Just curious what everyong thinks. I've been fishing rivers for white bass quite a bit lately. The river I'm thinking about is maybe 30 yards wide. From the bank, I can cast a 1/4 oz road runner 90% of the way across. How should people approach passing anchored boats? Some boats slow down a little, some idle past, other pass on plane.

If it's only 30 yards wide...idle past...IMO...

Draper---the answer is the same as any other body of water----People should be courteous and slow down. The closer they are to you---the slower they need to be. I've been on the receiving end of some bad wakes.

I'd want the to go as fast or as slow as necessary so that their wake doesn't cause any damage.

The Golden rule...do unto others as...

Slow down.

Idle past, maybe even get on the TM to pass so you don't disturb the area anymore than necessary. It would also be wise to slow down in advance and both visually and verbally confirm that they don't have lines out that you might cross.

I always slow down well in advance and idle past. I wave and try to see what they are using or even make some conversation. To simply slow down is often worse than going by at full speed.

Alan

I'd say, unless you have a big Bayliner or something that makes a big wake, go by on the slowest plane you can do. That's assuming you will be at least 30 yds away. Sometimes going slower will make a bigger wake, if you're plowing through the water. If it's too tight, or if in doubt,idle by.

I'll bet that there is a law concerning this just like there is one for impoundments where I fish.

We debated this topic last weekend on the Sabine. I suspect that's where you're referring too. Some people would slow to an idle, some would let up as they got right on top of us and throw a nice surfing wave at us, then some would idle past. I took it all in stride.

Myself, I tried to idle past as much as I could. Sometimes I'd round a bend and I would have thrown them a surfing wave if I'd have let up to idle by, so I just cruised right on by on plane. But in the river I always run just fast enough to keep my boat on plane anyway. About 19mph gps speed. If in a tight spot of the river, I always slow down regardless of the wake I might throw. I looked at the safety aspect first, then thought how I'd want to be passed if I were them.

I had one crew run between us and a sandbar we were fishing one morning, the bank was about 15yds at most on the fishing side of the boat. About 40yds on the off side. I could have touched his boat with my rod as he came by on plane. Ticked me smooth off. I passed him a few times later that day, never once let off. But was never unsafe about it either. This same crew tried potlick us too. We (my boat), and my buddy (his boat) were anchored nose to tail. We were all (4 of us) doing pretty well, and I saw them pulling anchor downriver a little ways. I'd been watching them and could tell we were catching about 4 to 1 on them. I had been casting upstream a ways and catching my fish. They saw this and were gonna anchor upstream just far enough away to cut me off from my hole. I yanked the anchor up, hit the trolling motor and secured the spot about the time they pulled up, and dropped my anchor back in. They never said a word, I feel because they knew what they were trying to do wasn't right. But I could see it the guy's face when he came up on us. He knew I busted him. They motored on up a ways, and anchored a good distance from us. When we limited and left, they moved in and had the hole all to themselves. Kinda reminded me of pier fishing.

It seemed to me, other than a few people that weekend, everyone was doing the best they could to play nice. You can tell the people who run that river regularly. They don't cut it much slack. But most of them are careful around other boaters. A few captains down there had no respect at all though. And then there are some who I know were trying to be respectful by slowing down. But they need to look behind their boats now and then. They'd slow down and throw bigger wakes than they would on plane.

I've been going down there about five years now. I find it truly amazing the way people get along so well in such tight confines on that river. We had people literally landing baits in our boat one year. Had three boats (8 people) fishing one little hole about 20'x20'. We literally had to wait in cue to cast, and hook-up. Everyone was wearing fish out. And all were having a good time.

This year, the fish weren't stacked so thick from what we saw. It kept everyone running and spread out 'til they found something that worked for them. Some did well, some did average. But everyone was catching, and I feel that helps with people's attitudes when packed so tightly together.

I'd be curious to know the laws regarding this. I'm sure quite a few were broken that weekend alone. And I'm sure that weekend was not un-ordinary either. It's like that every time I'm down there. But it's all fun. I'll certainly be back next year.

Jay

Correct. Idle past. You are 100 % legally responsible for your wake and any damage it causes or anyone it harms.

Pysco0819, you guessed it right. Was anyone else there this weekend? The fish were hard to find and everyone seemed to be running around looking for them. One boat caused trouble with his wake. Everyone else dropped to idle or had a small enough boat just not to matter. A champion boat with 200 hp on 3/4 plane threw us a heck of tsunami.

+1 Hard Rain. There's a difference in "slowing down" and "idling past." The law requires you to "do no damage or harm to persons or property," with your wake. That means if you slow down and your wake rocks a boat and a person slips on the wet deck and falls and hurts themselves, YOU are liable. Your wake caused the fall. Idle, idle, idle. Going slow just makes the wake bigger. Dead flat idle is the only safe or polite speed. I'm too old to fight so if you come mushing past me, you're gonna' get a barrage of paint balls. And if you come back wanting to fight you're gonna get a .40 cal. S & W. I will no longer be put upon by inconsiderate mongoloids who think they are not responsible for their conduct.

+ + 1

Also think about kayakers!

I was up in a cove fishing...decided to head in and started paddling. As soon as I passed a power boat, they started the big engine took a 180 up on plane right by me. They could have idled at least 30 feet to pass me but didn't.