Just a quick note to those three jet skiers on the Sky yesterday:

Just wanted to thank you for skiing over our plugs, running up and down a spawning side-channel, and in general, pissing us and about 6 bankies off.

And you wonder why jet skies are being banned.

Oh, and since I'm at it. Wholly crap! I really didn't notice how much bank errosion damage a large sled on the Sky really does! Truly amazing!

PS. "Large sled" as in those 22+' inboard, seats 8, Hell's Canyon runnin' MoFo's out there. Why the heck does anyone need that large of a sled on the Sky?????? Care to explain that one to me??????? I think it's a Short Man's complex thing.

"Oh, the Sultan's runnin' high today. Better take out Ol' Jumbo!". Give me a break.

[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: parker ]

Parker you might want to talk to john Koenig about that!! He has a 22 foot Boulton..I doubt it is short man complex Johns about 6'4".
You might want to give him a call and tell him about your dislikes..

Parker,

Some guys do several different types of fishing. Not many of them can afford a new boat that perfectly matches the river size every time they go to a different fishery. Smaller sleds can toss a pretty good wake at shore too.

If you had just snagged the jetskiers and conked them on the head with a thermos, the sled wake wouldn't have bothered you so bad later.

K

No way! Well, if a GUIDE has a 22+ MonstoSled, and runs it up and down the Sky, then I guess it's all ok. Especially if it's John.


You're right Kevin. Fire off those 22+ Monstrosities up the Upper Sky, Nooch, Hump, and Satsop. If the fish die off, we'll just blame those damn indians! Oh, and I don't think even you would have wasted a perfectly good thermos on those jet ski pukes!

Besides, JOHN owns a 22' sled. It's all ok now.

[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: parker ]

You said "why does anyone need a 22' sled around here"you didn't say just the Sky Parker.I dont agree with that... The cowlitz, skagit,lower Chehalis are all big enough rivers for a sled that size..There is places that can handle larger sleds and thats where they should be...I never said since it was John its ok you were the one raggin about it being short man complex..

Now the jet skies its a different story they have no place in a river!!

And yes I have seen 20+ footers on the nooch and satsop.In high water conditions!!But are they compairable size to the Cowlitz or Skagit?

[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: The Reel Timber Man ]

Parker right on about the jet skies,right on about monster sleds.

TM - I went back and edited my original post to just the Sky.

Hey Centerpin - I believe I saw you just below two-bit. You were backtrolling near another sled. How did you guys do and what were you fishing for? Any steelies?

We saw one small nate steelhead cnr'd on Sunday. The guy got it on a Dick Nite while fishing for Coho.

Now I agree ya parker sleds of that size dont have any business on the Sky!!!!

Parker,
i don`t agree with the jet skiers running and down the river either, but I suriously doubt that they (the fellows who were jet skiing) are reading this board.

Yeah, I know. I was just griping. They were more annoying then anything else. The fish still kept on being caught after they zoomed away. Matter of fact, I don't think the woof woofs even cared!

Certainly can't gripe about the fishing! Any 20+ fish day is a good day!

Although intended as food for thought, this may come across as flame bait.

DISCLAIMER: I loathe jetskis but do own a 16' sled.

Why is it that jetskis don't belong on the Sky, but a jet sled (of some length, but less than 22')does? Admittedly, running up and down side channels where chum and maybe coho are actively spawning seems like a case of out-and-out wildlife harrassment.

But as far as a river is a navigable waterway, what makes one form of watercraft more right than another? Let's see, since a raft, driftboat, or sled are well suited to my intended activity, that is, fishing, they are appropriate watercraft for the river. And since jetskis seem to be operated by lunatics whose apparent intention is to harrass wildlife, fishermen, and render the river unfit for other uses, like fishing, jetskis are inappropriate.

I brought this up because I heard of a young man a few years ago, clad in his neoprene waders, zipping around the Snake River from drift to drift, where he'd park his jetski and then fish by wading from the bank. Seems like a jetski could be used as a "mini" jet sled by solo anglers, even if it's an unlikely application overall.

And by what criteria does one decide when a given jet sled length is too large for a given river? I think safety is a suitable criteria, but that's not very specific. I think it can get pretty dicey on rivers like the Satsop and Humptulips, where the "thread" in a shallow riffle around a river bend can be quite narrow, and a drift boat coming downstream has nowhere else to go, and a jet sled heading up stream on step also has nowhere else to go (if he slows, he grounds out), and the "thread" of the stream is too narrow for both boats to occupy the same space at the same time. Ever see that happen, or almost happen? Yet I believe the navigational rules of the road are that powerboats must yield to non-power boats.

Your thoughts?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

There was a jet skier on the Snoqualmie on Saturday. He launched just below the cable hole and would actually run up past where no motors are allowed, up past Tokul Creek and back.

Remember Parker, it's not the jetski, it's the operator that's the problem.

More bank erosion than recent rain and flood?!

It is not illegal to run jet ski on sky is it? May be some of them need to be more courteous since we have to share the river.

Salmo,
I never really thought of using a jet-ski for a mini jet boat but sheez, it does kind of have warrant, he wouldn`t be much appreciated by many but really, a guy puts on a pair of neoprene waders and hops on a jet-ski to access his favorite fishing holes, that thing could get to places nothing else could. Hmmm,hope that doesn`t catch on..

Do they make an aluminum jet ski???

Jet Skiis on the Sky, big a$$ sleds on the Sky, whats new??? I severely dislike ANY sled on the Sky. Its a fairly small river for motor boats. Dont let fisherman dictate the water volume to run a sled, just get rid of them. The snohomish is fine if you want to race around.

Parker, i hope you gave those yuppie jet skiers a earful =)

fish on....

It sounds like this could all be solved. I guess I'll be bringing heat in the boat. My pet snake 357 colt python. Jetskis don't run so great with holes in em'. I seriously don't ever think I would have to shoot it. Just ask those jetskiers if they want any? Or just go fork's style on em' and pop every tire on that dam trailer. There are so many bodies of water to rip around on. Its a hot topic. Who should fish where? Most peolpe know the boundries and use common scence. The snake will talk the rest into making the right choice. I do agree about erosion problems from big sleds. Many times I've been on anchor fishin' k-fish and a big sled will go by, 5 minutes later I have to reel em' in to get all the crap off my line and plug. They wash the bank away! Until river banks naturally evolve to meet the neeed of sleds, they will keep eroding. Thats why I'm sort of a driftboat purist, we leave the river the same as it was. Very very little damage is done to the river. Plus if your a real man, ya row! Sleds are for washed up old farts with money that are too lazy. In my opinion all rivers should have motor bans except the snohomish, skagit, cow, lewis, chehalis, colombia.

I don't own a boat so I don't have boat bias here...but I don't see how sled wake could even remotely effect a river as much as the surge of rains we've had lately.

And am I the only one that's ever noticed how several trampled and destroyed some of the favorite bank fishing areas are?

As has already been stated, it's the operation of the sled that does or doesn't cause problems.

K