# Airboats Burning the Flats



## Benchmark

Any other fly fishermen recently experience airboats needlessly burning the flats near Rockport while poling a shoreline?


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## trucha del mar

Is this a trick question?


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## artys_only

Burn baby burn ! You will never get away from burners !


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## southpaw

I've experienced it for about as long as I can remember fishing down there. Duck season is just around the corner so they'll become more and more prevalent


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## Benchmark

southpaw said:


> I've experienced it for about as long as I can remember fishing down there. Duck season is just around the corner so they'll become more and more prevalent


My experience has been airboat duck hunters are point A to B types. I was referring to airboats needlessly hugging the Rockport shorelines during the summer months. In particular, Rockport airboat guides.


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## markmc2

if you feel unsafe, write down his TX numbers and call the GW for harassment. if you know which boat ramp he uses then the GW can meet him there for a talk.


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## southpaw

Benchmark said:


> My experience has been airboat duck hunters are point A to B types. I was referring to airboats needlessly hugging the Rockport shorelines during the summer months. In particular, Rockport airboat guides.


Ah I gotcha. Yeah seems like it's gotten worse in the past 6 or 7 years or so with those guys. I think some of them are bird watching tours too. At least the ones in LHL. It does seem to have gotten worse along St. Joe's and in the back lakes like Fence Lake and Paul's Mott. Basically trying to corral schools of reds.


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## Benchmark

southpaw said:


> Ah I gotcha. Yeah seems like it's gotten worse in the past 6 or 7 years or so with those guys. I think some of them are bird watching tours too. At least the ones in LHL. It does seem to have gotten worse along St. Joe's and in the back lakes like Fence Lake and Paul's Mott. Basically trying to corral schools of reds.


A Texas game law against corralling fish with airboats would knock it down considerably. The practice of state licensed guides herding fish falls into the same category as hunting over a baited field in my view.


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## markmc2

they like to run around all morning to keep the ducks flying as well.


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## Canino

Benchmark said:


> A Texas game law against corralling fish with airboats would knock it down considerably.


According to the Outdoor Annual, it's already illegal:

Under "Prohibited Acts"
*It is a violation to:*

Use any vessel to harry, herd or drive fish including, but not limited to, operating any vessel in a repeated circular course, for the purpose of or resulting in the concentration of fish for the purpose of taking or attempting to take fish.


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## gater

*Laws*



Benchmark said:


> A Texas game law against corralling fish with airboats would knock it down considerably. The practice of state licensed guides herding fish falls into the same category as hunting over a baited field in my view.


There are already laws in place for that. However burning or running a shoreline would not be considered harassing or corralling fish in my eyes.


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## Skuff Daddy

Air boats are not made for deep water. the more shallow the water the safer the journey however circling back lakes and coves raises suspicion!


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## Benchmark

Canino said:


> *It is a violation to: *Use any vessel to harry, herd or drive fish including, but not limited to, operating any vessel in a repeated circular course, for the purpose of or resulting in the concentration of fish for the purpose of taking or attempting to take fish.


Good find! Chartered airboats in the back-country aren't exactly conducting point A-to-B fishing trips. If anyone sees a charter airboat full of people trying to sneak up on tailing reds please post a pic on Ripley's Believe It or Not.


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## saltygold

find out were there hunting and drive right thru were there duck hunting and just wave and smile


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## gater

*Nope*



saltygold said:


> find out were there hunting and drive right thru were there duck hunting and just wave and smile


That's against the law as well plus they have guns, probably not a good idea


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## Smackdaddy53

I despise them, the bay has become overrun with these guys. Every year the same struggle begins about this time of year as duck hunters start hauling duck blind materials to their spots and they don't give a **** if you are fishing a shoreline or not. Try East Matagorda Bay in about two months...if someone blindfolded you and ran you to the south shoreline and stopped you would swear you were at an air show or airport. It has gotten out of hand if you ask me and lots of other folks. Lots of folks hate my opinion but I really don't give a ****.


