07-29-2008, 11:55 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Safety and sportsmanship are the two main issues here. The power squadron generally acts like "might makes right"...the guy with the biggest and baddest toy has the right to show it off...up close and personal...to all the inferior beings on the water. They will never change.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As far as whether or not noisy watercraft disrupt fishing, there is no hard and fast answer to that. Like most anglers, I have had decent catching even while being buzzed and tossed around in my tube. I hate it, but as long as the fish don't mind, I live with it. On the other hand, I have had far too many good fishing excursions absolutely shut down...BAM...as soon as the first PWC or noisy boat hits the water in my vacinity. I have had a sonar screen full of active fish suddenly go blank as the fish moved out of a honey hole...after a regular old fishing boat motored by the mouth of the cove I was fishing. And, I have had hot action virtually shut down, within minutes of the power toys hitting the water in my area.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a lot of variables. Some species of fish become more accustomed to increased levels of noise...especially if it is a daily thing. Others just feed at night or when the water traffic subsides a bit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fish "modes" play a big role in how much they are affected by motor noises. Fish can be either active, neutral or negative. Actively feeding fish will often continue to feed, but might move out of the noisiest areas...or deeper in the water column. Neutral fish, that could formerly be coaxed into an occasional "reaction bite", will generally downshift to a negative mode and will not bite anything until things quiet down. Fish that are already negative...from being full or from adverse water, weather or barometric conditions...will continue to be negative. But, you weren't catching them anyway.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water depth is another issue. Fish often feed in shallower water, early in the day, before it gets too busy with boat traffic. But, if they feel threatened by the increasing activity, they will move out into deeper water. That is the most common adverse affect of noisy boats noticed by bank tanglers. They caught fish early but then it died off when the boats sent the fish out of the area. In that case they are justified in blaming the boats.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the flip side, heavy boat traffic often generates a lot of waves, even on a calm day. When those waves start crashing along the shoreline, some fish take that as sounding like a dinner bell. They move into the muddy and agitated water to pick off baitfish that are disoriented in the slop and can't see in the murky water...or worms or crawdads washed out by the water action. Fish like bass, catfish and walleyes use their good vision, scent and sensitive lateral lines to find and feed on the little tykes. So, if you can use the boat wakes to your advantage, and cast close in to a wave washed shoreline, you might be thanking the boats.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As far as whether or not noisy watercraft disrupt fishing, there is no hard and fast answer to that. Like most anglers, I have had decent catching even while being buzzed and tossed around in my tube. I hate it, but as long as the fish don't mind, I live with it. On the other hand, I have had far too many good fishing excursions absolutely shut down...BAM...as soon as the first PWC or noisy boat hits the water in my vacinity. I have had a sonar screen full of active fish suddenly go blank as the fish moved out of a honey hole...after a regular old fishing boat motored by the mouth of the cove I was fishing. And, I have had hot action virtually shut down, within minutes of the power toys hitting the water in my area.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are a lot of variables. Some species of fish become more accustomed to increased levels of noise...especially if it is a daily thing. Others just feed at night or when the water traffic subsides a bit.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fish "modes" play a big role in how much they are affected by motor noises. Fish can be either active, neutral or negative. Actively feeding fish will often continue to feed, but might move out of the noisiest areas...or deeper in the water column. Neutral fish, that could formerly be coaxed into an occasional "reaction bite", will generally downshift to a negative mode and will not bite anything until things quiet down. Fish that are already negative...from being full or from adverse water, weather or barometric conditions...will continue to be negative. But, you weren't catching them anyway.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Water depth is another issue. Fish often feed in shallower water, early in the day, before it gets too busy with boat traffic. But, if they feel threatened by the increasing activity, they will move out into deeper water. That is the most common adverse affect of noisy boats noticed by bank tanglers. They caught fish early but then it died off when the boats sent the fish out of the area. In that case they are justified in blaming the boats.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the flip side, heavy boat traffic often generates a lot of waves, even on a calm day. When those waves start crashing along the shoreline, some fish take that as sounding like a dinner bell. They move into the muddy and agitated water to pick off baitfish that are disoriented in the slop and can't see in the murky water...or worms or crawdads washed out by the water action. Fish like bass, catfish and walleyes use their good vision, scent and sensitive lateral lines to find and feed on the little tykes. So, if you can use the boat wakes to your advantage, and cast close in to a wave washed shoreline, you might be thanking the boats.[/#0000ff]
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