Report 7-12-14 Evening

[M_Taylor]

Went out with the wife and we thought we'd miss the boat traffic by starting out at 8pm. We launched at Prairie Creek which I know doesn't help but it was scary the way the pleasure craft were driving.

Water temp said 81.

Hit a point and immediately found a mix of black bass, whites, and small stripers. A medium sized Zara spook did the trick but it was short lived. Got our spot thrashed by boats cutting the corner. Not one to start something but I'd lie if I didn't think about a spoon across their bow.

I tried some crank baits and a swimming minnow with the bites coming on a white and silver swimming minnow. Nothing once dark.

I brought along some crawlers and circle hooks to ensure we could catch something and we did after dark. Managed a keeper walleye, a very fat Kentucky and some panfish. All fish were caught on mainlake points and shoreline in less than 25 feet of water. Walleye was in 12. Hope this helps someone. Taking home a walleye and a nice white was enough to make it worth while.

[YAKFM]

Nice report and congrats on the eaters. Your experience was similar to ours. I am thankful I was in a boat and not a kayak last night. There is usually a good supply of crazy/stupid on the water during summer weekends but the full moon seemed to really draw them out yesterday.

[J-Doc]

It's sad.........only us fisherman that see this. (crazy boat behavior and ignorance of the law)

I guess the other pleasure boaters are oblivious to it. Must be because 90% of them do not have a clue how to drive a boat much less aware that they are by law responsible for their wake. Hard to be responsible for it when manufacturers make "wake boats" specifically to create a wake for tubers/skiers. That's the sad truth. Can't completely blame the boat owner. The dang thing was made to do what it creates. There are boating laws.........no one is enforcing or educating it though.

All we can do is shake our heads and avoid the lake during peak times. Which is why night fishing is so much more enjoyable this time of year. Throw in a thermo-cell, turn on the lights and kick back.

[bluebasser86]

What really blows my mind is how you have to take and pass a test to drive a car but a guy can go buy the biggest, fastest boat out there and drive it to the lake with absolutely no knowledge on how to operate the thing and it's completely legal. Not that educating people is going to stop most of it, but at least curing their ignorance would at least give them the knowledge to not behave like a lot of them do.

[jolicious]

Should we, as a group, take videos of the worse / most dangerous offenses (with boat numbers) and send to authorities?

[Feathers and Fins]

Lack of enforcement simple answer. You have to have a Boaters Education Cert if you were born after 1986 im betting many don't. Heck J-doc and I were at the ramp a few weeks ago and a guy just bought a new wake boat ( no numbers new ) couldn't get it started so he pulled it out and I heard him on the phone with the dealer telling him he couldn't get it started, dealer told him to put the boat in neutral to start so the guy did it and boom it started. They just buy these things and have 0 clue how to use them let alone boating rules.

I personally think every last person should be required to have a Boating License which means a written test and a on the water exam. Use that dam money to pay for a full time officer on the lakes at least during summer.

The other thing that needs to be done is to place NO /SKI TUBE ETC areas on the lake. I know I have said it as have others but there are areas on the lake that sooner or later will impale one of them, all it takes is a few feet of drop and there is some serious hazards out there.

[nathanhooper]

Thanks for the report. I am finding that they are shallow also, even on the other end of the lake.

I guess I have not had to deal much with the boat traffic as you all have. Of course, I don't usually get out much on the weekend unless its late. And I would think 8 would be late enough. I got out last night at 8 and all I had to deal with is an idiot wanting to load his boat. I was backing down the ramp when he pulled up to the dock. He then proceeded to drive around the area gassing it here and there causing lots of wakes. I simply just would sit there all calm like and wait for the waves to go away before finishing unloading.

So I guess if your fishing and a boat happens to run into your lure as your casting it then its just one of those accidents that happen and could have been avoided if the boat was watching what was going on.

[BIGBASSDAVEY]

Going late doesn't always work, I was fishing in Coose Friday evening and a wake boat had tower lights and they continued wake boarding and tubing well after sunset. I think they finally quit around 9:30. I couldn't believe it

[Quillback]

Going late doesn't always work, I was fishing in Coose Friday evening and a wake boat had tower lights and they continued wake boarding and tubing well after sunset. I think they finally quit around 9:30. I couldn't believe it

A guy just can't get away from them.

I'm starting to love winter fishing more and more.

[J-Doc]

Going late doesn't always work, I was fishing in Coose Friday evening and a wake boat had tower lights and they continued wake boarding and tubing well after sunset. I think they finally quit around 9:30. I couldn't believe it

I saw that in the back of Prairie Creek last summer. No tower lights. Just straight up skiing in the dark.

Morons.