# Jet Skis



## bonehead (Dec 9, 2016)

It’s a never ending battle... I just try to keep my cool lol. If I had to guess they’re of the jackass and clueless type.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2019)




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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Had a very similar thing happen to me fishing for tarpon close to Bahia Honda. They rode slow circles around us asking what we were doing standing on the towers in two feet of water off the edge of side channel off of a cut. When I told them why they did, they both looked at me like whatever and sped off burning the rest of the flat. I don’t think it’s ignorance just a complete lack of exposure to fishing/outdoor activities.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I don’t care what it is, if you don’t take the opportunity to educate people that do things like this then don’t complain. Any time I get a chance to speak to a shoreline burner, a person that cuts off my wade, pole or drift or just does something that is flat out unethical I will absolutely speak up and let them know. I start off calm and respectful but as soon as they get shitty I reciprocate the attitude. How will anyone ever learn if no one teaches?


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I don’t care what it is, if you don’t take the opportunity to educate people that do things like this then don’t complain. Any time I get a chance to speak to a shoreline burner, a person that cuts off my wade, pole or drift or just does something that is flat out unethical I will absolutely speak up and let them know. I start off calm and respectful but as soon as they get shitty I reciprocate the attitude. How will anyone ever learn if no one teaches?


I agree. A video of boating etiquette should be posted on social media or something. When on the water it’s hard to do this especially when on a flat and the other person is going 40 mph plus.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

If they are riding jet skis, two things are true: they dont give a shit about anyone else especially someone fishing. Two, they are morons who think they are entitled to do anything they damn well please. I am not too sure they would have the intelligence to assimilate "education". 


Str8-Six said:


> Fishing a Oceanside bonefish flat in about 2’ of water yesterday evening. My buddy just landed a nice bone. Plan is to continue to work this flat until the sun goes down, had about 30 mins. I’m sure you’ve all heard this story plenty of times but here it goes.
> 
> Two Jet Skis arise out in the distance, I heard the annoying sound first before seeing them. Sure enough they are headed my way. I’m hoping they turn as there is no one else on the water and their is a good half mile stretch of open water between me and the mouth of the cut. Sure enough they don’t turn and are headed right onto the flat that I’m fishing. They must have passed me within 75 yards. Right as they pass me I see a big school of bones spook off the flat in the other direction.
> 
> Majority of them this stupid? Or are they just d-bags that don’t give a $h1t about other people? Rant over.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Str8-Six said:


> I agree. A video of boating etiquette should be posted on social media or something. When on the water it’s hard to do this especially when on a flat and the other person is going 40 mph plus.


OR we start having to take and pass courses to obtain a boating/watercraft license where on the water and ramp etiquette are one of the main sections. Still not sure why this hasn’t happened.


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> OR we start having to take and pass courses to obtain a boating/watercraft license where on the water and ramp etiquette are one of the main sections. Still not sure why this hasn’t happened.


Boaters license should be a requirement..


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I don’t care what it is, if you don’t take the opportunity to educate people that do things like this then don’t complain. Any time I get a chance to speak to a shoreline burner, a person that cuts off my wade, pole or drift or just does something that is flat out unethical I will absolutely speak up and let them know. I start off calm and respectful but as soon as they get shitty I reciprocate the attitude. How will anyone ever learn if no one teaches?


I think Smack has the right idea. I've seen countless confrontations where other guides jumped right staight to "shitty" and were harassed unmercifully while I just gave a friendly wave to the same jet skiers and were given a wide berth. Try it first, it just might work. I guess your second choice could be the Glock? [only kidding, I was just tryin to sound like some of the other Microskiff members]


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

I hit a guy on one once. He tried to cut across me entering a no wake zone and I assume he thought I was gonna yield to him. He had almost gotten hit twice in less than one minute before he cut across me.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Last time I used a certain local ramp I had words with one who was going donuts right off the end of the dock next to the ramp...like 30' away from where I was trying to load my skiff on the trailer. I pointed at the no wake sign and got the "doesn't apply to jet skis" response at which I suggested that "a wake is a wake is a wake" regardless of where it comes from. When I wouldn't back down and break eye contact he finally stopped long enough for me to finish loading and leave.

