Right of Way & Etiquette.

As more of us are getting back to the river for the fall bite, I’d like to discuss “Right of Way” and “Boating Etiquette” when traveling the river.

First, let me share with you a dangerous situation that happened to me twice this weekend. I was traveling upstream following the line of RED channel markers. A boat coming downstream was running the red markers as well. This boat coming downstream insisted on the right of way and kept very close to the red buoys. The boat forced me to navigate into the channel and allow this boat to pass on my Starboard side. Very dangerous. I had to come to a complete stop not knowing if the boat would make a hard turn at the last minute and come across my bow. In other words, the boat traveling downstream should have been running the other side of the channel! It’s not much different than driving your car down the shoulder of the wrong side of the road. Very scary situation.

Remember, keep the RED markers to your RIGHT as you navigate UPSTREAM. GREEN markers to your RIGHT as you navigate DOWNSTREAM. Drive the channels as you would a road. Keep oncoming boat traffic to your port side, and overtake slower boats on their port side.

Now Etiquette…..

Not necessarily illegal, but a few don’ts:

Don’t run on plane so close to other boats as to scare the [censored] out of them.

Don’t run your boats between the shoreline and a boat fishing that shoreline. Remember, not everyone is fishing vertically, some of us actually make long casts to shore!!

Don’t winterize your motor at the landing…. (That actually happened Sunday!)

OK, I’ll stop, I feel better now….anyone else want to chime in??

J.

Jon J, I know what you mean. Just too bad the water patrol folks can’t be out there to wrangle the idiots with ” more boat than brains”.

How about …

Don’t push a guy off his spot while he is still retrieving his fish from the net. Let him get his line back in the water before moving in!

Don’t long line troll across the bow of a boat slipping the current.

Don’t be surprised if such offended person throws rocks at offending boats! LOL

Most importantly: Don’t go past the sign at the dam. Too many people ignore this one and some pay a heavy price! Keep it safe!

Landings are for launching and landing ONLY! I figure it should take about 1 minute going in and a little longer coming out if you’ve got your act together. Put all the coolers and kids in the boat up on the parking lot, change your spark plugs some where else, and last, but not least, the docks at the landing are to load and unload passengers. Nothing gets my undies in a bind like trying to find the last remaining sliver of space on a dock that’s full-up because the owners are up in the park near the landing grilling hot dogs! That last one happens all summer long at Roschen Park and since the shoreline is all rip rapped, launching and loading alone is always a treat when people pull that one.

Oh yeah, don’t park your truck in the pull ahead lane on the launching grade while you go in to the fish house to clean your catch. Please?!

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

I’d have to agree w/ James that Ramp etiquette seems to be a much larger problem than on the water. During the summer, it’s about 50/50, but now that the rec boaters are out for the winter I haven’t had to play chicken with a 30′ powerboat.

The last time I was out, I buzzed around a corner and the bushes started yelling at me. Some guy was bank fishing in full camo and was apparently livid that we didn’t see him.

Gianni,

Got to watch out for those “live bushes”, sometimes they throw rocks. LOL

You’re right about ramp etiquette, although 2 weeks ago at Lansing, I had a jet skier buzz me a few times. Even though they are a wide open machine allowing for perfect viewing in all directions, they must still have a blind spot on them someplace cause they almost allways seem to have to get really close before they see you and suddenly veer off to avoid hitting you. wink-wink.

Again Herb, a paint ball gun would be so much fun in a situation like that…………..

Gianni

I couldn’t agree more about the problems with other boaters on the water. Most guys are pretty decent when it comes to giving the right of way or not busting right in on a spot after they’ve seen a few fish caught. There are ALWAYS exceptions of course and those times are very frustrating because they often seem so callous.

Now, this is my philosophy and others can take it or leave it….

The rules are a bit different in community spots than they are elsewhere. Not radically different but my perception of what’s OK and what’s not sure varies depending on where I’m fishing.

