Inconsiderate "Pro" fisherpeople

[Waz]

I have to get this off my chest. I was fishing the most recent tournamnet on Mille Lacs. Fishing on Indian Point. At about 2:30 in the afternoon all ##### breaks loose. People start heading in for the weight-in. Never saw such an inconsiderate group in my life. One after another coming with in casting distance of tournament boats and locals alike. What are you people thinking. The lake is 18 by 16 miles. Can't you folks go around the point. Before I left that area I had to pull up to a man and wife with their young daughter on a Sunday afternoon fishing trip and apoligize for tournamnet fisherpeople. Tried to explain that we are not all crazy.

[Walleye Express]

Waz.
I haven't fished in tournaments for a few years now. I've discovered it's both easier and a lot more satisfying to cash a check running charters, versus beating my body and brians out compeating. I do remember in the early days though, that even the start of most tournament was a shotgun affair. I remember at one tourney getting launched out of my seat during one of these starts, after hitting another boats wake that had cut across our bow. Then having my 40 pound tackle box hit me on the head after I hit the floor. Spent most of that day trying to get the gash in my head to quit bleeding. Now of course they release you one at a time. But nobody is there to regulate the return scramble. These habbits, along with the unsafe habbit of sending out the field in big surf, is a problem that only a disaster will solve. I know I will get some flac on this one, but it's how I feel.

[DUDE]

Waz, I agree with you to an extent. The worst ride I have ever had in a boat came when I fished as an amaeture in a pwt event on lake erie. I was fishing with a guy who I dont think had ever been on a big lake in 4 footers before. He thought he could go full throttle in that stuff and all he did was tear his boat all up. He actually couldnt believe his kicker motor was about ready to fall off half way back to the docks.. Personally I try to be as courteous as I can be by slowing down when I get next to anybody fishing cause I hate it when anybody does it to me... Thanks for apologizinng for those of us who cant see past our own noses.........

[cardwiz]

I've been on both sides(tournament and recreation) and always stop casting when I'm trolling around another boat or near a dock where someone is fishing. On one occasion last year, I asked an anchored boat if I could sneak between their boat and the shore as they were sort of blocking a passage. They were very corgile and talked to us as we went by(my rod was in my lap).

I guess I feel that you should show respect for others fishing, boating, etc. whenever you are sharing the same waters. Some people(pro, amatuer, and recreational) just lack manners and have no consideration for others. Pros, however, should really concentrate on going the extra mile when it comes to manners and consideration as they are often the spotlight of attention. I suspect many of the organizations emphasize this point...but when you dangle money in front of someone who might fish for a living...well...guess what...

It's nice to know you recognized the problem and talked to those people, it might go a long way towards their opinion of that event and tournaments.

Cardwiz

[wake me out of the boat!]

Personally please don't slow down when coming by my boat! The wake you create by slowing down dang near throws me out of the boat! Keep on moving, just not on top of me!

Signed, Catching Me Off Guard With Your Slow Down Wake!

[Phil T.]

There was a great "inconsiderate pro" story circulating around northern ND a couple years ago. A local angler had paid to enter the tourny as an amateur, and drew a young "pro" who was having a very hard time meeting expenses. The "pro" told the paid amateur to just sit in the back of the boat and not to touch anything. Don't lose good rods, don't knock fish off my line with the net, just sit there. You guys can't catch anything anyway. The paid amateur wasn't pleased with this arrangement, but did as he was told. When they returned to the dock after a fishless day, the "pro" asked the amateur to get his pickup and trailer and bring it to the ramp. He tossed the keys to the amateur, who let them fly past into six feet of water. "You were right, I can't catch anything", he said as he walked away.

[Walleye Express]

Wake me.
Very, very good point that many others may fail to recognize when on the water. I've often been given the (evil eye) on the Tittabawassee in my Jet Boat when traveling up or down the river on plane. I will get over as far as possible (which is often mere feet from the opposit shore) and find that my wake is cut in half at full throttle. It just makes sense, that the less boat in the water the less water dispersed to make the wake. There is I believe though a Michigan DNR law that states 50 feet. And another Coast Guard law that states you are responsible for any damage or bodily harm caused by your wake. This is deffinetly a case where a persons personality and temperment get involved.

[Reels]

I think the point was on a lake that big, people shouldnt have passed that close to a group of people fishing, slow or fast.

Take a few extra seconds and go around the packs.

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[FJH1]

Hey WAZ, fortunately we were in Vineland Bay at that point, but we watched it. Buth Rudy and I looked at each other and couldn't believe the rudeness of these guys flying right past the anchored boats on Indian Point. I agree that it's best to not slow down (you make a much bigger wake), but get real, give the people some room it's a BIG lake!