Jet skis suck...


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

I think the main issue with jet skis is many people use them as their entry point to get on the water. They have no idea of the rules and no one to show them.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2019)

GaG8tor said:


> I hit a guy on one once. He tried to cut across me entering a no wake zone and I assume he thought I was gonna yield to him. He had almost gotten hit twice in less than one minute before he cut across me.


A basic course in "Rules of the road" as required by the U.S.C.G. for maintaining our Capt. licenses would be a first step.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

When I worked in a boat I used to tell folks, "When I see a pontoon boat or a PWC coming, I just go ahead and assume it's an ignorant rookie. I dig a hole in the water, jump in, and pull the water over me 'til he's gone....." 

Too many newbs to boating have no idea that there are rules, regulations, and etiquette that apply. And PWCs & pontoons are what 95% of the newbs buy. Many of them can be educated. Some will continue to be professional rectal orifices. I could tell crazy stories about rookie boaters (and a few -- well, quite a few) about dumb shit I've done when my brain slipped out of gear) for hours, but here's the deal, at least in the Great State of Texas:

We're all married to those evil electronic devices called cellular telephones. Far, far too many of us feel compelled to keep them handy while on the water, lest we miss an important tweet or chirp or squawk or whatever the hell they're called these days. Grab that infernal device (mine's in the bottom of a hatch in a soundproof container, tee hee) and video the idiots, and get the TX# (registration) if you can. Forward it to a Game Warden, or the local LE agency on that water body. They may not have a unit close enough to send right then. They may not even have a unit available at all. BUT...... the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and as a specific registration pops up in multiple complaints, you may rest assured that the owner of that vessel will be receiving some special attention, and he/she will not be likely to receive the benefit of the doubt when a GW/LEO has him/her stopped and two entirely different stories are being told about who flung the chunk...... Those complaints are all logged, and those agencies track complaints on computers. When they get a complaint about a specific registration number, it'll pop up as a frequent flier. You may not receive the instant gratification that you crave oh, so much.......... But eventually the multiple complaints will catch up to the a$$hole, and Karma's a she-dog.

That's how we have to play to win in this brave new world.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Here's why they may not have someone available......


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

formerWAflyfisher said:


> Boaters license should be a requirement..


don't think that would prevent the above scenario. Agree, though we should have some form of license to operate.


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

Str8-Six said:


> Fishing a Oceanside bonefish flat in about 2’ of water yesterday evening. My buddy just landed a nice bone. Plan is to continue to work this flat until the sun goes down, had about 30 mins. I’m sure you’ve all heard this story plenty of times but here it goes.
> 
> Two Jet Skis arise out in the distance, I heard the annoying sound first before seeing them. Sure enough they are headed my way. I’m hoping they turn as there is no one else on the water and their is a good half mile stretch of open water between me and the mouth of the cut. Sure enough they don’t turn and are headed right onto the flat that I’m fishing. They must have passed me within 75 yards. Right as they pass me I see a big school of bones spook off the flat in the other direction.
> 
> Majority of them this stupid? Or are they just d-bags that don’t give a $h1t about other people? Rant over.


I would vote for stupidity.
Have a theory on this, have seen this many times. I believe that they are not happy unless they think someone is watching them- that is why they will go out of their way to come in real close even ( especially?) when you're the only boat around. They need some kind of attention to make themselves feel good. basically the opposite of most fisherman.


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## Flats Broke (Feb 7, 2017)

Scott Flyrods used to run an ad in the fly fishing magazines that was hilarious. It featured a photo of a fly fisherman hooking and lifting a jet skier off his PWC with a flyrod. The caption said "Scott Flyrods: More Lifting Power." I'm attaching a copy of the photo.


