Do kayakers annoy bass boaters?

Started by Hobious, August 20, 2023, 08:45:36 AM

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Hobious

Yesterday, my friend and I found offshore fish.  From kayaks. 

We stayed away from the boats because there was a tournament going on.   They were fishing the edges. But they would move towards us.  They were pounding the tule with zero results. When I get a bite, the bass moves me, so does the wind. also I'm no longer positioning my kayak, and only focused on fishing and fighting the beast.  I'll move off the spot.  Boat moves in.  I could hear them discussing the fish from their livescope perspective.  One guy fought and lost a smaller bass as I was trying to find my spot.  He commented that I was getting to close. I was literally fishing a strip of grass for six hours. Move to one end, drift/kick to the other end, kick back to the beginning, repeat.  I really wanted to stay.  I would line up off a tree from shore and go.   I knew that eventually they would leave. Maybe it's the temptation of exploring a big lake w a 250 hp motor.  I don't  have that so I milk a spot.   But like the bass, the boats rotate in.

 They were fishing reaction baits and I was much slower.  I have to admit, we enjoyed picking out good bass amongst that armada of awesome beautiful bass boats. That one first guy motored slow right past us making that deeply plowed wake.  I could have surfed it. :D. You cannot view this attachment.

Larry Francis

No they don't bother me at all and they should respect your right to fish there. The same Egomaniacs are the first to complain when a land owner tried to keep them from fishing their waters. LOL
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Donald Garner

I've never had any issues with yaks fishing the same water has me.  They have just as much a right to be there as I am.

I'm mindful though about taking off or coming off plane when we're sharing an area  ~shade
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Smallie_Stalker

Most often it's about respect or lack thereof. I would say more often than not it's the (non-respectful) bass boaters that cause problems for the kayakers.

I'm a former tournament angler and I find this to be extra true in tourney situations. When money is on the line respect goes out the window for a lot of guys which is a shame. But you've got non-tourney anglers who act the same also. They think because they have a big horsepower motor on the back of a $100K boat that they need to run it wide open and everyone else should just get out of their way.

Kudos to you for not escalating the situation into a potentially serious confrontation.

I'm sure this isn't your first rodeo and it likely won't be your last. Unfortunately at this point all you can do is grin and bear it.

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D.W. Verts

#4
Nope. And it's the same story it's always been- a lack of respect sucks no matter what you do. And I truly LOVE my kayak.

Dale
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caddyjoe77

as a bass boat guy.  No, they dont annoy me in the least bit.  The hardest part is seeing y'all when the sun is just right.  Biggest thing I ask is flags on the yak so you can be seen. 

BeerMe

FD

Quote from: caddyjoe77 on August 20, 2023, 08:37:40 PMas a bass boat guy.  No, they dont annoy me in the least bit.  The hardest part is seeing y'all when the sun is just right.  Biggest thing I ask is flags on the yak so you can be seen. 



X2. I nearly ran over a guy during the National Yak Tourney down here a couple of years ago.  I knew it was going on and was on the lookout and still got too close before I saw him.

My problem is with airboats and jet skis. 

And the same jack wagon tourney guys you ran into.  They drive stupid dangerous trying to save 12 seconds.
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J.W.

We don't have that many canoers or kayakers here, but their number is increasing. Probably because it's a more affordable way for folks to hit the water, and I also imagine the ability to access really skinny water might provide a sort of "exploration" incentive for some folks, but whatever the reason, I'm seeing more of them lately.

They don't bother me in the least. It's just another boat as far as I'm concerned, and I try to watch my wake and idle around them if I'm making a run. I give them the same berth when fishing as I would a bass boat. It's unfortunate that fishing etiquette seems to be on the downhill slide these days. You don't have to be in a kayak to experience that.

That said, I think they do present a visibility issue sometimes, and kayakers need to be aware of the fact that they are harder to see, and do everything they can to be visible and avoid the potential for a collision. Like FD said, a flag would help on open water, but on lakes around here, we have a lot of boat roads through cypress trees that people run flat-out, so corners and bends can be dangerous, and I'm not sure most kayakers are aware of it because they've never been on the boater's side of it, and a lot of them that I've seen around here seem to be new to the water altogether.

All that is to say they don't annoy me, but they do worry me sometimes.

Now the jet skis and party boaters blasting bad music? They annoy me.

Apoc81

Quote from: Larry Francis on August 20, 2023, 09:16:02 AMNo they don't bother me at all and they should respect your right to fish there. The same Egomaniacs are the first to complain when a land owner tried to keep them from fishing their waters. LOL

Land owners don't own waterways.

Mike Cork

In my area yak's make me jealous because they can get to fish I can't. But in reality they have never made me mad or caused an issue. Everyone has the same right to the water. Rock on and don't sweat the a-holes out there, they just make your day on the water bad.

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Smallie_Stalker

QuoteLand owners don't own waterways

While this should be a universal truth there are, unfortunately exceptions.

In New Hampshire for instance, if a landowner, using their own money, obtains a permit and makes changes to the land underwater to build a structure like a dock, boathouse, rockwall or even a simple swim platform they have the right to restrict access to the area they "developed" and a surrounding area of X amount of feet depending on what was done. And that includes restricting the rights of who can use the water surrounding, under or above the "development".

I found this out the hard way some years back. It should be illegal for anyone to own or control a public lake, but people with deep pockets and low friends in high places often get their way no matter who else it hurts.



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Eric-Maine

Quote from: Mike Cork on August 21, 2023, 03:54:27 PMIn my area yak's make me jealous because they can get to fish I can't. But in reality they have never made me mad or caused an issue. Everyone has the same right to the water. Rock on and don't sweat the a-holes out there, they just make your day on the water bad.
Stole this pic when I saw it on my feed today. Pretty cool spot. There were a couple of times that I got hung on stumps as big as this one would be just under the surface on the Ouachita. Kayak, just the ticket for the bayous.

