Boat ETIQUETTE!! Tis the power squad season

Utah Fishing Reports & Discussion Utah Fishing General
1

Its that time of year when the weather warms up clothing at local lakes starts to thin down to almost nada, drunk idiots appear and the Power Squadron come out. With their arrival comes issues.

Here are a few ETIQUETTE things I think could be useful for us fisherman …

Some of this info I saw at another location and wanted to share

1: Always tip your hat or say hello to the next fishermen-boater.
Why? You know what i’m talking about! Ever get that look from the other boat at the launch like your on their private lake. Just go out and have fun! I’m seeing a trend where some people act like your trespassing their sacred rec area

2: Keep your distance
Why? I feel your OK to follow a boat but never cut in front or leap frog the guy fishing in front of you !! And if you can see what bait their throwing your following to close.
If someone is to close get their boat # and call it in

3: Load & Unload
Why? Time is against all of us but be respectful at the ramp. There’s nothing better than to see someone helping out the next person. Just asking if you need help goes MILES but keep it MOVING! Then again theirs nothing worse than to watch someone unpack there boat and load there vehicle while there still in the ramp area blocking others.

#4 dont be a boat slut
If you are a boat slut at least offer the guy taking you out something. Gas money, a beer, a burger… it’s nice to know you aren’t intentionally taking advantage of a guy and his equipment. A related point about that first one…if you hop in someone else’s boat and don’t offer anything to the owner, don’t turn around and turn into a whiny little spoiled brat when someone hops into your boat and doesn’t offer anything to ride along with you. That’s being a hypocrite. It’s annoying and people talk about this type of thing. Do it enough and no one will offer a spot in their boat for you anymore.

#5
Don’t cut your boat partner off. If the two of you are easing up onto a point or a good looking sport there is no need to get competitive and shotgun as many casts in front of the guy on the trolling motor or vice versa just so you can get your bait on that water first. You are destroying an efficient and effective approach to a piece of structure.

#6
If you see a buddy on the water and you notice that three guys in that boat all are figure 8ing at boat side, making short casts back to nearby spots you can pretty much guarantee that they have a fish up. This is not the time to come barreling in and pull up along side them and ask; “Have you guys seen anything?”

#7
Don’t take any sht from anyone if you’ve done nothing wrong. mainly sht from the ps

#8 Be nice!!! karma is a b*tch

#9 Share info on a need to know basis (dont give up to much though)

#10
If you are in a larger boat like a 20ft Ranger or ski boat, Don’t come barreling in on the guy in a little boat (me) and try to push us off of a spot. Just because you own the nicer and better boat, does not mean you own the lake.

#11
Release all your muskies very quickly where you caught them. Don’t bring one back to the dock for a picture or try and put it in another lake!

#12
Have fun and be safe!!
at the end of the day we all love to fish!!!

2

Nice post man. There is a lot to be said for etiquette on the water. One of my biggest pet peeves (and I don’t own a boat, I fish from a float tube), is when another watercraft comes in full steam into your spot. After you survive the wake thrown by them, you gotta deal with how close they come in to fish. I swear some have gotten so close (because they can see that we are catching fish) that they are going to tie off on my tube right there.

3

Your post is very well done and I also agree with eveything you said, I have had my own problems with the Power Squadron on a couple of local waters and it is always the same. Rush, Rush , Rush. That is why I like to fish during the week, while most of them are still in school or working. So much more peaceful.

4

It really is amazing how big of deleted some people can be. How hard is it to just say hello, give a little space and be safe. I am headed to newton here soon and I’m getting anxiety just thinking about how pissed I’m gonna end up. Crab fishing ain’t nothing compared to musky fishing newton on a Saturday.

5

Good post. I started out in a pontoon boat, then a drift boat and now a 19’ nitro. There isn’t a day that I don’t think about how bad it can suck for smaller craft. A 30’ cabin cruiser on PV can sure remind me what it’s like to be outsized and feel nervous.

I think this year I’ll be turning in a few deleted with poor manners breaking the law.

6

nitros are sick, good on ya. Ya i have had bad experiences with the power squad so my patience level is almost non existent when i get buzzed or harrassed by them> too many close calls, if i were to get swamped in my 16ft bass tracker i would be out a lot of money in fishing gear alone..

7

#10
If you are in a larger boat like a 20ft Ranger or ski boat, Don’t come barreling in on the guy in a little boat (me) and try to push us off of a spot. Just because you own the nicer and better boat, does not mean you own the lake.