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## LtShinysides (Dec 27, 2018)

Your not safe anywhere. Even way back in the creeks. I had a guy come by me on one so far back and off the beaten path in Long Creek I was amazed. Right through the hole we were fishing. I gave him a few words of encouragement and he looked at me like I was crazy. I wish they had a draft of 3 ft. 
Like someone else stated, I think they are an entry point for a lot of boaters.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Good luck with the edumimication Smack. Every time I watch that Texas game warden show. It’s always foreigners playing their part. Dumb. And it’s never their boat. Borrowed form the boss. 
In reality, the jet skiers think no different about a guy on a flat fishing then the people fishing off a bridge they pass trailering the POS to the ramp. 
People in general are dumb and clueless.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Capnredfish said:


> Good luck with the edumimication Smack. Every time I watch that Texas game warden show. It’s always foreigners playing their part. Dumb. And it’s never their boat. Borrowed form the boss.
> In reality, the jet skiers think no different about a guy on a flat fishing then the people fishing off a bridge they pass trailering the POS to the ramp.
> People in general are dumb and clueless.


Jet skis are pretty rare around here, they stay in the lakes and away from the flats.
I’m not blowing smoke about stopping people and talking to them. Had to do it in April with a fly client on board. We had a guy burning a back lake in a 24’ bay boat and my client was getting just as annoyed as I was and I asked him if he had had enough and he agreed. I cut him off and asked what he was doing and his first remark was “I’m a guide and I have a tournament this weekend, there are no fish back here”. I told him his antics were blowing the whole area for everyone else and I am also a guide and he said “I can run my boat wherever I want” and he threw a rooster tail of grass and mud and burned the rest of the shoreline and didn’t come back.
I did the same thing, same area last month with my buddy up front. Dude was standing on his console while his old man drove up next to the bank looking for fish. Same scenario this time too but I had to get ugly because the young guy started popping off. His dad ended up telling him to shut up and they left too. 
Lots of inconsiderate jerkoffs out there!


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## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

Up here in Destin, there are over 400 pontoon boats on the daily rental programs and even more wave runners that they rent to tourists who not only don't know how to operate a boat but don't know anything about tides. Let me tell you there is no shortage of stupid. So much so that I can't even begin to tell you all the stupid stories. From rescuing a couple who didn't know how to get back on their wave runner and the tide was sucking them out the pass, and once I showed them how to get back on, he promptly ran the wave runner into my boat. All the way to my wife and I discovering the body of a young boy who couldn't swim who had jumped off his rental pontoon boat without a life jacket on and drowned. The problem is there is fine line between stupidity and fatal.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2019)

Flats Broke said:


> Scott Flyrods used to run an ad in the fly fishing magazines that was hilarious. It featured a photo of a fly fisherman hooking and lifting a jet skier off his PWC with a flyrod. The caption said "Scott Flyrods: More Lifting Power." I'm attaching a copy of the photo.


photo credit I believe is Brian O'Keefe


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2019)

Padre said:


> Up here in Destin, there are over 400 pontoon boats on the daily rental programs and even more wave runners that they rent to tourists who not only don't know how to operate a boat but don't know anything about tides. Let me tell you there is no shortage of stupid. So much so that I can't even begin to tell you all the stupid stories. From rescuing a couple who didn't know how to get back on their wave runner and the tide was sucking them out the pass, and once I showed them how to get back on, he promptly ran the wave runner into my boat. All the way to my wife and I discovering the body of a young boy who couldn't swim who had jumped off his rental pontoon boat without a life jacket on and drowned. The problem is there is fine line between stupidity and fatal.


I wonder if there's any way to put some pressure on the rental companies to give some kind of brief safety lesson. I also wonder if those same companies can be held liable in the event that one of their rentals is involved in an accident?


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

Flats Broke said:


> Scott Flyrods used to run an ad in the fly fishing magazines that was hilarious. It featured a photo of a fly fisherman hooking and lifting a jet skier off his PWC with a flyrod. The caption said "Scott Flyrods: More Lifting Power." I'm attaching a copy of the photo.


I remember that Ad-awesome!


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## Doublehaul (Oct 3, 2015)

LtShinysides said:


> Your not safe anywhere. Even way back in the creeks. I had a guy come by me on one so far back and off the beaten path in Long Creek I was amazed. Right through the hole we were fishing. I gave him a few words of encouragement and he looked at me like I was crazy. I wish they had a draft of 3 ft.
> Like someone else stated, I think they are an entry point for a lot of boaters.


