Why do pleasure boaters dislike fisherman?

[sled59]

It seems like everytime we are on Minnetonka a large pleasure boat flys by within 50 ft of us whether we are anchored or trolling. I thought the law said 150 ft. The worst part about it is that its not kids doing it. I cant wait for it to cool down to keep thses idiots off the lake.

[bASS_BLASTER]

sled,

its not just pleasure boats. labor day weekend, i'm fishing cross lake, mn working the shorelines about 30ft from gravel to boat. two grumpy old men just crosses me with a 14ft tiller and made their way down south. They even act as if we weren't there. The four of us just look at each other and shook our heads.

To grumpy old men. If you read this, keep it up. Someday you will run into someone who is having a bad day and things will turn out differently.

[bobbymalone]

i don't even bother going out on tonka until it cools down enough that the large craft say F250 on the side.

read the st. croix forum, there is a similar thread over there.

like what has been said over there, i suspect there is a large disparity between the amount of boat/money with the experience of piloting boats.

bASSBLASTER - with all due respect, there is a huge difference between super annoying and terribly unsafe and super annoying.

[bASS_BLASTER]

You're right. A lot of pleasure boats will talk down on you. I was on the croix, going 3mph(minmum set speed on my hotfoot) and some dueche bag told me to throttle down while nothing was said to the maroon on a jetski making circles around the no wake, beach area. I had a bad day, flipped him off and continued up north as he watched.

Again, its nothing against pleasure boats, just the jerk-baits who have no respect. They think we fish to feed our family.

Yes, big difference but I just needed to vent and let that one out.

[JimBuck]

I had 2 experiences in a row on Tonka this year where I had to put my rod down and throw the life jacket on because I thought I was going to get nailed. I find it amazing that more accidents don't happen on the water.

I'd love to see tighter regulations. There are too many captains that just don't have a clue when it comes to rules on the water. Just because you can drive a vehicle, does not mean you can drive a boat. I try to stay current on new regulations and laws but I still learn something new every season. Just my 2 cents.

[CRAZYEYES]

I would suspcet that a lot of the pleasure boaters are oblivious to fisherman because they dont fish themselves, especially on places like minnetonka and the st croix. I personally would be in favor of having to take a boater safety course to operate a watercraft just like gun safety. There are a lot of people that buy a boat and have never driven one before, cant read markers,dont know how to pass, and couldnt even tell you the legal distance they have to be from you. Fortunately where I'm at most of theese pepole saw their lower units off on rocks and never come back anyway.

[LightningBG]

and couldnt even tell you the legal distance they have to be from you. F

What is the legal distance? I just looked through the reg book and didn't see anything (other than PWC, scuba, towing distances, etc)

[CRAZYEYES]

I thought that it was 150 ft but maybe thats just the distance to kee from law enforcement. Needless to say there are a lot of people that have no idea what a safe distance is, especially when driving a 40 ft cabin cruiser next to a 14 ft fishing boat.

[mrklean]

not all but most of the ppl who live on tonka are pleasure boaters and they think they own the lake, not all but many do. i wouldnt step foot out there till is cold enough to keep most ppl away, thats when the big skies bite anyway

[KTroller]

I have spent most of my life on Tonka, both as a pleasure boater and an angler. I will say that while things have changed, and people in general are less respectful of others, I still enjoy going out there. Many of both sorts are friendly and helpful and others of both... not so much. Just because their boats aren't cruisers or even larger fishing boats doesn't mean that the operators are aware that they are responsible for their wakes or understand what it means to yield the right of way. I have had as many instances of bassboats "displaying their machismo", or fisherman in smaller boats buzzing right by me as I have had cruisers plowing up my @ss in Seton lake. It takes all sorts and they come in with different sizes of toys. Some are conscientious and knowledgeable, others are not.

Personally, I take it as a challenge to find spots out of the way on a busy day or sometimes even embrace the opposite and see how well I can do despite the traffic. It is simply too good of a fishery and too much in my blood to abandon. Sometimes I go out there to fish and I just end up trying to catch air and a glimpse at the girl on the bow of a 38 footer whose wake I crossed! ;-) Don't get me wrong, I understand the frustration and it is definitely not for everyone, I just love it regardless. BTW - I often fish Tonka alone because most of my fishing buddies don't understand my perspective and are only willing to fish it during off times.

There is no excuse for the folks that give the water a bad name but they are not unique to Minnetonka. Try Medicine or Owasso, Waconia, the St. Croix or Whitefish on a weekend and you'll know. If you can take no other solace, know this...even if you have a BIG outboard on your boat, in the time it takes you to get done bouncing over that cruiser's wake, he has burned more fuel than you will all day!

Good fishing!

KT

[River Rocket]

I agree with Ktroller, tonka is a difficult one forsure,but just too nice to stay away from. Sunday was a zoo. I'm amazed at the smaller boats that get out on the weekend. By 12:30 I don't expect to be alone anymore and stay as far as I can from the cruising lanes.

[ogrejce]

Its tuff, I was flipped once in my Jon boat on crystal lake after I had rowed out to my spot. It was by a guy in Ranger. On Tonka last year I was almost hit by a wake skater, they had the bow all the way up and no one was watching where they were driving. I try to keep my eyes on everyone on the lake, and drive as safe as I can. I just wanna pass along, drive safe and stay sober, how many people each year lose their boats to DWI?

[KTroller]

I've actually been flipped on Tonka too. Ironically it was a dead calm day in the middle of the week. My Dad and I were out in a canoe and a single boat went by way off in the distance. as a 10-12 year old, I pointed it out to my Dad and said "look at the wave". He looked but then promptly forgot about it. A few minutes later, he was leaning over doing something & the wave hit us squarely broadside and flipped us. I never knew before that day that a metal tackle box could float! We lost some tackle but not much. We laughed most of the way back to the dock as I made him swim us back to shore in the July bathwater! One of my fondest memories of my Dad ( and one of the only mistakes I can recall him ever making). Perhaps that is why I like Tonka so much, reminds me of him nearly every time I'm out there.

