Water Skiing and Passing Pleasure Fisherman??? Thoughts on Etiquette??

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97Alpha175

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May 10, 2022
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I am boating in Louisiana where fisherman are everywhere, sometimes terrible places like: blind corners, or the middle of river/channel. There are not many places to water ski around here and sharing the waters seems difficult.

So, how would you pass a fisherman when someone is UP skiing? Around here there are only narrow canals and small lakes to ski, almost impossible to eliminate wake especially with all the fisherman (not commercial) setting up everywhere.

What do you think is the best choice??

1: Make as little wake as possible, and give as much room as possible while still skiing (if it's safe of course)?
2: Stop pick up the skier, get everything on board gently pass fisherman and set up again?
3: Encourage the fisherman to go somewhere that is not prime territory for skiing? (you can fish anywhere in LA, but only 1 place in a 60 or 70 mile drive around here to ski)
4: Ask the fisherman when they might be moving on so that the group can do some skiing?
5: Give up, join the fisherman and buy a fishing boat?
6: ???? Other thoughts????

Thanks in advance :)
 
Every kind of boater, no matter what they are doing in the water, go out there to enjoy themselves and have a nice day with the FAMILY. They don't want to be harassed or bothered by someone else. To that end, we all need to be respectful of others.

RESPECTFUL!!!

If you disturb others, then you are disrespectful. We all simply want to enjoy our day and not bother anyone else.

Along these same lines, if you were skiing and a gofast came up and cut you off, how would you feel about that?

Your #2 is the respectful answer. #3 is an unspeakable answer.

Nevertheless, since Covid people have simply gone ballistic. Pi$$ someone off and you might see an AR pointing at you. (not a recommendation as most would not do that, but there are some that would)

As a PS.......I HAVE been fishing and almost run down by gofasts and morons on skiis. Once the skiier didn't even have a spotter in the boat. I have also been skiing and found that there were too many boaters in the area, so I either moved or stopped. If there is no other place to go, simply go home and spend the afternoon on farcebook.
 
For us out here, that is a tough one. Fishing is done everywhere. And guides think they own the world. Most skiers think they own the world. And I guess if you own a $200k ski boat, you do. But when fishing along the Willamette river, skiers only have so much river that they can use. When I have been out cruising or even fishing, they usually make a wake but not that big of a deal. Now the wake boarders are a whole other thing. They go fast and with the ballast tanks, sit low and create huge wakes.

But then again, I don't set up in the center of the channel and will wave to them so they see that I can see them.
 
Either #5 or travel to a place where skiing is the norm. You have chosen a pastime that is at odds with the area in which you live. Think of it this way. You wouldn't go into a honky-tonk and start blasting rap. (note: I did not say "rap music" ... but I digress).

You may need to change your pattern by driving further and possibly making a weekend of it. My slipped boat is ~150 miles from my house and I don't even think twice about heading to the boat. 60 - 70 miles ain't nuthin'
 
I think 1 is the answer. Everyone wants to enjoy the water, 2 would be crazy in my opinion.
97Alpha175 said:
I am boating in Louisiana where fisherman are everywhere, sometimes terrible places like: blind corners, or the middle of river/channel. There are not many places to water ski around here and sharing the waters seems difficult.

So, how would you pass a fisherman when someone is UP skiing? Around here there are only narrow canals and small lakes to ski, almost impossible to eliminate wake especially with all the fisherman (not commercial) setting up everywhere.

What do you think is the best choice??

1: Make as little wake as possible, and give as much room as possible while still skiing (if it's safe of course)?
2: Stop pick up the skier, get everything on board gently pass fisherman and set up again?
3: Encourage the fisherman to go somewhere that is not prime territory for skiing? (you can fish anywhere in LA, but only 1 place in a 60 or 70 mile drive around here to ski)
4: Ask the fisherman when they might be moving on so that the group can do some skiing?
5: Give up, join the fisherman and buy a fishing boat?
6: ???? Other thoughts????

Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...
 
If a corner is blind, you shouldn't be approaching it at speed anyways, skier or no. Always give enough time to react to things hidden, and if that means slowing down, do so. It may not be a fisher next time, it may be another fast-moving boat approaching the same blind corner from the other direction.

The respectful thing is kind of hard to nail down. Everyone has a different view of what respect is to them. Not that there should be, I'd love a standard rule set. But the world works funny. Some understand we all share the lakes and it's going to be a mix of boaters. Others--fisherman and wakeboard boats alike--will think the water is there for them alone. And if I try to walk on eggshells all the time to avoid damaging anyone else's idea of respect, I'd never get to enjoy myself, either.

If possible, I try to find an area where there the least people around before I start tubing or whatever. After that, I'd say Number 1. Fortunately for me, the hours I typically am on/want to be on the water seem to be when the fishermen have already packed up. However, at our closest lake we visit the most, there are often lots of kayakers/canoes/paddleboarders, too. It happens when there's a popular camping area on the lake. I try to give them space.

Be aware of your surroundings. Give space to others. Slow down if you can't safely react to current visibility.
 
Omg….. if you are fishing and you aren’t expecting a wake you are fishing in the wrong place….. move. This a problem where I boat…. I avoid them but come on I shouldn’t have to slow down at a distance…. In the middle of Lake Erie
 
In Michigan you're free to buzz the tower, let 'em know they should fish where it's more calm :)

upload_2023-5-10_13-52-53.png
 
Stee6043 said:
In Michigan you're free to buzz the tower, let 'em know they should fish where it's more calm :)

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Haha, I'm going to look this up in my area. I looked at the satellite view of google maps of my nearest favorite lake to get some reference and 100ft is not very far from things at all. Hell, my boat is nearly 1/4 of that.

EDIT: Fo WA State, I can't seem to find rules for how far away boaters need to stay. I found rules for PWC (Seadoos, Jetskis) though, which need to stay 100ft from vessels and 200ft away from swimmers or people being towed.
 
Whenever posts like this come up, that essentially apply to the "Golden Rule", there is never a unified consensus. It's all about me. And it seems that since covid nobody has respect for anyone else any more.

We have 4 boats and have been "boaters" for over 50 years. Thank God we are retired now and can ply the waters on weekdays when the untrained and uneducated and disrespectful bunch are out there is greatly fewer numbers.

PS - if you have to look up boating regs to see how far you can bother other people, maybe you should just stay home.
 
Last weekend when we were out, we took a break from towed water sports activities because there were people making (in my opinion) unsafe choices such as swerving around across the lake, boats wake jumping (even those that were towing tubers), kids swimming in the middle of the channel, and people overtaking on both sides.
 
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