I think they should be regulated differently from boats


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Doublehaul said:


> I think they should be regulated differently from boats


Once you start trying to categorize that specifically regulation becomes a hassle and are the reason things don’t happen.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

mike_parker said:


> I wonder if there's any way to put some pressure on the rental companies to give some kind of brief safety lesson. I also wonder if those same companies can be held liable in the event that one of their rentals is involved in an accident?


They already do. Make you sign a waiver for being stupid and relieving them of responsibility before they hand over the keys


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## mxbeebop (Mar 22, 2013)

Boaters beach side do stupid things too however jet skis are exceptionally annoying. I find engaging them just makes it worst. 

Here in Tampa Bay more no motor zones and no wake zones 200 yards off the beach would solve allot of problems.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

1.Mac is right. I think the best approach is to try to educate in a non-confrontational way. It's just hard to swallow my visceral rage at jet skis and the people who use them for long enough to do that.
2. I think the problem is more rentals from what I've seen. Giving someone with zero experience on the water a craft capable of 40-50mph and turning them loose is beyond stupid. Rental companies need to be held accountable.
3. Last year I was fishing out of Ruskin on a flat. Two idiots on a jet ski start burning the flat, doing donuts etc. like 100 yards from me (side note, never ride on a jet ski, motorcycle or moped with another dude; it just ain't right). After a few minutes I guess they get bored so they idle right up to me. I'm trying not to rage out, as they're completely clueless. In broken English they ask me how to get to Little Harbor (formerly Bahia Beach). So I politely point in the direction of the visible dome of Tropicana Field and tell them it's just over there. They waved and motored off. Guess I'm going to hell.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

mxbeebop said:


> Boaters beach side do stupid things too however jet skis are exceptionally annoying. I find engaging them just makes it worst.
> 
> Here in Tampa Bay more no motor zones and no wake zones 200 yards off the beach would solve allot of problems.


Not sure that is going to solve anything. I fished Tampa recently and the worst offenders for violating the manatee and no-wake zones were the guides and not just the tower boats, I saw plenty of skiffs blowing past the signs as well. The "dumb" pwc operators are just watching what everyone else is doing and thinking it is fine. I am not defending the pwc's, as ignorance is no excuse but there are plenty of long time guides that could be a better example.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

TwitchAO said:


> Not sure that is going to solve anything. I fished Tampa recently and the worst offenders for violating the manatee and no-wake zones were the guides and not just the tower boats, I saw plenty of skiffs blowing past the signs as well. The "dumb" pwc operators are just watching what everyone else is doing and thinking it is fine. I am not defending the pwc's, as ignorance is no excuse but there are plenty of long time guides that could be a better example.


I am more upset by people tearing up grass where they are allowed to go fast, than running fast in the slow river maggot zone, where they're not supposed to. 

They apply this rule to airboats and jet drives too, what's the point? There's no prop/skeg, never made sense to me.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, I am a product of public school, and I've never been a big fan of the Manatee.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

LowHydrogen said:


> I am more upset by people tearing up grass where they are allowed to go fast, than running fast in the slow river maggot zone, where they're not supposed to.
> 
> They apply this rule to airboats and jet drives too, what's the point? There's no prop/skeg, never made sense to me.
> 
> Take my opinion with a grain of salt, I am a product of public school, and I've never been a big fan of the Manatee.


The Manatee zones I am specifically referring to are in Cock Roach Bay which has very shallow grass flats not more than 2 feet deep in most areas, granted where the signs are out front is much deeper but the whole preserve is slow speed (which may not be no-wake but I pretty sure that means you can't be on plane) lol. But I agree that the grass needs to be protected.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

TwitchAO said:


> The Manatee zones I am specifically referring to are in Cock Roach Bay which has very shallow grass flats not more than 2 feet deep in most areas, granted where the signs are out front is much deeper but the whole preserve is slow speed (which may not be no-wake but I pretty sure that means you can't be on plane) lol. But I agree that the grass needs to be protected.


My frustration was with the signs on the Withlacoochee in Yankeetown, miles of idling for no good reason.