Best Regards,

FJH

[Brett Carroll]

It's not just tourneys that fisherman drive crazy! On all the lakes I fish it seems that once every time out some idiot has to either fly right by us or cuts us off at a certain spot. If people only got some sense they would realize what they've done!

Thanks,

Brett Carroll

[Stehle]

I boat on the Ohio River and the situation is the same there. So much space but people seem to come way to close. I had one incident when the sternwheel Mississippi Queen was moving through our basin. The locals decided to "escort" the big boat to the next lock. Boats from 22' on up made a line from shore to shore with the Queen in the middle. They left an average of about 20' between themselves and ran at "Plowing" speed. I was near one shore and had my 3 year old daughter and two friends swimming in the water behind my boat, when one local river hippy cruised within 15' of me. I snapped and yelled at the guy asking if he could see me or what. He said that he could ... some gestures were exchanged and then he crossed between me and the shore (which was 15' away). Nothing came of it other than some photos taken of his boat. I only wish that he had run aground. Unfortunately we were on the outside of a bend where it's deeper (He still only had about 2' under his prop)

[eyegetit]

I brought this same issue up with a group of tourney anglers on my local lake that I witnessed being rude. The only excuse they could come up with was that they themselves felt victimized by tourney anglers, pleasure boaters, jet skiiers, old women with walkers, etc.

Wake up people! This is all about setting an example!

[snaggletooth]

I don't participate or attend fishing tournaments and avoid them like the plague. Why ? The impatient mob takes over everything: motels, cabins, bait shops, and restraunts; not to mention the water.

Chuck C.

[Nighteyes]

It must be human nature that peoples blood boils when they are sitting in a boat and watch another fly by on plane. I do not think it matters how far away you are, people are still going to complain about other boats passing by. If they were 100 yards away they should have been 500 yards! If they were 500 yards away they should have been a mile!

What I can't understand is why people can go out fishing all day in 3' and 4' chop. Then turn around on a calm day and complain about a 1' boat wake when one go's by on plane.

I have fished in one RCL and one PWT event in the last two years. That equated to 7 days with 7 different pro's. They all but one went as fast as the boat would go. None of them ever traveled within what I considered to close a distance of other boats.

In the Detroit River RCL this spring we had a local old timer hand lining come by us shaking his head and mumble"You guys are giving the sport a bad reputation" I had no ideal what he was even talking about either.

The next day in another pro's boat I seen the very same guy smiling and giving us the thumbs up as we raced by him at 52 MPH well past casting distance but still close enough to recognize him. And no it was not his middle finger! When I seen him ahead of us I was thinking here comes the finger from this grumpy old guy, but he waved, smiled, and gave us the thumbs up as we flew past him!

If these supposed Pro's actually flew by within CASTING distance they should be ticketed. I just find it hard to believe that they actually traveled at high speed within CASTING distance(<100'). If they really did then they should have been DQ'ed from the tourny! That would improve the habits of the few bad apples.

[2090BT]

This message is for Snaggletooth/Chuck C. That impatient mob you are talking about spends loads of money in your community when they take over the motels, cabins, bait shops, restaurants, and the water. These days, it seems, a person can't go fishing for under $100/day. Take that times 100 boats for 2 days and you come up with $20,000. That's alot of money spent by an impatient mob.

Sincerely,
Shannon Yeske
(Considerate Tournament Fisherman)

[Stehle]

100 yards and I would b%$ch. I don't think so. Personally, I'm like "Wake me out of the boat", I would rather you pass by me on full plane than at plowing speed. One of the best examples that I have of that in my neck of the woods is a guy I call "Adonis". He has a 32' Donzi with twins and will throw less wake than a 20' Bayliner when he passes. Of course he's going 70 but hey there's only about 1' of wake.

[targa2]

I keep a slingshot in my boat in the summer for the idiots. I figure if I can hit you with a slingshot, your too close!!!

[The Eyes_Have it]

I agree Cardwiz. I also go slowly around others when beating a bank..... and usually talk to them as I go.
Now about blowing by someone....I always try to swing out around a pack of boats when running all out.....But when fishing Lake Taneycomo in Mo., It's only about 30 yards wide for long stretches......I would much rather have a boat go by me doing 50mph instead of 10mph..

[Eye Spy]

My next door neighbor came back from Leech lake yesterday where he and his brothers had been fishing. The first thing he yelled to me across the driveway was "who do these guys in the Rangers think they are? They were so inconsiderate to us it was unbelivable, what a bunch of JERKS." He went on to explaine how they were drifting an area and the pros would finish their drift or run and fire up and nearly swamp them by gunning it right past them. My neighbor was in a rental boat.