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J.W.

Quote from: Eric-Maine on August 21, 2023, 05:08:31 PM
Quote from: Mike Cork on August 21, 2023, 03:54:27 PMIn my area yak's make me jealous because they can get to fish I can't. But in reality they have never made me mad or caused an issue. Everyone has the same right to the water. Rock on and don't sweat the a-holes out there, they just make your day on the water bad.
Stole this pic when I saw it on my feed today. Pretty cool spot. There were a couple of times that I got hung on stumps as big as this one would be just under the surface on the Ouachita. Kayak, just the ticket for the bayous.

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I'm too scared I'll run across one of those big 12 or 13 foot gators with an attitude problem!  lo

That tree is cool.

Mike Cork

Quote from: J.W. on August 21, 2023, 08:48:39 PM
Quote from: Eric-Maine on August 21, 2023, 05:08:31 PM
Quote from: Mike Cork on August 21, 2023, 03:54:27 PMIn my area yak's make me jealous because they can get to fish I can't. But in reality they have never made me mad or caused an issue. Everyone has the same right to the water. Rock on and don't sweat the a-holes out there, they just make your day on the water bad.
Stole this pic when I saw it on my feed today. Pretty cool spot. There were a couple of times that I got hung on stumps as big as this one would be just under the surface on the Ouachita. Kayak, just the ticket for the bayous.

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I'm too scared I'll run across one of those big 12 or 13 foot gators with an attitude problem!  lo

That tree is cool.

Them overgrown lizards won't hurt you  ~bb

Fishing is more than just a hobby

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Mike Cork


Fishing is more than just a hobby

Dobyns Rods - Monster Fishing Tackle
Cork's Reel Service

Donald Garner

#15

That is a cool picture right there ;)   Tks for sharing that with us.   
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Hobious

awesome pic.  that is a Banyan tree right?

coldfront

bass boaters annoy bass boaters...

kayakers aren't 'that special'.

~roflmao

Donald Garner

Quote from: Eric-Maine on August 21, 2023, 05:08:31 PM
Quote from: Mike Cork on August 21, 2023, 03:54:27 PMIn my area yak's make me jealous because they can get to fish I can't. But in reality they have never made me mad or caused an issue. Everyone has the same right to the water. Rock on and don't sweat the a-holes out there, they just make your day on the water bad.
Stole this pic when I saw it on my feed today. Pretty cool spot. There were a couple of times that I got hung on stumps as big as this one would be just under the surface on the Ouachita. Kayak, just the ticket for the bayous.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


Belton Texas part of God's Country
Stratos 285 Pro XL Yamaha 150 VMax; Lowrance Hook 7 Electronics; Minn Kota Foretrex Trolling Motor

G3 1548 Alwed Jon boat Yamaha 25hp outboard 

Capt. BassinLou

I'm not around kayakers much on my home waters. There is one location where I come across kayakers often, but I'm in my basshunter so both little boats cancel each other out. In these situations its more about respecting  each other's space.

On the rare occasions that I do come across a kayaker when I'm in the big boat, it doesn't bother me. I do my best to give them a wide berth, throttle down and idle past them.

There was one time in the Everglades, where the area I chose to fish, happened to be the hosting site of a kayak bass tournament. Oh boy,,, let's just say there was a lot idling on that day.  lo

Capt. BassinLou

Quote from: Capt. BassinLou on August 23, 2023, 03:16:41 PMI'm not around kayakers much on my home waters. There is one location where I come across kayakers often, but I'm in my basshunter so both little boats cancel each other out. In these situations its more about respecting  each other's space.

On the rare occasions that I do come across a kayaker when I'm in the big boat, it doesn't bother me. I do my best to give them a wide berth, throttle down and idle past them.

There was one time in the Everglades, where the area I chose to fish, happened to be the hosting site of a kayak bass tournament. Oh boy,,, let's just say there was a lot idling on that day.  lo

I'm also in agreement that kayakers should display flags when there out and about.

coldfront

Quote from: Capt. BassinLou on August 23, 2023, 03:16:41 PMOn the rare occasions that I do come across a kayaker when I'm in the big boat, it doesn't bother me. I do my best to give them a wide berth, throttle down and idle past them.

thanks Lou.  wish everyone thought that way.  you know, with kindness and consideration?

but I get it:  tougher to do with 100K on the line.,   or even more important, that $40 fruit jar...


lo


Capt. BassinLou

Quote from: coldfront on August 24, 2023, 08:04:47 AM
Quote from: Capt. BassinLou on August 23, 2023, 03:16:41 PMOn the rare occasions that I do come across a kayaker when I'm in the big boat, it doesn't bother me. I do my best to give them a wide berth, throttle down and idle past them.

but I get it:  tougher to do with 100K on the line.,   or even more important, that $40 fruit jar...


lo



Can't say I will ever understand, since I do not fish tournaments. But I will note, there are rules on the water, when it comes to boating. Unfortunately, there are a ton of boaters who don't know these rules, and if they do, they get away with it due to lack of enforcement. But this a whole other topic.  :)


D.W. Verts

On my bucket list- fishin' out of my kayak amoungst the gators. Hoo boy.

Dale
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Capt. BassinLou

Quote from: D.W. Verts on August 24, 2023, 10:13:55 AMOn my bucket list- fishin' out of my kayak amoungst the gators. Hoo boy.

Dale
Nope! Not me. It's nerve-wracking enough to pass right on top of gator in less than 3 ft of water with the bass hunter boat. Let alone on a kayak.