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!