Twra

[katscurt]

Can anyone give me a phone number for the TWRA ? A number you can call them when you are on the water ? I had a little run in with a couple people on a jet ski at PP the other day. I wanted to call them, but had no clue how. Things almost got VERY bad for the jet ski guys.. : ) Thanks

[ALANRAYG2]

If things look like they might get ugly I would call 911 no matter where I was at. I would be ready to give details on my location. The 911 operator would be able to dispatch the proper authorities for assistance.

[txnative]

TWRA dispatch number is 615-781-6581.


Chris

[agelesssone]

Don't get yourself into too much trouble with the jet ski people. Just cast a 1 oz jig head (with no hooks!) across their handlebars and let them wrap some 65 lb braid around their hands, arms, torsos. They won't get too close after that.

I mean, you ARE fishing and they shouldn't be blasting by that close to you.

And this is why I am glad I am retired. I can choose to fish during the week when there aren't as many of the pleasure boaters/jet skiers around.

Forgot last weekend and went out on JPP. Managed to survive a bunch of boaters running by full throttle within 25 yards.

Too bad we can't fire a few warning shots into their bows.

[ALANRAYG2]

Don't get yourself into too much trouble with the jet ski people. Just cast a 1 oz jig head (with no hooks!) across their handlebars and let them wrap some 65 lb braid around their hands, arms, torsos. They won't get too close after that.

I mean, you ARE fishing and they shouldn't be blasting by that close to you.

And this is why I am glad I am retired. I can choose to fish during the week when there aren't as many of the pleasure boaters/jet skiers around.

Forgot last weekend and went out on JPP. Managed to survive a bunch of boaters running by full throttle within 25 yards.

Too bad we can't fire a few warning shots into their bows.


I had a friend on KY Lake about 20 years ago snatch a jet skier with a deep diving crankbait. smacked him square in the chest. Well he got his reel spooled and lost a crankbait but he never saw that jet skier again. the bait was hung in the life vest. just as easy been his face. At least no one was hurt..... as far as we know....lol

[bd-]

I imagine hitting tight braided line at jet ski speeds could pretty easily result in some pretty deep lacerations. I know I have sliced my hand with 65 pound braid before, and I didn't hit it while running down the lake on a fast moving watercraft. I get pretty mad at jet skis and wakeboard boats but I usually don't want to maim anybody.

[jad2t]

I don't think there's anything TWRA can actually do about jet skiers. Sure they can be very rude and inconsiderate of us fishing but they're not breaking any laws. TWRA only likes to show up when ticket writing is effortless anyway, this sounds like too much work for them. If you want proof, call them about immigrants using casting nets and dumping loads of fish that are too small, not allowed to be harvested using a casting net, or both into their coolers. See if they show up.

[MNfisher]

I imagine hitting tight braided line at jet ski speeds could pretty easily result in some pretty deep lacerations. I know I have sliced my hand with 65 pound braid before, and I didn't hit it while running down the lake on a fast moving watercraft. I get pretty mad at jet skis and wakeboard boats but I usually don't want to maim anybody.

I agree with this. That could result in some very serious injuries and is kind of stooping to there level! I don't like them either but don't want to injure them! Be careful guys, or you could get in trouble with the law yourselves.

[Jdkxtreme]

As a jet skier and a wanna be fisherman it scares me to think someone on a boat would try to harm me with a lure and braided line. I am though a courteous jet skier. On a side not, I was at lock 4 a couple of evenings ago in my small 14' Jon boat. I was fishing along the banks and other fisherman in much larger boats kept flying in wide open then fishing maybe 20-30 yards from me for a few then blasting out wide open. I finally got tired of them and just went home. So coutersy could go both ways a lot of the time.

[katscurt]

Just to let everyone know, I am VERY tolerant of everyone on the water. We are all there to enjoy ourselves. The jet ski sprayed me & my boat 3 times. The 3rd time was about 8 inches from my boat. 8 INCHES ! Their whole wake went over my boat. I did try & hit them with my crankbait. Barely missed.

[nomad60]

Maybe I'm being naive but there's so much water out there...are there really that many people out on the local waterways these days or is it just the lakes around Nashville?

Personally, I hate crowds (my theory is; if I can see another person fishing, it's a crowd :)) so I almost never fish on the weekends and when I do go during the week, I try to go somewhere where I can have a little peace and quiet. Earlier this year when my coworker took me out on his boat near Dover to Lick Creek and Bumpus Mills, it was nice and quiet out there except for a few boats...but that was on a Friday each time too.

[Buccaneer]

Tennessee has anti-harrasment laws on the books and the TWRA is obligated to enforce the law. If they were 8' from me I have their registration numbers and a cell phone picture. If they are 5' from me I have an empty. 45 acp clip.

[agelesssone]

I've been told you aren't allowed to have a gun on TVA property or in the parking lots of the State parks. If that's the case, a person would have broken some laws just to get the gun out on the water.

Flare guns are a different story.......I'd sure protect myself and my family from an overly rambunctious boater/skier.

And I agree, the bass boaters can be just as inconsiderate as the jet skiers when it comes to running too fast too close. I love it when you are sitting fifty yards offshore, there is 400 yards of open water on the other side of you and they all have to blast between you and the shore.

THAT"S why I stay home on the weekends, except in the wintertime. People will be people.

And as far as getting in trouble with the law about casting across a jet skier. Most casts aren't longer than 25-30 yards so if they are that close, they are TOO close. Plus how are you going to get TWRA out there anyway?

[Jdkxtreme]

Tennessee has anti-harrasment laws on the books and the TWRA is obligated to enforce the law. If they were 8' from me I have their registration numbers and a cell phone picture. If they are 5' from me I have an empty. 45 acp clip.

Pointing a gun at someone that is not a threat to your life is a felony..

[txnative]

I have the same issues while I'm in my kayak, which is why I fish when the waters aren't as crowded. If the fear of retaliation worked as a deterrent, these problems would stop. Our best option is to involve the TWRA, and hopefully the constant supply of complaints will rouse them to action. I realize the TWRA can't be everywhere, but if they make their presence known more often, it should help. Just like a cop "hiding" in the same area for a week or two causes people to drive more carefully in that area, an official presence will make reckless boaters behave, especially if some are seen being cited.


Chris