thoughts...

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My question is what is the general rule using markers?

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No real rules.. they just help "paint" a better picture above water of what is below water.

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How far apart can they be?

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as far or as close as you want. I dont know of any rules on this.

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How far can you be from your marker while fishing?

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Depends on if your fishing a tournament or just for fun..Tournaments usually have rules in place that say you must be within 50-100 feet of your bouy. if your just out for fun, I have left one on a spot and ran to another spot to return to fish the bouy an hour later kind of deal.( I only do this on weekdays when there are few boats on the lake.)

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And what should other fisherman do when coming up on buoys. I've had boats go by them or even fish near them. Do you say something if they fish the area you are working?

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Again, this is different if your in a tournament. In a tournament if you have a bouy out no angler can come within a distance(set by rules). However, if you are just out.. the water is free space. anybody can technically fish that area. I usually do not say anything to anybody, I have even welcomed people to fish the area I am. Expecially if they have kids in the boat.

Ok.. thoughts... Marker Bouys do a great job of helping you mark an area that is holding a school of fish.. its also a great tool to help you learn an area quicker. On tournament days I will use large orange bright bouys so that other anglers know to stay clear. On weekends I use dull green bouys that I often have to GPS in because I even have a hard time finding them at times. I have used a few as 1 bouy to mark a spot and as many as 4....