boats and hip waders?

[birdstrike]

Heading up the Cumberland river w/ my wife in my jonboat and I come across a section with flyfishermen wading all the way across the river. Now I'm up on plane in very shallow water and I can't slow down or I'll bottom out, so what do I do... I turned around and went back down river. No problem, I had plenty of river to fish and feel like I did the right thing. For future reference, do you think it is okay to motor past some guys in the river (at 18-20mph), if there is adequate room to pass through them safely? I don't make much of a wake but i'll definately spook the fish? What's the right thing to do? I guess if they were between me and my tow, I wouldn't really have a choice...

[Cobra190]

Turn the boat off and ask them if they will pull you through there fishing area? This is a tough one. I believe I would (if tow was on other side) have to continue on and set down in the nearest hole and let them know you meant no disrespect but you had no choice but to go through under the situation of bottoming out, or before hand if possible, in which if they are gentlemen, would tell you to go ahead. But with your tow being on your side of the fishermen, it was a nice jester on your part to turn and give them the water.

[JoeB]

If it's so shallow you can't come off plane, are you sure you even want to try it anyway? Sounds like a good way to donate a lower unit.

[birdstrike]

If it's so shallow you can't come off plane, are you sure you even want to try it anyway? Sounds like a good way to donate a lower unit.

No death wish here I've got a tunnel hull and a jet foot on the outboard. The boat is made for just this type of water It's amazing just how skinny I can operate in, downside is that I have to keep the speed up in the shallowest shoals.

Video of running the big south fork. Cumberland has been a lot skinnier lately, as I'm sure you know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP7ZDJahcNQ

[RoadToad]

First off, I commend you for being courteous to those fishermen. You definitely did the right thing. As to your question:

For future reference, do you think it is okay to motor past some guys in the river (at 18-20mph), if there is adequate room to pass through them safely?

I'd say the answer to that is an emphatic NO. IMHO, it is never acceptable to motor past other fishermen at anything other than idle speed, no matter whether they're in a boat or wading. If the water is too shallow for your boat to operate safely at idle speed, it shouldn't be there at all. How can you say for certain that no circumstance could ever arise where you would be forced to suddenly slow down, thereby generating a wake that might fill up some fisherman's waders? Risking your own equipment is one thing, but in this situation, you'd be putting people's lives at risk.

[MrSplitshot]

I'm with the RoadToad on this one...there's no way that you should come through anywhere near people in the water at anything more than idle speed.

Call up the KDFWR and ask them for a ruling on that one - I feel certain that any conservation officer would write you a ticket for reckless boating in a heartbeat if you came through a group of wade fisherman on plane. It's just not safe and definitely not courteous to the anglers, even if it's the only way you can get through skinny water.

[JoeB]

No death wish here I've got a tunnel hull and a jet foot on the outboard. The boat is made for just this type of water It's amazing just how skinny I can operate in, downside is that I have to keep the speed up in the shallowest shoals.

Video of running the big south fork. Cumberland has been a lot skinnier lately, as I'm sure you know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP7ZDJahcNQ

Cool, I'd like to see that first hand sometime. Tight lines.

[birdstrike]

I think from the discussion here I will, in the future, come to a stop where I can holler at the waders and ask if they would mind me coming through. I think most of us fishermen understand the concept of sharing the river.

JoeB, I'd love to have you on board one day. I'm sure I could learn a thing or two from you. I'll let you know next time I'm coming down.