How close is TOO close??

[Red Childress]

Here is one to stir the pot...........

It is that time of year when SOME of the jet skis and canoes will be cruising around with no regard for fisherman's personal space so here is the question:


What is the acceptable "fishing cushion" distance that should be maintained between you and another fishing boat?? Or better yet, at what distance do you begin chucking Mag Dawgs at the boat/jet ski/canoe beside you for getting too close??

[Chris Streich]

If i can cast and hit you, you are definatley too close ! I would say stay 50 feet but perhaps further away from me when i'm fishing. Reminds me of time last year on Chautaqua that a pleasure boater cut behind us and ran over ALL four planer boards. We got him to stop and got most of our gear back but it was all i could do to keep from drowning the idiots.

[Joe M]

Red, I hate when you get the Aholes with no respect. I dont mind the canoes as much as the showoffs on the jet-skis and skiers. I have to deal with 30' yachts on the lower Allegheny. I got swamped on the Mon last year by a huge party cruiser with about a dozen people and 2 skiers. They decided to S turn right in line with me casting the shoreline. I saw the waves and fired the boat up to head into them. I had a 15 year with me. We took 2 waves over the front that filled the storage units all the way up in the back. We got lucky!! Thank god the bilge pump was working. There were a few fishing boats that got capsized the last few yeas on the lower Mon and Allegheny.Be careful..

[toothyfishman]

I think it was two years ago on East Branch, it was after work during the week so like 3-5 boats on the whole lake. Some idiot comes by me with a tiller small boat as I casting up a shoreline. What does he do but stop about 75 yards in front of me right about the same distance I was from the shore and anchor. I'm chucking muskie stuff so, I pull out some bigger stuff for the "drive by". I cast the shore right up to him and cast a 45 degree bomb right in front of him as I trolling motor out around him, when I get past I give a nice 45 degree-er back in front of him and continue on down the shore.
This is the only boat I can even see on the lake! I can see down a large bay and up and down the main arm. On a busy day I might of let it slide.
Never said a word.

The weekend comes and this butt-head does the same thing, I can't resist so I ask him as I do the same as above how he thought it would feel if I bounced that lure up along side his head since once again we are one of the 5 boats on a pretty large lake. There would be nothing wrong with him achoring right behind my casting run but NO! This is one of those guys who has to bang the anchor against everything in the boat before trying to win the shot putt throw as he lobs the archor in.

He says I don't own the lake. I agree with him and agree he has as much right as I do there all except one thing. If you we any kind of sportsman at all you wouldn't cut right in front of someone who was fishing and throw your anchor 6 feet into the air and see what kind of splash you can make, I mean do you really ever catch anything!!!

He felt he did no wrong, some people just don't get it!! Another fisherman isn't normally someone who is the problem.

Next trip out I rolled on by him at about 15MPH sending out the biggest wake my boat could make and stopped in front of him 75 in front....boy did I get some looks as he was doing all he could do to keep his boat upright.
I said.....you don't own the lake and starting fishing. He didn't like it done to him though

But in the end he won as my wife peeled my backside for about an hour over it!!!

The idiots always win. I think my peeling was worth it, well maybe a little.

[toothyfishman]

I do like sending the mag dawg at the jet skis after the 100th time they go by you. when they do the double take I always salute them "the bird" just so they know that was for them and I just didn't decide to fish the other side of the boat!!!

Sometime it's the little things, ya know.

[Joe M]

Chris, I had a episode on Chautauqua also last year. While fishing the 3 Rivers tourney last year with Dale I had a ahole come up beside me and cut literally 40 yards in front of me. The problem was his 12 year old son wiped out on the skis. If I would of been looking the other way for 2 seconds I would of ran him over, Dale was in the middle of sharpening hooks. Dale and I reamed out the dad and grandpap that couldnt figure out why we were so mad. There were only 12 boats on the whole south end and he does this bs that could of got his son killed. I would of loved to seen that idiot at the bar later that night.I dont understand some people. The worst thing is I would of went to jail if I ran him over. Totally unacceptable...

[tblose]

I was up on Conneaut the first week of may about eight years ago, and had on a nice 43 inch female. These two different ski boats keep flying by me real close, almost upsetting our small boat its a wonder i got that fish in. If was a very cold day that day and i am still not sure why those ski boats were out there.

[allegheny river kid]

I would say 30 yards is to close to get to another boat when you are fishing. I deal with tons of pleasure traffic on the lower allegheny on the weekends so i pretty much stopped fishing when the weather was nice out and holiday weekends. But there are exceptions, weekdays when bass tournaments are going on some of these guys think they own the water, some not all. And the anchor in the air has happened a few times to me. Last year a 2 guys come flying into a weedbed 40 feet from after i had just moved a small fish and went full speed until the anchor caught. I just laughed and moved on, went back 1 hr later and they were gone and i had the same fish on for a few seconds. Theres always people who have no regard for others, its a shame but a fact...

[muskie24/7]

Hey Joe, You say you don't mind the canoes! Up here on the Yough about 150 a day on the weekend is common! All you see is 9 and 10 inch smallmouth floating down the river with their gills ripped out because these idiots let them swallow the hook! So they rip their whole mouth and gills out so they don't have to tie a new hook on! I mind them!!! They're taking their toll on the Smallies thats for sure! BTW...I forgot to mention that a 150 canoers a day are bound to accidently catch quite a few muskies. guess what? more than likely they're deadmeat! Sad!!!

