new ski course destroyed by fishermen

[radarannex]

Hi fellow skiers,

 

My name is Kevin, a skier from belgium. Am visiting my brother who is starting a business near Phoenix. Anyways we bought a new EZ-slalom removable course with pre-gates and magnets. Got a permission to put it in Lake Pleasant, AZ from the local authorities after numerous emails with them.

Now you have to know that Lake Pleasant is a really big lake with about I dont know for sure but atleast about 45 coves. ONlY 1 cove is left open for skiers, all the other coves have been closed down for fishermen. First week went ok, no problems and even removed the course during the weekend so that we wouldnt disturb anyone when the waters got more busy. (a lot of wakeboarders in the weekend with huge boats and lots of loud music and beer) Second week day two, there is almost no one on the lake due to bad weather for arizona norms.

When we arrive at the cove we find that our course has been cut just after the pre-gates. We are still lucky I suppose because mainline is fixable and recovered most items of the course.

But end result is no more slalom skiing for me on this holiday through our course, pre-gates with balls missing, and one anker missing.

 

Really am disgusted... After all the work to get the permissions etc, not even to speak about the price because, the course is quite expensive. I really feel let down and althoug I am not saying this wouldnt happen in Europe, I think it wouldnt happen as quickly on a lake this size, where we absolutely disturbed no-one.

 

So if anyone knows where we and my brother might get a good pull or a ski-lake where we could go with our ski nautique please let us know.

 

 

Ps i really enjoy reading this site very informative and buying my new D3 Z7st was from the info on this site....

 

 

Best regards,

 

K

[HO 410]

It's likely that 99% of boaters would leave your course alone. Europe or North America, it sounds like that 1% came by quickly and exacted revenge against your evil buoys. Your evil obstructive buoys that get out of the way when you get close. It really sounds like your vandal went out of his or her way to wreck your course. I can't imagine how disappointing that outing was, and you have my deepest sympathies. Definitely file a report with the lake patrol, you never know what they already know or what they might be able to find out.

[radarannex]

THANKS HO 410,

 

lake patrol is informed, and really impressed because local sheriff will come by this afternoon to see whats happening...

[Stevie Boy]

Hi ,it doesn,t surprise me fisherman all over the world are selfish,they think they are so GREEN and have the right to fish every bit of water, they pollute more water than any ski boat ,with the rubbish they leave behind let alone the crap they put in the water to catch the fish, Hypocrits the lot of them, think about it, hook your dog by the mouth tow it around for a bit, then throw it back in the yard, what a great sport.

 

[DW]

Unfortunately, I hate to say it, as I have lived both in Europe and the US, but welcome to America.  This type of course vandalism seems to happen in this country.  There are many posts on fishermen vandalizing courses, commented on this site and others.  Unfortunately, this information will not get to any fishermen.

On the positive side, my dad lived in Sun City and I have been to Lake Pleasant many a time.  It is really awesome that you put the effort in to setting up a course there, my kudo's to you.  Hopefully, the vandalism will be limited and you will be able to keep the course on the lake.

This thread made me think, how could we as course skiers educate the fishing population about the course, reasons not to destroy them, etc...

[h2odawg79]

re; "This thread made me think, how could we as course skiers educate the fishing population about the course, reasons not to destroy them, etc..."

I think RPG's mounted on towers would do it! (see, there IS a Good reason to have a Tower on a Slalom boat!)

Ther's no Rationalizing with them, many of them (around here) can't read anyway, but they do seem to understand Fire-power o.k.!

Last Friday our skier fell @ 2 ball and 3 brainless/toothless Hillbilly's would have run right over our skier if he hadn't lifted his Bright Green Vengence ski into the air as high as he could. With our Horn blowing, us yelling and the ski up, they swerved to the left about 30 ft. B4 running him over! (even @ 30 mph your traveling about 44 ft. per sec.? I think?) It was Waaaaay too close.   

[sprayman]

Pilot76,

I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.  