Amen! I have a little 11-ft Coleman Crawdad that doesn’t like wakes. Case and point today. Was up at Newton. 5 boats on the water including me - all fishermen. One huge wakeboarding boat shows up and decides to stay closer to the west side of the reservoir where I am. Very upsetting. I ended up leaving because my boat is not the safest when it is battling wakes from boats like that.

8

nitros are sick, good on ya. Ya i have had bad experiences with the power squad so my patience level is almost non existent when i get buzzed or harrassed by them> too many close calls, if i were to get swamped in my 16ft bass tracker i would be out a lot of money in fishing gear alone..

Thanks man it’s definitely the prized possession. The drift boat would go way before the Nitro. Last year at PV I had a tiger on by the entrance of a wakel-ess of a bay. It was a busy summer afternoon on a weekend and there were quite a few boats watching and giving me some space. All of a sudden one of the bigger boats I’ve seen up there rips around the corner on full plane and cuts it wide and arcs towards me. Comes within 50’ of me and continues to come off plane 50’ past the wake-less area and almost hits a boat leaving the bay and his wake rocks the hell out of me. That time the other boats gave him a good bitching while I landed and released the fish. Feeling like a helpless sitting duck isn’t so pleasant.

9

Feeling like a helpless sitting duck isn’t so pleasant.

Those are perfect words.

10

There is no doubt that these are great rules to abide by. Good on ya. However, would like to see you add a couple on treatment to tubers and shore fishermen. Did I miss em? If so, I apologize.

11

Powerboat squadron is the reason I’m staying away from Pineview this Spring/Summer. I didn’t know any better last season and I got dumped off my canoe in a no wake zone once and another time I had a HUGE boat that should have been classified as a small yacht come so close to me near the shore that the wake they left started lapping over my chest waders. I don’t own a large enough watercraft to play on that lake.

12 
     Powerboat squadron is the reason I'm staying away from Pineview this Spring/Summer.  I didn't know any better last season and I got dumped off my canoe in a no wake zone once and another time I had a HUGE  boat that should have been classified as a small yacht come so close to  me near the shore that the wake they left started lapping over my chest  waders.  I don't own a large enough watercraft to play on that lake.

That’s what I’m talking about. [frown]

13

Great advise all around, Now if only we could get the bozos in daddy’s toyz to read em!

The way we gotta leave a Muscle Awareness training, maybe they should have a “how not to be an idiot, and total butt to smaller craft and endanger lives with this powerhorse!”

Camping at Newton last weekend made clear, Saturday afternoon is NOT the time to be on the lake angling. The waves that SLAPPED the shoreline made clear the wake rules were NOT in effect!

That’s one lake that sure could be wakeless, or at least designate some areas, but they don’t even tend the launch ramp, or have a courtesy dock, so . . .

I always wave to fellow anglers. Had one inquire about “the flag” last week. Especially if I’m NOT catching, nice to talk to others and find out if they are. Gives you hope!

14

Some good stuff here ill add a couple myself.

  1. Fishing boils it really annoys me when I am spot fishing boils and running and gunning them and hooking fish. And some over capacity bay bucket bow rider refugee looking boat starts trying to tail me. They usually come into the boils to close or sometimes just end up driving right over them because the clowns are to busy just a Wooten and a hollering and saying omg…
    Usually they are just casting into a dispersed boil and by that time my fish is off and I am onto the next one.. Then you hear omg over there go go go the over capacity bay bucket bow rider revs up and can barely get up on plane comes rushing into a nice boil again driving them down.. By this time I am laughing at them clowns and A. they drive over the next boil and flip me off or B. stop following me and flip me off.. sometimes if they have annoyed me enough ill just to be a prick and race them to every boil there running to just to hit it first and hopefully hook one up and drive the boil down on them.
    Fair is fair…

  2. People use lights on your boat at dark its the law… Every late evening run back to the marina I have dodge some clown out in the middle of the lake with out lights.

  3. People who try and race bass boats..Its usually some tin boat with a 150 on it just stop you just won’t win..

  4. People who say do you really need to go that fast its just fishing.

  5. Fishing on the damn boat docks shessh annoying.

  6. People who expect you to go into the rocks with your boat to save a lure they casted… ya sure ill risk my boat for a 10 dollar lure… hint learn to cast or be willing to break it off or swim.