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## Haulinvols (Feb 25, 2019)

There is a reason we call them lake lice up here. Always a menace especially around the ramps.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

It baffles me that an individual can't comprehend throwing a wake while someone is trying to load or unload his/her boat can cause major complications and/or damage. We have a ramp on Lake Lanier here in Georgia that does not have any no-wake buoys. The jet skiers and wake boats think that because there are no buoys they can cruise right by the ramp. We do not have great law enforcement presence so they never get fined. I about busted my ass recently trying to run from my car(half way down the ramp) to the dock to push my skiff off before it was to get pounded by the metal dock I was tied to because someone thought it was cool to wake surf 100ft from the ramp. Most Lake boaters do not understand they are responsible for their wake.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

I will take jet skis over wake boats any day of the week!!! Thank god they are not present in most of they places I fish in Florida.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

TwitchAO said:


> I will take jet skis over wake boats any day of the week!!! Thank god they are not present in most of they places I fish in Florida.


I would probably be in prison, no joke.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

TwitchAO said:


> The Manatee zones I am specifically referring to are in Cock Roach Bay which has very shallow grass flats not more than 2 feet deep in most areas, granted where the signs are out front is much deeper but the whole preserve is slow speed (which may not be no-wake but I pretty sure that means you can't be on plane) lol. But I agree that the grass needs to be protected.


I honestly wouldn't cry over a manatee, but I'm 100% with you on the grass. I think Crystal River strikes a good compromise. They have a 20 or 25mph speed limit (strictly enforced) and no wake outside the channel. At that speed you're probably going to avoid a sea turd if he shows up in the channel, but it's still plenty fast enough to get where you're going, especially for us skiff guys.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

SomaliPirate said:


> I honestly wouldn't cry over a manatee, but I'm 100% with you on the grass. I think Crystal River strikes a good compromise. They have a 20 or 25mph speed limit (strictly enforced) and no wake outside the channel. At that speed you're probably going to avoid a sea turd if he shows up in the channel, but it's still plenty fast enough to get where you're going, especially for us skiff guys.


Matlacha is the same way 25mph in channel and slow speed when you leave the channel. Wish there was more of this around Tampa cause some of those slow zones are almost a 1/4 of a mile or longer.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2019)

TwitchAO said:


> I will take jet skis over wake boats any day of the week!!! Thank god they are not present in most of they places I fish in Florida.


No kidding! My wife won a Malibu wakeboard boat a few years ago, I knew how much they were hated and sold it with 3/4 hr. on the meter!


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

mike_parker said:


> No kidding! My wife won a Malibu wakeboard boat a few years ago, I knew how much they were hated and sold it with 3/4 hr. on the meter!


That equals 2 hells bay, chittum or maverick skiffs and four of everything else lol.


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

SomaliPirate said:


> 1.Mac is right. I think the best approach is to try to educate in a non-confrontational way. It's just hard to swallow my visceral rage at jet skis and the people who use them for long enough to do that.
> 2. I think the problem is more rentals from what I've seen. Giving someone with zero experience on the water a craft capable of 40-50mph and turning them loose is beyond stupid. Rental companies need to be held accountable.
> 3. Last year I was fishing out of Ruskin on a flat. Two idiots on a jet ski start burning the flat, doing donuts etc. like 100 yards from me (side note, never ride on a jet ski, motorcycle or moped with another dude; it just ain't right). After a few minutes I guess they get bored so they idle right up to me. I'm trying not to rage out, as they're completely clueless. In broken English they ask me how to get to Little Harbor (formerly Bahia Beach). So I politely point in the direction of the visible dome of Tropicana Field and tell them it's just over there. They waved and motored off. Guess I'm going to hell.


Pirate, had been fighting a big poon in loggerhead for couple hours when a jet ski began circling the boat on a 50’ radius. Fly line was on the surface and he was running right over it. No amount of waving, cussing, gesticulation had effect, but the flare pistol worked real good


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

TwitchAO said:


> Matlacha is the same way 25mph in channel and slow speed when you leave the channel. Wish there was more of this around Tampa cause some of those slow zones are almost a 1/4 of a mile or longer.


