Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience in this situation.
Fished the creek mouths of 2 marinas in little Peconic Bay on Long island as a youngster. Lot's of boat traffic in and out, and creeks were 30 to 50 yards across. No choice but to reel in as boats entered and left the creeks. Not that difficult as usually fished 1 rod and held the rod the entire time fishing (even when bottom fishing).
Here on Lake Lavon had a few incidents over the last 20 years. Not that often, but still happens too often. Usually bottom fish multiple rods in open water, and try to make myself very visible to watercraft that happen to pass by. Does not always help though. I put my rods at a slight angle forward and the rods are tall so my line is 8 or 9' above the bank at my rod tip.
I have 10 to 12' surf rods and cast out a good ways looking for catfish. When fishing deeper water (usually in colder months), I don't fret about passers by, as my line is usually very safe as long as the water craft pass by 30 yds or so from the bank. It's happened hundreds of times and no big deal.
Bank fishing shallow flats can be an issue even when boats pass a good ways out.
Lemme recap past incidents-
One memorial day, I was fishing deeper water that I had to hike to, when a PWC/Jet ski with a guy and a gal slowly cruised by about 10 yards off the bank, oblivious to my tall surf rods and 6'2" self gesticulating to get their attention. They got caught up/tangled up in one of my lines, and then were trying to de-tangle themselves. They were having difficulty untangling, so I told them to cut it. After they extricated themselves, he told me nicely that I should fish with my rods horizontal, and I told him nicely that he should be cruising a little farther out from the bank. Things got a little heated at that point, but, luckily nothing happened.
The heat of summer can be tricky. Had a decent night going with my son-
https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/9282032#Post9282032Bank fishing a shallow flat on dark windy night, and we had caught some decent ones. We had about 7 rods total out, and I had clip on lights attached to all, along with our headlamps that we periodically turned on and off, so I was visible from a good distance. I had waded out about 40 yards, and tossed another 80, so my lines were a good way out. Lake super low at the time, and water was even shallower than usual. A boat was out there fishing a tree line about 200yds out, so no problem (or so I thought). After catching the best fish of the night and whooping and hollering a little, the boat left the tree line and decided to slowly cruise out in front of where I was fishing, and got caught up in several of my lines. One or 2 lines did not get caught up in his boat real well and dropped off, and the rest I just adjusted my drag super loose and let the boat spool me. Did he know I was there and saw/heard we were catching so decided to buzz by? Or was it merely coincidental. I'll never know but I think its hard to miss 7 rods with clip on LED lights and 2 fellas turning headlamps on and off.
Got a daughter, son in law, and grand kids living in Tennessee. Wanted to visit them and try fishing a little while there. Google map'd out an enticing looking spot, so headed out by my lonesome early one evening. Spot looked interesting, on a little point and I was atop a 5 ft cliff, and cast out a good ways. Bad weather hit about sunset/dusk, and a PWC/jet ski whipped by at high speed so close to the cliff i was atop, HE WENT UNDER all my lines. Past under them without incident and without a scratch and probably never knew how close to 50 & 60 Lb braid and grievous injury he came. I knew though and was distraught and flustered, so just packed up and left.
Twice I've had boats "park" and fish in spots where I am bank fishing, where I can no longer cast some of my rods out for fear of hitting them. They have the whole lake but have to pull up and fish where I have made the effort to hike out to with all my gear and bait. The others I write off as obliviots, but this particular kind are jerks.
I've had a boat full of folks troll over my lines and think they caught moby dick when I decided to give 'em a cheap thrill by doing a hookset on my surf rod. But don't believe they did it intentionally, just oblivious to the world around them.
and I would never chuck lead at anyone. That's just stupid...