I'm sure it wasn't just guys in Rangers and I'm sure I've pissed some people off before I just bring it up because we have to do a better job or we will jepordize our fun.

[eyegetit]

No Nighteyes, it does not make my blood boil anytime someone flies by on plane. What sends me into orbit is when I'm working a shallow flat or point where the eyes are spooky at best and some hot dog runs his 225hp Merc right over the top of it. I don't care if you're on plane or not. It stinks. This is why tourneys leave a bad taste in the mouth of local anglers who, for the most part, stick to the program and get along just fine.

[bob]

I too fished the Mille Lacs tournament and I could not disagree more about local anglers. A bent rod, a flying net and those locals swarmed like flies on a roadkill on a hot summer day. I understand Mille Lacs is a crowded fishery but some of the crowding was unbelievable. I won't even go where a marker bouy gets you.

[eyegetit]

I can always tell when a nerve has been struck on this issue. The topic gets redirected to where the tourney anglers are the victims. I wish I was talking about Mille Lacs but I wasn't. This problem is universal.

[Tom P]

I had the same evil eye with my jet outboard boat by some canoer's that would rather have me slow down and swamp them, then be on plane and have alot less hull in the water. I have had to yell out many times to them, that I have to stay on plane because I'm running in 8 -12 inches of water, that if I slow down I'm beaching "her" in the middle or side of the river because of the shallow water. " They " must of dislike me ( Mr, noise polluter/ very small wake maker ) just like some of the people hate the ATVers. I always tried to stay as far away from them as possible. I never broke what I feel is a safe comfort zone of safety. This is of course is on thin rivers, so you must realize you can only stay only so far away from them. I felt about 25% of them felt I should not be there ( just by their look) way up river where 99% of motor boats have never traveled.

[Nighteyes]

eyegetit,
My comments were in general just about this topic and not specifically aimed at you or your blood boiling. I have an interesting experience though about fishing an area and then having a large disturbance.

Probably about 10 years ago on Lake Erie just off shore from Stoney Pointe Michigan we were fishing. The local municipality was building a new water intake from the lake that went right through the rock piles we were fishing. Anyways a worker comes over to us and tells us to leave the area because they were going to set off a charge. We motored about 1/2 miles away and waited. I think rocks were still falling back into the lake for a minute it seemed after the blast. It was a huge blast that sent water and rocks over 100' into the air. As soon as it was done we motored back over to within 50 yards of the blast site and killed the walleyes! We limited out in less than an hour with three guys in a 14' aluminum boat. We never seen a dead fish floating either.

Those rock piles were the best they had ever been for the couple of weeks that the work crews were there blasting and working in the area. During that same time we caught dozens of Northern Pike, about 6 Musky, and a huge crappie on gold Erie deries. The ten years since that summer we have only caught one or two pike total.

I am sure if we surveyed this situation most people would think that every fish for a mile would have left town becuase of the noise.


Good Fishing

[snaggletooth]

Shannon,

It's not "my" community; I travel out of town and spend money when I go fishing too.

And one big reason why I go out of town is to escape the chaos of: crowds, traffic, waiting in line and rude people.

A large tournament at the same, or nearby water where I am fishing is just chaos, impatient mobs, and I prefer to avoid them.

My point was: avoid tournaments if you want peace & quiet.

And there are many other anglers who share my opinion.

Chuck C.

[Bob G2]

There should be a statute somewhere that states:
The total horsepower of the watercraft shall not exceed the owners/captain's IQ as measured by Wechsler testing.

It always seems that the guys with the big horsepower boats are less willing to go around a drift area. The bigger the HP, the more willingness to power through a drift area. As if we're all impressed.

[cardwiz]

I <almost> agree with you 'The Eyes_Have it'...the only concern I have is about the 50mph. It seems many feel that if they have the HP they must use it. I think it's possible to go a bit slower than 50mph with most boats, be on plane, and produce minimal difference in the size of the wake. There are some tight spots I fish on a local lake where several islands, stump fields, and shallow water exists. I've been on the lake many times during a tournament in which I fished both as a tournament participant(ron & gun type club tournaments...I'm not a pro) and while fishing recreationally when Bass club tournaments are going on.