[boilerup]

I fish almost exclusively on Minnetonka because I have access to a 14' with a 9.9 and two oars just in case and the canoe on Medicine is a death trap on the weekend. I've been buzzed numerous times but the awkward wave I give the boat as they buzz by lets them know that I saw them not seeing me. Once a guy actually stopped and apologized for his wife almost smoking me the day before. (it was real close, close enough I heard her scream before she cranked the wheel) I wouldn't ever say that pleasure boaters have a vendetta of sorts against fishermen because when you're in a pleasure boat people will still buzz you just the same. Everybody be careful out there and remember the cool weather will thin the crowds very soon.

[Walleye Guy]

Bring your video camera with and start taking video of the boats that drive too close to you. Its great evidence for the sheriff and it makes the boat driver look and think twice about their actions. Plus if you get really PO'd you can drive up to the boat once its slowed or anchored and explain what you have on them.

[DTro]

Haha....read this:

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...eon#Post2352961

[ricqik]

i vote for boating license

[ted4887]

i vote for boating license

As do I. You need a motorcycle liscence. Why not the same thing for a boat?

[ricqik]

i think any motorized(gas/electric) machine that is operated on public waters or grounds should require an operator's license.

[JimBuck]

i think any motorized(gas/electric) machine that is operated on public waters or grounds should require an operator's license.

I agree. Operating a boat shouldn't be a right, but a privilege.

[CRAZYEYES]

I actually enjoyed going to gun and snowmobile safety. Its like school but I was intrested enough to pay attention!

[ItsaCrappieLife]

I have to agree with Ktroller - no sense in getting your blood pressure up, you are better off sitting back and enjoying the show. A freind of mine fishes Tonka for skis and has banged a few muskie lures off pleasure cruisers boats. He told me he actually had one land in the person's boat once and when they picked it up he told them they had better let go because he was going to give it a yank. Problem with doing that is that the DNR will come out with a regulation that you can't cast within so many yards of another boat. It's always the little guys that get pushed around.

[MuskieJunkie]

What is the legal distance? I just looked through the reg book and didn't see anything (other than PWC, scuba, towing distances, etc)

On Tonka there is a rule that you can't have a wake within 200' of a fisherman or shore. So technically these guys should be driving around fisherman or slowing enough to not cause a wake. I'd bet maybe 1 in 30 drivers out there even knows about that rule.

To answer the original question, from a guy who's been boating out there since a child in everything from a canoe to a 35' cruiser it's inexperience, alchohol, kids taking out their parent's rides, and just down right ignorance.

My brother in law has never touched a boat before in his life and works for a company that has a 23' deck boat in a slip out there that ANYONE can use. He didn't even understand the bouys and no wake zones until I explained it him. The guys at the office with no experience can take it out bar hoping all night

However I don't think it's fair to generalize all cruisers as inconsiterate, snobs, don't care about fisherman...etc.

[soccerputz]

Be careful what you wish for, what goes for the pleasure boaters goes for the fisherman. Ive been buzzed more than enough times by idiots in the new ranger out 'prefishing" for their imaginary tournament, when ive been casting towards shore. License them all, 16 and older. In my opinion the [PoorWordUsage] fisherman are much bigger idiots than the [PoorWordUsage] pleasureboaters, at least they dont pretend to be profesional boat drivers. Sorry for the rant but a 14' lund can catch just as much fish!

[ricqik]

pleasure boaters tend to come too close......

anglers tend to anchor or fish in travel routes......

hmm......

[PerchJerker]

pleasure boaters tend to come too close......

anglers tend to anchor or fish in travel routes......

hmm......

Interesting. One of the things that drives me nuts is the "considerate" anglers that think they can anchor, or sit and jig or bobber fish, in the middle of the channels, even when there's other boats passing through.

My best advice for Tonka --- realize and accept the fact that there are going to be lots of other boats out there, and some of them will probably be in your way.

[MuskieJunkie]

One of the things that drives me nuts is the "considerate" anglers that think they can anchor, or sit and jig or bobber fish, in the middle of the channels, even when there's other boats passing through.

That brings up a topic of it's own, I'm curious as to other people's thoughts on this one. Here's mine, it's probably not the best idea to camp out in a narrow channel but if you really want to do it don't raise an eyebrow or complain when guys come whiping by on full plane. That's like setting up a tent next to a highway and then complaing about the noise.

[Castinski]

I see no problem with fishing a channel area as long as you leave enough room for boats to get past. So you have to idle down for 20 seconds, don't think that's going to ruin your day. I don't see what the big hurry is out there. You're on the water, enjoy it!

Very true that this is a problem that is metro-wide not just on Tonka. I've been close to bailing outta my 14 fter more than a few times this year and I haven't fished Tonka at all. Many times I am the only boat within several hundred yards. These people just don't pay attention and probably won't until something bad happens. Suprisingly, just as many adults are doing this as are kids. I guess they'll just keep passing these "smarts" right on down the line to the next generation. Can't wait to see what these lakes look like in 20 years.

[EBass]

Tonka has its own set of rules. No fishing (basically stopping) in the channels. I mean you can, just don't let the sheriff see ya. We got a written warning.

[PerchJerker]

I see no problem with fishing a channel area as long as you leave enough room for boats to get past.

If you're not blocking the channel, and if you're leaving room for boats to pass, then you're fine. But I see tons of guys sitting right in the middle of the channels, even the narrowest ones, not moving and expecting boats passing through to drive around them. Don't block the channels.