Eagle Mountain Guide Report 4/21

Ran a teach trip this morning for two kind gentlemen. Not many boats out again for a Saturday. Chilly start with air temp 43 degrees and brisk north wind. Water temp was 63 and warmed to 68 by noon. Fish were stacked in three of the usual spots. South end of spots were best with north wind. No birds working this morning that we could see anyway. Finished teaching a bit early and tried to do some catching. The stacked spots were covered by sailboats and just not safe enough to fish. Moved out of their way to a main lake point. Not there very long before one decided to cruise the point we were fishing. These folks could care less about the safety of other boaters. They own the lake (or think they do) and it's been the same for the past twenty years I've fished EM. They have been rude and disrespectful to our game wardens in the past and worse to other boaters. This is an accident waiting to happen in my opinion. Yada, yada, yada, enough said about that. My crew started out as beginners and ended up pros. Very proud of them. All in all, a great day to be on the water. Tight lines.

David
www.davesguideservice.net

How many did you catch? Any pics? I've been stuck at work all day and been checking posts to see how anyone did. I need a visual fix. Living vicariously through fellow fishermen is how I get by most weeks.

Lots of sailboat incidents reported this weekend. Just a heads up on when they will be out, www.fortworthboatclub.com click on calender and or events. At least, you will know what to expect before your next trip. Hope this helps.

David
www.davesguideservice.net

Bitching and complaining about sailboats is acceptable.....threats and suggesting violence against these folks is not.Lets take the high road .

? I must've missed the threats?

I'm a sailboater. I'm also a fishermen. I also fish while I'm sailing. Maybe a lesson in the rules of the road are in order.

it was pretty bad out there this weekend, a lot of sail boaters almost causing harm to other people. I know you have the right of way when we are under power, but anchored up and you still run us over or almost? maybe a lesson in manners is in order instead of rules of the road.

If any of you think any thing can be done. Go to the www.fortworthboatclub.com and fill out the form under contact us and tell them what happened. That might make something happen .
Johnny

I have figured out the whole sailboat deal......I love watching them....they are beautiful.

But.....the truth is that 90% of sailboats are operated safely and in a courteous manner....the other 10% are operated by people who have very little experience...or none.

Get close to my boat while I am anchored and fishing with my family......and don't be mad at me if you have a 1 oz slab in your sail.

Johnny,

I don't think any thing can be done about it. I grew up out there and actually have been sailing on EM before. From that very fort worth boat club. Dad used to be a member there. He is not anymore and wasn't one for very long. Some , not all, of the people there do think their membership makes them owner of the lake. Half of them can't sail very good either. I really think its a lost cause to confront any of them. People with lots of cash only care about cash and themselves. Its a futile attempt to ask them to be polite. Just my two cents on it. I'll stay away from them, maybe go back to fishing weekdays again.

It's the ones that don't know how to sail that concern me. If they know how to handle the boat, they're less likely to run over me!

To be fair, one boat came between us and NitroZ7Gal and apologized for disturbing our fishing.

I would like an education. You left this too vague. Why don't you complete your thoughts and educate us. I am pretty up on the rules of the "road" as you call it. Tell me what I am missing.

+1

The problem comes when they are racing. They use that hump and another buoy, just north at the edge of the flats, to start their racing. They jockey the boats around trying to time the start just right, I have seen them come close to each other doing this. The problem is two of the most popular sandbass spots are two of their starting points. Both parties want the same realestate at the same time. The only viable solution is to (this sucks for us) is to vacate during the 30 minutes or so it takes to start the lake. Mayby we could get them to move the bouys off the fishing spots possibly.

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesContent
Or go take a class as I did. The video posted does not show enough of the circumstance to judge in my opinion.

b) A sailing vessel underway shall keep out of the way of:

(i) a vessel not under command;
(ii) a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver;
(iii) a vessel engaged in fishing

Really? I sure thought it looked to close to me. Looks like two sides that will just have to agree to disagree.

That's correct.

Don't mean to fan the flames here, but Im bored at work with nothing to do. But, it does say fishing vessel doesn't it.

Very good but none of them aply to this incident.
(i) all vessels were under command
(ii)none of the vessels were restricted in thier ability to maneuver
(iii)A fishing boat as far as the rules are concerned, is a cermmercial fishing boat not recreation fishing boat.

Anyways I'm out of this hunt. Wasn't trying to start anything. Just get tierd of reading of all the billy bad azz. I would do this or should of done that. Tight Lines.

d) The term "vessel engaged in fishing" means any vessel fishing with nets, lines, trawls, or other fishing apparatus which restrict maneuverability, but does not include a vessel fishing with trolling lines or other fishing apparatus which do not restrict maneuverability.