Know Thy Enemy . . .

[zeehag]

i make my lures follow as deep as i can-- doesnt skip over surface-- when it does, i let out more vline, and it sinks and swims lower in water-- i have caught some decent fish-- but i am not into anything larger than i can land on my deck and clean solo.....

[bangkaboat]

ColRegs gives fishing vessels with gear in the water right of way, but sport fishers? Imho, best to make radio contact if you are unsure and make arrangements to deviate - if possible - well in advance. If you can't deviate, communicate this to other boat and hope that your courteous manner is reciprocated. If commercial fishers with gear down, no choice.
Mike

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by bangkaboat

ColRegs gives fishing vessels with gear in the water right of way, but sport fishers? Imho, best to make radio contact if you are unsure and make arrangements to deviate - if possible - well in advance. If you can't deviate, communicate this to other boat and hope that your courteous manner is reciprocated. If commercial fishers with gear down, no choice.
Mike

I don't see where the rules make any distiction between recreational and commercial boats engaged in fishing. There is a distiction between trawling boats and boats engaged in fishing other than trawling as they must display different shapes and lights. US inland rules seem to be the same as international. It looks to me like boats engaged in fishing are the stand-on vessel, except in a narrow channel. I doubt that off shore in FL can be considered a narrow channel.

Rule 18

(b) A sailing vessel underway shall keep out of the way of:
(i) a vessel not under command;
(ii) a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver; and
(iii) a vessel engaged in fishing.

Rule 26

(c) A vessel engaged in fishing, other than trawling, shall exhibit:
(i) two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;
(ii) when there is outlying gear extending more than 150 meters horizontally from the vessel, an all-round white light or a cone apex upward in the direction of the gear; and
(iii) when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed in this paragraph, sidelights and a sternlight.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i make my lures follow as deep as i can-- doesnt skip over surface-- when it does, i let out more vline, and it sinks and swims lower in water-- i have caught some decent fish-- but i am not into anything larger than i can land on my deck and clean solo.....

Probably a difference in fishing areas and prey. For dorado, sailfish, tuna and even wahoo, splashy surface lures work very well. The natural food for these fish are squid, ballyhoo and flying fish, which are all surface fish.

Mark

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

Quote:It's a big ocean. In Florida just offshore it is a big sport fishing area especially on the weekends. There arsome really nice fishing captains out there but unfortunatly there are some real jerks as well. unquote

I have seen quite a few jerks on sailboats also. A moment on the radio can usually square things away real fast.

We kite fish off the sailboat on long passages as the sailboat is to slow to pop the baits on the surface. The kite skips them along like a natural bait (Flying fish)

Won't get an argument from me about jerks on sail boats as well. But kite flying from a sail boat? That's kewl, how much luck have you had?

[Ram]

These 2 vessels fishing are not considered to have the right away , because they are fishing with a few poles that don’t cut it- they do have the right away because they are being over taken by the sail boat

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Won't get an argument from me about jerks on sail boats as well. But kite flying from a sail boat? That's kewl, how much luck have you had?

AMEN!!!

Years back when Wifey and I had our old 30' Hunter sailboat, we had just dropped sails and turned the engine on outside of a harbor. Some jerk in another sailboat who was overtaking us was about to ram our stern right in the mid section of it. Our boat was traveling at about 2 knots. I screamed at the other boat and the response I got from some gal in a nothing type bathing suit while her nothing type friend was at the wheel, "we have the right of way, we are under sail!" I lost it!

I started to go after the creep but Wifey got on my case. A-hole big time!

Do not be surprised at what you will find in boats.

Foggy

[donradcliffe]

Navrules Part 3(d)

"The term “vessel engaged in fishing” means any vessel fishing with nets, lines, trawls, or other fishing apparatus which restricts
maneuverability, but does not include a vessel fishing with trolling
lines or other fishing apparatus which do not restrict maneuverability;"

I can see where a para-anchor would restrict maneuverability, not a kite...

Ram also has a good point, but I guess that depends on which way the fishing boat is pointed--are you overtaking a vessel which is drifting head-on to you??

