Etiquette on the water

[ezgoing]

Rich, I've seen those same "bow it the air" guys down on the Detroit River throwing a 3' wake and screwing up my drift. I've also had the "up on plane" guys blast past me and they're no better. I ALWAYS drop down to no wake speed if I pass someone that is fishing and don't hop back on plane until​I'm well past them.

I agree with you here. IMHO, boats flying by on plane are worse than somebody crowding where I'm fishing. Those guys who blow by you on plane will get extremely upset when they are casting and you return the favor by blowing by them on plane. In my younger days I would pull up, follow them and return the favor once they started casting. Sometimes I would return the favor two or three times before I went back to fishing. I have been cussed at, threatened with a beating and being turned into the game warden many times for returning the favor of going by on plane. Those were in my younger, stupid days, when I enjoyed a good fight.

Now I am older, somewhat wiser, and more ezgoing. So if somebody crowds where I'm fishing I just move onto another spot. I have as much fun searching for new spots as I do catching, so allowing them to have the spot doesn't diminish my fun.

Won't lie to you, those idiots who fly by on plane still tick me off but now I simply call them an idiot and go back to my fishing.

[wicklundrh]

I agred Jerry. Like I said, not an excuse, just their logic of thinking. I do the same.

As for how big the body of water is: lets just say, take the most people you have ever seen fishing, multiply it by 1000 and you are not close! Ever heard of "Combat fishing" for salmon in Alaska? This makes that look like a girl scout convention.

Imagine a river that is 28 miles long. Put 10,000 boats on it, the current rips 3 knots, and boats are within FEET of each other. The center of the river is used for travel. Drift fishing at it's finest. Where guys who think they are good with a trolling motor get schooled! Actually quit fun sometimes being 5 feet from 10 different boats. Not for someone who hates people. Hence my reasons to pretty much give it up!

[spartannation]

Fishing the Detroit River is unique. Even though it's a huge body of water, ranging from 1/4 mile wide to several miles wide, depending on where you are, most people make the same or similar "drift". To fish it, you slip with the current using your trolling motor to increase or decrease your speed in order to keep your line vertical. When you get to the bottom of your drift you motor back upstream and do it again.

It's hard enough trying to concentrate on your jig while controlling your drift speed and fighting varying winds, but throw in guys playing slalom course in among the drifting boats and it gets down right nerve racking. Most guys swing out wide of the pack (could be as many as several hundred boats) but it's the other ones that get on my nerves. I've seen some of the "pros" fly through the pack coming within 20' or less of other boats.

[catchNgrease]

They might feel like you're in the middle road.

Sent from my E6810 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Atimm693]

I wonder if filming them with your cell phone would have a positive effect. Is it even legal to film people without their permission?

Permission is usually not required, as long as you are in a public place with no expectation of privacy.

Considering how many freakout videos there are on YouTube, a camera doesn't help much.

[wicklundrh]

The largest amount I have seen in one drift was estimated by airplane at just over 2500 boats. Perfect storms collided putting 3 tournaments on the river at the same time, warm weather, and zero wind. Couple that with a Saturday and the fish were stacked and the flotilla stretched from the ambassador bridge, down to two rocks, below US steel, the match stick, mud island, and the red cans. The second flotilla was between the flats, BASF, and the golf course. Then you had the Trenton channel, and the East side of Gross Isle.

Up stream through the whiskey plant, salt docks, Ren Cen, and on up to Sinbads. It was a goat rodeo. Thank god for my private launch that day.

[agruss]

If you fish you will run into people who don't know or don't care. Fish if you can, but leave before something happens that can not be undone. It does not matter who is in the right after something happens that you can not change. In todays climate you don't know what kind of nut your dealing with. What is important is to go home like you came. Just my thoughts...

[wolfhnd]

How about making some more lakes trolling motor only? I realize it is never going to happen but it seems like an easy solution to some of the problem. I wouldn't even make the whole lake trolling motor only but maybe an arm of the lake.

[wicklundrh]

Wolf, funny you mention that. I fished quit a few of those last year. Even on holiday weekends! Had the odd kayak or two. Everyone else was just like me. Happy to be away from people.

I shared a great deal of baits and slab sauce with all the couples I saw fishing those areas last year. What a joy to fish!

[Blackjeepjk]

There has been about 48 posts before mine. I hate to be the one to tell y'all but that ain't fishin!

I've in the past almost give up on fishing due to the crowds around stocked trout and "opening days". Instead I started crappie fishing. Some local lakes around here get about as bad as the old "opening day" in March around here for crappie. I search for the out of the way, back roads, vacant water I can find. I've also found that if I go on the hottest, coldest, raining, snowing, windy, worst days, for most others I can still catch fish and not have to fight off the crowds.