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I'm not looking to stir any pots with this thread. I would like to get feedback on what has been going on in VA Creek and perhaps others close by.
Nearly every day there has been a large comm net boat that blasts through VA Creek. I'd say it is about 22' and super wide. It has a well transom and the console is on the Square bow. Not near it but on it. The rig appears to be brand new and appears to have been built to float and operate in very skinny water like a lot of the mullet, crab and flounder rigs do. I first saw the boat about two months ago and he came in the creek at full throttle and I knew he was about to experience a close encounter of the oyster bar variety. Sure enough he slammed into one. He churned over/through it. There wasn't enough water to plane so he continued churning the bottom like he had twelve spare lower units and props. He got to enough water to get the boat on a plane and took off again. This boat has a large outboard BTW, planes in only about 2-3' of water and I'd say goes 30 mph. At full throttle he hit another bar. This time he was stuck so he put his buddy, who wears a wet suit, into the water and pushed off the bottom and off he went again. If I had to make a wild guess I'd say this guy is protecting the creek using his boat motor to find the "high spots" and is creating his own meandering channel. It is very bazaar how he blasts through the creek and covers a large portion of it during each trip. Lately he has been by himself and isn't getting jammed on the bottom any longer but he continues to run full throttle on and off the bottom. He'll make a lot of sharp turns while traveling his route and seems to be relying a lot on the momentum of his big boat to power him over the many grounding episodes.
Is this the way some comm boats "break new ground"? I've seen maybe 3-4 other net boats in the creek since is started fishing it and, for the most part, they seem respectful of the people who are hook and line fishing. Most of the fishermen are fishing in channels or at least deeper water of 3' and more. This guy isn't going near the the obvious channels and he heads right into the super shallow open bays that are inside the creek.
I have not seen him set a net or pot yet but I have to think that he is planning on doing so when he gets his course perfected. I have not had the opportunity to talk to him because he doesn't stop other than when he gets on the bottom. I can hear him coming in from the ICW and he'll blast through the creek, sometimes 2-3 times covering the same route, and he leave.
I'm pretty baffled that he is doing this for several weeks now and it's always the same thing. Engine screaming, running aground, churning out and repeat???
Any ideas?
I'm really not complaining about what he is doing because it may be legitimate and he has not come close to me or the other kayak fisherman as far as I've seen. My only beef so far is the extreme noise he makes.
Nearly every day there has been a large comm net boat that blasts through VA Creek. I'd say it is about 22' and super wide. It has a well transom and the console is on the Square bow. Not near it but on it. The rig appears to be brand new and appears to have been built to float and operate in very skinny water like a lot of the mullet, crab and flounder rigs do. I first saw the boat about two months ago and he came in the creek at full throttle and I knew he was about to experience a close encounter of the oyster bar variety. Sure enough he slammed into one. He churned over/through it. There wasn't enough water to plane so he continued churning the bottom like he had twelve spare lower units and props. He got to enough water to get the boat on a plane and took off again. This boat has a large outboard BTW, planes in only about 2-3' of water and I'd say goes 30 mph. At full throttle he hit another bar. This time he was stuck so he put his buddy, who wears a wet suit, into the water and pushed off the bottom and off he went again. If I had to make a wild guess I'd say this guy is protecting the creek using his boat motor to find the "high spots" and is creating his own meandering channel. It is very bazaar how he blasts through the creek and covers a large portion of it during each trip. Lately he has been by himself and isn't getting jammed on the bottom any longer but he continues to run full throttle on and off the bottom. He'll make a lot of sharp turns while traveling his route and seems to be relying a lot on the momentum of his big boat to power him over the many grounding episodes.
Is this the way some comm boats "break new ground"? I've seen maybe 3-4 other net boats in the creek since is started fishing it and, for the most part, they seem respectful of the people who are hook and line fishing. Most of the fishermen are fishing in channels or at least deeper water of 3' and more. This guy isn't going near the the obvious channels and he heads right into the super shallow open bays that are inside the creek.
I have not seen him set a net or pot yet but I have to think that he is planning on doing so when he gets his course perfected. I have not had the opportunity to talk to him because he doesn't stop other than when he gets on the bottom. I can hear him coming in from the ICW and he'll blast through the creek, sometimes 2-3 times covering the same route, and he leave.
I'm pretty baffled that he is doing this for several weeks now and it's always the same thing. Engine screaming, running aground, churning out and repeat???
Any ideas?
I'm really not complaining about what he is doing because it may be legitimate and he has not come close to me or the other kayak fisherman as far as I've seen. My only beef so far is the extreme noise he makes.
