Boats and bankies: Etiquette question

[shadowless_nite]

So I am new to the whole Columbia River/Boat fishing/bank fishing  etc etc. And we finally encountered the situations we often hear of. Here's the scenario....

A guy and his son are running lines with a kayak from shore just 80yds down from us. Nice guys, and we see an atleast once every weekend. Tide was late this morning and these guys were on the bank first. No boats in the water. These guys are running a short string of spin n glo and a long line of wobblers further out. Now normally this is a hog line area starting sometimes 150ft off shore. But today nobody wanted to fish the incoming except for 3 or 4 boats after about 7am. Everyone had plenty of space and boats were anchored in expected spots. 2 in steelhead holes with bank guys giving an space to the front and rear and  boat or 2 in the middle targeting salmon.

Well after the tide changed and more late starters decide to come out, we had  a guy, who has anchored close to our plunking lines before ( were dropping at 130ft on the line counter and we're inline with his boat last weekend), he decided he should troll off shore within 150ft. We watch closely to make sure he stays off ours but he's heading straight down to the long line. The guys holler the first time and he spins around and goes back up. He decides to go for a second pass but this time disregards there hollering and trolls into their lines. Needless to say he pulls up their gear and they start exchanging words.  This is a young kid, maybe early 20s and this older middle-aged guy tells him "he's been fishing here for 30yrs and if he wants to fish out in the river the kid better get a boat. That was his compelling arguement. He had a boat and it was his right to troll over everyone's stuff.

Needless to say he created a pissing match with all of us and after everyone gave him some colorful adjectives for breakfast he eventually left.

Now from my understanding , all of us including that long line were in the water before that guy showed up. The long line was in no way interfering with anchored boats and everyone was fine up until this guy. I always thought it was first to the spot gets it and set up the so to speak rules. They asked the guy to not come so close and that they have a line out that he will hit and he disregarded it. Was it wrong for us to get ticked at this guy???

Like I said, this is not the first time he has come close to our lines. Last weekend we let it slide since we wanted to fish a little closer but he still decided to anchor close to where we dropped lines and he didn't care. We were maybe 20ft or less at times from him when we dropped at 125 to 135ft from shore. Within realistic casting range from a shore, not dropping lines. 

[SteelheadTed]

I think it is a tougher sell if you are off the bank a ways since boat fisherman tend to assume that they are safe if they are out of casting distance.  But, I agree with "first in" dibs.   

I would have asked the guy, "Hey mister, you mean to tell me you've been fishing this river for 30 years and the only spots you've found in your BOAT are bankie spots?"

[shadowless_nite]

I think it is a tougher sell if you are off the bank a ways since boat fisherman tend to assume that they are safe if they are out of casting distance.  But, I agree with "first in" dibs.   

I would have asked the guy, "Hey mister, you mean to tell me you've been fishing this river for 30 years and the only spots you've found in your BOAT are bankie spots?"

But this guy is repeatedly setting up within casting distance. If we weren't dropping 3 spin n glo, we could easily launch 6oz of lead right on top of him with a single on it.

Wouldn't that be fair if he anchored in casting range and I decide to launch a 6oz weight tied directly to my braid over his line and haul in his wobbled instead?

Most guys don't troll that stretch between the bank guys and the hog lines. Which leaves a good buffer. But every now and then some guy decides there just isn't enough room on the Columbia and has troll between the 2. I guess without the hog lines to show him where to go he can't figure it out.

[Bullkllr]

IMO, the guy in the boat needs to find a different place to fish- simple as that.

Will he?...that sounds like a different story.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Should have launched the 6oz'er.......

[PolarBear]

The guy in the boat was a d-bag. We always give bankies the "right of way" and steer clear.  Us boaters have the ability to fish just about anywhere and can pick up and move unlike bankies. I don't like fishing Blue Creek on the Cowlitz because every single time I have I winessed some self absorbed jackwagon in a boat snag a bankies gear and spool him. Watched a guide to that to some poor sap a couple of months ago.  Pisses me off!

[TheHunt]

I think it takes two to tango. 
1. The bankers are using kayaks and longer rods to get further and further out.  I personally have a 14 footer and I have friends who have 15 footers just to plunk the Columbia.   It is good for them as they can cover more of the river if there are 20 rods in the river all staggered 10 yards apart the bankers could take up an entire hole.
2. The boats are looking for the channels and the banker's are also looking at the same channels.
3. The high water this year has pushed the fish closer to shore.   That has provides an opportunity for the bankers and boats to interact.  So do you play well with others? 