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## Smackdaddy53

Here is a post I saved from last year's experience. 
Greasy Ducks

Here on the middle coast airboat guides drop off yuppie duck hunters like little turds all over every inch of shoreline. Not a decoy or dog in sight...it is ridiculous poling the back lakes and you start looking around and there are friggin city slickers crouched down behind every clump of grass like they are hunting Charlie in 'nam. I respect the avid hunters that have been hunting there all their lives but at least they have a blind, a dog and a spread of decoys. Tards with money wanna get in on the Duck Dynasty fad. 
Rant over...I'll be catching sow trout on Fatboys while they are peppering each other with steel shot trying to kill a greasy *** duck.


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## Sgrem

I fish the flats and duck hunt. We have to find a way to all work together for the better good. If we don't stick together....ALL SPORTSMAN.....then we stand to lose the public access we have. 

Common courtesy goes a long way to preserving the activities of both outdoors pursuits.

Duck hunters should spend a day on the flats and flats fisherman should spend a day with a duck hunter and we all get educated.


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## Smackdaddy53

sgrem said:


> I fish the flats and duck hunt. We have to find a way to all work together for the better good. If we don't stick together....ALL SPORTSMAN.....then we stand to lose the public access we have.
> 
> Common courtesy goes a long way to preserving the activities of both outdoors pursuits.
> 
> Duck hunters should spend a day on the flats and flats fisherman should spend a day with a duck hunter and we all get educated.


I agree!


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## 2thDr

*airboat abuse*

I walked into a lake behind Paul's Mott 3 weeks ago. 6 airboats came in to fish the deeper hole. Lots of noise, but they politely crossed the lake away from me. However, when the last one left, it proceeded to run back and forth in front of me twice, wide open, doing donuts and I guess showing off for the clients on board. I believe most airboat guides are O'K, but obviously a few are really really bad. They know each other well. It might help if they would choose to police themselves. I will video if this happens again and contact the game warden.


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## Sgrem

Donuts in a lake you are trying to fish is very stupid and inconsiderate.....but not illegal.


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## rtoler

I knew a guy that that knew a guy that would tail him to the dock get his license plate and have his girlfriend run the truck license plate, find out where he lived, go to his house and give him four flats. Classic example of water rage I guessâ€¦.. Must be Hell to have a temper that bad. He fishes West Bayâ€¦.


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## karstopo

The weekend before Last weekend we were wading the little pocket by the old Airbase above the POC jetties. An airboat launched from the marsh lake there and instead of messing up our wade, it powered across an expanse of mostly flooded hard sand and salt grass and dropped into the bay away from us on his way south towards POC. The natural way was to come out the marsh drain, but that would have messed up our fishing. So at least one airboat crew on one outing did a nice thing.


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## Rich11111

Sounds good. Kudos to those that respect others on the water and flat tires to those that don't. Karma usually gets them


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## RUFcaptain

There are entire flats in POC that have been destroyed by air boats.


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## Golden

I may have posted this here before ... but this one still brings a smile to my face year after year!
...but one beautiful November morning back in 2005 we were down in POC quietly poling my boat along the J-Hook shoreline with my buddy on the front platform and a school of tails dead in our sights when along comes the the in-famous "Mickey Mouse" airboat (if you fish POC you know who I'm talking about) screaming out of Fish Pond down from behind us coming within 20 feet of my boat. He pulled right in front of us by 20 yards, shut it down (thank God) and dumped his clients right in front us scaring off the fish in a heart beat. Of course they bailed out, dropped their bait buckets, and set up a wade line 50 yards wide. Are you f#%&!ing kidding me! The Guide (term used loosely here) sat there in his piece of sh#$ airboat and had the gall when I asked right in front of his clients "Why the F did you do that a%%hole?" He calmly replied - "BECAUSE I CAN DUMB#%$!" So there you go that just about sums it up...
Of course I started up my boat, circled all the bait buckets three times and then told the guide where I'll be eating later that night if he thought he was man enough to do something about it. Funny thing, two of the guides' sports showed up at Cathy's and apologized to us for his behavior stating he didn't find them any birds or fish and the whole time he was acting like it was their fault they didn't have a good trip. They stiffed HIM! HAHAHAHAHAHA...MICKEY TOOK THIS ONE UP THE OLD POOP CHUTE!


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## Delesandwich

Any issues with these guys in the POC, A.P.or Rockport area give the CG a call. They'd like to know, Especially if they are unlicensed running trips.

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