Boating Etiquette

[Crazyboat]

There's a couple of things to point out. If you do damage or cause injury with your wake, you are legally responsible. You could easily swamp or capsize a small boat with larger boats wake. Another problem is, if a passing boat is fully up on plane, they may be throwing a 1-2' wake, if they slow but not enough to throw no wake they may wind up hitting you with a 3-4' wake, making their slowing down a worse expectance for you.

So unless a person is prepared to slow to no wake speed I kind of prefer they remain on plane. All that said, if you're fishing in a channel, get out of the channel.

 

[Billy H]

I use Haycock ramp a lot which just happens to be the one closest to the one off-lake rental and they even have racks to hold the yacks while they get their cars along with a nice place for them and they still get in the way....
Now near the launch and part way down towards the dam I will throttle back when near them but my tiny 3.5 on my Jon doesn't compare to those with twenty horses..

HA!! A homer. I launch at the other end at three mile run. Been going to the nock since it first opened. Traffic on the water sure has changed drastically in the last 10 years.

 

[ChuckB]

It would be nice if kids with a kayak fishing in a boat dock area be aware that they need to move out of the way of boat trying to dock.

 

[wis bang]

HA!! A homer. I launch at the other end at three mile run. Been going to the nock since it first opened. Traffic on the water sure has changed drastically in the last 10 years.

I've launched at three mile a few times too, switched to Hancock when PENDOT repaired a bridge on Rt. 313. Once I get to Doylestown; the drive is about the same. Paddle boards drifting around near the bridge and down lake aren't that bad but the cluster of novices sticking close to the ramp and picnic area demands a lot of caution.

Went to highschool with the kids from St. Johns and watched their tiny dirt road get paved and he sarcastically mentioned the yellow line. Watched it fill but never fished there until I retired.

 

[monzster]

That’s a shame. The lake I mentioned is pretty big and there are four boat ramps in different areas. The ramp I use is a single but you could squeeze two in a pinch. At this ramp 25 yards off to one side they installed a gravel ramp specifically for kayaks but many still choose to dilly dally at the ramp without a care in the world. They actually spent big bucks and installed a kayak specific aluminum adaptive dock and launch at the lake that even those with physical handicaps can use it as well. I’ve never seen it used.

Like I said not all those that paddle are like that. I’ve met some fine folks that do the yak thing. Some folks have probably never been on the water in the past and just don’t know, but plenty just don’t care.

That handicap ramp is cool. Nice that they have something like that. Yeah, I dont want to sound like all of them are a pain. I have seen my share of boaters that do the same thing with dilly dallying. When I first got my boat I would take days off during the week when no one was there and practice loading and unloading. I did it mainly so I wouldn't look like I didn't know what I was doing, so I understand but when your just stand around drinking your coffee that's different.

 

[Billy H]

I've launched at three mile a few times too, switched to Hancock when PENDOT repaired a bridge on Rt. 313. Once I get to Doylestown; the drive is about the same. Paddle boards drifting around near the bridge and down lake aren't that bad but the cluster of novices sticking close to the ramp and picnic area demands a lot of caution.

Went to highschool with the kids from St. Johns and watched their tiny dirt road get paved and he sarcastically mentioned the yellow line. Watched it fill but never fished there until I retired.

I’m not too far from the lake I come in off ridge rd ,three mile is first launch I come to so I use it a lot. Couple weeks ago a women lost control of her car and went off Rt 563 right next to bridge at Haycock. She flew off into the air and into the lake. A couple yakers saved her life. Lucky she didn’t hit anyone.

https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/n...s-off-bridge-at-lake-nockamixon/74636804007/#

 

[EricMN]

There's a couple of things to point out. If you do damage or cause injury with your wake, you are legally responsible. You could easily swamp or capsize a small boat with larger boats wake. Another problem is, if a passing boat is fully up on plane, they may be throwing a 1-2' wake, if they slow but not enough to throw no wake they may wind up hitting you with a 3-4' wake, making their slowing down a worse expectance for you.

So unless a person is prepared to slow to no wake speed I kind of prefer they remain on plane. All that said, if you're fishing in a channel, get out of the channel.

In my area, WI, MN, it’s hard to believe they allow wake ski boats. In addition to throwing a huge wake affecting surrounding boats, the shore line erosion they cause is much greater than anything else on the water.

 

[LDUBS]

In my area, WI, MN, it’s hard to believe they allow wake ski boats. In addition to throwing a huge wake affecting surrounding boats, the shore line erosion they cause is much greater than anything else on the water.

I understand what you are saying. My concern is if the gov't gets involved in saying what kind of boat wake is allowed, we will all be in trouble.

 

[OldSailor85]

I understand what you are saying. My concern is if the gov't gets involved in saying what kind of boat wake is allowed, we will all be in trouble.

We'll all be running electric motors with satellite control.

The government will "turn on" your motor on approved fishing days. Speed will automatically be governed by GPS location.

I'll probably be dead by then.

 

[airshot]

There's a couple of things to point out. If you do damage or cause injury with your wake, you are legally responsible. You could easily swamp or capsize a small boat with larger boats wake. Another problem is, if a passing boat is fully up on plane, they may be throwing a 1-2' wake, if they slow but not enough to throw no wake they may wind up hitting you with a 3-4' wake, making their slowing down a worse expectance for you.

