Boater Etiquette

[Darian]

Dabalone,.... The discussion/question in my mind is about what is an appropriate distance between boaters Is it what Bob L., uses; 100' I certainly think 100' is more appropriate than 100 yards....

[Double_Haul]

I would think if you were fishing a point or hovering in one area 100' would be OK. If you were obviously pointed down current and moving along a rock wall or weed bed 100' will definately get a response from me, maybe not verbal but definately a nice wake as I leave. I had a bass boat couple of weeks ago jump 50' in front of me and I really think he didn't have a clue he was doing anything wrong. I'm leaving now for 4 days on the Delta so I'll try to post an etiquette report when I get back

[Tony Buzolich]

A hundred FEET is overlapping each boats casting distance. Most guys throwing shooting heads for stripers throw 60'-80' on an average. If another boat gets that close to you he's asking for trouble.
TONY

[Darian]

Tony,.... Good point. I hadn't considered the overlap where each boater/fisherman can cast 100' or more. Now that I re-read Bob's post, I believe he was saying the same thing. He too would have a problem with another boater at 100'.... Sorry Bob.

[Bob Laskodi]

WOWZERS, you must see a lot of good fly flingers. Most guys I see flinging flies are lucky to hit 50' !!!!! ;>}
And to make it very clear, as I said at the top of my post, every situation is different and no single answer is correct. I am not advocating 100 feet, 100 yards, or 100 inches!!!! To each his own!!! I'm firmly in Dab's camp and don't stress out much when someone "poaches my water". I don't throw wakes, beer bottles, obscenities, or any thing else. All of those are immature and/or dangerous acts. If they put the fish down (usually not), I simply fire up my 150 ponies and quickly scoot to another good spot.

[Hairstacker]

I think what Tony meant was that if the casters in each boat throw more than 50 feet, they would overlap if their boats are only 100 feet apart (i.e., 50 + 50 = 100).

Another thing to consider if you plan to come in from behind a boat is that it is not uncommon for conventional gear guys to troll with 150 feet of line out. Add to that the distance to keep from disturbing the area around his/her lure . . . .

By the way, I am also in the camp of generally not letting myself get uptight about the actions of others on the water. However, etiquette considerations dictate you consider how the other person might perceive your actions, not how you would react to them.

As an aside, I know of a few fellas (not necessarily from this board and who shall remain nameless) who became recognized on the water as a result of their perceived "rude" boating practices. In one instance, the fella had no idea he was being perceived that way until several individuals called him out on it on a public forum.

[Darian]

Sooo,.... Since the only consensus appears to be that the situation dictates acceptable etiquette, then debate over this seems to be like trying to nail a jellyfish to the wall. I'm done.

[Dabalone]

Sooo,.... Since the only consensus appears to be that the situation dictates acceptable etiquette, then debate over this seems to be like trying to nail a jellyfish to the wall. I'm done.

Exactamundo, jellyfish to the wall good description, lol.

[slimfishin's]

Dabalone,.... The discussion/question in my mind is about what is an appropriate distance between boaters Is it what Bob L., uses; 100' I certainly think 100' is more appropriate than 100 yards....

If you're within 100 feet of my boat, rest assured that I will peg you in the head with a 6oz swim bait.

Tony is right on with this one. Most people can cast a fly 80'. So, if two people are casting towards each other, 160' minimum distance is still way too close. I recommend the 100 YARD rule.

Other rules of thumb:

If I can hear your conversation in your boat, you're probably too close.

If I can read your CF number, you're too close.

If I can read the phone number on your guide boat, you're way too close. And then I will call you and tell you using some choice vocabulary.

Call me rude or selfish, but I would rather concentrate on fishing than have someone come over and start up a conversation with strangers on the water. So, please keep your distance. You never know... having your spot occupied by another angler is just the perfect opportunity to go find a new spot you never fished before.

[Darian]

Hmmmm,.... It's probably a good thing you live in Idaho, Slim. With the relatively small population, you can demand a lot of space and add to the negative ambience of the day if that's what you choose (pardon my sarcasm). BTW, retaliation isn't an acceptable activity altho it seems to be more common nowadays.

The point of my question was to attempt to find out what an acceptable distance is. In the California Delta, where there are probably more boats on a summer afternoon than the entire population of your state (again, pardon my sarcasm), 100 yards doesn't seem to be acceptable/reasonable. Most people I know couldn't really tell what 100 yards distance actually is without a yard marker.