Buoy Tip to Keep "Some People" Away!

[Mississippi Slab]

You guys may already do this but some might not. If you are having a problem with guys pulling up to your bouy as I'm sure we all have had done from time to time. There is a simple trick that will help reduce this from happening. Paint your buoys grey or black. I like to use the small buoys that are shaped like a H because they keep a low profile to the water and are harder to see from a distance. They just look like a floating stick.

[TAE73]

Thats a good idea, I also like the H style sense they float low in the water.

[David Von Drasek]

And they don't let the line strip off as bad as round ones after the weight has hit bottom.

[Moose1am]

OK that will help keep others from seeing your bouy but it also makes it harder for you to find them at the end of the day. Often the wind will blow you far away from your bouys and that can make finding them harder. It's hard enough locating the bright orange flat bouys but if you were to paint them gray I fear that you would have a very hard time finding them if you get too far away from them.

I still use bouys but I also will use my GPS man overboard function a lot instead of a bouy.

I very seldom will throw out the anchor simply because it's too much work to haul it back up. LOL So I will throw out some bouys and move around them with the trolling motor. I often will run over them and drag them out of the right spot. That normally occurs when I am getting hung up on something and have to retie the bait and the wind catches my boat and pushs me into the bouy.

[Eager Beaver]

I also use the flat H style buoys to mark with and are a neutral color. I have a hard time finding them when I drift fish. I have 3 on the gunnel and when I catch a fish I kick one over the side and drift for awhile until I don't get a bite and then go back to above my first bouy and drift again. but sometimes they are very hard to find if yu get very far away. I have a set of the round bright colored ones if I am on a very big lake and can find them much easier. They are a lot cheaper than a GPS.

[chaunc]

Moose, on this one lake i fish, if you get more than, say, fifty yards away from your bouy, some one will alter their drift to go by it, on it, or even pick it up. I put my name on all my markers now. Hey V.V., i wont carry a gun in my boat because i'll probably use it. Jail time takes away from fishing time.

[GWDJR]

I use the H style bouy two and like it, but it is hard to spot when the wind is up.Last year I had a man pick one of my bouys up with me setting right there,man what nerve.

[fiddlefarter]

I always toss my bouys to the side of what I'm marking or if I'm casting to something I throw the bouy out where I want to keep the nose of the boat. I have a fear that someone will drive by when I drift away and GPS my spots. Well with this system they will be marking nothing. At least if they want to fish my spots in the future they will have to use their depthfinder to find them. And most people will give up if they can't find something after one or two passes. Painting them is a good idea though if someone sees you have a bouy out they know something is there and will scavenge the area looking for it after you leave so they can fish it next time.

[FalconSmitty]

I cut a noodle into 4" sections and use those for bouys. I tie a 2oz bank sinker and they work great. 10 of them cost maybe 3 bucks so I don't care if they pick them up. Try some of these. You can just toss out a different color for spots that have no structure, cover, or fish. Keep them guessing at the least since they want to fish your spots.

[reelcrappie]

I use a two litre coke bottle. Fill it up about 1/3 full of water so it won't float so high. Most people will think it's just floating debris and ignore it. Pretty easy to see also. Cheep cheep cheep!