Avoiding Jet Boats?

[steve l]

OK, just gotta chime in.

Let's start off that yes, the jetboats are legal and that not everyone who drives one is an inconsiderate jerk.

That said, enough are.

The incessant whine of the engines even when the boats are far up or down river. A lovely sound after looking forward to a wilderness experience.

The lovely aroma of exhaust lingering in the air long after the boat has past.

The boat that zips back & forth by you 4 or 5 times in 30 minutes, cutting donuts in the water up in front of you.

The boat that, at 6:30 in the morning at Stinking Pond, motors up & down the run there multiple times dragging powerbait.

The boats that leapfrog you as they motor up and down a run dragging powerbait or corn and then head to the next.

The boats that run past you at high speed making no effort to slow down while you have a kid in the canoe.

The boat, that as I'm maneuvering in a run, comes blasting by about 10 feet away at full speed.

It is to the point it is a pleasant surprise when a jetboat does slow down as it passes.

Those things are a blight on the river. I find it hard to believe that this is what the Forest Service or whoever runs the river had in mind when the engine limits where put on the river however long ago. And sooner or later some drunk jerk is going to run down a canoe.

Sure would like to see them banned from the 11P, at least in the upper stretches. I know that isn't likely to happen, but can always dream.

[Smalliebigs]

Hey Jeff L here is a way to avoid jets and people plan your trips sometime other than the weekends. If you fish weekends and expect solitude and nobody else to be there well.....your dreaming it's not going to happen

[Jeff_L]

I didn't say anything about expecting solitude and nobody else to be there on a weekend, did I? I had no intention of starting a jet boat debate, I have no dog in that fight. I only wanted to know if there was an area and/or time period that would help us avoid jet boats, as it is probably in everyone's best interest. We will have 18 people in 9 canoes, I'm guessing both jet boaters and other floaters want to avoid us as much or more as we want to avoid them. What I was hoping to get was the general area that is most popular with the jet boaters, as opposed to lectures on when I should be on the river. Is it Riverton to Greer? Further down? We could plan our camping location and departure times to help avoid as much traffic as possible. We are planning on camping somewhere a mile or two below Greer on Friday night, assuming we can get on at Cane Bluff. Hoping today's rain helped our cause there.

[Gavin]

There will probably be a few boats out between Greer and Turner...but it doesnt get that bad till you get down near Whitten...Think they had a dozen trailers parked at Whitten when my wife and I made the mistake of floating Greer down to Whitten on Memorial Day weekend several years ago.

[flyfisherman]

I was on the river this Friday and saw about a half dozen jet boats and for the most part they were polite, with such a jem like the 11 Point, it does bother me to smell gas and oil as the boats pass you. I do believe they should not be allowed above Mary Deckers it is pretty tight above that.