I go fast through a hole in my sled and some bankies flip me off, others wave. I go slow through it without casting and get dirty looks or comments! Am I missing something here? I thought get the hell through it fast so they can continue to fish, Am I wrong?

G-Man,

Some what you to go slow, some one you to go fast, some want you in close, others want you far away as possilbe. Same sh!t different day, different river. As long as your in a sled your damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Just ignore em.. Be as courteous as possilbe, play it safe, and follow the rules. Shouldn't have to worry about anything but catching fish!!!

G- see my post for you at Killer zipperlip...shhh.

FJ...out.

i think they are just jealous that they aren't with you.there is no way you can ever make everyone happy. i say just smile and wave as you go by.

I think that fast through the hole means lots of noise, waves, and just plain inconsiderate. Slow with intent on getting through without trying to crowd us "bankies" works best. Quick story: Toutle mouth on the Cowlitz, springer madness, about 50 bankies on each side and this sledder comes whizzing down river, nobody could get a rock quick enough. Well, on the trip back up river, he got about 2 or 3 slinkies banged off the side of his sled and 8 or 10 others missed his boat. I almost died laughing. No wave, no 'sorry guys', no 'kiss my a$$' nothing. What an idiot I thought.

Haverod, what side were you fishing from and did you fish there for Silvers?

FJ...out.

Haverod, I have a flat bottom sled. If I go slow I will run you up the bank with the wake. It all depends on the design of the hull. Do you want me to go slow any way? Sometimes you just have to belive the sledder is doing the best he can.

If your runnin, then run! Fellow boaters and bankies will appreciate the smaller wake. Just don't rip buy 5 feet away. Nothing I hate worse than when I'm pullin plugs and a guy in a sled takes it down to 1/8 throttle when he passes me just to be "CURTEOUS" Dude, just goose it, please!

G-man, good post. I just bought a new 17' alumaweld today and need to get an idea on etiquette. Stay on plane or put out a large wake that is the question!

FJ...out.

Sled fishing is my new religion dammit!

FJ, Nice sled! It seems if you go slow enough you can throw one hella of a wake. Going through fast, does it really spook the fish or just move them around abit? Some good replies. Tell me guys if your a bankie or boater when you sumit your reply so I can get it from both sides. Remember some slots are only 10 to 20ft wide, I can't help but getting close sometimes. My sled is 17ft with 7 degree haul, 115hp. If that makes a differance.
At full throttle I throw a little wake, slow, I throw a bigger one.

G-Man...bankie here. Learn what kind of wake your boat will throw under different conditions. Then just motor on by me with a wave....no finger from me....even though I am jealous. Shoot if we ever meet stop on by and shoot the shait...even fish a little.

gooose

Personally, I love to hear the roar or a big inboard jet as it goes by. In fact, thats one of the things I like best about fishing the lower river.

If I want solitude I head up in the mountains where its just me and the fish. Im a bankie for now, my dad owned a sled a few years back so ive been up and down the river a few times.

G-man, this is America, Sledder or banker we all have the right to fish how we want and where we want. I think as long as everyone stays courteous and friendly fishing will remain one of America's favorite pastimes. I own a Willie Predator 19.5 w/175 sportjet. I hope I don't make anyone throw rocks at my boat!!

Fish Jesus: I was on the Toutle side, yup, fishing for springers, right at the mouth, looked like a Derby, huh?

BW: I guess that as long as an effort is being made to be considerate, fast, slow, doesn't matter.

I think the biggest problem is that you will never make everyone happy. I have been in all 3 situations...maggot, driftboat and jetsled.

I have watched rude bankies, rude driftboaters and rude sledders. I have also witnessed sledders go totally out of there way to give the bankie or the dude in the driftboat plenty of room and the sledder stills gets the finger.

If I am in a driftboat or fishing from the bank, you have no need to slow down. Just give me as much room as you safely can...and if you must cut it very close to me, so be it...eventhough I am jealous of your 22' Super V with your 225 Yamaha tiller, I do not want you to damage your boat and/or put yourself in danger to give me extra room. It is very kind but not necassary...

I am a bank angler and if I had my say I would have sleds come by me slow and close to shore if you have a big wake I'll move I'd rather walk backwards two feet than have a sled fly over my fish. I think common sense needs to be used if you had to fish the water you were going through in five seconds how would you run it. what ever you answer thats how you should do it. My experience is that sleds running through the hole I am fishing in medium rivers really puts the fish off.

I can say I'm a fisherman of shore, Driftboat and sled. But it really comes down to water height and time of year. If its summer runs and the river is low well I'll do the best I can to stay off the fish and away from the bankies, but safety comes into issue. I'm not going to beach my sled or suck rocks into my impeller over a bank fisherman and if I were bank fishing and a sled came through I wouldn't expect him to either. But do the best you can and personally I'd rather see a sledder go all out with little wake than acting like a tug.
Keith

I have never had the pleasure of fishing from a drift boat or sled, so maybe I am a bit jealous/angry when you are fishing "the only bank hole" when you have "the whole river" to fish.

But I do know that the river,conditions and area all effect how you pass the bankies. When I am fishing the Nasty some of us actually prefer a little boat action on the far side of the river to get the fish moving.

You will get no rocks/lead from me ever, but maybe a finger or harsh word if you are anchored in "the only bank hole".

