Too fast or too slow?

[buzzard510]

Common curtisy? Anyone who has been fishing a bluff wall and had a john boat come crusing about 10 mph knows that their wake is far worse than a bass boat running about 70 mph. So what should someone do in a bass boat when they see a another boat, take it off plane which creates a bigger wake or continue at the same speed or speed up which creates less of a wake.

I just got back fishing a tourny in Arkansas and during my prefishing I had a nuckel head running about 70mph 15 feet from my boat it didn't create that big of a wake but it was the principle. I was ticked off so I can understand the frustration.

If I do decide to go to ceder again what should I do?

[slobslayer]

Continue at the same speed and stay a reasonable distance away from someone fishing. If you have to get that close to someone take your boat off plane with no wake before you get to where they are fishing. My 2 cents.

[kydonky]

The heck with the wake. 70 miles an hour, 15 feet off your boat. Just nuts!!!! Reckless boating, approaching at that speed, steering cable stick, prop jumps out of the water, any number of things and catastophy.

[mybentrod]

If I am running past someone at full throttle I better be sure I wouldn't someone doing it to me. When I am past them enough I will get running again. Problem I have seen is people try to be couteous and slow down, all but to late. I get waved to death by their slower wake. Then they barely pass by only to hammer it and nail me again. Just comes down to courtesy.

[chuckconder]

common sense answer is to slow down to an Idle speed before you approach the boater/fisherman and leave an appropriate distance between you and the 2nd boat while passing. However, appropriate distance is relative to the canal, lake or river width your boating/fishing on. Alway pass with caution especially when the situation is tight.

Im positive Im not the only one with kids on their boat... so 70 with 15 in distance should be considered criminal.

On a second note, common sense for some boaters isn't so common!

Chuck Conder

[kydonky]

Yes criminal! Unlike a car there are no really affective brakes on a boat. your are not going to stop in 150 feet at 70 mph. 15 ft is just to close. You are liable for any damage caused by your wake in or out of a no wake zone. I would be more worried about a colision though.

[eddie_m]

70 mph within 15 feet is beyond ridiculous.

I agree that passing a guy on plane is generally better for the guy sitting there fishing, but I think there's a state law that says you must pass someone actively fishing leaving no wake. If no wake is the law, even if it's a bad law, that excludes staying on plane. After all, a conservation officer would ticket you for being on plane in a no wake zone near a marina. As a john boat fisherman, I'd still rather a bass boat pass on plane and ski boats stay on the other side of the lake, though they have as much right to the lake as I do, admittedly.

[kygorski]

One of the rarest things on earth is common sense! mark twain.It seems as HP goes up BP goes down. Comon sense would dictate that stopping inmates fromm smoking, and later executing them comes from some far away reasoning. Now they want soldiers to quit smoking, because its bad for health. What trhe hell are bullets made of penicillan and multple vitamins? Some folks have absolutely no regard for others safety or comfort, you'll usually see them on the water all summer long especially on holiday week ends.And its sort of hard to equate fishing and common sense at times isn't it?

[mybentrod]

I actually stood up in my living room the other day and applauded yamaha for creating the first jet ski........ready for this......with brakes. Now they just have to know when and teach people how to use them.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Realizing folks are responsible for their wake damages and recklessness. Here's a question, just to see what you alls experience has been. Frankly, I'm a little frustrated. In 16 years of boating, I've only called in about 3-4 boaters/boats to local 911 that were doing something really nuts. Most times I got a very nice person on the phone, and after some discussion, basically was told "ain't much we can do about it".

I know ya got to get bow numbers, but how often do you really have the chance to see them, or can remember them.

Who really, really do you call? I mean its not like dialing 911 on land to say some kid in a Turbo Coupe is doing burnouts on your street. That gets instant feedback via the sound of sirens and flashing lights.

Have you really ever seen a boater called in and then been able to see the enforcement action?

Not trying to make a point, other then I feel like its a lost cause, cause when somebody does unsafe stuff, it is just difficult to call anyone and actually see something get done about it. And, I just wonder if that's why some folks act reckless with a a boat, the enforcement may not be enough of a deterent.

[HURRICANEBOB]

"Now they want soldiers to quit smoking, because its bad for health. "

It is! Smoking at night in defensive operations creates such a nice signature for heat seekers, infrared night sights, and passive night sights. Smoking in daytme ops offers a forward observer a splendid place to register artillery.

All that said, I agree the bullets are what kills ya, not the guns, and not the "coffin nails".

[kygorski]

yeah that makes sense, but a good trusted friend of mine, who did two tours ib nam, and my cousin will back him, talked about night time patrols who hunker down, light up the joints, turn the boom boxes on high, with the thoight that who would want to screw with those crazy MFs. So military intelligence is just that.Some rememberences of those days of service stillbring a chuckle to my heart.