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Been spending a long lunch break (the upside of being your own boss) reading through all the posts I missed in my absence. One post regarded a number of members talking about their encounters with power boaters and how they crowd floaters. After some deliberation, I have drawn my own conclusion as to this phenomenon. I think it is due to the elite status of fly fisher people. All over the world fly fishing is regarded as the zenith of fishing acumen, including Africa, my birthplace. I too look upon accomplished fly fisher people with awe. perhaps these morons see a fly fisher person and assume "they must know something about that spot" and home in on them. Sort of like a seagull or frigate bird following an in-bound trawler. -ABT [signature]
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[cool] [#0000ff]I think the problem is much more basic than that. It's all about testosterone. Most boat operators are guys...and guys like to show off their "stuff". It's all a matter of who has the biggest and baddest "stuff". A guy with a huge boat and big twin motors will roar around the lake, deliberately bow-waking all of the other boats, just to prove he is the head rooster on the water. Guys with smaller boats look for other boats smaller than they are...or at least vulnerable to a sudden "fly by" and bow wake rocking.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Float tubers and pontooners are on the bottom of the pecking order. They are fair game for all other craft to hassle. Even folks in row boats and canoes are more mobile...and are thus "superior" to float tubes and pontoons. So...they have the implied right to crowd or harass us, without consequence. If we can't chase them down, they can "hit and run" as they please. With our reduced mobility, we are prime targets for anybody else on the water. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then, there is the matter of common courtesy and sportsmanship. For some reason, even the nicest people seem to leave their manners at home when they hit the water in their power craft. Add a couple of beers and they turn into thrillseekers who go out of their way to create discomfort and problems for others. I have been a personal witness to situations where people became involved in accidents or dangerous situations...and were ticketed by rangers. Their comments are always "I'm sorry. That is not really like me."[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is  to say, but the best we can do is expect the worst of all the other people on the water. Do what we can to avoid them and report them if they break laws to harass us. Most waters in most states have rules about maintaining safe distances from other craft. Always carry your camera and a cell phone. Take pictures of the offending craft, including the bow numbers...to use as evidence if necessary. Then, if you have the number of the closest ranger station, make the call to report the offense. You do not always get a response, but often enough you can get satisfaction by seeing the rangers stopping the offending craft and writing a ticket.[/#0000ff]
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It is not just floaters that get splashed. On more than one occasion I have been working a shore line in my big rig ( 18ft Skeeter w/175 Merc) and been rocked by a skier, boarder, or other craft as they go back and forth, back and forth. What really blows their mind is when the quiet fishing boat roars to life, runs them down and explains that they need to maintain a minimum distance of 50 yards. Those who take umbrage are then reported to the ranger as I have been close enough to write down the bow number.
I also seem to remember that in his younger days, Tubedude had a solution for frisky power boaters. That was pre cell phone days however !!
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It looks like your hypothesis combined with TubeDudes observation can pretty my surmise the answer to the question.
Between the boaters curiosity as to what makes our floating fishing platform tick and what we might actually have insight on with the fish in the area, there is always room for inquisition.
I have had boat come right up next to me just to put me down on the low scale. They have asked me if I can see the fish that is about 20' in front of me with my Fish Finder. I told him that I couldn't. His reply was that I didn't have room on my inflatable date for decent equipment.
I just shrugged it off and continued to fish.
Anybody else in my postion would have pointed out the hole in the boaters gas tank as they gently squeeze off a round from a 45 calibur.[cool]
I worked in water rescue for several years on a local lake. I had the first hand experience of rescuing some of the Macho boaters from their misery.
"Instant Idiot = 2 parts Alcohol and 1 part Boat"
The lake has signs posted and each boater signs paper work upon entrance to the parking lot.
They are notified of speed limits, safety guideline and safe distances from other crafts. I'm glad they don't have float tubing in that section of the lake or I probably wouldn't be here to write this.
The boats and the PWC have a hard enough time avoiding each other.
Boaters are a curious breed of people. They are want to know why the tube picked that spot. God forbid that you start slamming fish while they are pulling up or watching you. That gives them all the more reason to crowd closer.
Watch what happens if you pull up a couple and they don't! Then the hormones kick in and they decide to ruin the rest of your day by roostering on you as they leave in disgust.
Hormones, Alcohol, Curiosity and Disreguard for others. What else does it take to make a boater qualified??
This does not apply to all boaters. I do know some safe and considerate boaters out there. They are usually the ones on the other side of the lake, mindng their own business.[cool]
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[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, I did have a couple of remedies. However, a friendly ranger finally convinced me that even though I had the right to defend myself, shooting skiers with a slingshot could be viewed either way by a non sympathetic judge...especially if my sling shot hit them in the butt as they were going away. I did get involved in some heated "discussions" over my right to occupy my tiny part of the lake while interfering with those poor water skiers right to use the WHOLE lake. And, I have hooked at least a couple of "drive by" skiers and PWC operators with multi-hooked lures. I love it when they report me to the rangers and try to explain how they got close enough for me to hit them with a cast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]However, I have mellowed with age. I now convert one of my rod holder tubes to an RPG launcher. The idiots that are not warned off by it are sent to the bottom in a big explosion. Dead idiots tell no tales. BWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA. But, I remain very calm about it.[/#0000ff]
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I've been thinking on this for years now. I finally came up with the answer to powerboaters/waterskiers and jetski jockey's.
Paintball guns with indelible ink. Call the water cops and tell them what happened. Most boating rules you have to stay so many feet away from sailboats, inflatables etc. "Officer, the guy with the glow in the dark pink paint on the side of his boat is who buzzed everyone."
Disclaimer-
Don't try this at home or anywhere else.
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Just a minority opinion from me. Most of you folks are pretty much right but I think it's more simple. The boaters, skiers and scooters just are oblivious and have no idea and simply don't give a dang. Now I'm talking the macho lets go boating group. There are a lot, yep, a lot that see ya and obviously have a thought registration in their mind to avoid ya. I've kind of mellowed and Sparky and I just role with the punches/waves and maybe give em a hand "signal" and just get back to fishing. Maybe they recognize an old fart and are nicer????[shocked] Any way, I ain't got time for digital cameras, sling shots, paint ball guns, etc. etc. I just want to fish. Sorry folks for not joining the "red beret" group.[  ] I've got "bigger fish" to fry. How about some of our "Bush" problems? [  ][ ][ ][ ]
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I hate trying to fish around bush. Particularly when the bass are holding close to it. A guaranteed snag every time. But this Bush doesn't seem to have the same problem. Perhaps he ordered in a MOAB to get rid of the "snagging" bush.
![[Image: Fishing_Bush.jpg]](http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a40/threedeejesus/Fishing_Bush.jpg)
-ABT
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[cool][#0000ff]That picture reinforces the classic definition of fishing..."A jerk on one end of the line, waiting for a jerk on the other."[/#0000ff]
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LOL ... excellent one Pat. Do I have your permission to use that? [sly]
-ABT
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[cool][#0000ff]But of course.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As long as I don't have to take HIM fishing. Afraid I would be tempted to cut up some catfish bait. But, wait a minute. Then I might run afoul of the environmental protection statutes. Wonder what the hazmat cleanup would be to remove BUSH remains from a waterway. Definitely likely to be a major fish kill.[/#0000ff]
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