who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

[ngt]

I'm out fishing with the wife and kid, off the overhang about 20ft above the river. My lines are not far out. Maybe 1/5of the river width before the line hits the water. Boats fly through the area and most know to head over to mid river at least when fishermen are along the shore. I purposely pulled my lines in close to not get caught. I could easily cast to the other shore if I wanted to. So this train of yachts rolls by. 8 of them in a row. We are easily in sight and the first 7 go by in the middle of the river or a bit on the other side. Easily missing my line by 20-30 yards. The last guy comes through and at the last second decides to come over and chat...

"How's it going?"

watch out for my line!!

"Catch anything??"

WATCH OUT FOR MY LINE!!

"Have a good one!"

WATCH OUT FOR MY .....


ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, Out goes the line. Wife passes me the pliers. Snip, and off he goes with about 40-50 yards of 50lb braid and my slider rig.


So who's obligated to move? I thought I was being considerate by staying far to one side, but should the boater move when they see lines or should the guy on the shore reel in? When I'm in my boat, I always move away out of not wanting line in my prop. and because there's no reason not too.

I'm thinking this guy's an idiot. Why not take the track of the 7 yachts in front of you?

 

[JB]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Not realizing that what you are doing inconveniences someone else doesn't make one an idiot. Ignorance of one of life's realities, for sure, but not an idiot. It doesn't sound like he had any idea of what he was causing.

Your line might damage his prop or seals. That doesn't make you an idiot. Lots of non-idiots do idiotic things all the time.

Some folks might wonder why I avoided proximity to others when on the water or shore fishing. Your unfortunate event is a good example why.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Since the boater didn't realize what he was doing you should have reeled in, it would've saved you 50 yards of braid and a slider rig... and the boater the problems he may encounter due to your line.

Since he was just trying to be friendly and wasn't being an obnoxious butthole it was an accident you could've prevented.

 

[ngt]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Since the boater didn't realize what he was doing you should have reeled in, it would've saved you 50 yards of braid and a slider rig... and the boater the problems he may encounter due to your line.

Since he was just trying to be friendly and wasn't being an obnoxious butthole it was an accident you could've prevented.

It was too late to reel in by the time he turned towards me. He was already inside my line and my line was too deep, but he had time to swerve back out and miss it if he was paying attention. The only way I could have prevented this was to reel in prior to the first of the 8 boats coming by, since I guess they all could have swerved to 15 feet from the shore towards the fishermen at any time :facepalm: . Which I really don't think was my job to do since I was already less than 1/5 of the way out into the river and in plain sight. 7 boaters knew what to do, and one didn't. Also, I don't know that I've ever seen someone on the shore reel in when a boat goes past.

Anyone know if a shore fisherman could be legally responsible for the damage to a boat motor from the line? I can see if they are fishing somewhere that they weren't supposed to, but this was balcony was built for fishing. It has built in rod holders.


Edit: As for the guy being an idiot, I guess that was a bit harsh, but I don't think my line damaging his prop makes fishing to the side of a river while boats go by an "idiotic thing" at all. I was being courteous actually. If I was fishing the other side, sure. But my line was more than out of the way.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Anyone know if a shore fisherman could be legally responsible for the damage to a boat motor from the line? I can see if they are fishing somewhere that they weren't supposed to, but this was balcony was built for fishing. It has built in rod holders.

If a fisherman could be legally responsible, and I doubt it, the boater could never prove it was your line that caused the damage. He could pick up line anywhere.

 

[pdgs]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

In your case, if I'm understanding it correctly, the boater clearly and intentionally navigated his vessel into the vicinity of your lines. Because your lines were not clearly marked he un-intentionally ran over them. Those of us that fish have a hard time understanding people that don't know what we are doing.

I think it was unintentional and the skipper was just trying to be friendly not realizing that he was ruining your moment. He didn't break any rules of navigation and I don't think he even knew he cut your lines. Because of the friendly nature of his visit to your fishing spot I think that if he had realized that he cut your lines he would have at least appoligized and likely more.

I say, give the guy a break this time. If you ever run into him again, tell him about it, laugh about it and odds are you'll make a friend and it will never happen on his watch again.

 

[emoney]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

You know what they say about "assuming", lol. I think we "assume" that EVERYONE knows about fishing lines, and that's not the case. I know tons of boaters that don't even own a fishing line, nor have they ever cast one. We have to be responsible for other's lack of understanding, imho.

Case in point: I live on the main channel (on the coast in Fl there are tons of "water subdivisions" with several offshoot canals), and in the opening part, where the channel hits the Gulf of Mexico, we have about 700 yards or so of "Plane Speed" before we hit no wake. It's designed for boaters to that have been running full speed as they're coming in, to prepare to drop down to "no-wake". As I'm coming in yesterday, 35mph or so (and I'm usually one of the slow ones), I just happened to look and right in the center of channel is basically a row boat, with an older gentleman using a trolling motor fishing. Because I was in no hurry, I actually came off plane well out in the Gulf, because there wasn't anyone behind me. Had I not, I'm sure I would've swamped his little boat and even tho it was low-tide, he still wouldn've been in about 8' of water (with no life jacket on, btw). I wouldn't have been "in the wrong" as it's clearly the main traffic channel and posted planing speed, but that wouldn't have made me right. As a matter of fact, we met a couple who were on their way out and I pulled beside him to let him know the old man was up there, as by this point he had moved to the edge of the Gulf and had his boat right in line with the channel markers which practically made him invisible. Had this boater done what was normal and accepted, he too would've swamped the old man and who knows what would've happened from there.

