what ever happened to common courtesy

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kickinbass35

Well-known member
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598
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i went out today out in at harrison bay and was fishing around the dam when a buddy of mine called he had put in at skull island and was cattin around the boils when a big yacht nearly hit him it filled his boat full of water he turned on the bilge pump and for some reason it didnt work and it worked fone last week when he had it out but didnt this time he headed for the nearest bank he could find and called me when i got there from a far ways off you could see nothing but the power head of the engine stickin out of the water theyre were people fishing within 25 to 30 yards form him all around but noone offered to ask if thet were ok or needed a hand this really upset me because as a sportsman we need to help each other out in situations like this the people could see plain as day what had happened and just went on like it was nothin if i ever see anyone in trouble i always lend a hand well needless to say i always carry a spare bilge pump cause you never know we pumped the water out and i towed him in because his gas tank had been submerged and was almost full of water but it ended up better than it couldve it just upsets me that some people just dont care
 
It is true that a lot of boaters on the water don't care anymore about lending a hand or even common courtesy. Fishermen and women are not exempt but are generally better about it than the pleasure boating/Jet Ski crowd. I'm sorry this happened to your friend, those big cruisers can certainly be dangerous. One thing he CAN do is join the forum and print a copy of the CFF emergency contact numbers listed in the control panel. There is almost always a CFF member on the water and most of them would really go out of the way to lend a hand.

While I am on the subject, to all the new folks, if you haven't signed up on the emergency list please do so if you think you could help a fellow boater in an emergency. You never know when you might be needed or be in need.
 
he said this guy was headed straight for him got within about 50 ft from him and just turned didnt slow down or anything he said he waved blew the whistle and did all he could but didnt do any good then he almost sunk him he tried to get his boat id but i guess he had to much on his mind to remember it i know i sure would and to beat it all it was his wifes first trip ever on a boat and from what she told me it would be her last but thanks for the info on the emergency list i do greatly appreciate it
 
I was in Harrison bay today and had a jetski rip by me not 20 feet away. I was just fishing near the bluffs minding my own business. Some people just dont care.
 
I had a huge cruiser blast by me today within 25-30ft as well...I was idling near some bluffs and could not turn my bow into the huge wake in time and it poured over the back of the boat soaking my pants. They had a cold beer turned-up partying and was heading towards a bunch of other huge boats all tied together, basically relocating the marina to a slough somewhere. I'm staying as far away as from them as I can...it could be they don't care but it could also be they do not realize what their wake can do to smaller boats. You have to have a special license to drive an 18 wheeler, I think a course on safety should be mandatory for huge boat owners.
 
It's a shame this kind of stuff happens so much. There doesn't seem to be any way to stop it or slow it down.

I have made it a habit to continually look around while I am moving or fishing in hopes of avoiding unsafe incidents. Although it's not fool proof, it might buy enough time to get my boat in a better position to avoid trouble, although you can never predict what moves another boater may make.

Maybe it will come down to mounting an eye cam and recorder on every boat to record close calls. The offending boater would have a hard time getting out of that.

Sorry about your friends bad experience. I know how I would feel if that was my wife in the boat with me.
 
DHaun - 4/29/2007 9:46 PM

I had a huge cruiser blast by me today within 25-30ft as well...I was idling near some bluffs and could not turn my bow into the huge wake in time and it poured over the back of the boat soaking my pants. They had a cold beer turned-up partying and was heading towards a bunch of other huge boats all tied together, basically relocating the marina to a slough somewhere. I'm staying as far away as from them as I can...it could be they don't care but it could also be they do not realize what their wake can do to smaller boats. You have to have a special license to drive an 18 wheeler, I think a course on safety should be mandatory for huge boat owners.


