Speaking of TRL Fishing Tournaments . . .

[TableRockBoater]

On 4/13/2021 at 12:36 PM, Phil Lilley said:

We're getting more and more wake and bigger boats on Taney.  On Taney, we can't get away from any boat that uses our part of the lake... they all come by here and offer their big wakes.  Even when they're outside my buoys, the wake comes just as big.  But this is my take on all wakes - they're going to happen whether I yell and scream and rant or not.  If I don't want to be waked, I don't go on the lake.  If I don't want my dock to be waked, I should sell and get rid of it.  It's going to happen... like it or not.  It's a battle I'm not going to fight because I will not win.  We buoy and tie our boats up the best way we can to keep them from too much damage and we caution our guests to be careful of wakes - both throwing them and taking them.  When someone throws a wake at me when I'm doing One Cast, sometimes I'll mention it as point of education and sometimes I do get a little irritated by the really nasty ones.  But I won't rant because it's not worth my time.    And I sure won't on here because Wrench will tell me to grow up... or get out of the lake business.  But he'll do in an affectionate way

Like you say, Phil, you're in a situation where you can't get away from wakes, and those creating the wakes are just boating down the river-lake.

That's different than small coves off the beaten track of the main channel of Table Rock, coves where docks are placed exactly for that reason, and boat operators who know better, but intentionally operate like they know they shouldn't, then flip you off.

Those few who behave that way give the tournament crowd a bad reputation.

[TableRockBoater]

Again, this discussion is aimed at reducing discourteous boat operation, not nit-picking the legalities. 

"I swamped your boat or damaged your dock, but you can't prove it", is not what this is about.

Although someone being a jerk with their boat is subjective, it is normally pretty obvious.

[fishinwrench]

10 hours ago, TableRockBoater said:

Again, this discussion is aimed at reducing discourteous boat operation, not nit-picking the legalities. 

"I swamped your boat or damaged your dock, but you can't prove it", is not what this is about.

Although someone being a jerk with their boat is subjective, it is normally pretty obvious.

Plant some visible brush around your dock, then guys will avoid blasting it with their wake.....so they can fish it on the way out.   🙂👍

[TableRockBoater]

The cumulative affect, and amount of force, of wave action on docks, is almost unbelievable.  I would not expect anyone who has not maintained a dock(s) for 20+ years to understand that.

Not on Table Rock, but on other waterways, erosion is a big deal, too.

All one can do is to try to inform.

[TableRockBoater]

On 4/16/2021 at 7:01 PM, fishinwrench said:

Plant some visible brush around your dock, then guys will avoid blasting it with their wake.....so they can fish it on the way out.   🙂👍

Yeah, I have brushpiles there.  For some reason the goggle-eye were not there this April and May.

We get fished on the way in and way out, during tournaments by multiple boats.  Not a complaint about that.  

I sleep outside, with our cats, in our screen room, and we get that 6:00 AM wake-up.