is it me or have people just got plain rude

I have been thinking on this some time and I hope this is received in a manner not to cause arguments that is surly not my intent, if it is seen that I do apologies to the moderators , I have just got back on the water after 4 years and on my first trip out to one of my favorite lakes (Yatesville in eastern KY), I noticed a lot of places I stopped were closed, restaurants and bait shops and convenience stores. I was puzzled at first, but saw why later on, but got to the lake fine, the ramp was crowded with torment people, it seam on any given Saturday their now 2 to 4 tournaments running at the same time,, but its a decent sized lake and in the past it hasn't been a problem to just cruse up the lake a good ways and find a bit of privacy, my plan was to stay on the lower end for awhile and shake down the boat first and then do a long run to test the motor, so I dropped into the prep area line to wait my turn and got the boat ready and actually pulled off to one side to let the tournament people get out of the way and I watched the madness.

Must of been 75 boats all scrambling to get in the water, If I hadn't towed 75 mile I would of turned around and left right then but I waited it out around 45 minutes and dropped in my 20 ft toon boat and fired it up and left the dock area and idled out to the back side of the small island, I wanted to run the motor for a bit on a heavy pre mix , not knowing how long it had been since it had been ran, and that's when the fun really started, I was in a idle only area, and was standing up on the back seat unzipping the cover on the bimni top, when a bass idiot comes by on plain at around 30 mph shuts down drops the trolling motor and goes to fishing, I fell and hit the deck, my wife was thrown off her seat, I got up and helped her up, and sort of stood there ,and considered things and watch the idiots, not even one glance in our direction, it took me several minutes to calm down and not respond in a nasty manner, I decided to just let it pass fixed the bimni and cranked it up and I did pull out at about hafe throttle and directly in front of the bass boat missing them by about 5 feet and went on up the lake went about a mile found a nice little cove I have used many times in the past and anchored to let my nerves settle and about 5 minutes two kids on jet skis decided I was a good target to slam waves into and once again I had to just give my self a moment to let it pass, and pulled up and headed for one of the farther hollows on the lake , the hell with the shake down I needed a bit of peace after a 45 minute run up the lake once again I pulled over and tossed out a anchor sat out a recliner and opened up a drink and guess what about 5 minutes another 300 hp bass idiot runs by me at full speed at about 10 feet away shuts it throws out the trolling motor and goes fishing, it took ever thing I had not to break out the flair gun and drop 2 or 3 into his ranger boat, I just pulled up and headed back to the ramp, and put it back on the trailer, now it was the weekend, so I tried it several times during the week and with only slightly better results, and it was on I think the fifth trip I decided P*** on this, I changed motor to a 9.9 and went to a limited hp lake and private marina and my point is this , has the boating crowd changed this much in 4 years, have people became this rude , its nutz, and I now see why so many local business have simply closed people now avoid that lake like the clap, is this common in other places , I would like a few comments on it or am I expecting way to much

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

You are correct. I am 35 and can't believe the rudeness of people. The really sad thing is that they don't relize how rude they are, they see nothing wrong with what they are doing.
I try not to go out on the week ends anymore do to crowds.
I would like to think that most boaters are kind and friendly. I have met some great folks and some folks I'd like to pull their plug out. I just remember why I'm out their, to have a good time and try to relax a little. Good luck MH Hawker.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

I can't disagree with you at all. I now get to the lake before dawn, fish for a couple of hours and then get out of there before the idiots arrive. I'd like to stay out all day but it's just not worth the trouble.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

I think you may have picked a bad lake. I'm having a good year up here. Opening day pickeral was very civilized. The bass fishermen stay away from my dock and lift. And even though there are ten times more jets skis, they are acting like adults.
Stick to the lakes that suit you and avoid the aggravation.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

I think it is the crowding, Hawker. There is just a lot more crowding than there used to be.

When I was a boy we "knew" that people in big cities (crowds) were rude. That is when I developed my love of solitude. For my whole life I have stubbornly avoided crowded places and crowds of people.

That is my recommendation. Avoid crowds or places where behavior is not strictly regulated.

I think one of the chief reasons that iboats is so popular is that we don't allow rudeness.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

One of the main reasons I moved to Montana, no crowds, I can hit a lake even on Saturday during the middle of summer and we just don't have the crowds you find around the larger cities in the country. I do find allot of rude people when I visit the tourist spots, of course many of them are just visiting our area, here in another month, things will calm down again and we will again, have this area to ourselves. The visitors don't seem to be able to handle the cold, so they head to other areas..

