Staying clear of fishermen

Last Tuesday we went for a cruise. There's a channel to get from the marina through the harbor and out into Erie. Pretty clearly marked with red and green bouys. There was a small boat fishing anchored pretty much in the middle of the channel. I slowed down to try and reduce my wake. I could see his line running into the water and knew it was in my direction. I steered out to the edge of the channel markers and he gave me a dirty look and pointed to his line. I can't repeat here my response.

I don't have a chart for this harbor. My rig probably doesn't need to stay in the channel but I don't know how deep it is outside the channel markers. I see other boats my size running through the harbor so I 'could' have gone outside the channel to stay further way. But mr. fish isn't going to pay for repairs if I run it aground. Who has the right of way?

Re: Staying clear of fishermen

Don't sweat it if you slowed down to no wake thats more than some fisherman do for me when I am fishing.

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You did more than I would of. I would move to the edge of the channel to try and avoid tangling his lines around my props. But other than that I would have just kept going. He's the one who's anchored in the channel illegally, so the consequences are all on him.

The only other thing I might have done would be to hail the CG or sheriff and report him so they could come and haul him off out of the way.

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+1 for hailing the CG, i like to keep about 100 yards away from them in the lake when i cruise. i think legally you have to be 100 feet, so about 30-35 yards, if i cant be further away. but in a channel your free game i had a boat pass me litterly 2 feet away from me in the channel last week putting out 8 inch wake. shiriff was right next to him about 5 feet away and he did nothing, nice look at our tax dallors some rich joe blow makes a wake next to the sherrif and he does nothing.

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I'm a fisherman, but that knucklehead deserved all the wake anyone can give him!

I see that kind of malarkey all the time. The marina that I launch from is connected to the main lake by a narrow channel and on some days there will be 2 or 3 boats fishing the very mouth of it outside the no wake zone, I show them no mercy leaving or coming back in because they're a navigation hazard. There's a million or more other places to fish on the water without being a navigation hazard.

Re: Staying clear of fishermen

I vote for this:

Re: Staying clear of fishermen

This has nothing to do with right of way, but everything to do with courtesy, cooperation and sharing the water.

you have a 22' boat that draws, what, 3 feet?

first, I wouldn't worry about his line if he's not trolling; it will be down 3' when its close to his boat.
Courtesy says give him space if you can, though.

Second, learn your waters before deciding to keep a boat that small in the channel. There are some channels where it is dry, or hazardrous, just outside. Not many. Then you can decide whether your needs are greater than his.

Third, before forming an opinion about him, consider whether he was anchored or drifting. If he anchors there, he chose to be in traffic. If drifting (yes technically he chose that, too) it's really the same as if he were motoring slowly, so treat him like a kayak, sailboat, or other slow boat.

Fourth, think about his day: the best fishing is often at the edge of a channel, and drifting is often the best way to fish it. Off to the side where it's flat may be a waste of time. So if you can, why not let him fish and you take a different course?

here's why I say this: the Hampton Roads harbor is several miles across. Once you get a couple hundred yards away from the sides, the depth is 20'. Maybe 10, maybe 30. No rocks or other hazards. The channel is 50' deep and is relatively narrow in some areas. For some reason, the pleasure boaters run the channel like it's a river in a canyon, when they can literally go miles in either direction. However, the fishing is not miles in either direction, but in one place: the edge of the channel. In that case, there is a reason for the fisherman to be there, and none for the cruiser.

So what's the right thing to do?

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depending on which part of the bay you were around it can get real shallow real fast. you did the right thing especially if you not familiar with the water around the channel.

side note airdvr1227 did you hit the barge party this year?

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I work weekends so my 'weekend' is actually Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I'm spoiled by having the lake all to my self.

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His fault! plain and simple. There is zero reason for him to be so rude to you or anybody by being in the way to start. It's kind of like washing your car in the middle of the street, sure you may have a reason for doing it but your still the one in the way so don't get mad when people want to use the road too. What's he think he owns the channel?

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If you were at slow no wake don't worry about it. I steer as clear as is practicable, from all boats, whether they are fishing or otherwise.

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You did the best of everything you could have. You were as courteous as you could be without putting yourself, your boat, or anyone or anything else in any kind of danger. There are "other than thoughtful" people everywhere you go. Boaters in general are the exception, yet there are always some...

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hardly plain and simple, because often a channel is NOT a road. Not always, true. It's more like I am washing my car in the middle of an empty walmart parking lot (fishing) and you (cruising) drive over my bucket instead of driving in another part of the parking lot.

But on this we should agree--neither party should be rude or get an attitude. The point here is learning, so the cruisers might understand why the fishermen are at the edge of a channel in the first place, and don't need to be waked.

Re: Staying clear of fishermen

Home Cookin' said:

hardly plain and simple, because often a channel is NOT a road. Not always, true. It's more like I am washing my car in the middle of an empty walmart parking lot (fishing) and you (cruising) drive over my bucket instead of driving in another part of the parking lot.

But on this we should agree--neither party should be rude or get an attitude. The point here is learning, so the cruisers might understand why the fishermen are at the edge of a channel in the first place, and don't need to be waked.

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I don't think the Wal-mart parking lot is a good example. It is evident that this was a narrow channel by the fact that the fisherman was in the middle of the channel and the cruiser had to go outside of the channel markers to avoid the fisherman and his line.

Fishing channel edges can be very productive, but they can be fished from the outside of the channel markers so as not to create a navigation hazard of ones self.

Wake is part of fishing high traffic areas such as channels, very few people will slow down and when the fisherman gets tired of it he will find somewhere else to fish where the water is calmer... and the fish will probably be biting better because boat traffic can be a real bite killer.

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The reality is that a vessel is not allowed to anchor in a channel for any reason other than an emergency. Had you damaged your motor with fishing line wrapped around the prop a judge would have likely ruled that it would have been his obligation to pay for the damages. Unlees of course it was the judge that was fishing.

Clearly marked channels have speed limits but you did your best to avoid the illegal vessel. If a commercial fishing vessel had come through you would not have seen the same courtesy that you provided.

Personnaly, I think the guy fishing was truly a dolt that had no clue and had never taken a boaters safety course. Theres no fish anywhere worth putting another boater at risk. Besides the fact that he had no busineess being there, he should have at least reeled in and let you pass safely in the channel.

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The channel to the lake I use most in WI is relatively narrow and if you get even in line with the bouys, not actually outside them, you will hit rock even in a 16 foot boat. I lost 2 props and a driveshaft from people in bigger boats using the middle and squeezing me over.

I'm fisherman first, boater second, but I'd say the fact that you moved over is more than enough and it sounds like you actually went beyond your obligations.

Re: Staying clear of fishermen

sschefer said:

Had you damaged your motor with fishing line wrapped around the prop a judge would have likely ruled that it would have been his obligation to pay for the damages.

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Good luck proving that one.

Clearly marked channels have speed limits

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We have 1000's of miles of clearly marked channels. Speed limits outside of a no wake zones are a rarity.

Re: Staying clear of fishermen

dingbat said:

Good luck proving that one.

We have 1000's of miles of clearly marked channels. Speed limits outside of a no wake zones are a rarity.

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While it is true that this law is often scoffed it is still the law. I have no doubt that many choose to ignore it but if someone causes me injury or harms my personal property because they choose not to obey the law then I doubt there's much chance that an honest judge would rule in their favor.

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you did more than enough the lake i fish on is smaller and lots of people there just dont care most of the will run right up next to you i actually saw a jet ski hit a pontoon boat once because neither driver wanted to move