I think that is a great idea, one that I have been pushing to anyone that will listen. I also think that you should have to pay a "Size" tax. If your boat is over a certain number of feet you should have to pay a premium to have it registered and to operate it. Jet skis, pleasure boats and cruisers do a LOT of damage to the shore lines, plants, habitat ect....Not saying there isn't the occasional idiot with a bass boat that will blast out of a 50 foot wide slough wide open but most have better sense, I hope so anyways.

My favorite fishing spot is home to a jet ski fool that with the entire lake to ride in, decides he HAS to be within 20 to 30 feet of me anytime he sees me fishing. The guy is about 50 and has a chick on the back that looks to be about 25 that he is obviously showing out for. Hopefully he got the message last year that he needs to tone it down. If not hopefully I can get TWRA to do something about it.
 
"Boater education" Big boat owners have that "better than thee syndrome" Arogant and inconsiderant to put it mildly. If the swamped small boat owner had drowned, would it have even mattered to the driver of the big boat?

There is something that you must take into account as a fisherman. If you are sitting dead in the middle on the river channel fishing, you must realize that boats under way have the right to pass through. I do not think that there is a requirement for them to slow to no-wake while powering in mid channel. However if you are underway then other boats must obide by who has right-of-way and overtaking in a safe manner rules.

Buttom line is, If you are in the channel between the red and green channel markers and you see a big boat barring down you...Move quickly and come back when the water settles.
 
At the Harrison CFF, some guy must have just got his boat because he sure knows how to tick someone off! </p>

We were spending alittle time fishing the suberged stump on the right if your heading in, when this guy just comes right up behnd us and cruises 3 feet from my boat!!! I just gave him "the look" Granted he was just at idel speed... but still! He had 100 yards across of water.Then some kids at the dock on a jet ski, decided to get it started and hit it one time. Right as I was trying to get tied up.</p>

Man, people need to learn. I try to run as far away as possible when I'm coming up on someone sitting still or fishing. If I cannot get a decent distance, I'll back it down and cruise through. The yachts, need to know that most times, thier fastest speed is less wake and thier cruising speed is HORRIBLE for wakes! </p>
 
I know it is hard to do but when the weather is nice the best/safest way to avoid problems is to not be there in the first place on a weekend or holiday. The inconsiderate, rude people are out in force then. It has always been that way and most likely always will be. When the numbers of boats increase so do the incidents. It matters not whether they are cruisers,jetskis or even fisherman. I have had more bad experiences with ill manored tournament fisherman than all others combined. We are sometimes blind to this because we are fisherman and don't want to be lumped in with the bad ones but it is true.
Just My Humble Opinion

Cheez
 
I'll second that Cheez. </p>

I've had allot of tourny fisherman run right by me and never even so much as wave...just diggin in and gettin it right by the boat.</p>
 
Rules of the waterway are rules of the waterway, but you are legally responsible for any damage your wake causes. Of course the burden of proof is on you to prove what the situation was and what damages were. Witnesses, or better yet a video camera would mean a lot.
 
cheez - 4/30/2007 7:31 AM

I know it is hard to do but when the weather is nice the best/safest way to avoid problems is to not be there in the first place on a weekend or holiday. The inconsiderate, rude people are out in force then. It has always been that way and most likely always will be. When the numbers of boats increase so do the incidents. It matters not whether they are cruisers,jetskis or even fisherman. I have had more bad experiences with ill manored tournament fisherman than all others combined. We are sometimes blind to this because we are fisherman and don't want to be lumped in with the bad ones but it is true.
Just My Humble Opinion

Cheez


Cheez I agree with you on both points. I try to be off the water on weekends and some of the TX fishermen are the worst in the world when it comes to manners. Sometimes money and competition tends to blind people to a love of the sport and respect for other people.
 
2 Things I would love to see enforced on the lake are Drivers License with class restrictions, And speed limits based on boat size/wake.

won't happen though...
 
