Jet Ski's On Upper Taney

[Bill Babler]

Usually don't guide on holiday weekends, but let a friend talk me into taking some folks of his. On the water by 6:30 this morning and with the flat clear water, it was going to be hard. Boats just piled on top of boats. Some of these fools were trolling thru the very narrow upperend where people were anchored bait fishing.

If a guy is setting anchored in shallow water with poles sticking out the side of his boat, do you think when you troll by dragging a spoon on the bottom, that you might catch every line of every boat you pass? For cripes sakes we are sitting in 2 ft. of water and you are trying to troll in 3 ft. of water.

I'm setting at the Short creek ramp and am within 10 feet of the bank and have multiple boats pull in front of me and completely stop and want to fish within 10ft.

Yes we were catching them and everyone saw it and wanted in on the action. They just kept getting closer and closer. One guy litterly dropped an anchor in front of me exactly where I was casting. I asked what he thought he was doing and he said he thought I was throwing the other way. I said: "Yes I can see that. My clients are facing you with their rods facing you. Did you think we were throwing it up on the bank behind our heads and then just looking out toward the middle?" He said, I'm going to move, but you don't own the lake.

Even on Taney if I can throw it in your boat and I'm anchored you are getting to close to me. There was really plenty of room and people just wanted to fish were I was catching them. I could have moved to the locations they were fishing and caught them there it didn't matter.

They were going to have no better luck on my location than on their own. Powerbait is but a tool that I would not bet a plug nickle on when its tough. It was tough this morning and most everybody had their bets hedged wrong.

About 10 AM the jet ski's started. They were running crazy above Short Creek, throwing wakes and running way to fast thru anchored fishermen. Why-Why-Why-Why-Why-Why. What in the Wide World of Sports would a jet skier want from Lilleys' up to the dam on flat water with a 150 anchored boats trying to trick a trout. From the Landing down, it is wide open. Table Rock is built for Jet ski's. Why would you come into a very crowded fishing area and make a mess like that. Answer: Just because I can and it's all about me and the rest of you can go straight to.

I just love Holiday weekends

[Wayne SW/MO]

I hear you Bill, but it's a different world out there. I see the jet ski situation as a safety problem that needs to be addressed by the patrol. Especially considering that no one could claim they have no place else to go.

[johndarin]

I had someone get a little upset with me because they were anchored in the narrow channel above fall creek where the tree hangs over and I had to go close to them so I would not tear up a prop!

[Bill Babler]

In the restricted zone there is no anchoring. You have the right away to the channel. you were speaking of. I really don't believe the current State Patrol has a single clue about how to handle Taneycomo. Since Gary Haupt retired and it switched to the Hwy. Patrol, it is a joke.

Beck had a guy roll in on him on Table Rock this morning, after watching his clients catch fish. This guy just came over within 30' and threw down is trolling motor and started fishing. Beck just picked up his trolling motor and left. What a bunch of dim-brains out there this weekend.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

That jet ski thing really bothers me.

I believe we should enact a ' No Jet Ski's Above Hwy 65 bridge ' petition and get like a gazillion signatures via the internet.

Obviously it is dangerous to go weaving in and out of boats... then add kids being kids on to that and it becomes a little recipe for disaster at some point.

Worse yet.. I have seen kids on jet ski's once... only once.. all the way up to the cable.. with 4 units running. Plain stupidity.

[Bill Babler]

It just seems to keep getting more and more out of control. There are just so many people using these resources that we are at maximum capasity. We also now have moved into the era of it's all about me. The fishermen have gotten just as bad. Folks have no trouble crowding you or moving in front of you if you are catching fish and they are not.

Another example of just plain "About Me." Yesterday at the Cooper Creek Ramp, I saw two guys pull 3/4 the way down the ramp, with an old grey ski boat. The boat was still locked totally down with all the straps and traveling supports and the tarp on. They took the right side of the ramp. What I presumed was they families pulled a van 3/4 of the way down the other side of the ramp and started to set lifejackets, coolers and water toys and fisihng grear out all over the ramp. This effectively took up the entire ramp.

There were 2 boats waiting to put in and 3 waiting to take out. These were big, big guys and I still asked them about it. They said they would take as long as they cared to and they had the ramp now and people would just have to wait unless, I might want to try and do something about it.

I just drove off and fished awhile. They were on the ramp for a good 20 to 30 minutes and I saw others approach and yell at them, but no one did a thing, and they bullied their way to do what they wished.

Just plain Bull. But, is it any worse than the jet ski riders thru the fisherman or the guy that anchored right where I was casting after seeing me catching fish there. I don't know, but it is really out of hand, and terribly sad.

[ozarkgunner]

That's such bs! They are lucky no one let the air out if thier tires.

[woodman]

"It is all about me" is reflected it the way people drive on the roads also... The way they drive is a reflection of their personaliy....Common courtsey..what's that...common sense? I used to own Jet Skis and the Lake of the Ozarks will teach you common sense or die....

[gotmuddy]

I am glad I dont fish taney. I would end up in jail or the hospital.

[denjac]

Thats why I dont fish on holidays. One encounter with an idiot just wrecks the whole day. And all the idiots come out on Memorial day. Hope they got sunburned real bad. Sounds like the ramp bullies were spoiling for a fight, you did the right thing driving off, it might have got ugly.