Is my theory correct?

[kenny]

Thats all BS about boat traffic. Not totally but way over rated Learn to fish and it does not matter!!! Dont drink the Kool Aid!!!!!

[caz]

...or fish at night, no crowds or solar radiation not to mention the opened beers stay cooler longer.

x2.. especially the beer staying cooler

[TRP150]

Good looking stringer, Bill. Clyde missed out.

yeah Bert, Clyde's still mad I woundn't let him skip school and go with us.

[corndog]

Thats all BS about boat traffic. Not totally but way over rated Learn to fish and it does not matter!!! Dont drink the Kool Aid!!!!!

[2112]

Good looking stringer, Bill. Clyde missed out.

[TRP150]

Ahh.. I need to take some more time off during the week. Its just hard to decide to take a day. Work is so important to me, that I hate to miss. This is a good time to keep our jobs!

Me patwilson, jeff w. & pats son played hooky form work yesterday 10/20 best day fishing in awhile.

[Gater]

Spooky fish on weekends

I don't think it makes much difference. I think people tend to make more out of than it really is. Sure fish can spook but if they are feeding they will continue to feed after the boat has past. I have never believed that outboards spook fish, of course they will move out of the way but they don't run off and if they are in the feeding mood they will continue to once the interuption as past. I liken it to the buzzards feasting on road kill, when a car comes they move out of the way and once it has past they are going back to the grub.

Fish IMHO are use to the noise and all other disturbances within our bay system.

I have had barges run through a school of fish more than once and turn right around and catch trout out of the prop wash.

I have run into schools of Reds to where they are running into the boat with the big engine running and catch those same fish without turning the motor off.

I have caught Trout on tops only to have a boat run right through where I was casting and tiurn around and get blowups out of the prop wash.

There are hundreds of Reds at the Port A ferry landing that just simply moveout of the way when a ferry approaches and continue to feed.

I can have Trout in my underwater light and start the motor 20 feet away and they will not leave.

Sportfishing boats catch Marlin, Sails, Wahoo ect... right of out the prop wash.

Again just my observations over the years and in some cases it may have a little effect but overall I don't think it really matters.

Gater

[reeltime]

In shallow water that theory has leg's.I diagree if you bait fishin near a channel or ICW the traffic will piss the fish off and in turn they take it out on the bait.What are some of ya'll that's on that theory.I noticed that we would hoook up with a fish after a barge passes.

[Curmudgeon]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've done as well on the weekends as I have during the week. My theory is that I catch more fish when I've forgotten my stringer!

[TTU Wader]

I agree with what everyone has said. A few observations I might add...

Boat traffic can shut down the bite on a reef quickly

If you're drifting deeper water in doesn't seem to matter as much

When you have a bunch of yoohoos running 45 mph through the coves it slows down the bite!

[jbfisher]

its the same in the bay as offshore, thats why we we are going to gunnison instead of boomvang next weekend (seas permitting)

[fishingRED]

Thanks guys... appreciate the feedback, and It is true, the only time I catch something is when I am at a place with no boat Around, quiet and protected from the wind. Slowly but surely Im finding more and more places. Its just takes some long paddles to get to this places, but at the end it is worth the work. It also takes time to learn the patterns, but I think I have a couple more years to go before I get this thing down some more.

[GGF]

Traffic and fishing pressure. I usually only fish weekends, but I have a boat that can get to places most boats can't. These spots hold fish but don't get a lot of traffic.

I usually catch fish.

I think shallowist is right, boat traffic or more specifically the noise it creates, just pushes the fish down and give them lockjaw. Since Ike, I've noticed more boats in our little puddle. Mostly I attribute that to lack of public access around the Galveston Bay system. Think about it, the only ramps open to the public for a long time after the storm were Fat Boys, Payco and the GYB. Waterman's in Pirates is 'unattended' so essentially open for public use, Jamaica Beach and Sea Isle all had ramps too but mostly for residents. The dike was closed until just Labor day this year. So where to all the boats go? West Bay.

[2112]

...or fish at night, no crowds or solar radiation not to mention the opened beers stay cooler longer.