Common Courtesy Fishing/Boating

[Gerry Zagorski]

Some people think they own the water and others don't know any better but the result is the same... You ruin the fishing for yourself and everyone around you.

This time of year the common offense is running full speed through a fleet of anchored or drifting boats or getting too close, even at no wake speeds.

If you see a bunch of boats in a certain area you can bet they are actively fishing....

1) Slow down to no wake speed
2) Even at no wake speeds give other boats a wide birth and if you see they are anchored avoid running off their stern.

You want to slow down to no wake speeds for 2 reasons:
1) You don't want to create a wake and rock the other boat
2) Running at speed though the areas others are fishing will scatter the fish.

As far as passing by the stern of an anchored boat, this is practically a criminal offense in my book...People invest a lot of time, money and bait creating a chum slick behind their boats. If you run behind their stern you've basically ruined their chum slick. Some people think 50 yards is enough of a buffer but it's not.... That Chum slicks extends way back behind the boat so you should avoid crossing their stern at all.

Best thing to do when you approach an area with a lot of boats actively fishing is to give them a very wide birth. Once in the general area determine if they are anchored or drifting and which way the current is going to take your boat.

If you are going to anchor then it's common courtesy to anchor up current of them rather then try and slide in behind them.

If you and others are drifting then start your drift up current from them.

If you see someone breaking these rules then you should approach them giving them the benefit of the doubt and let them know the err of their ways....

If they decide to continue to do it then you might want to make a few tight circles around their boat

It's a big ocean everyone, certainly big enough to give people their space.

[GDubya07]

This is one of the reasons I don't own a boat , biggest reason is the wifes Money

Be careful out there peeps it will be turning into that time of year again

Good luck to everybody going out this weekend

Be Well - Be Safe and Fish - On

GDubs-

[Bucktailboys.com]

Well said, common sense is not always common

[Arbutis]

I know I'm preaching to the choir here but I would also like to add, in addition to everything already mentioned. . .

Be very aware of boats that are trolling. Sometimes it is difficult to tell when this is happening. It often looks as if trollers are just slowly meandering around looking for spots to fish but in reality there is A LOT of line extending out of the stern of the boat.

We were trolling bunker spoons yesterday and going about 3 knots. A guy up on plane was about to fly past us over our lines. It took a lot of waiving and pleading for him to detour. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he just wasn't aware of all the gear we had out directly in back of us. Tough to see sometimes.

[BlueDog]

With fluke season coming up I hope a lot of guys read this thread, for some reason people have the urge to get up and motor to do the same drift through the fleet that's drifting the same area. They need to realize its worse when your not quite on plane and throwing a huge wake. It makes me especially mad when they see you with a 5 year old on board and they throw you a wave as they're plowing by.... Meatballs.

Art

[Michael82929]

Its the uneducated boater that you need to speak too.. most of the people on this site.. I would consider educated.... or informed if anything...

Unfortunitely, no matter if you had huge sign lite up like the garden state parkway at the top of the hook, that says speed limit 55 or boaters courtesy. Everyone will still do 80 and give your boat a nice wave...

No getting around it...sad..

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Arbutis

I know I'm preaching to the choir here but I would also like to add, in addition to everything already mentioned. . .

Be very aware of boats that are trolling. Sometimes it is difficult to tell when this is happening. It often looks as if trollers are just slowly meandering around looking for spots to fish but in reality there is A LOT of line extending out of the stern of the boat.

We were trolling bunker spoons yesterday and going about 3 knots. A guy up on plane was about to fly past us over our lines. It took a lot of waiving and pleading for him to detour. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he just wasn't aware of all the gear we had out directly in back of us. Tough to see sometimes.

At least you guys were nice about it and understood. I had two jack asses two weeks ago screaming profanity at us with my two nephews on board 13 and 14 years old. We were going slow they waited until we got close to start the waving, sceaming and ranting. They were very lucky that my nephews were on board. I had really bad intentions. They should be some sort of Flag or something to let other boats know their trolling. We could veer else where. Going forward, Now, we make sure we go very very slow.

[joeya78]

[QUOTE=Arbutis]I know I'm preaching to the choir here but I would also like to add, in addition to everything already mentioned. . .

Be very aware of boats that are trolling. Sometimes it is difficult to tell when this is happening. It often looks as if trollers are just slowly meandering around looking for spots to fish but in reality there is A LOT of line extending out of the stern of the boat.


We should have a trolling flag like scuba has their scuba flags, I've seen people run over people's line way too many times. Also we should have an anchor flag, I witnessed a boat run over the top of another boat last year it may have been avoided if there was a clear flag telling everyone they were anchored. It sporty seas it's sometimes hard to tell these thing, flags are more visible then no flags.

[THAT GUY]

unfortunately the flags probably wouldn't work either. The no wake signs don't seem to work all the time. Look at the PP canal, I see people going through there almost on plane

[Papasown]

Thank you for that, Gerry. I don't fish during the mid-days on Sat/Sun thru the summer, unless I have a special crew. I have been cut-off, experienced way too often a boat cutting thru the bunker pod, (even by supossedly profressional Captions. Yes you, Splinter.) and I turned off Channel 65 by 8:00 am because of the negative back and forth by stressed fisherman/ people/ jerks. Your sugestions/reminders are on the mark, and I appreciate them. Thank you......
ps. I can't stress enough to mark your debris from Sandy when you find it , with a laundry soap or Bleach bottle and call in to CG and DEP with GPS codinates:
Point Pleasant Beach CG 732-899-0130
Barnegat Light CG 609-494-2661
DEP 1-877-WARNDEP
Thank you, Papa. Catch ém up Guys, and have a very safe year.