If I’m up to the dam fishing with the masses, a boat that comes within 10 feet of mine is just another chance to say howdy to somebody. If that same boat got that close to me fishing the WI channel, I’d be just a bit unhappy about it. What’s the difference? Well, I think we all give up a bit of “working” space when we voluntarily choose to pile in with everyone else up to the Red Wing dam on a Saturday in February. Not that guys have the right to cut anyone off or use their boot to stop impending collisions or anything like that. I guess it just bugs me when guys whine and complain about the crowds on the weekends up near the dams on the river and they’re the first one’s to race to the corner eddies and anchor up before anyone else gets to “their” spot. Got problems with crowds…. stop fishing in them!

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Look on the bright side. Here in Iowa anything bigger than a mud puddle gets such heavy boat traffic in the summer that I will restrict my fishing time. 8:00 seems to be the universal time when everyone with a boat decides that the best cure for their throbbing hangover is a 90mph boat ride.

Yet another reason that the river is so nice – always a sanctuary somewhere nearby… hopefully one with fish!

I don’t like fishing in crowds. I prefer to fish spots like wing dams, rip rap or points when everyone else is at the dam. I enjoy fishing and don’t need that kind of grief.

As far as boat landings go, I gave up and now keep my boat in a slip.

right on JonJ,

another one to add, would be, DURING VERY COLD conditions. when putting your boat in or out, stop the trailer just when it is just out of the water so most of the water can drain out of it, before continuing up the ramp to parking. it is hard enough to keep the ice at a safe level on the ramp, it is impossible with any ice build up. we can each do our part. thanks Jack.

Good note Jack, that is one I have been guilty of offending in the past, but I will not ice up any more ramps! Never thought of it. Thanks!

Hey Guys nothing gets me more than when you are running the back channel and there are guys fishing the cabins or other spots above and they flick you off when you run so close to their boats. everyone knows thats a chance you take fishing those spots theres only one way through there guys otherwise you won’t have a lower unit.

thanks Nate

Nate,

I totally agree with you if a guy is fishing the back channel and expects people to slow down when flying by them they are crazy there is no way of slowing down in the back channel in most spots with out running aground.

I never slow down and have had the same thing happen to me several times this year in the WI channel, I just wave and keep right on going.

See ya on the river!

Dustin

well you are correct there are SOME spots that you cannot slow down otherwise you could get into some problems……. but there are MANY more where you can slow down without any problems…… and if you have to “fly by someone” so your wake actually pushes you into the shore or ground I think that is a bunch of [censored]…….. if you have the big boats and motors that is your priority…… I have to suffer because of it?? I can see if it is so shallow that you cannot slow down…… but ther are many areas where that is does not come into play back there and they still do it….. when you get done fishing some of them spots you still have to start out……….. I think the majority of the time it’s because they don’t want to not because they can’t

mavzer,

I think you hit it on the head. There are a few, not many places where you have to stay on plane. On plane and hauling a** are different!!

If you are comming around the inside turn full throttle and lose it cause you just hit bottom, you are going to fly out of control into me fishing the outside river bend!! Or throw up a big wake. I’m not calling for a no wake rule in the back channel, just some common scense!

J.

I think what Nate and I are getting at is mostly on the upper end of the WI channel down to goose lake area If you try to slow down in this section of the river you will run aground! For the most part there is a few deeper spots on the upper end but that is usually where the boats are fishing and you are not able to slow down until you are right up on the other fisherman in the hole, you are just better off to keep going. As an example if there is a boat below funks cut by the time you get up on the boat fishing that bend you are only in 2ft of water on plane if you slow down you mine as well get the cell phone out and call the insurance company on the spot because you will need to be towed back to the boat ramp. The area below goose lake has plenty of water and there is no reason you can not slow down while passing other boaters but when you are on the upper end of the back channel things can be pretty hairy even if you know where you are going.

Dustin

I agree from the back channel fork down to goose is pretty shallow, but from goose on down,,,, and I usually fish down past goose,, show respect,,,,,, I understand with your rigs and even mine I don’t like to slow down near the power lines….