I am with haverodwillfish. If the sledder is trying to be courteous, he will get a friendly wave from me. Even if he should have gone by with more or less speed, or closer or further away. If I can see the intent of courtesy, thats good enough for me.

F.J.
You got a new sled?....and haven't called me yet....I think our fish counts are going to go up alot now.

I have not fished a river with sleds on it in atleast ten years.All I can remember is the noise!Felt like I was at the races!
It is nice to here you are actualy looking out for the bankies but I think you had better get used to the dirty looks etc.Runin something as noisy as those things are has to bring a wrinkled nose from just about everybody that you run across!
good luck!!

Last Fall, several bankies got the big hook from the Sheriff for slinging leads at a sled. Must feel good to get an ounce of lead in the face at 30 MPH. Think about it. We all have to use the rivers, and I have been flipped off a few times, when I felt I was being a good boy.

Those are looks of jealousy G-man, I get the same ones in my driftboat. Ahhh 90% of the guys/gals on the river are cool. The other 10% are jagoffs that no matter what you do they will piss and moan.

I'm a bankie and I like when the sleds just stay as far away as possible and get through as quick as they can. The only time I have a problem is when they stop and fish in the same spot I'm fishing. If they were on the bank they couldn't fish the same spot I'm fishing without being told to take a hike and the same goes for a sledder.

I say sell your sleds and get drift boats, It's the best bet for everyone. Or you can stay in the larger rivers like the Cow, lewis , Sno, Skagit, Columbia and a few others. These rivers have plenty of room for all and the bank erosion from your wakes won't be destroying spawning bedds. just my .02

FISHNBRAD, I also have a driftboat but havn't used it in years. It's tough to fight a big King down the river then come back up to the same hole. I "NEVER" pull in a hole with a bankie in it. I hated it when I was a bankie and some idiot did it to me. I'll fish way above them or way below, but not by them. I've never had anyone throw stuff at me but that's where I'd turn the boat around and do an attitude adjustment.

Personally, i dont like the constant roar, white caps, and boondog corkings. Thats not what steelheading is all about. I will never own a sled, even if given to me for free. However, i would love a driftboat.
If you go as far as flipping a sledder off becuase he white washed you, make sure you put another finger up for me...

G Man,
Wanna sell your drift boat? I'm lookin...

Driftboat or sled, it does not matter, you will not make anyone happy no matter how curteous you are. In a drift boat if you go by close you will take too much time and they think you're running them over, if you go down on the other side you are on their water. Just smile and wave and drift by, do your best and forget about making them happy.
If they throw lead, that is assault, take pictures and turn them in.

I run a 20 ' sled and a Driftboat. The sled is for the big water and the DB is for the little stuff. Goin up hill I bury the throttle when going by. Smallest wake and quickest. If I take her off plane and you are in waders you will get wet and I don't want to do that to you. Also if I take her off plane the bow comes up and the jet shoots deeper into the hole and is, in my mind, more disturbing to fish. Sometimes I find it hard to even fish for trying not to offend the folks on the bank or other boaters.

What about those times you pull into a nice hole with nobody in it and after you set anchor and start fishing somebody walks in and starts fishing the same water. Should the boater pull out or keep fishing.

W.F.O. I love that sound. I've caught plenty of fish after a sled has gone by. People are just jealous.

W.F.O. I love that sound. I've caught plenty of fish after a sled has gone by. People are just jealous. p.s. I'm a bankie

I have a 20 foot Wooldridge. spending most of my time on the snohomish system and the cowlitz.
I stay as far away from the bankers as I can keeping it on step while going upstream, and at a low idle while working downstream. The big exception is blue creek during this past summer. Figure my suprise as I made the sharp left entering the BC drift with the usual 1000 people on the bank, but (3) sleds anchored up stem to stern accross from them. The only place to go was along the left bank between the sleds and the shore....No problem heading down river.....Got looks from the bankers and the guys in the sleds...NICE...Worked my way down towards Mission ((2) fish), and on the return trip the (3) sleds turned into (4)... after idleing past the sleds, I didn't have much water to get her up on step before the hard right turn and climb. I felt like just blasting straight between the bankers and the sleds to get my boat positioned for the climb, but these guys tend to remember boats....

Now I just trailer down to mission if I want to fish BC, and launch from my prperty for the water between BC and the dam....What a pain!

G-man don't worry about it just blow by them fast it leaves a lot smaller wake. I fish from the bank and a drift boat and it dosen't bother my budies and I see a sled go past us as long as you don't boondog the hole we are fishing or anchored in. The people that are crying are probably tree hugger feather flicker.

G-man,
Im a bankie, Drift Boater and a sledder.
Do what you have to do to get up and down the river safeley. If someone gets a little pissed at ya, Screw em! Sleds have just as much right on the rivers as any other user. There are dickheads in all 3 camps, bankies, drfit boater and sledders. As long as you feel that you did the best you could do to be courtious it doesnt matter what anyone else thinks.
And for you guys that think sleds put of the fish....... I look forward to a sled ripping over a hole Im fishing. About 75% of the time I end up getting bit. When I fished the Rogue alot I loved to here those 3 V-8 powered Mail Boats roaring up the river. just after they wpuld go by the half pounders would go into a feeding frenzy.

Good call Willierower.....

Nothing like a mail boat or two to put the half pounders on the bite!