My course is on a 93 mile long reservoir. A public lake. A public course.  My course is in an out of the way place and you would drive right by it if you didn't know it was there.  Most do.  I sink my course for the winter and leave the anchor buoys up for location in the spring.  One year, the lake level dropped before the weather set in and someone on shore snagged an anchor buoy. They pulled it to shore where they found a coffee can full of cement (to hold the anchor buoy) Visualize it, Bubba scratchin his head.???) They tied that line to their truck and pulled up a 460 engine block holding the course in place. (why a engine block Bubba?) They then cut that line, tied it to their truck and COMPLETELY pulled the course  out of the lake.(I can see it now, "keep goin bubba, it's still comin") This action took some effort and determination.  (probably meth induced) Just as much work to take out as they are to put in.  Obviously got stuck a few times. (460's are HEAVY) The cable broke at the gate balls at the other end.   They stretched a bunch of cable sections, broke 4 of the six turn arms. and just left it there. (Yippee bubba, Lookie what we did!) Still makes me sick to think that people really have nothing better to do.  Bubba got 200 ft. of hollow braided poly for his effort.  He took the coffee can anchor too.  I'm sure he had a special use for that. 

I repaired my course (approx $350.00 not to mention time.) and moved it out about another 30 feet. I also no longer leave anchor bouys up for someones amusement.   I know that there are no guarantees.  I hope to God I never have the pleasure of running into some ya-hoo that has nothing better to do than destroy my course.

 don't ever quit.

[DW]

A few more of the course destroying fishermen stories are surfacing.  I feel the same way, and I am sure many do, the use of firearms to even the score.  But in all reality, any attempt at retaliation or eye for eye response will only escalate the problem and the skiers will be the losers in the battle.

The one thought that came to mind might be, and it would take some effort, to contact one of their hero's, of which there are several because it seems like there are numerous fishing shows on weekend morning tv.  Perhaps, if done correctly, a don't be an idiot message could be rolled out from one of these fishing celebs.  It would be like Parrish telling the ski community not to shoot at unruly fishermen (intentional use of CP).  Far fetched, probably, but I thought I would toss out the idea.

[Gern Blanston]

I've seen many fisherman do some stupid things - like pull in front of a boat pulling a barefooter.  I watched him see the boat coming, and he did it deliberately.  It's one thing to be a jerk, it's another to risk someone's life to "make a point" of some sort.  I've seen fishermen sit in the middle of the course and just start fishing while we're between sets.  We idle over and say "um....you're in the middle of where we're trying to ski"  and the response is "I always fish here.  tough"  I've got many more stories, but I think you get the point.

On the flip side, I've seen skiers spray fishermen and purposely stir up the water so that they're forced to move.  There's a sense of entitlement on both sides.  It all depends upon the individual people involved.  I don't like to make a blanket statement and say "all fishermen are @$$ holes"

I've got nothing against fishermen or fishing.  It's simply too passive of an activity for me.  For the life of me, I can't fathom why on a big public lake we can't just say "we're skiing here...please stay away and we won't trouble you while you're fishing."  You've got people on both sides that seem to seek out the conflict.  I'd rather put my energy into ripping it up.

[thager]

I had a fisherman in a red/black bass boat come out of nowhere and cut in front of the boat last week Sunday with my daughter driving then scream down the course. We stopped in the end outside the course to wait while he did donuts. Every time we moved he would do more donuts so we would wait some more. I have never seen this guy, talked to him or even seen his boat before. Don't know what his problem is. Eventually he left. My wife said he and his buddy were down by my dock looking for something this Sunday but left when they saw her. I've been at this lake for almost 12 years and never had a problem. I always talk to boats I don't recognize and let them know what we're up to. I know a bunch of the local bass fishermen well. Many say they like it while we're skiing in the course because it pisses the bass off and they hit more. I'll be taking my video camera with me from now on during practice.

[Old MS Accout]

Most of the fisherman that are good at it love the courses. They provide lots of areas for the fish to congregate. It acts like a FAD that they put in the ocean to attract Tuna.