The point is, either of us would've been "right" to remain on plane, but because this person didn't know that you probably shouldn't have a little 8' row boat in the middle of a main, full-speed channel, in a position where others can't see you, it doesn't make him an "idiot". He's just a guy out "fishing", probably for his 1st time by the looks of it.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

I would agree he's an idiot. you were fishing and he knew it ("catch anything?"). He sees poles. he knows they have lines attached to them, underwater.

Based on the principle that he's moving and you're not, I put the blame on him. if your lines were across the only available navigable water, I'd say you are the one to move.

 

[colbyt]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

In the situation as you described it he was the dork with a capital D.

Making any reasonable effort to avoid the guys on the bank is one of the cardinal rules of boating. It is even in the bylaws of most private clubs.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Well I would suspect the boater has learned a expensive lesson.

 

[ngt]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

In your case, if I'm understanding it correctly, the boater clearly and intentionally navigated his vessel into the vicinity of your lines. Because your lines were not clearly marked he un-intentionally ran over them. Those of us that fish have a hard time understanding people that don't know what we are doing.

I think it was unintentional and the skipper was just trying to be friendly not realizing that he was ruining your moment. He didn't break any rules of navigation and I don't think he even knew he cut your lines. Because of the friendly nature of his visit to your fishing spot I think that if he had realized that he cut your lines he would have at least appoligized and likely more.

I say, give the guy a break this time. If you ever run into him again, tell him about it, laugh about it and odds are you'll make a friend and it will never happen on his watch again.

Yeah, that's true. I was never really mad, just kind of surprised it happened and wondered why he did what he did. Really, I can't think of many fishing spots where your rod and line are more in plain sight than this spot. I figure it was going to hurt him more than me in the long run too, plus it was my wife's rod anyways, lol.

 

[Outsider]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Your line might damage his prop or seals.

One can only hope ...

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

On one of the lakes I used to anchor my boat and still fish the bass idiots had a real bad habit of running in top of you and i mean with in 10 feet on plain, I started tossing out a few lines with nothing but a huge orange stick bobbers and leaving them out grins. funny how it seamed to teach them some manners.

 

[catfishcarl99]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

I would agree he's an idiot. you were fishing and he knew it ("catch anything?"). He sees poles. he knows they have lines attached to them, underwater.

Based on the principle that he's moving and you're not, I put the blame on him. if your lines were across the only available navigable water, I'd say you are the one to move.

agreed. if he was asking "catching anything" he CLEARLY knew you were fishing. as for seal damage. hope hes learned his lesson. i avoid other like the pleague. i HATE when people get near me whem in fishing. one time me and a friend were fishing anchored close to a bank and after a while here came some skiers. within 50 yards of us. had 1/2 mile of clear space to the other side and not another boat in sight. waked. then again. then farther. then closer over and over for an hour close enought to read his reg numbers. they waved like we thought they were just best friends of ours. wake after wake every 5 min. this is a long flooded creek lake with 6-7 ramps. he happened to hit the dock to load at the ramp just within site of where we were. i said reel em up. my buddie asked why. i said youll see. and as he was entering the trailer i was at WOT about 2 foot on the far side of the no wake bouy and sent him waking off the trailer. after about 4 passes doing circles he was still backing and re trying to get straight but all the wakes from me doing circles was making things difficult. then i went right back to the spot we were at shut her down and tossed back out laughing histarically was my friend i had the look of death in my eyes but began laughing as well.. courtisy can be a virtue. im sure he got the hint. this was 6-7 years back. prob wasnt the right thing to do at the time. and if i had it to do over ...... ide do it over again. some folks NEED lessons in behavior. im happy to ablige most times.

in your case he wasnt being quite the nuisense but still managed to screw up your lines. as for his prop seals. your not liable. theres no way it can be proven it was yours unless it was still attached to your pole. even then ill bet your not held accoutable. was just something he could avoided if he was thinking. at night when i pull into the dock and theres fisherman on the boat dock if theres room ill give them the right of way. if not i yell reel em and cruise right in. ita a dock. not a fishing spot.

in his case. sounds like lifestyles of the rich and brainless.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

Your line might damage his prop or seals.

One can only hope ...

Really? You hope the guy that was just being friendly now possibly faces a $6000+ repair bill? And people wonder why iboats isn't exactly the most friendly place...

Anyway, had a friend suck up some line on his Bravo III drive this year, he highly suspects he took out a shore fishermans line. The boat is docked in a marina that has a narrow entrance (15 feet) with a bridge over it. Guys fish from this spot, and will NEVER move, despite it being private property and the only way into the marina.

Anyway, he sucked up a line earlier in the year and with a cruiser with submerged drives, there was no way to know it. Destroyed the seals, allowed water in, and then destroyed every bearing and gear in the drive. Other than the case, there was not a single reusable part left in the drive. (and yes, a reman bravo III plus shop rate labor will get you to the $6000 range, now imagine if the cruiser had a pair of them!)

 

[LongLine]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

If you could easily cast all the way across the river then that boater, with no opposite traffic, is a total idiot for not staying towards the middle of the river. Most boaters realize that it's shallower, the closer you get to shore.

 

[Don S]

Re: who's obligated to move, shore fisherman or boaters?

There is not a law that covers every little thing in life, sometimes some good ole common sense is needed.

This thread is headed downhill now, and going to get stopped before it gets too ugly. Closed......