I am going to chime in here as well. I know that TN has boating laws and encourages people to take the boating class and such. But they sure don't seem to do a good job at enforcing the laws. I've seen kids on waverunners that looked like they were between 7 and 10 yrs old riding them by themselves. I think it ought to be ENFORCED on the waterways that they have to have a valid drivers licenses to be on the water driving one period...and say 18+ to be driving them by themselves. Some 10 yr old kid just sees the water as one big play ground and don't know the rules or dangers of jumping a boat wake directly behind a boat or cutting people off. That's just my take on it. And alcohol and driving a boat should be illegal and treated as a DUI on the road ways and ENFORCED as such.

As for other fisherman and rudeness...yeah I have to agree with some of the others. We can be our own enemy some times. I took a day shift job...was on 3rd shift. And I believe that 3rd shift is the best shift there is for a fisherman. You can go morning or evening through the week and have 10x the better fishing without the fishing pressure. And boating wise you pretty much have the lakes to yourself. When I was on 3rds I seldom went on the weekend because I knew what was going to happen. Now I really don't have a choice other than going of the evenings through the week. I just got me a new bowfishing rig though so now on the weekends when I get tired of fighting waves I'll go vent some frustration in the back sloughs on some carp.
 
I hate to be "un-Christian like" but I've got a semi solution to the problem. At least with guys on jet skis who like to do multi passes going 100 mph.

Take off all your clothes and get up on the front deck and start casting, making sure to rotate as they pass.

Believe me when I say it seems to get their attention.

I warn you though it may cause them to come back by to make sure they saw what they thought they saw.

The air horn I have has been run out of air on more than one occasion trying to get their attention. It don't do any good. What I finally did was get an old 18 wheeler truck horn from the salvage yard and put it on the front of the boat. It seems to get them thinkin'. Although it about deafins me every time I blow it. Its still funny to see them startled looks of bewilderment when I let it rip.
 
My reply to this is that the only common courtesy you get is from fisherman! Most everyone you see on the lake's around here are skier's & seadoo's .The big boat's are a problem as well. I have only seen a few big boats show common courtesy and what is sad about it all is fisherman pay a license to be there, meaning we are footing the salary for DNR and then everyone that owns a watercraft ''' nonfisherman" think's they own the lake. my rule of thumb is, if I crap on a bank it doesn't make it mine . I got checked by DNR 4 times in one day. On a Saturday there must have been 200+ boat's on the water ????? Of all of my year's of fishing I have never seen DNR check a yacht!
 
Last year at Chester Frost I had a Jet Ski run by me about 5 times, not even 15 ft. away. The last time I think he saw my spinnerbait flash by him, needless to say, he kept his distance the rest of the day. I agree with you guys, courtesy and helping people is one of the most important things in life.
 
Chasin'bait - 4/30/2007 5:20 PM

I hate to be "un-Christian like" but I've got a semi solution to the problem. At least with guys on jet skis who like to do multi passes going 100 mph.

Take off all your clothes and get up on the front deck and start casting, making sure to rotate as they pass.

Believe me when I say it seems to get their attention.

I warn you though it may cause them to come back by to make sure they saw what they thought they saw.

The air horn I have has been run out of air on more than one occasion trying to get their attention. It don't do any good. What I finally did was get an old 18 wheeler truck horn from the salvage yard and put it on the front of the boat. It seems to get them thinkin'. Although it about deafins me every time I blow it. Its still funny to see them startled looks of bewilderment when I let it rip.

emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile That is hillarious. Seems fun, might have to look into it. Pleasure boaters and seedoers' are just annoying when you are tryin' to fish. Granted, they are fun every now and then, and everyone has their right to be on the water, but I agree with most of you guys on this. Kids shouldn't be able to run around on seadoo's and big boat owners should have to go through a class and get some sort of license. Maybe a "common courtesy" class might help.emoLaugh emoLaugh Anyway, there are too many fools out there that don't know the dangers and hazards of the lake and boating. And yes, some sort of enforcement needs to take place, since boats are responsible for the damage their wake causes.
 

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