Agreed. If you launch out of Simmons you have to idle forever to get anywhere and my two stroke don't like that.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Seymour fish said:


> Pirate, had been fighting a big poon in loggerhead for couple hours when a jet ski began circling the boat on a 50’ radius. Fly line was on the surface and he was running right over it. No amount of waving, cussing, gesticulation had effect, but the flare pistol worked real good


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

SomaliPirate said:


> Agreed. If you launch out of Simmons you have to idle forever to get anywhere and my two stroke don't like that.


I learned that the hard way. Now I launch out of cockroach when I'm in that area. Not the nicest ramp but there is only 100ft ish of no wake


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## MRichardson (May 27, 2010)

Jet skis should be outlawed like they did the 3-wheelers in the 80s. 

All jet skiers are assholes. There are no exceptions.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

MRichardson said:


> Jet skis should be outlawed like they did the 3-wheelers in the 80s.
> 
> All jet skiers are assholes. There are no exceptions.


A little excessive but I like the way you think! I’m about to hop on my badass 3 wheeler and do some two wheeling. 
Haha


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## Boneheaded (Oct 4, 2017)

Lowest common denominator of boater. Ban them all.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Boneheaded said:


> Lowest common denominator of boater. Ban them all.


Shoot on sight! Haha


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## Boneheaded (Oct 4, 2017)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Shoot on sight! Haha


i was running thu a channel, guy wants to cross channel in front of me running diagonal across me, so i speed up so he cant cross over, and the man B-lines right for us and puts the ski on rails a few yards from my boat at full speed, totally soaking us! LOL ski guys get too crazy!

I had another guy do circles around us on trout flat after we shot him birds....in the future im just going to pull the flare gun out to see how hardcore those kooks are.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

This thread is interesting to me because I have been fortunate to not have had near the issues with jet skiers in Florida as some of you guys out there. I have more issues with tower boats (buzzing the mangroves at 40mph) while I'm fly fishing than anything else. Back home on the lake the jet skiers are a terrible nuisance (usually about three or four incidents a week in the late spring and summer.) I think I have had one really bad issue with a jet skier in Islamorada and that's about it. Don't see too many in Pine Island or Matlacha area.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

TwitchAO said:


> This thread is interesting to me because I have been fortunate to not have had near the issues with jet skiers in Florida as some of you guys out there. I have more issues with tower boats (buzzing the mangroves at 40mph) while I'm fly fishing than anything else. Back home on the lake the jet skiers are a terrible nuisance (usually about three or four incidents a week in the late spring and summer.) I think I have had one really bad issue with a jet skier in Islamorada and that's about it. Don't see too many in Pine Island or Matlacha area.


I’ve been to Florida three times in my adult life and every time I have seen packs of jet skis buzzing all over the place. You don’t see that shit here because people would shut it down real fast.


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

I had the pleasure of witness the Armageddon of Jet-skiiers in Homossassa once (60-80 minimum), while tarpon fishing, on a calm day. Needless to say we pretty much packed it up after they rolled through.


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ve been to Florida three times in my adult life and every time I have seen packs of jet skis buzzing all over the place. You don’t see that shit here because people would shut it down real fast.


Were you in the Panhandle? I never go to that part of Florida but I could see it being much worse over that way. Especially Destin and PC.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

TwitchAO said:


> This thread is interesting to me because I have been fortunate to not have had near the issues with jet skiers in Florida as some of you guys out there. I have more issues with tower boats (buzzing the mangroves at 40mph) while I'm fly fishing than anything else. Back home on the lake the jet skiers are a terrible nuisance (usually about three or four incidents a week in the late spring and summer.) I think I have had one really bad issue with a jet skier in Islamorada and that's about it. Don't see too many in Pine Island or Matlacha area.


Tower boat people will get the room in hell right next to the jet skiers.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

SomaliPirate said:


> Tower boat people will get the room in hell right next to the jet skiers.


I always see them hitting a submerged log and flying out of the boat...is that wrong?


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

SomaliPirate said:


> Tower boat people will get the room in hell right next to the jet skiers.


