I always wave to people when I pass someone on the lake: Warm summer day, in the metro get a wave back maybe 50% some do a little 6” hand or finger lift. Couple of observations: further you get from the city the more likely I am to get a wave back. When that water is very cold (43 today) you are more likely to get the wave back. So why?
I have a pontoon on a lake filled with pontoons. I am required by law to wave at every one I pass. Usually slow enough that it’s bad form not to make eye contact as you wave…
In the summer are you waving to mostly fisherman, or pleasure boaters? Now, I am guessing you are only waving at hard core fishermen. That could very well be the difference.
Everybody belongs to IDO and they know it’s you. 
Put me in the camp of no wave. I do to be polite but it’s fairly annoying IMO to be doing it all the time.
Do we wave at every driver on the road? How about riding a bike? How about fellow anglers inside Cabela’s?
#waveonlyatbikinis
Do we wave at every driver on the road? How about riding a bike? How about fellow anglers inside Cabela’s?
Jump into a Jeep Wrangler, 98% of them wave at each other. Or onto a motorcycle, each and every one of them do the two down salute.
But I do agree, bikinis waves are a must.
I typically chuck a full beer at the boats that cruise by me too close…
…because I’m that friendly.
That’s my wave. If you don’t like it there’s a simple solution—don’t drive by other boats with the throttle open.
Mille Lacs is the worst for this. I can literally be the only boat out there for miles in every direction. And some Jackazz Gawker will come flying by within the distance I can chuck a beer can, and I have a terrible throwing arm (but not nearly as bad when throwing a punch). I’ve been trolling out in no man’s land and had guys in brand new boats, always seems to be skeeters for some reason, motor across the freaking lake and I’m not kidding when I say they’re less than two boat lengths as they go the same speed behind me staring at their graph. I won’t tell you what I’ve done when this has happened but I guarantee you the people who’ve done it will never do it again.
I’m all for treating people that are dicks, like dicks. That’s the only way they learn.
Back at the landing, or anywhere else, I’m pretty approachable and will usually love talking about fishing. I’ll tell you exactly what I did and what I caught. Rarely is it anything to brag about but it’s info I guess. What’s ironic is all the worse offenders have been when I wasn’t catching jack. Usually I’m just trying to get away from others. If I’m anchored off a popular rock point or break, spots where you expect to be fishing amongst several boats, I have no problem waving as long as guys are being courteous and not hitting the throttle too hard until outside the cluster.
Chicks in Bikinis? They get a free pass, always. They get all the free beers they want as long as they’re within arm’s distance when I’m handing it to them. 
I’m always looking at other boaters and waving. On occasion I was the one that towed them back to the access.
SR
I’m pretty so so on this. Wave at me and ill nod but rarely do I wave to just wave. I dont do it in the parking lot I wont do it because we each have boats. Not rude, just stick to my self and mind my own
I at least acknowledge other fishing boats out there with a wave or half wave most of the time. I generally acknowledge recreational riff raff like jet skis, tubers, and wake boats with a shake of my head or the one finger wave when they come too close (which they often do).
Here on the Mississippi river I always wave at fellow fishermen and most other boaters . Tuna cruisers usually get the one finger wave
I’m a waver. Definitely less waves here in the cities.
I have a pontoon on a lake filled with pontoons. I am required by law to wave at every one I pass. Usually slow enough that it’s bad form not to make eye contact as you wave…
x2. Easy way to spot an outsider. 
I almost always wave….why wouldn’t you?
I almost always wave….why wouldn’t you?
Exactly!
I’ve found that if you pass by real close to a fisherman among the boat armada just below L&D #3 that they’ll cut your line off for ya!
I almost always wave….why wouldn’t you?
We’re all Americans. Wave!!!
What does waving accomplish?
Are people that starved for emotional attachment that even a slight hand of motion from an appendage is gratifying for you?
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy talking to folks at the launch, from shore, etc but when I’m on the water that is my leave me alone time.
Well Mr. Beads, here’s my motto. You don’t have too be friends with everyone, but you should be friendly with everyone, so just be 
friendly and wave.
Are people that starved for emotional attachment that even a slight hand of motion from an appendage is gratifying for you?
Yes. 
Beyond boating, I even find myself waving to random people on the highway. The further west you go, the more waves you’ll see.
I will always wave to people if they wave to me. I’m not an A hole with stuff like that. There are other things I can be an A hole about but I always try to be friendly. If someone follows me 10 miles to a small rock hump on an 120,000 acre lake and anchor right in front of where I set up. Then no wave from me.
I wave, it takes less energy to be nice than to be a grump.
Mr.Beads,
Start waving or I will hunt you down and do 5′ circles around you while wake surfing. 
I always wave Unless your being a D bag then you get 
You fellas missed the part above where I said I do wave to be polite, I just don’t get the need.
So many here have stated they don’t wave at the tunaboats, are most strictly waving at fellow fishermen? Is it like a club you join that I missed the mail in pamphlet on? Do tunaboats wave only at fellow tunaboats? If youre a fisherman who waves at a wake boat is that taboo? Is my friendliness being assessed with each gesture? Full on Miss America wave get ya “boy that fella must be super nice!”. Half @ss wave will get a nod of approval but maybe a slight remark of “whats up his aSS?”. No wave they smash out your tailights at the landing bc of your rudeness is not welcome on such body of water. How about a cool finger gun bang, would I look cooler? Or maybe the authorities called?
Way too much controversy for this guy. 
If you don’t want to wave, then don’t. I won’t hold it against you Mr Beads.
Beads you finger gun bang me and I am surely calling the authorities. 
I always wave 
Unless you roll up on “my spot” when no other boats are around. I get over it quickly and will wave a bit later or ask how they’re doing.
I was taught there’s a practical reason for this. You’re saying to the other guy “I’m OK” and the other guy is saying “I’m OK too.” Face it, when you’re out on the water…maybe 39 degree water….and something happens, you might need assistance. We lose people on the water every year. A simple hand wave lets everyone know that everybody is OK. How hard is that?
SR
Tuna cruisers usually get the one finger wave
Is a tuna boat slang for something else? I’m familiar with what a tuna boat looks like on the ocean from Wicked Tuna but I can’t say that I’ve ever seen one like that on the lakes I fish, other than Lake Minnetonka. I assume its just a nick name for a bigger vessel going too fast and creating too big of a wake as they go by.
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