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Headed out to the LH against my better judgment. I know it can be busy when scallop season starts. I should have known the deal when the toll booth was open on a weekday. I asked if it was crowed at the ramp and they said "not too bad". I would hate to see it if they said it was crowded. Cause it was packed and this is at 8am. Had to be close to twenty boats (dive flags every where) out off Stoney and that area. Anyway the fishing was good with 15 or so trout taken (few keepers), countless ladys and a few big sharks caught while live lining the ladys out back (those are just for fun). Unfortunately the boat traffic was not only busy but rude too. Had about eight boats come by WOT within 30 yards. Six of them right across my drift. Two of the best stories from today... One guy starts up, he's about 150 yards away. Opens his boat up headed right at me, he gets on plane and three trash bags come flying out of the back of his boat. He turns around and looks at the bags flying out the back shuffles some things and just turns around and keeps on going. While looking at and leaving behind a couple of Wal-Mart bags just floating (I picked them out as I drifted by). All this about thirty yards in front me. Next, this one guy comes from about a mile away in an old WAC right at me, WOT right up to the front of my boat (I literally could have made a cast onto his deck). I was looking at him and had my arms raised as if to say "what are you doing". He was CLOSE. He idles down and then says "Sorry, I'm lost". My first thought is how can you be lost when there's a huge lighthouse right in front of you. What I was really thinking was, it's not about being lost. I can understand that. But why would you come from over a mile away and get within 15 yards of my boat not to mention right in the front. To me that's just plain rude not to mention dangerous. There's a lot of water out there and no one was behind me. I grew up in S FLA and we've had a boat in my family for as long as I can remember. It's sad to say but I have never seen boaters with such a disregard for other boaters than I have in this area. Surely none of the forum members are boating is such an inconsiderate and unsafe manner. I know that I've read other posts complaining about the same thing. My theory is, if you HAVE to get close, then idle way down and if at all possible pass on the stern not the bow (depending on which way the other boat is fishing). Oh well, at least the fish were biting. HEADS UP... those fishing that area this weekend be warned it's going to be crowded. When I left at 3:30 the lot was packed and trailers were lined up all the to the main LH road on both sides.

And that is why my visits to the water are few and far between now and labor day. Sorry you had to deal with that. At least you caught a few.

So what did you catch?

Me & Catch2² are going to St. Joe in the morning...thinking maybe we could bait up a scallop on a cajun thunder and catch a few of them scallopers

bunch o' trouts, ladyfish, sharks and one big old sail cat. No Reds

Chalk wrote:So what did you catch?

Me & Catch2² are going to St. Joe in the morning...thinking maybe we could bait up a scallop on a cajun thunder and catch a few of them scallopers

Don't need any scallops, I've got a few snatch hooks if they get to close

I've got to ask this question- were you right by the marked channel? It kind of sounds like it because you said the LH was 'right there.'

I don't want to cut off anyone's drift while on plane but people fishing right next to a marked channel can't really complain about boat traffic IMHO.

I had a guy give me the "WTF" hands-out gesture and he was fishing 1/4 mile East of Marker 6. People have been running E/W to and from that marker for years and if I set up a drift within 500 yards of it I would expect folks to be running E/W right over me and/or my drift.

Unlike other parts of the state there is a lot of stuff under the waterline that I don't want my prop/foot to come in contact with in that bay. Therefore just circling wide around another boat isn't always an option in Apalachee Bay like it might be in other inshore fisheries.

So on one hand yes - people cutting off drifts while on plane is bad and dumping trash in the bay is really a sin. But on the other hand those boats that school-up right off the marked channel in front of the LH can't complain.

I don't know if you were out there or not - thats just my caveat on flats etiquite.

No, I was a good three, four miles +, west of the bird rack (it was tiny in the distance). In 8 to 10 ft. From where I was I could not even see a marker (too far). The only channel markers I will fish by (due to traffic) are the ones in the river by oyster bars. What I mean by the "lighthouse is right there" is you can see it as a landmark for miles, it was a commit on "being lost" thing. I think these guys are the ones who get their boats out once or twice a season and just don't know. I agree with you about things under the water and safe distance from the coast. I'm all for a wide circle around a boat on the flats when that's your best choice. As long as you idle down a bit if you're closer than a 100 yards. Especially if you're going in front of their drift. But this guy could have passed by me 100's of yards away on either side. Instead he went right in front of my boat like 20 yards or so. I was amazed. My thought is... if your fishing in or right next to a channel/ channel marker than expect people to go flying by and that's your TS because your fishing there. But when you're out in the middle of nowhere... it just makes me wonder. That's all..

Scallop season suxs.

Redphisher wrote:My thought is... if your fishing in or right next to a channel/ channel marker than expect people to go flying by and that's your TS because your fishing there. But when you're out in the middle of nowhere... it just makes me wonder. That's all..

We are in agreement 100%.

I get shocked that all these folks trailer down their boats and won't get out from underneath the lighthouse and fish on top of each other right there.

IMHO - why bring the boat down and dunk it and put up with the hassle if you're skeered to be more than 2 miles from the LH.

No excuse for cutting you off on the west flats. Thats BS. You have a right to be upset.

Let them all stay in front of the lighthouse.
It leaves the good fishing spots for the rest of us.