If you’re like most anglers in this world, you slave all week at a job you hate. Your mind is constantly day dreaming about the enormous fish that are waiting for you out there in the salty brine. In these dreams you can feel your heart racing as the school of monster fish moves within casting distance. Every night after work this week you’ve patiently sharpened your hooks, re-tied your knots, and set your reels’ drag to exactly the proper amount of slip needed to land your adversary. All this preparation has been carefully completed so that when the opportunity arises your gear will be completely ready for anything that may come your way. Though you can hardly drag yourself out of bed during the work week, your day on the water has arrived and you’re up early. You didn’t sleep a wink last night and you’re out of bed 30 minutes before your alarm clock goes off. You’re fully dressed. The coffee is brewing. Your heading to the garage to get the fishing gear loaded in the boat. Today you’re going to land that big one, you can just feel it. By the time you get to the boat ramp there is just enough light to fire up the boat and run safely to your secret spot. You shut the motor off 200 yards away, grab your push pole and sneak up quietly to the promise land. You are positive the giant fish that live there don’t have a clue about your presents. Closer and closer you silently glide, inching into position to make the perfect cast. And then your hear something off in the distance. It is a soft noise at
Though you can hardly drag yourself out of bed during the work week, your day on the water has arrived and you’re up early. You didn’t sleep a wink last night and you’re out of bed 30 minutes before your alarm clock goes off. You’re fully dressed. The coffee is brewing. Your heading to the garage to get the fishing gear loaded in the boat. Today you’re going to land that big one, you can just feel it. By the time you get to the boat ramp there is just enough light to fire up the boat and run safely to your secret spot. You shut the motor off 200 yards away, grab your push pole and sneak up quietly to the promise land. You are positive the giant fish that live there don’t have a clue about your presents. Closer and closer you silently glide, inching into position to make the perfect cast. And then you hear something off in the distance. It is a soft noise at first, but is growing in volume rather quickly. It’s another boat and it’s heading right for you. You think to yourself “there’s no way this other boater is going to buzz me”. He can clearly see that I’m fishing and I’m sure he’ll show me the courtesy and proper etiquette that he would want someone to show him if he were in my position. But he just keeps coming, not veering off his course. Now you try to wave him off so that he doesn’t mess up the scenario that you’ve been planning out all week. Oh No! It’s too late! The fish hear him coming. The whole school gets spooked and stampedes at warp speed completely off the shallow grass flat and into the channel seeking to elude the offensive noise of the oncoming outboard motor. You are pissed and give this clueless idiot the middle finger wave to let him know that you think he’s number one. With one inconsiderate act this person has destroyed a week’s worth of dreaming, planning, and preparation. The wonderful fishing experience you have looked forward to all week has been ruined, and you haven’t even made the first cast of the morning. This scenario happens all too often. Many people who own a fishing boat DO NOT understand how much space they need to give to other boaters in order to show them the proper etiquette that is required to catch wary fish in our shallow lagoon waters these days. Here is a little rule that I try to live by. If I‘m on my push pole, I try to stay at least 100 yards from another boat. The yardage increases to 250-300 yards from another boat if I’m on my trolling motor. If my main motor is running, I try to increase this distance to well over 300 yards. I always try to enter the flat behind someone that is working in
This scenario happens all too often. Many people who own a fishing boat DO NOT understand how much space they need to give to other boaters in order to show them the proper etiquette that is required to catch wary fish in our shallow lagoon waters these days. Here is a little rule that I try to live by. If I‘m on my push pole, I try to stay at least 100 yards from another boat. The yardage increases to 250-300 yards from another boat if I’m on my trolling motor. If my main motor is running, I try to increase this distance to well over 300 yards. I always try to enter the flat behind someone that is working in a certain directions, never cut in front of them. By implementing these simple rules into my daily charter routines, I don’t make enemies, and the fish in the areas I visit are not spooked prior to my clients casting at them. The next time (actually every time) you’re on the water please be mindful of others. You don’t want to be the cause of their failure as they try to land the fish they’ve been dreaming about all week.
Captain Jim Ross
Work Phone: 321-636-3728
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