[Ram]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Navrules Part 3(d)

"The term “vessel engaged in fishing” means any vessel fishing with nets, lines, trawls, or other fishing apparatus which restricts
maneuverability, but does not include a vessel fishing with trolling
lines or other fishing apparatus which do not restrict maneuverability;"

I can see where a para-anchor would restrict maneuverability, not a kite...

Ram also has a good point, but I guess that depends on which way the fishing boat is pointed--are you overtaking a vessel which is drifting head-on to you??

Your right on Don, but if the vessel is drifting underway not making way he is still being overtaken regargless of the direction of his bow

[thinwater]

Courtesy, guys.

Mostly I sail, 95% of the time. I know the rules.

I'm assuming the altercations in this thread were all well out from harbors, channels, and restrictions to maneuvering; no one trolls in close. I could be wrong.

Sometimes I troll, up to 5 lines at a time, up to 250 feet back. Yes, I can turn, but turns any shorter than a 150-yard radius are asking for tangles. I look WAY out in front and do all I can to avoid crossing anyone, including sailors and other trollers. Which is more maneuverable, a sailboat close hauled, or a boat dragging 5 lines? The sailor, every time. Generally, all he has to do is turn the wheel.

When I sail I ALWAYS drop well behind fishermen trolling. If they are still fishing (anchored), I try to give them 150 feet; why spook the fish? IF there was a really safety matter, what the rules are about, I would cross his lines, and I would expect other to do the same.

Yes, I'm sure some trollers are jerks. So are some sailors. No need to be one too. I try not to be.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by Ram

Your right on Don, but if the vessel is drifting underway not making way he is still being overtaken regargless of the direction of his bow

Not so Ram,

Rule 13 – Overtaking
(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Rules of Part B, Sections I and II any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken.
(b) A vessel shall be deemed to be overtaking when coming up with another vessel from a direction
more than 22.5 degrees abaft her beam, that is, in such a position with reference to the vessel
she is overtaking, that at night she would be able to see only the stern light of that vessel but neither of her sidelights.

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I was hard on the wind, and couldn't go to weather of him,

I heard about a simple solution for this. You can turn your boat through the wind by pushing the rudder down, or turning the wheel to wind (that depends on whether you have a tiller or a wheel). You then have to move the sails across to the other side, but I hear it's quite effective.

[Boracay]

We seem to have different rules around Sydney.

If a boat (any boat from smallest kayak up to mega trawlers) is fishing it's unlikely to get out of your way.

Don't even think about trying...

Sydney Morning Herald Article

And for those who like every detail: COLLISION BETWEEN SYDNEY FERRIES’ DAWN FRASER AND A DINGHY, REGISTERED No. AAP694N WALSH BAY, SYDNEY
5 JANUARY 2007

[skipmac]

Seems to me that regardless of who has the RoW under regulations it is just common courtesy to avoid someone who is involved in some activity that restricts their ability to maneuver.

Doesn't matter if it's commercial or sport fishing, anchored, drifting, trolling, trawling or even if the other boater is polite or rude. If entering the space they're using why not change course a bit and give them room?

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Doesn't matter if it's commercial or sport fishing, anchored, drifting, trolling, trawling or even if the other boater is polite or rude. If entering the space they're using why not change course a bit and give them room?

You left off stupid. I've seen unbelievable stupidity from fishermen persuing their fish. A couple of years ago I was sailing from Cape Lookout to Beufort inlet during mackeral season. I was on autopilot and going to winward at about 6 -7 knots when a small center console fishing boat looks like it's going to cut across my bow about two boat lengths ahead of me, at which time I notice I'm headed directly for a school of mackerel. The guy does not cut in front of me, he stops in the school of mackerel 2 boat lengths off my bow. They were totally oblivious to the fact my boat was there. Fortunately I was at the helm and not tending to something else but by the time I disengaged the autopilot and put the helm over I only missed the guy by about 15 feet!! Neither of the guys in the boat was even looking at me. I let loose with a blast of my horn as I passed by these two. My guess is their combined IQ didn't reach double digits from the dumbfounded look on their faces.

I try to give fishermen a wide berth if I can but sometimes they just don't give you the opportunity.