Thread: There Should Be A Law....

My pet peeve are the wake boats. Boats _designed_ to create waves! I fish a pontoon boat and waves from a wake boat seem to almost flip my boat when hit broadside. And then, I guess the wakeboarding isn't fun enough, so they have megawatt stereo systems blasting obnoxious music across the lake. Hard to believe that that can't be controlled. Some of the music is R rated. Jordan and Harris are getting worse daily as the area fills up with subdivisions and everyone has to have a jetski at a minimum. Hate to say it, but warm weather weekend fishing during daylight hours is doomed.

Originally Posted by MAM3006

I said I wouldn't mention the lake but it was SH. We got there around 6:00 on Sunday and could only fish till 10:30 or so due to boat traffic. We were doing pretty good on the perch and crappie up to that point. Wave action just got out of control after that. I swear it was a zoo after that. Ramp was as crowded as I have seen.

MAM3006,

Do you mind saying where you were finding the perch at SH last Sunday? Depth? Area? i looked around for perch a while after bass fishing early and didn't spot any on the ff. Thanks.

I've been nearly run over by the bass rockets too so I agree that it's not just the ski boats all the time. I think the biggest complaint here is when the tidal wave from one of the wakeboats hits you and you have to hold on for dear life while your boat nearly flips over and I don't have a small boat either. I too have a yak but only take it to small areas where most boats can't access because there's not enough money for me to cut across Harris to go from one side to other when bass boats are screaming at 60+ mph. I asked the DNR guy about the vulgar music and he said there's not one thing he can do about. Funny how the cops can give you a ticket for something obscene on your vehicle but nothing about the music. Not looking to turn into a communist state with a million laws but I don't appreciate taking my 11 and 14 year old daughters out and having that stuff blasting in our ears.
It just feels better to vent a little. Let's do a night stalk now!

Botoxrider, perch are all over that lake. I've been beaten to death by those things this year. Was actually catching some really big ones this past winter but the tiny ones have come out in full force this summer. I usually hit them much shallower than crappie, 3-4 FOW. Find any cove and throw a curly tail with a sloooooooooow retrieve and you'll get them. I've been fishing 8-15 FOW. Really need to thin them out.

I understand, I do not fish the big lakes on the weekend, but I am retired & can do that. I have fished my whole life and understand your pain.

I should have inncluded some bass boats in the conversation also. I agree with several of your comments that they can be as bad at times, especially when hauling it across the lake.

botoxrider - We caught about 15 perch in anywhere from 4-10 foot of water off different points in the 2nd & 3rd arms as you head up the lake from the Cross Point ramp. Some were smaller but there were several that were quite nice. Maybe caught 1/2 dozen crappie in the 1/2 to 3/4 pound range. Mainly used jigs. I was using a Lake Fork lure and my buddy was using a curyl tailed jig. Both were in a clear/smoke/natural color.

I would love to fish during the week but I just don't have that option with my work schedule. The only time me or my family can go are on weekends so I have to make a choice to deal with the craziness or not fish. I love being out on the water and my kids love to fish/swim so we go and deal with it even if it isn't ideal. We fish early and as the boat traffic picks up I try to find a cove somewhere that isn't taken and let the kids swim. The craziness on the water is frustrating but I can deal with that a whole lot easier than the craziness at the ramp. We put in at Holleman's most of the time and it is the craziness at the ramp that makes me hesitate going at all. I wish Duke Energy or the WRC would add more docking space for boats. The line of people waiting the use the ramp is going to be long most of the time but it seems it would flow faster and more smoothly if there was more than 1 or 2 spots to tie your boat off while parking your truck/car.

Originally Posted by Allsop

I would love to fish during the week but I just don't have that option with my work schedule. The only time me or my family can go are on weekends so I have to make a choice to deal with the craziness or not fish. I love being out on the water and my kids love to fish/swim so we go and deal with it even if it isn't ideal. We fish early and as the boat traffic picks up I try to find a cove somewhere that isn't taken and let the kids swim. The craziness on the water is frustrating but I can deal with that a whole lot easier than the craziness at the ramp. We put in at Holleman's most of the time and it is the craziness at the ramp that makes me hesitate going at all. I wish Duke Energy or the WRC would add more docking space for boats. The line of people waiting the use the ramp is going to be long most of the time but it seems it would flow faster and more smoothly if there was more than 1 or 2 spots to tie your boat off while parking your truck/car.

I avoid Holleman's most of the time. But, the single, easiest thing they could do would be to add a boarding dock like they have on the south end. It works good when people use it as intended. Not everone does, and I have waited to launch because a boat is blocking the ramp while some old Chesterfield smoking geezer makes his way down to the boat.

I wouldn't tie up and block the main ramp but I've seen other's do that too. Had a jet ski do that last year and then the owner proceeded to walk slowly all the way from his car only to sit down on the dock for an extra 5-10 minutes to put on his special water shoes that he didn't want to wear across the parking lot. In the meantime, his jet ski blocked a portion of both ramps keeping anyone from putting in.

Having a boarding dock isn't necessary but it would be helpful with the way my family use the ramp. I'm the only one in our group that can handle the boat around the ramp and back the trailer so this is mainly an issue when coming in later in the day and all the craziness at the ramp has started. Trying to find somewhere to tie up while I go get the truck can be challenging late in the day on the weekends. Not necessary but certainly would be nice.