Boating Courtesy while trolling

This past week my friends and I spent on Weiss was very enjoyable and we caught lots of fish. However, I would just like to throw out there some common courtesy tips for folks while trolling when your in the same general area as 50 other boats. Most folks were great but a few weren't. Several times there would be a line of boats trolling and boats would pick up fish in the same general area ever time they passed. Instead of just passing the spot up, catch a few fish and make the circle back, there would be a few boats just literally stop and anchor right in the middle of the trolling line within the channel. The rest of the boats would have to go either to the right, left, or just stop. Going left or right wasn't really an option because you would get out of a 30 ft deep river channel and run into 6 ft of water. I realize knowone owns the lake and you have the right to stop and anchor in the channel but PLEASE show some courtesy for the other 40 boats out there. There were other times where there would be 30 boats in a general area. I would purposely find a spot away from these boats. Once we picked up a few fish and people seen that it looked like the United States Navy turning and heading directly toward us. I would then leave and find somewhere else. I guess that's just something you have to deal with while trolling but please just show common courtesy, the lake is big enough for ALL of us to fish without being right on top of each other.

What are your best colors there? At Logan Martin last year, Monkey milk Black slider/chartuses tail Kerling grub Motror oil / Chartrues Bread man

I watched the same thing happen at a bass tournament earlier this week. One guy boated a fish and 10 boats circling him like buzzards. Just not very sportsman like.

I was down last weekend fishing where you were talking about and we were spider rigging, so we were going really slow and some of the guys pulling jigs would get right on top of us at times when they saw us catch fish. There is always a couple of butt heads that want to cause problems. We normally try to go find somewhere else to fish, but were on them good in the channel. It's part of the deal when you go to Weiss to fish unfortunately. The bigger problem to me was the boats going down he lake that would slow down and wake you. I would rather they come through and stay on plane.

Down here we have little problems with people crowding you, however the wake problem burns me up. Like you, I had rather them stay on step and blow by me rather than bog down and cause 3 ft. waves for me to deal with. One day a fellow came by me as I was trolling and he bogged down before he got to me. When he got even with me he turned, looked and waved. I just pointed behind his boat and he turned and looked. After that he came by me 3 more times that day and slowed to an idle every time. I don't think most of them realize the wake they are making as they never turn to look.

That's why I don't fish the crappie capital of the world. I know you can find that anywhere but it's really bad on some lakes.

My dad has a name for those that come and park or try to fish where you are upon seeing you catch one. Parasites. Its usually not as bad trolling or long lining but try anchoring on a tree top and catch a fish this time of year and on into April and they will cover you up. Years ago we went to the middle of the river as a prank and anchored and fished with just a heavy lead weight and would wind it up like we had a fish every time some one would come by and by the time we left there were 15 boats around us setting out in 50 ft of water:Rofl

That's why I fish the back waters from a kayak. The few people I see move slow and usually have seem manners.

I am dumb enough to try to fish on Logan Martin in a kayak when the bass fishermen are out and about. I have seen my life flash before my eyes a few times.

Not only have I nearly been run over by a bass boat, the guy then stopped to cuss me out because he didn't see me. The crazy thing is I was in the middle of Limestone Bay during winter draw down. For those not familiar with the area, he was running 60 MPH in 24 inches of water in the middle of a stump field and didn't know it!

He dropped off a plane and swerved left towards the deeper water, circled back and yelled at me and then as he went passed my kayak he chewed up a couple stumps with his outboard.

I fail to understand why God seems to take care of fools and A-holes. :banghead

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Originally Posted by lowe175

That's why I don't fish the crappie capital of the world. I know you can find that anywhere but it's really bad on some lakes.

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you know thats just a sign a fella put up at his marina to make money lol....alot of great crappie lakes in the south.. i had a fifth wheel on weiss for a few years but in the spring id go fish neely henry to just get away from the crowds and had alot of fun doing it.

was in that mess at weiss with u guys, who saw dog jumped in water from kayak thought it was gonna drown.