  7. Did I mention boats so packed with people you actually think there refugees coming to America..

  8. People who ask what are you using… Its a sign of desperation man up and don’t ask.

  9. Its laughable when a boat full of guys hoot and holler at you because you got a girl or a couple girls on board getting a tan or ripping a lips.. please just keep slapping each others butts and grabbing each other I promise you don’t look gay.

  10. Did I mention bay buckets over loaded with people that won’t go plane unless half of them standing up on the bow..

15

Welcome Me … After years of reading all the drama here about your spellling your hair how you hold fish your zipper is down blah , blah , blah ,blah , you get it anyway . Just had to jump on this one , All of us are out there doing one thing , having fun sking .tubing , fishing , boating , or watever . But many a time when you point a finger at someone else there are three pointing back at you . Many a time I have had a close encounter fishing with a small boat or tube due to fact that I could not see them because of the type of clothing they had on , any kind of Orange would be nice remember you can see me but I might not see you !!! BE SAFE PLEASE …

16

:sunglasses:I wave at lots of boaters who blow by me in violation of the proximity laws. But I don’t use all the fingers on my waving hand.

17

Welcome Me … After years of reading all the drama here about your spellling your hair how you hold fish your zipper is down blah , blah , blah ,blah , you get it anyway . Just had to jump on this one , All of us are out there doing one thing , having fun sking .tubing , fishing , boating , or watever . But many a time when you point a finger at someone else there are three pointing back at you . Many a time I have had a close encounter fishing with a small boat or tube due to fact that I could not see them because of the type of clothing they had on , any kind of Orange would be nice remember you can see me but I might not see you !!! BE SAFE PLEASE …
That’s why God gave you two eyes, and a head that turn in a number of directions. Do you watch out for bicyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, or animals when you’re driving your car or truck?
How about driving at night?
I can see where you’re coming from, but driving a boat, even though there’s no lanes like on a highway, and (everyone can drive a boat, right) does require concentration and watching out for hazzards. I really think most of the boating public don’t know, understand (or even care) or have forgotten, that nonmotorized watercraft need to be given a wide berth, as in 150’ away, or if closer, wakeless. That includes waverunners and jet skis. And those riders seem to think they’re excluded in wakeless areas.
You can get the boat numbers off the violators watercraft and call it in. They’ll get ticketed, and from what I understand, it’ll come in the mail.
I would also think a few photos of the violators would help too.

18

Owning an 18.5 foot Rinker for years, plus water skis, and wake board. Add to that frequenting PV every year, I will say that is a great list, HOWEVER, accidents can and will happen. Meaning, anyone of us can “accidentally” do any of those things and bet -we have. Big difference in doing them unaware, which I am sure happens as well and a lot.

I ask myself every day I am driving anywhere if people actually know all the laws of driving or just buy a license, so it really is no surprise they do not understand boats.

Maybe if water laws (and driving) could be super enforced for a week to a month, the word would spread, specially with the internet.

While at DC last week, I watch 6 young men launch a Sailboat. Small deep sailboat that definitely appeared over capacity with all 6. A couple quite young looking, but looks can be deceiving. NO PFD’s in sight.
See many LOADED boats and nothing ever done about it.

Like anything else, go out there realizing you are NOT the only one and other people really matter could make life wonderful.:sunglasses:

19

Welcome Me … After years of reading all the drama here about your spellling your hair how you hold fish your zipper is down blah , blah , blah ,blah , you get it anyway . Just had to jump on this one , All of us are out there doing one thing , having fun sking .tubing , fishing , boating , or watever . But many a time when you point a finger at someone else there are three pointing back at you . Many a time I have had a close encounter fishing with a small boat or tube due to fact that I could not see them because of the type of clothing they had on , any kind of Orange would be nice remember you can see me but I might not see you !!! BE SAFE PLEASE …

Way to jump in with both feet.[:)]

20

I must confess I am part of the power squadrom . but also love to fish . In defense of the rules I do believe no fishing from docks means NO FISHING FROM DOCKS!!! That means move you a$$ and quit taking up space for us to drop off passengers and for someone to retrieve the truck and trailer.Quit shore fishing and casting right behind boats that are docked and then get pissed that we are leaving and you have to reel in .As far as being courteous I wave at every boat , jet ski, kayak and so on. I have taken the boater safety program courses.I do my part. As for wake boarding we also like to be close to shore because that is where the glass is the smoother the better . that doesn’t mean if I see someone fishing I go right by them I give them ample room and am always aware of my surroundings. Now that i have vented FISH ON!!.