Boat - kayak fisherperson relationship on a lake.

[Hobious]

We're slow.  By boat standards, we are molasses slow. 

I've been thinking about this since Friday. We were on our way to a skunk.  We both have motors on our kayak, so we pointed our plastic boats at some remote docks to see if the bass were looking for shade.  We wanted to hit the far left dock and fish them systematically to the right.  We were going a blistering 4mph. 

A bassboat overtakes us and slows to about as slow as it can go.  We were about 100 yards from the docks and the bassboat just putts past us. It heads to the far left dock and gets there right before us.  He waved at us and points at the docks.  We hit the next dock to his right.   Thankfully we both get a decent fish. The guide then leapfrogs us. 

This is a YouTube guy. I recognize his voice as he is talking to his clients. His video is at the location!   Haha.  I kept silent.  It want our day, and technically he did get there first.

Thoughts?  I never kayak around bank fishermen.  I can move easier than they can.  Just odd.

I'm not butt-hurt. Just wondering out loud.

[caddyjoe77]

he may not have known you were going to that exact dock, and it sounds like he did ask, maybe? 

i know for me, if i see you all, i will go past and at least skip a dock or try talking to a kayaker. 

biggest issue I have is y'all can be hard to see.  please wear orange or something, when that sun gets at the right angle i dont think the color matters.  I do take it easy BTW, im not one of those balls out boat drivers. 

every kayaker i have run accross has been extremely polite and i return the favor. 

[Donald Garner]

We're starting to get a lot of Yak fishermen on our waters here in Central Texas.  The problem I have with Yak fisherman is SOMETIMES I don't see them till I'm right up on ya.  This happens a lot when I fish up in the Lampasas River.  There's standing timber lining both sides of the river channel.  The river channel isn't that wide to start with.  If 2 boaters watch what their doing they can pass one another on fast idle.

When I do see ya I slow down to a fast idle till I get well pass them.  If we're moving towards the same area to fish I'll either ask you where you're starting or I'll head further down the bank line and start.  I do this with all fisherman I see >> We leap frog one another.  If there's a bank fisherman I'll stop fishing and just motor past them.

I'm not one of those WOT guys generally unless I'm done fishing and just wanting to run.  But even then I'm always watching out for those other boaters 

Like Joe mentioned I too have run into a few and those all have been very polite for the most part.  I treat folks like I like to be treated   

[FlatsNBay]

I think that unfortunately happens a lot no matter if you are in a boat or kayak. People either don't care or have a clue.

[Princeton_Man]

he may not have known you were going to that exact dock, and it sounds like he did ask, maybe? 

i know for me, if i see you all, i will go past and at least skip a dock or try talking to a kayaker. 

biggest issue I have is y'all can be hard to see.  please wear orange or something, when that sun gets at the right angle i dont think the color matters.  I do take it easy BTW, im not one of those balls out boat drivers. 

every kayaker i have run accross has been extremely polite and i return the favor. 

I've fished lakes during kayak tournaments on quite a few times. The largest kayak tournament was on Guntersville and had some crazy number of yaks. Something like 500 I think... I believe every yak had a high visibility flag on a fiberglass pole mounted on the back of their yak. Many were also wearing high vis vests. We invited a couple of them to come in and fish where we couldn't get in the skinny water.

I've always been polite to them and they've always shown me the respect.

If I do ever spring for a kayak, it won't be camo, it'll probably be florescent orange or neon yellow.

[SHC286]

he may not have known you were going to that exact dock, and it sounds like he did ask, maybe? 

i know for me, if i see you all, i will go past and at least skip a dock or try talking to a kayaker. 

biggest issue I have is y'all can be hard to see.  please wear orange or something, when that sun gets at the right angle i dont think the color matters.  I do take it easy BTW, im not one of those balls out boat drivers. 

every kayaker i have run accross has been extremely polite and i return the favor. 

I have an orange flag on a 6' rod, like ATVs are required to have in some states and off road parks. That way I can be seen even on the other side of some brush and lay downs if a bass boater comes around. Also, my kayak is camo, and I prefer earth tone clothing. Just a personal fashion choice. So I need some visibility, and orange hunter's vests are normally fairly poor fitting. Orange flag sticking up has worked pretty well.

Now that I have a bass boat, the kayak will likely be relegated to shallow bayou fishing and duck hunting.

[steve76]

I just accept the fact that I am slow and dont mind if they beat me to a spot. Seems around here they pull up and make a few casts then leave the area. Always seem to leave me a few fish behind them. I have a pedal drive and can go about 4.5 mph without wearing myself out.

[Bigbass201]

If someone has some curtesy, they will ask you where you are fishing before jumping in ahead of you.   

[topdsm0138]

One of my biggest pets peeves is when boaters don't slow down for yakkers or canoes. They wait till the very last second to come off plane and rock the hell out of them with the wake. Really, it doesn't take us (boaters) that long to get back on plane and it's not gonna kill any of us to slow down for like 3-5min until we pass those guys. Whatever happened to Sportsman Courtesy?

Tiller Mafia.

[SHC286]

One of my biggest pets peeves is when boaters don't slow down for yakkers or canoes. They wait till the very last second to come off plane and rock the hell out of them with the wake. Really, it doesn't take us (boaters) that long to get back on plane and it's not gonna kill any of us to slow down for like 3-5min until we pass those guys. Whatever happened to Sportsman Courtesy?

Tiller Mafia.

From my own kayaking perspective it seems like it actually throws up a slower, more rolling wake when boats come off plane right as they near me. I've had bass boats blow past, some slow down at the last second, and some idle past nice and easy. Well I'd rather not hold anyone up from enjoying their day, but idling past is pretty polite. Just my own personal preference, I may be the only one, I'd rather someone blow by full throttle at a respectable distance. I can brace myself for a couple of quick bounces, but the only times I've come close to being unseated is when someone slows down at the last second. Got slammed against a tree once when someone was overtaking me and slowed down at the last moment. Really sucked, got spiders in the boat.

[Bigbass201]

One of my biggest pets peeves is when boaters don't slow down for yakkers or canoes. They wait till the very last second to come off plane and rock the hell out of them with the wake. Really, it doesn't take us (boaters) that long to get back on plane and it's not gonna kill any of us to slow down for like 3-5min until we pass those guys. Whatever happened to Sportsman Courtesy?

Tiller Mafia.

From my own kayaking perspective it seems like it actually throws up a slower, more rolling wake when boats come off plane right as they near me. I've had bass boats blow past, some slow down at the last second, and some idle past nice and easy. Well I'd rather not hold anyone up from enjoying their day, but idling past is pretty polite. Just my own personal preference, I may be the only one, I'd rather someone blow by full throttle at a respectable distance. I can brace myself for a couple of quick bounces, but the only times I've come close to being unseated is when someone slows down at the last second. Got slammed against a tree once when someone was overtaking me and slowed down at the last moment. Really sucked, got spiders in the boat.

Interesting perspective.  I never thought about that.

[caddyjoe77]

I think sometimes they cant see the kayaks so the waves 🌊. Its on the boater for sure but i personally have done this, not intentionally. I didn't see the kayak behind cover. 

Give and take both folks

[topdsm0138]

I think sometimes they cant see the kayaks so the waves . Its on the boater for sure but i personally have done this, not intentionally. I didn't see the kayak behind cover. 

Give and take both folks

Guess depth of water has a lot to do with it too.

Tiller Mafia.