TableRockBoater

I have heard back from HP. Nice and courteous. When there was Water Patrol, lake residents had an informal working relationship with them. They would let us know when people were stealing gasoline or fishing tackle from boats in slips. We were eyes and ears for them, since they couldn't be everywhere. Thanks to lake residents' reports, bad hombres' got caught. All I'm asking for is a narrative speaking about courtesy and respect. Like I said before, that is not a popular concept among some right now, but that will come around. Karma is a female doggy.

Just another day in Branson. 😎

As with most Internet forums, there will always be extreme posts that miss the point, that try to rock the boat rather than steady it. But, regardless of how one views this discussion, next time they go flying into a cove, and see those docks, boats, people, etc., they will recall it. &, in the Ozarks, around Branson, no good deed goes unpunished. 😎

I could have skipped the email to the tournament director. 😎

It's funny how in my 20 years on Internet forums I have become experienced at re-explaining what I have said. You would think in all that time I would have learned how to say what I mean to say so that everyone would understand it the first time. From the OP, here's what I said to the tournament director: There's a lot of fishing going on today, so this might not have been one of your boats, but it would still be a good message to share with your members. SHOW OTHERS ON THE LAKE THE SAME COURTESY YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO SHOW YOU To me, that's not penalizing anyone . . just reminding. And, all I said to the offender(s) was "Hey guys, show a little respect . . . "

Which is why I said to the offender, and posted in my OP, "Boats have been fishing back here all day, and you're the only one that's done that. Just show some respect . . . not much to ask." My wife would not have been as polite as me, but she wasn't down there until later, when fisherman were casting into our slips, over our brushpiles, after her pet fishies. 😏

😉 Regulations happen when people won't regulate themselves. I could come out and put a nasty wake on tournament fisherpeople, but that doesn't solve the problem, which is . . . inconsideration and disrespect. (yeah, I realize that is in vogue right now)

That's why we're on TR. Trying to keep it from becoming a LOTO.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Please make note of these reminders so you are part of the solution and not part of the problem: Operate your boat at idle speed, or when you are safely able to do so, operate on plane. Do not continuously plow unless absolutely necessary. Boats that cause excessive wakes should always operate in the middle of the lake to allow their boat wake time and distance to lose energy. Plowing within cove locations is discouraged, unless safety or water sport activities require you to do so. Water sport activities requiring excessive boat wakes should be reserved for areas of our lakes where the danger to boaters, damage to docks, or significant shoreline erosion is limited. Cruiser and houseboat owners and operators are a significant and important part of our boating communities, but these boat owners and operators require heightened awareness of the wake they are causing. Remember to be courteous. If you were in a small boat attempting to navigate your boat wake, or you owned a dock that has to survive your boat wake, would you be operating in the same manner? Treat other boaters and property owners as you would want to be treated. Causing harm to another person or their property with an excessive boat wake may subject you to enforcement action or civil liability. http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/Publications/Brochures/documents/SHP-272.pdf

. . . here's an email I recently sent to the HP, MDC & Corps: Subject: Fwd: Boat Courtesy The last few weeks the tournament fishing pressure on Table Rock Lake has been totally unacceptable. I'm not the only lake resident that feels this way, but we're sick and tired of inconsiderate morons charging around in their 250 HP bass boats, disrespecting those of us who live here, so they can tease and jerk spawning bass off their beds. There should be a moratorium on tournament fishing during spawning season, just like there are hunting seasons set for the same reason, and just like on Ozark Streams. Here's an email I sent to one of the tournament groups. Like with anything else, if they can't show respect, they should not be allowed to use the lake. Abuse it and lose it. -----Original Message----- From: To: info <info@midwestfishtournaments.com> Sent: Sat, May 5, 2018 6:04 pm Subject: Boat Courtesy There's a lot of fishing going on today, so this might not have been one of your boats, but it would still be a good message to share with your members. SHOW OTHERS ON THE LAKE THE SAME COURTESY YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO SHOW YOU I was fishing on our dock this afternoon a little after 1:00 when a fairly-obvious tournament boat came flying in past the no-wake buoy, and put a huge wake on my dock (actually six docks total). When they settled in, past the next dock, I yelled, "Hey guys, show a little respect." The driver said, "I suppose that buoy's for the whole lake." I said, "No, just the six docks you put your wake on. Boats have been fishing back here all day, and you're the only one that's done that. Just show some respect . . . not much to ask." I went to the next dock to look at their #s, and clean my fish. Kinda figures, they didn't have contrasting numbers, they were dark on dark, so I couldn't read them, even see what the state was, from about 50 yards. I was tempted to come in to the weigh-in, because those unreadable #s would have been easy to pick out. Of course, you can guess how they left the cove . . . same way they came in . . . and they were heading back toward the bridge.