"Paging Captain Flat-Bill Bro-Staff."


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

The even more baffling fact about them is they do all this dumb shit with their name and number wrapped over the whole side of their boat


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

Just to show the naivety of these jet ski guys, my neighbor owns a couple of jet skis and thinks we're buddies because we're both "boaters."

One of my (least) favorite jet ski stories took place here in Jax. A couple of buddies and I are fishing a narrow creek as it's nearing low tide. The creek is two feet deep in the middle with the flats and shorelines quickly drying up. Can't be but 50 feet wide. We hear a jet ski that sounds like it is approaching us (creek coming in is long and winding.) Sure enough, eventually see the tell tale stream of water shooting up over the grass and he comes around the bend. We're about 2 bends from the navigable end of the creek so there's not much water beyond us. Kind of at plow speed, maybe 15 mph, he squeezes by us, never slowing down. We throw our arms up in disgust and stare in disbelief as he goes by. We then stare at each other for a little longer in disbelief before he starts coming back because he has reached the end of the creek. This time, we position the boat so that it's across the creek and he has to slow down as he is coming out. We ask him what the hell he is doing and why he needed to go by us. I can tell that he doesn't see anything wrong with what he did as he tells us he is "looking for redfish" and "saw a couple tailing back there." We were like "sure you did" as he passed. By this time, we had pissed him off and he sped off, trying to shoot water all over us.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Letting someone know they are not operating correctly is one thing but I feel if it is regularly coming to aggression or violence on the water it ruins it for all parties.
I have never let it escalate to a shouting match or flare gun. 
Maybe I’m the minority but it’s just not worth my time and sanity to dwell on and ruin the day.
One of the worst and best parts of a public resource is it’s available to everyone.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

BrownDog said:


> Letting someone know they are not operating correctly is one thing but I feel if it is regularly coming to aggression or violence on the water it ruins it for all parties.
> I have never let it escalate to a shouting match or flare gun.
> Maybe I’m the minority but it’s just not worth my time and sanity to dwell on and ruin the day.
> One of the worst and best parts of a public resource is it’s available to everyone.


Aaand this is why the idiots will continue. By tolerating it you are enabling them. Don’t worry, there are plenty of us “other types” that will take care of them for you. Believe it or not it goes hand in hand with every other aspect of society. Go to the grocery store and people are acting like idiots and kids eating stuff off the shelves while mom is facetiming her possible “baby daddy” and no one wants to speak up because it might hurt someone’s feelings or isn’t their business. 
How does anyone learn if they aren’t taught?


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Aaand this is why the idiots will continue. By tolerating it you are enabling them. Don’t worry, there are plenty of us “other types” that will take care of them for you. Believe it or not it goes hand in hand with every other aspect of society. Go to the grocery store and people are acting like idiots and kids eating stuff off the shelves while mom is facetiming her possible “baby daddy” and no one wants to speak up because it might hurt someone’s feelings or isn’t their business.
> How does anyone learn if they aren’t taught?


Amen


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Aaand this is why the idiots will continue. By tolerating it you are enabling them. Don’t worry, there are plenty of us “other types” that will take care of them for you. Believe it or not it goes hand in hand with every other aspect of society. Go to the grocery store and people are acting like idiots and kids eating stuff off the shelves while mom is facetiming her possible “baby daddy” and no one wants to speak up because it might hurt someone’s feelings or isn’t their business.
> How does anyone learn if they aren’t taught?


"Letting someone know they are not operating correctly is one thing but I feel if it is regularly coming to aggression or violence on the water it ruins it for all parties."

Nothing there about sitting there and tolerating it, also speaking in the context of the jet ski situation. 
I just don't go out on the water looking for a fight. If there is a chance to let them know what they are doing is wrong, great. I promise you the jet skier is more likely to listen to the person calmly explaining why he did something wrong vs the guy shooting a flare gun at him. Most of the time jet skis are not maliciously burning a flat they simply just don't know any better.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

If you ever want to disprove Jet Ski riders lack of intelligence, don’t go to a Jet Ski forum. It’s pretty sad but at the same time funny because it’s true.