It's scarey as heck watching some of these boats weave through these areas at 50, 60, or even 70mph! I'm dreading the day when I have to help pull out a victim of some sort of collision because someone is coming around the islands from another direction. I've seen some close calls and frankly don't want to see any more. Some of these areas aren't safe for 50mph. I'd much rather get rocked in my boat a little bit more from traffic, if I choose to fish such an area, than watch them go by at blazing speeds...but I don't want them going by producing maximum wake either. I think there is some middle ground here and I hope Pro's(and most others) are capable of figuring out what that range is for their rig. Unfortunately, not everyone uses what I believe is a safe and considerate speed/range.

When I fished the lake last summer on a particular tournament day, there were so many boats it looked like the parking lot full of cars at a big stadium on game day. It was tough finding any open shoreline or fishing spots to even cast a lure w/o hitting another boat. I began to wonder if anyone has ever considered a boat limit vs a fishing limit. Just way to much traffic...the good news is that to my knowledge there were no accidents, I had a fun day, and we still caught fish. Although I'd bet there were some words echanged somewhere by someone for something.

This was a day I was also glad to see the DNR out, which is rare for this lake. I believe the DNR presence had some positive impact.

Cardwiz

[nontreaty]

>I have to get this off my chest. I was fishing the most
>recent tournamnet on Mille Lacs. Fishing on Indian Point. At
>about 2:30 in the afternoon all ##### breaks loose. People
>start heading in for the weight-in. Never saw such an
>inconsiderate group in my life. One after another coming
>with in casting distance of tournament boats and locals
>alike. What are you people thinking. The lake is 18 by 16
>miles. Can't you folks go around the point. Before I left
>that area I had to pull up to a man and wife with their
>young daughter on a Sunday afternoon fishing trip and
>apoligize for tournamnet fisherpeople. Tried to explain that
>we are not all crazy.

[FROGMAN]

I would ask that you reconsider your plan of action. While I'm not sure on the range of the jurisdiction, or your usual fishing waters, I do know that is against the law to interfere with the "Captain" of a vessel while it's "under way" on the Great Lakes, and other CG controlled waters. To fire a shot across someones noggin with a sling shot might invite more trouble for yourself than the act was worth.

I'm not condoning irresponsible boating practices, just wanted you to be aware of the risk you would be taking.

With that, I'm going fishing!

Tight lines everyone, have a great weekend!


Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[doesnt matter]

you all sound like a bunch of old women! bla bla bla
there is plenty of water go fish anotherr lake.
Im no pro but the pros ive seen have done nothing but help me. The guys in the Rangers(come on give me a break if you wernt fishing in a canoe you wouldnt have a problem.)Big lake+ Big waves =Big boat if you want to be safe. I have a 16ft with a 40 and ive never been tipped, if someone goes buy wide open were I could slap them with a rod I would thats uncalled for but I would rather see wide open then plowing buy nice and slow rocking the !@#$ out of everyone.

Theres something about the purr of a 225 60+mph ripping buy that gives me a woody (SOMEDAY)

[Dougger]

I also was on the point (black Lund 1900 about a 1\2 to 1 mile east of the island on the point) Sunday from 8 till 4pm and I didn't notice anymore traffic than what should be expected. There may have been 20 boats tops coming by that point inside of us. What about all of the local traffic before 2pm? Crazy place.

[cardwiz]

So it's either wide open or plow? No middle ground for you?

So the innocent should go fish another lake because others are being inconsiderate and possibly unsafe?

Blame the guy with a small boat?

A 225HP at 60mph is fine if the conditions allow it.

Cardwiz

[cardwiz]

Certainly good points and I wouldn't support any practices where anyone could get hurt.

I wonder if some of the irresponsible boaters realize what kind of risk they are taking while approching a fishing boat at 60MPH. I've seen some pretty long casts.

Cardwiz

[BlackSilver]

> That impatient mob you are talking about spends
> loads of money in your community when they take
> over the motels, cabins, bait shops, restaurants,
> and the water.

I for one would prefer you'd spend the money someplace else.

Walk softly and carry a big fish.

Hans/MN

[bluelund]

Cardwiz,

I can relate to your concern about an accident occuring, I was fishing with a friend on a lake in New Mexico in the early 90's. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and there was a large Bass tournament going on. We weren't fishing the tournament, just out for a day of recreational fishing. About mid-morning a bass boat with two anglers went flying by us at top speed, he was running between two rows of trees that had flooded, we were casting on the outside of the trees and were fairly close to quite a few other boats. When he got to the end of the trees, another bass boat also traveling at high speed approached at a right angle and the two boats collided. It was a very frightening thing to watch, fortunately no one was killed but at least one of the anglers had to be airlifted to Albuquerque. I got a good look at one of the boats later in the day and it was a sobering sight. Gave me a whole new respect for life jackets and on the water safety.

Take care and good fishing,

Bob M