The boats with electronics should be able to find other channels.  But if the hole is well known this is going to be an on going fight.  Do the best you can. 

[h2ofowlr]

It's a tough one as the bank guys are starting to get into the main trolling areas using boats to set the lines.  Boaters typically assume they are a safe distance as they are well past casting range.  I have seen bank guys with Tekota 600's on there bar rods and run a line out what seems 150 yards.
If you start yelling from shore most boaters get a little pissy.  Boaters running 65lb Power pro or heavier will just drag through line or cut them off if you get to far out.  Go out and drop a buoy just past where your dropping lines for a visual indicator for boats trolling!

[TheHunt]

It's a tough one as the bank guys are starting to get into the main trolling areas using boats to set the lines.  Boaters typically assume they are a safe distance as they are well past casting range.  I have seen bank guys with Tekota 600's on there bar rods and run a line out what seems 150 yards.
If you start yelling from shore most boaters get a little pissy.  Boaters running 65lb Power pro or heavier will just drag through line or cut them off if you get to far out.  Go out and drop a buoy just past where your dropping lines for a visual indicator for boats trolling!

But take into consideration that if you drop your 150 yards (90 degrees to the river).  By the time that weight settles in to the final resting stop that weight is now about 30 degrees (Depending on the weight) of where the you dropped it off.   So if you do a Buoy take that into consideration. Blowing up a hole will take a sweep through the entire hole to clear it out of bankers. 

[DoubleJ]

A little off topic but, how long until bank fishermen start using drones to drop gear 200+ yards off shore?

[h2ofowlr]

A little off topic but, how long until bank fishermen start using drones to drop gear 200+ yards off shore?

I have watched them do it.  It actually works pretty well.

[h2ofowlr]

It's a tough one as the bank guys are starting to get into the main trolling areas using boats to set the lines.  Boaters typically assume they are a safe distance as they are well past casting range.  I have seen bank guys with Tekota 600's on there bar rods and run a line out what seems 150 yards.
If you start yelling from shore most boaters get a little pissy.  Boaters running 65lb Power pro or heavier will just drag through line or cut them off if you get to far out.  Go out and drop a buoy just past where your dropping lines for a visual indicator for boats trolling!

But take into consideration that if you drop your 150 yards (90 degrees to the river).  By the time that weight settles in to the final resting stop that weight is now about 30 degrees (Depending on the weight) of where the you dropped it off.   So if you do a Buoy take that into consideration. Blowing up a hole will take a sweep through the entire hole to clear it out of bankers.

When we have ran them out from the bank, we drop up stream to account for it.  I used to use 14oz - 24oz weights.  Last time out we tied up rocks and used those for anchors.  The fish will break off the line attached to the rock, so your only fighting the fish.  We also use floats to keep our gear suspended.

[Wingin it]

This is always a touchy subject. The guys in the boats have a lot more access to the river and should honor a bankie who has already set up. Likewise if a boat is already actively working a hole the bankie should give way. I have been drifting holes picking off Fish and had a bank Guy walk right up and start fishing with the thought that the hole is now his... BS! All that being said, throughout the entire river there are traveling lanes and holding areas that fish use and these are relatively small in comparison to the actual size of the river. Everybody wants a crack at them so we all need to exercise some common sense and patience. Fish on

[TheHunt]

It's a tough one as the bank guys are starting to get into the main trolling areas using boats to set the lines.  Boaters typically assume they are a safe distance as they are well past casting range.  I have seen bank guys with Tekota 600's on there bar rods and run a line out what seems 150 yards.
If you start yelling from shore most boaters get a little pissy.  Boaters running 65lb Power pro or heavier will just drag through line or cut them off if you get to far out.  Go out and drop a buoy just past where your dropping lines for a visual indicator for boats trolling!

But take into consideration that if you drop your 150 yards (90 degrees to the river).  By the time that weight settles in to the final resting stop that weight is now about 30 degrees (Depending on the weight) of where the you dropped it off.   So if you do a Buoy take that into consideration. Blowing up a hole will take a sweep through the entire hole to clear it out of bankers.

When we have ran them out from the bank, we drop up stream to account for it.  I used to use 14oz - 24oz weights.  Last time out we tied up rocks and used those for anchors.  The fish will break off the line attached to the rock, so your only fighting the fish.  We also use floats to keep our gear suspended.

We use 4 - 5 lb rocks that we tie 8 lb leader to so it will break off easy.  But it still moves a lot.

[PA BEN]

I know of a guide out west who would pay guys to fake fish from the bank in the good holes on the river where he would be taking clients on. Most boats will go around the bank fisherman, so he has the holes for his clients to fish.