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Totally random fact about jet skis for me. I was looking at using a Jetski trailer for a jon boat. My neighbor was basically giving a newer aluminum Jetski trailer away. So I asked all powerful Google about Jetski weights (I really had no idea, I’ve never been on one) this sub fact popped up.

Anything more than 30 hours per year is considered “high hours”. Most *jet ski* models have a lifespan of approximately 300 hours, but if properly maintained they can *last much longer*.

Doesn’t seem right to me? I understand the “properly maintained” part. But I’ve seen quite a few outboards with well over 2000 hours on them..... Does this seem right to anyone else??


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

formerWAflyfisher said:


> Totally random fact about jet skis for me. I was looking at using a Jetski trailer for a jon boat. My neighbor was basically giving a newer aluminum Jetski trailer away. So I asked all powerful Google about Jetski weights (I really had no idea, I’ve never been on one) this sub fact popped up.
> 
> Anything more than 30 hours per year is considered “high hours”. Most *jet ski* models have a lifespan of approximately 300 hours, but if properly maintained they can *last much longer*.
> 
> Doesn’t seem right to me? I understand the “properly maintained” part. But I’ve seen quite a few outboards with well over 2000 hours on them..... Does this seem right to anyone else??


Even less when they suck up a tactically placed ball of 80# braid...


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

I wish they had a lifespan of 3 hours...


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2019)

Seymour fish said:


> Pirate, had been fighting a big poon in loggerhead for couple hours when a jet ski began circling the boat on a 50’ radius. Fly line was on the surface and he was running right over it. No amount of waving, cussing, gesticulation had effect, but the flare pistol worked real good


Be careful with that. It looks like it worked, but you may have crossed a legal line with the flare gun [assuming you shot in the direction of the jet ski].


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2019)

Boneheaded said:


> i was running thu a channel, guy wants to cross channel in front of me running diagonal across me, so i speed up so he cant cross over, and the man B-lines right for us and puts the ski on rails a few yards from my boat at full speed, totally soaking us! LOL ski guys get too crazy!
> 
> I had another guy do circles around us on trout flat after we shot him birds....in the future im just going to pull the flare gun out to see how hardcore those kooks are.


Can I have your skiff while you're serving your time? I'll send you some "soap on a rope".


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## TwitchAO (Feb 18, 2019)

And if its in the sky you are screwed if FWC or the Coast Guard responds to the situation as an emergency.


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## anzuelo (Feb 28, 2017)

If they would limit jet ski operations only to those persons over forty years of age, the problems would essentially disappear.


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## anzuelo (Feb 28, 2017)

Was fishing Packery Jetty near Corpus Christi a few years back. Groups of jet skis were running over angler's lines and fouling their gear repeatedly. One guy got so pissed that he took one jet ski operator out with a well placed surf sinker. 

Another jet skier ran across a line and pulled several hooks into his body. We all cheered when we saw the blood in the water.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

anzuelo said:


> If they would limit jet ski operations only to those persons over forty years of age, the problems would essentially disappear.


Plenty of 40+ year old asshats


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## Matt Pribyl (Aug 14, 2019)

Flats Broke said:


> Scott Flyrods used to run an ad in the fly fishing magazines that was hilarious. It featured a photo of a fly fisherman hooking and lifting a jet skier off his PWC with a flyrod. The caption said "Scott Flyrods: More Lifting Power." I'm attaching a copy of the photo.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Why not carry a paint ball gun, automatic would be the best


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## MRichardson (May 27, 2010)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Plenty of 40+ year old asshats


Yup. Entry-level age of 80 would be better.


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## Will O' The Wisp (Nov 10, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Aaand this is why the idiots will continue. By tolerating it you are enabling them. Don’t worry, there are plenty of us “other types” that will take care of them for you. Believe it or not it goes hand in hand with every other aspect of society. Go to the grocery store and people are acting like idiots and kids eating stuff off the shelves while mom is facetiming her possible “baby daddy” and no one wants to speak up because it might hurt someone’s feelings or isn’t their business.
> How does anyone learn if they aren’t taught?


This


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