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

I am in the Southeast, Ga coast, I live on the water, I put in from back yard and run to the beach on the barrier islands. There are a lot of nice people on the water here, there are also some rude ones. I have had people come out in the water when I back in and take my stern anchor to the beach for me, I have done this for others. We stop to see if we can help if you appear to be broke down, if you are anchored fishing most will come to no wake to pass you. There are all kinds of people on the water, but in my area most are nice. We don't have to many bass boats in our waters, we do have fishing tournaments with all kinds of boats, when a tournament is starting or ending it is best not to be where they are coming and going cause they are all full bore, either getting to their fishing spot or trying to get back before the deadline.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Some people are just like that..

I'll be on the river here. While I'm out fishing having a great time you'll get some ahole screw past you about 30-50 feet doing 40 in their boat. Those whole other side of the river is usable. But it's like they are drawn to it..

The worst I hate is the bass boat bullies, you can be having a good time with the boy and pull up a small one. 2 minutes later you'll have to boats come right in and start plugging next to your boat.. You have to think, this river is big and you have to now plug me? If they aimed at my boat they could pop one right in. I'd like to take one of my spoons and cast it right on there deck. Then just say sorry. But then they'd probably prop wash me and sink me.

Rudeness is out there, but you just have to blow them off. Majority of the people are real nice. About a month ago I was fishing by myself had two poles in and spooled my sons pole. I'm just sitting there untangling and a little mini toon pulls up. This thing probably could seat maybe 4 at the most. Kinda neat, anyways he pulls up and ask if I'd like some company. I said sure so we both dropped anchor and sat a chit chatted a while. Very nice old man.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

well JB that is my present plan thats why the switch to a limited hp lake and a private mirina, but its plain sad, I raised my kids on that lake, was there when it opened in 1999, saw the first pair of nesting bald eagles, in this part of the country in 40 plus years, but then it is just a lake the bass thugs will leave it sooner of later and in the mean time ill raise my grand kids on another lake, all 8 of them lolol my earlest memorys are on South Holston Lake where my grand dad kept a houseboat, a cabin cruzer, and a ski boat and when I turned 7 he bought me a skiff with a 3.3 hp champion outboard and after a good bit of time being taught I was allowed to go off fishing on my own( can see the readers shurding it was a diffrent time then) lol but i allways suspected it was so i could run to the marina for my grandmother when she was cooking, funny how that works isnt it but I wanted to give my kids the same sort of memorys, and I have, now I working on the next generation

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

That's a shame. We really enjoyed the time we spent living in central KY and boating at lakes like Nolin, Cumberland, Dale Hollow, etc. When we first moved there the license plate slogan was "Kentucky, it's that friendly".....and it really was. Evidently now that it's off of the plates people don't feel the need to live up to that slogan.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Tournament fishermen are a different breed. Whether it be in a lake, or the open ocean. I am generally thought of as being a courteous and thoughtful operator, but in the days I fished Billfish tournaments, all that went out the window.

Sorry for your bad expierence that day.....and may better days lie ahead for you!

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

I liked this part, maybe a misspelling, maybe not..:

"...crowded with torment people...."

Sure seems like that is what group shows up sometimes doesn't it?

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

OOPs just pointed out this thread to me and suggested I pass on my feelings of the type of people we get on our lake in the summer.
The lake here is called the Shuswap, it has approx 1430 km of shore line it is a multi basin lake with 4 arms.
We attract people from all over the world but mainly BC, Alberta and Sask tourists that rent house boats. This lake has one of the biggest houseboat fleets in the world between a couple of companies.
Now when you get people that have no expierence operating "HUGE house boats (or for that matter any kind of boat) and its holiday/party time things get a little out of control, I kinda get the feeling this place is like lake of the Ozarks, but on a bit smaller scale, but not by much.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Sounds like he went to Smith Mountain Lake where rudeness seems to be the norm. That's why when I lived in the area I only fished the lake late at night.

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

Re: is it me or have peole just got plain rude

We deal with the same issues here in Michigan, and with all the water so close to the metro-Detroit area, it can really test you. Our rule is off the water by noon, or you will be sorry. And this only works for pleasure boaters, the fishing tourneys always cause huge problems, IMO. Between power-loading (not allowed in Michigan) no wake rules and buzzing everyone on the lake in search of the winning fish, I just wont allow my boating crew to deal with that every time I take my boat out. Anymore we just check and try to boat away from all that. Being a fisherman, I fish for fun, and the relaxation, none of which is part of this kind of fishing.