   

[Roger]

One thing you might try is to have a stencil made up with the County permit information on it and stencil all the balls and gates with perminent ink. Even a fisherman will think twice before tearing out something with official looking County info printed on it.

On the lake I used to ski on, we had the same fisherman cut our course out several times. When I finally figured out who it was, I mentioned it to one of my fishing neighbors who happened to know the guy. It really pissed him off and he had a heart to heart with him and it stopped happening.

The fishermen that come around Okeeheelee Park seem to have a "those rules don't apply to me" attitude. I was working on the crossline for one of the courses one day and a guy was fishing right next to it. The thing that really struck me was the he had hung his bag on the "Closed to Fishing" sign...

 

[thager]

Good idea Roger. I have a submersible course but the 55's are always up. I'm sure he was looking for the air line to my dock. Deputy Sheriff is a friend I may have to use. Our daughters competed together in gymnastics. I may give him a call.

Am also planning on talking to the Lake Association and informing the neighbors to keep an eye out. I have a few neighbors who witnessed the harrassment and were not pleased. Am asking for statements if this escalates on his part.

Next time I will write down or film the boat registration.

[eleeski]

The downside of having your own private lake all to yourself is that you only get rides when you've carefully planned them.

The upside is the only damage to your course is sun fading the buoys.

I have a lake for sale...

Eric

[Mbskier]

I am sad to say one of the Northwest finest public courses has became a victom of vandalism.  Last week someone cut and took the floating main line  and balls, leaving only the anchors on each end of the course.  Lucky we were able to find those anchors and tie a buoy to them. 

 This course has been in the same location on the Columbia River for almost 30 years.  It has endured many years of use, enjoyment and thousands of skiers.  We will be able to rebuild the course, but don't have any protection from someone cutting it again...

 MBskier

[Deanoski]

now we must get to work so we can ski it this weekend.

new main check

new pvc arms check

dam vandells!!! 

Bad karman will get them!!

 

Deano

[h2odawg79]

Hey Mbskier,

where is that course located? Is it anywhere near Astoria by any chance??? I have Fam. in Ilwaco, WA. opposite side of the River...

[Mbskier]

H2odawg79

No the course isn't by Astoria, it is north of 1-90 by the town of Quincy WA.  We are putting it back together and you are more than welcome to come up and ski with us any time!

 MBskier

[LeonL]

I think we all have stories about fishermen and slalom courses on public water.  It has been my experience that the entitlement mentioned by a previous poster was all fishing.  A couple of experiences that I'm familiar with on large lake with many coves, skiers get permission to use one for a slalom course and the fishermen would tear it up. Sometimes twice per weekend.  When they were in the daylight if you asked to move over or to another cove they would say "this is a fishing lake" or "this cove is the best for fishing" 

Anyway, I now have a private lake and you wouldn't believe the people (even strangers) that ask me to fish here.  At one time I would have relished the chance to tell them to take a flying @#$%.  Now, somewhat as before, I have valuable property that I can't stand guard on 24/7.  So I politely tell them I can't let them due to potential liability.  They're still in thorn in my side.

[h2odawg79]

Mbskier,

Thanx for the offer! I may give you a holla sometime. 

[lpskier]

LeonL: A friend of mine has a nice private lake (former gravel pit). He sells fishing memberships. To him, it is free money.

[Butte-Ski]

You should have been there.

Late last year a bass boat cut us off. I was pulling my 9 daughter wake boarding. When my daughter was done. I was little pissed. We filled all our ballest tanks.  I grabbed my wake surf board, told my wife make a pass 40 or so yards from the bass boat. At seven MPH a wall of water rolled onto these assho!$#. Knock one to his knees and the other almost fell out of his seat. Family and friends laughed so hard, that we made a second pass. The bass boat left our little cove and we all went back to free skiing & boarding. My friends still laugh about it. Never did see that boat again in the south fork. 

" The health of your body influences what you experience in your mind"

Blessing,Stay safe, Love life, Ski

Butte-Ski