No respect on water

I fish big sandy on Kentucky lake all year long. I especially enjoy fishing the refuge areas when they are open, but the respect I get from other boaters is ridiculous! Just Thursday some idiot sped past us just 30 feet away from us making huge waves flinging our spider rig and almost tying up our lines, not to mention knocking us off if we weren't looking. This happens all the time during prime crappie season. I think we should ask that the refuge areas be a NO WAKE ZONE. I know it will suck getting to some areas, but it will make it safer for boaters and make fishing better. Let me know if you agree or disagree and reasons why you disagree. Thanks everyone.

Would not matter as the same boats would still fly by you. I for one don't let them bother me and just fish. Now if you're in the only boat channel around. Then you can't expect respect from people that has no respect. Same as fishing below Pickwick dam, some boats fly by you and almost sink some of the smaller boats. I try to run out away from them and turn in. But each trip you will see Dumb people doing Dumb things.

I agree with you 100 percent tim2deep. That stuff really bothers me. It wouldn't hurt anything to make elkhorn and swampcreek no wake zones.:twocents

yep ShilohRed you are right. Really can't regulate common sense; certain people just don't have it and/or don't care. Unfortunately, us who ignore it don't really help the situation either. If you say something to the wrong person you could wind up at the bottom of the lake.:banghead...so I just fish.

I agree, there simply is no cure for stupid. It is not just in your area, but Tellico, Ft. Loudon, Watts Bar and every lake I fish. If you don't find stupid on the lake you will see it at the ramp. I appreciated one fisherman who saw several boats long lining and slowed to an idle until he got past us and then took off again. It just shows there are still courteous folks out there so I try not to let a couple ruin it for the majority that try to do the right thing. I wish TWRA would start making boat stops on the lake for unsafe boaters, but I have never seen that scenario.

skeeterbit nailed it.

Stupid people do stupid things.

I agree with everyone, but I know a lot of refuge areas are no wake and it does help, I guess its that knowing if you do speed through someone may report you anonymously, just like I know the size limit is 10 inches but idiots still keep small ones, others are afraid to chance it. If just a few obey it would help.

I'm not going to run by you. I slow down for everyone. A video taken and sent to the TWRA would do wonders I'm sure. If that don't work, a 3/4 oz rattle trap tied on the line of a 7 foot flipping stick creates you a good safe zone of 100 feet or so.

Always can do like an old man on Pickwick used to do. He would flag them down, like he needed something then ask them if being a nice person cost them anything? That was all he ever did, but it was unreal how many boats he got to slow down doing that.
Pete

I would rather them stay on plane then to cut it to half power if I am close to the boating channel. I figure in those areas it is me causing the problem anyway. Its away from the chanel that really bothers me
I was fishing the Foot yesterday at one of my little honey holes that just happens to be a few hundred yards out from a resort. As soon as the rain laid off out they came like an armada,full power in their little slow rentals pushing big wakes and crossing 50- 100 ft in front of me. I gave up and moved after a half an hour and probably 15 boats. You know they knew what they where doing as they wouldn't even look my way.
I got to stop fishing the lower this time of year.

I agree 100% also!! Stupid is as stupid does, I guess they think if they hurry up and get there they will catch more fish problem is they don't stay there long enough to catch a stinking fish and a few minutes later they come blowing back by you. Fished the foot last Friday and the lake overall was pretty calm but the dang rental boats kept blowing by and I felt like I was a yo yo, and it sure didn't help that there was a 20 72 with a 150hp running up and down the shore every five minutes checking yo yos. There were guys jigging the trees and he had no respect for any, he was wide open prolly no more than 30 to 40 feet away. Oh well some idiots never grow up...

Part of the problem is even if you had a no-wake area have you ever seen what some people think a no wake is. The front of their boat is straight up and the motor is barely seen from 30 feet away. The queen Mary couldn't put out a much bigger wake. You can't cure Stupid and if their parents didn't teach them courtesy it's a lost cause.

Get it here all the time. I am limited to the bank and one of my go to spots is located under a bridge fishing between the pilings. It's also a few hundred yards from a boat ramp but is a relatively quieter part of the lake.

It's very clearly marked as a no wake zone, and you're motoring under a bridge that isn't exactly the wide, two bass boats going opposite directions are going to not leave much room to spare. And these idiots race up to the last possible second before reducing power sending out a nice wake into the no wake zone, and that's not counting the wake they add by going way to fast under the bridge. I swear someones gonna knock right into the pilings one of these days, doesn't seem to bother the nice school of crappie that lives there at least.

The rental boats at reelfoot are getting ridiculous. Seems that this time of year I am the only local on the lake. Can these people not take there vacation some where else? I think they should at least take a class of safety before you rent one.

I understand why they don't bring their own because they don't want to tear up their boats. Last time I went out there and the water was up, I never went more than 5 mph and got stuck on top of a log twice, one time I didn't think I would get off, that's why I vowed never to take my boat.