So unless a person is prepared to slow to no wake speed I kind of prefer they remain on plane. All that said, if you're fishing in a channel, get out of the channel.

This is a lot of common sense...wonder how many new boaters will understand this ?? Lol...

 

[Crazyboat]

We'll all be running electric motors with satellite control.

The government will "turn on" your motor on approved fishing days. Speed will automatically be governed by GPS location.

I'll probably be dead by then.

Sad isn't it.

 

[CRS]

Common courtesy and sense should be the only rules necessary. Unfortunately there are far too many that practice neither. Kayakers cutting across in front of boats, power boats speeding along totally ignorant of the damage their wake is causing. Fishing that blocks ramps and docks and others that refuse to change course and cut lines or otherwise wreck the fishing. The world is populated by ignorant slobs of all types,

 

[Lost But Happy]

Common sense aint so common anymore

 

[monzster]

Common courtesy and sense should be the only rules necessary. Unfortunately there are far too many that practice neither. Kayakers cutting across in front of boats, power boats speeding along totally ignorant of the damage their wake is causing. Fishing that blocks ramps and docks and others that refuse to change course and cut lines or otherwise wreck the fishing. The world is populated by ignorant slobs of all types,

Thats the other thing I dont get is fishing from the boat ramp. EVERY ramp I have ever been to has a sign up saying not to do it but people do it anyway. When you say something to them they get all defensive and up in your face, really??? Its like they are there just to start ****.

 

[LDUBS]

Thats the other thing I dont get is fishing from the boat ramp. EVERY ramp I have ever been to has a sign up saying not to do it but people do it anyway. When you say something to them they get all defensive and up in your face, really??? Its like they are there just to start ****.

Once I was coming in right after the trout truck dumped a few hundred pounds of rainbows at the ramp. It was a keystone cops circus with people standing on the ramp tossing lures all over the place. They were chased off so I could get my boat out without getting hit by a stray cast.

I've been at a couple different ramps when they do the fish hatchery dump. It is a pretty impressive process. I wonder how long it takes for those hundreds of dazed and confused trout to spread out into the lake.

 

[MrGiggles]

Once I was coming in right after the trout truck dumped a few hundred pounds of rainbows at the ramp. It was a keystone cops circus with people standing on the ramp tossing lures all over the place. They were chased off so I could get my boat out without getting hit by a stray cast.

I've been at a couple different ramps when they do the fish hatchery dump. It is a pretty impressive process. I wonder how long it takes for those hundreds of dazed and confused trout to spread out into the lake.

I briefly dated a woman that worked in one of our state hatcheries. She mentioned it was not uncommon at all for seedy individuals to show up with nets just after they finished dumping to scoop up some fingerlings for their ponds. They don't pay the state employees enough to really care, and it's hard to enforce it as any sort of violation since netting for bait is legal here.

On the wake thing, a bass boat doesn't leave much of a wake on plane, I'd rather they fly by than slow idle or plow. What really bugs me is when they blast off right next to you. And the big pleasure boats that are literally designed to throw as big of a wake as possible for wakeboarding.

My preferred ramp at the local lake has a dedicated fishing dock 50ft from the ramp. People still fish off the ramp.... Makes no sense to me. Many other ramps have fishing docks as well, and there are dozens of spots you can access from the road to fish.

 

[LDUBS]

On the wake thing, a bass boat doesn't leave much of a wake on plane, I'd rather they fly by than slow idle or plow. What really bugs me is when they blast off right next to you. And the big pleasure boats that are literally designed to throw as big of a wake as possible for wakeboarding.

I get that about being up on plane. Still, pi$$es me off when they cut a few hundred feet between me and the shore when there is literally thousands of feet of lake to use on the open side. These idiots need to use their heads.

 

[OldSailor85]

I get that about being up on plane. Still, pi$$es me off when they cut a few hundred feet between me and the shore when there is literally thousands of feet of lake to use on the open side. These idiots need to use their heads.

In Ohio, NO WAKE 300' from shore.

Doesn't help. The idiots just ignore "rules".

 

[Bantou]

Common courtesy and sense should be the only rules necessary. Unfortunately there are far too many that practice neither. Kayakers cutting across in front of boats, power boats speeding along totally ignorant of the damage their wake is causing. Fishing that blocks ramps and docks and others that refuse to change course and cut lines or otherwise wreck the fishing. The world is populated by ignorant slobs of all types,

This is the exact reason that I primarily fish the lake that I do. There are two lakes near me. One is 25,000+ acres with lots of deep (80+ ft) open water for pleasure boating of all kinds. The other is 6,000+ acres, shallow (35-40ft at its deepest), and stumpy as all get out.

About the only time I go to the big lake is to chase stripers or take the kids out to play on my folks' 24' toon. The big lake is full of idiots, drunks, and weekenders. The small lake is mostly locals or dedicated fishermen that still follow basic etiquette and common sense practices. We get our occasional idiot, but they either don't stick around long or get sorted out by one of the old timers.

 

[gillhunter]

"Yacker time" is a real thing and has just about ruined my local landing for everyone else. I'm not sure why yackers act the way they do. I'm an old guy. I would like to blame it on youth, but I seen plenty of older yackers that are just as bad..