BigBendFishing.Net

I never anchor, or tie up on the poles. I'm trolling from one tripod to the other. I'm usually so close to the channel markers that no one is going to run that close to the poles anyway. I can take their wake at my own risk, but then I do get angry as hell when they swerve over in my direction just to try to scare me, or teach me a lesson.
As general rule I don't hand gesture, I chase. Seek out, close with, and destroy. That's my policy.

SHOWBOAT wrote:

Just Fish wrote:It's my own risk for being there. I just wonder how the FWC will interpret "in a manner that will unreasonably interfere with the navigation of other vessels." I am obviously not interfering when other boats fly by at WOT, and I completely accept that. Just to be totally transparent, one day "Cool Runnings" came flying by WOT and yelled, "hey you are in the channel!" and I yelled back "Yea you are too!" Cool, if I interfered with your navigation in any way I appologize.

I am not out there to risk anyone's safety or to be obnoxious about it, I always leave more than plenty of room for just about any boat (other than the barge maybe) to easily and safely pass by without a problem.

Not to be harsh, but anchoring in the channel is not a good idea. Channels are labled for navigation purposes. You may not even know you're interfering, but if people are yelling at you or having to swerve around you, then you are interfering. If you have line in the water and are causing boats to change their direction to avoid a collission of tangalation, then the risk is all not yours. Do yourself and others a favor, find some grass or oyster bars and don't sit in the channel.

I agree 100%. There is too much water out there to feel the need to anchor up, troll, tie up or do whatever in the channel. If you need a hole or two to check out then just ask JT. You may not catch a fish, but you won't have to worry about getting run over.

Just Fish, that's all some mighty good advice. I wouldn't want to be anchored out in the channel no matter how good the fish bite.

The next boat "capt'n" could have a B.A.C. right up even with their IQ. They also might just be stupid. Getting in front of them can make for a real bad day. Right or wrong, when you anchor out, others get to make all the decisions, so they are in charge of your safety. Its like stopping your car the middle of the road and turning it off on purpose. It may not be illegal, but do it very many times and there will be a crash.

I don't mean to sound too self righteous. I have done it too. I was 20 years younger then. Dealing with hung anchors and hard starting engines while barges came in and out corrected me. It changed my whole perception of right of way. Those sheephead at (name witheld to protect JT's hole) are forever safe from me! .
Like CAPTK said there are so many other places to fish.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Trust me I only do this on weekdays in the winter and on a wide part of the channel, however you are correct it would only take one person trying to prove a point to make things dangerous.

One time, I was anchored near the St Marks channel and as the tide turned, instead of the back of the boat being at a buoy, it was in the channel. FWC came by, check licenses and fish and then asked that we get back on the outside of the bouy, that is was against the law to anchor in the channel.

hmm if your anchor is outside the channel but your boat isn't? Nevermind we have beat this dead horse enough for one topic

I asked an fwc officer about this several years ago, because I wanted to fish a channel. He told me that if I anchored so that my boat was out of the channel I was okay, but that positioning my boat in any narrow marked channel would get me a ticket. He also said not to expect boats in the channel to slow down, because they are not required to and many needed to be on plane to traverse the local channels.

dang double post!


Why isn't there a delete post command on this board?

I can't get that song out of my head now. Boat on the ground, boat on the ground.