Brian

[Jim_Bortz]

So here's a little twist on the topic...

What's the acceptable distance for a jet boat on plane to go by a wading trout fisherman? HA! Sorry Red... I couldn't help myself.

[toothyfishman]

On the river...........if you can "HIGH FIVE'EM" it's okay if he's standing in the only passable waters.

You may get a on finger salute back and you be left hangin' with your high five.

[muskie24/7]

Jim, Thats a good question!. I slow way down when possible OR I get close enough to explain that I have to come through fast enough to stay on plain to avoid damaging my boat! I ask them to step back while I come through! Sometimes their real nice about it and sometimes they B#$CH about it and give me the #1 sign as I pass by! I see some guys just smoke right by them like their not even there. To each his own I guess!

Brian

[Red Childress]

Funny JB...........I guess if you hear their fingernails scraping the bottom of the boat, it is time to stop and check out the situation.


We have talked about the waders vs. the jet boater here before. A point I would like to make is that if you slow down, your wake height increases (unless traveling at a very slow speed). If I am traveling in skinny water and/or weighted down with people and gear, I just slam the throttle and get as far away from them as possible. A jet boat will only have a 4-8 inch high wake when on plane but if I slow to half-plane, my boat can crank out a 1-2 foot high wake. If they are standing in the main channel, I look to see which direction they are fishing and go the opposite.....if possible.


Regarding canoes/other fishing boats (we rarely have any jet skiers on this section), when I see a canoe armada or other boat drifting downstream, I will close the gap between my boat and the river bank while continuing to fish......Common sense usually forces them to go around the back side of my boat. Last year we had 2 different canoes try to squeeze between my boat and the bank we were casting.....after a couple of unpleasant exchanges, the canoes changed course at the last minute and took advantage of the 100 yards of open water behind us instead of the 20 yard sliver directly in front of us.

Many times the captain of the canoe vessel is oblivious and sees nothing wrong with drifting 20 feet from you while you are casting all around them....99 percent of the time they make good decisions. When they do go around my boat, I always thank them for respecting our fishing space.

[Joe M]

Brian, Keep those canoes with you on the Yough. The ones are the Allegheny are not to bad. It does make for some nice scenery on the 90 degree days!!!!!

[ppalko]

I've been run into both while wading and while floating in my own canoe by canoeists. Most times it is just plain incompetance on the part of the "driver". I certainly appreciate any jet boat that makes an attempt to find the path of least disturbance. I've seen Red go out his way to avoid disturbing a wading fisherman (me). I've personally attempted to cast at jetskis...enough said. I've had a boat drift within 3 feet of me while walleye fishing in the river....almost cast through that boat. If everyone uses a little common sense, there is certainly enough water to share. Try steelhead fishing in the tribs at Erie if you want to get your blood boiling.

Phil

[toothyfishman]

Back before I had a jet we were drift fishing with the electric motor and there was a guy trout fishing in the middle of a narrow area. The current is up pretty good there so I decided to motor in behind him so kick up the motor on high.....as I get closer and closer it's not looking good. I hollard at him and tell him I'm trying to get behind you but not sure I can make it!
I thought I was going to run him over, finally we hit a calmer spot and the electric took over and we ended up 6 feet behind him and didn't run him down.
I wasn't sure what he was going to say. He's like.....hey thanks for not blowing thorugh my fishing area even though I thought you were going to run me over. It's nice to see some people care to at least try.
Most river guys understand the jet thing and even if you try a little it shows you did something.....I'm sure they hate it no matter what.
I would if I didn't own one, wading now, I'd wave a jet right up past.

[river rat24]

I would have to say if you're fishing within my casting distance, you're too close. People floating by in canoes/kayaks generally avoid fisherman in my fishing areas. But as with all things, there are those occasional morons. I have never had problems on the river until recently. In my eddy there are now more boats fishing and passing through than I have ever seen in 14 years of fishing it. Most of them are respectful of my space, but some of these new guys around are idiots. I've had a boat anchor within 20 feet of me and ask where all the fish are. Those of us who live on the riverfront are getting a little more upset every time someone comes into our back yard and does something stupid like this. It won't be long until they start catching the biggest lures I have in my arsenal.

[muskie24/7]

Brian, Keep those canoes with you on the Yough. The ones are the Allegheny are not to bad. It does make for some nice scenery on the 90 degree days!!!!!

Joe, I know what you mean! Last year my buddie Joel and I saw about 10 young ladies floating down the Yough. All of a sudden one of them decided to "Unleash her Puppies" LOL!!! Its just an added bonus of spending time on the water I guess! BTW...Nice Puppies at that!

Brian

[muskie24/7]

I'm just waiting for the day The fish commision puts an end to the jets! Either a HP restriction or banned altogether! I really have a bad hunch!

Brian

[HBmusky]

I learned live with the boats and traffic .I do not like it that much but its just a nother obstical to over come . I realize that like my passsion for musky fishing its there passion for what ever there doing .I just find other areas to fish most of the time that was were the fish were undestubed. It was hard to deal with at times but what are you going to do ? I understand were musky 24 is coming from with his river being so small and it is a sought after canoe destination . I have not been faced with a small area overload like that. I am sure I would be srambling to come up with a plan b or sulotion to that. but boat traffic was always a part of my day some times I had a good day and sometimes a bad one.