VENTING!!

[outdoorsman]

I was out at Anna this past weekend , I noticed the traffic picking up out there. I'm new to the area , but there are some idiots out there driving ski boats and waverunners. I'm not saying those watercrafts should not be allowed on the water just the people who drive them. Oh , bass boats do it as well. Example: Going underneath the 208 bridge no big deal stay to the right side, wrong.........here comes this a--hole in a cabin cruiser on my side. I see him aways

off and it's like playing chicken on which hole to use. Another one while I'm on a roll......fishing a creek arm, this SOB in a wake board boat comes by throwing a 5 foot wake, soaks the front deck. Not once but twice. ( words were exchanged ) Like I said those boats including people who drive bass boats have just as much right on the water as we do but for god sake be courteous. I do feel better...thanks for reading. Oh, that may be why Va is making it mandatory for a certification class to operate watercraft.

[rondef]

I hear you, I have experienced the same type of behavior there.  There are a lot of people that should not be on the water.  I will be glad when the phase in the boater safety class, I already took it last June and have my certificate with me in my boat at all times.

[JCrzy4Bass]

Welcome to the wonderful ways of Lake Anna.  Unfortunately pleasure boaters will now run amuck well into September.  That's why they say Lake Anna is a great "winter" fishery and early spring fishery.  Once the water warms up you have to navigate around kids swimming, dogs swimming, jet skiiers, pleasure boaters, etc.  Not fun at all anymore.

Even most of the quiet coves are full of these people and there really isn't a bunch of fishing room.

I totally agree though.  These kids and people on the water craft need to take a safety class and there needs to be more caution on this body of water.  I've seen some pretty bad crashes out there and people trying to do stupid stunts.  As well as pleasure boaters and skiiers running their boats within 20-30 yards of fishermen and creating insane wakes and being completely obnoxious.

Unfortunately this rant gets made every year, but this lake is for everyone so not much we can do.  Just wish they'd have more managerial type persons watching these waters and more enforced regulations for everyone on the lake so we can ALL enjoy it YEAR ROUND.

Best bet, go up lake til you reach the river.  There it will be much better for fishing.  Sorry to hear about your outing.

[Trevor in Burke]

I've got 4 waverunners and we frequent Lake Anna all summer with them.  I'm very aware of fishermen and even look around like a fishermen when I'm there.  There are many deep coves there to get away from heavy boat traffic, even on mid day weekends.  However, your best bet is to fish early mornings and evenings in the middle of the week.  We launch our runners from the state park around 9 or so and we're always the first ones there and in the mid-week it doesn't pick up till well after 10, in the mid summer all the fish are pushed into heavy cover and shade by then anyway which is fishable in the back of some coves.

[Wayne P.]

Trev, some of the best summer fishing spots are within sight of the State Park and in the middle of the lake. You are fooling yourself if you think the bass go in the back of some cove to hide from the reckless antics of jet skiers and water skiers. There are no shady or heavy cover areas on the lake. Some of the best times to catch bass in the summer is mid day.

[JCrzy4Bass]

All of our summer bass were caught off dock slips, mouths of coves adjacent to deeper water (mostly rocky areas with timber as well).

Most of the coves we fished we never saw too many fish on the depth finder with.  Most of the productive summer spots I've heard from other guys were deeper water adjacent to points with channel bends and or drop off ledges (fishing w/ tubes).

Just my two cents.

[Trevor in Burke]

Trev, some of the best summer fishing spots are within sight of the State Park and in the middle of the lake. You are fooling yourself if you think the bass go in the back of some cove to hide from the reckless antics of jet skiers and water skiers. There are no shady or heavy cover areas on the lake. Some of the best times to catch bass in the summer is mid day.

I meant to get away from the hot sun not the boats, and by cover I meant tall trees creating shade and timber, which there is a lot of in the way back of certain coves, and there is a lot of grassy shorlines there.  I've gotten good fish in the way back of certain coves you have to pull the outboard up on, just to get in there... i didn't say all the fish i just said fish and was explaining how to get away from the traffic and still find good fish, you sir are fooling yourself if you think you can't find fish away from the middle and all the traffic.

[Trevor in Burke]

try in the way back of the coves of the islands

[Wayne P.]

Trev, thanks for the fishing location advice.  I have been fishing Lake Anna for over 30 years and know how and where to successfully catch bass there in all seasons. My point is that some of the best summertime fishing areas seem to be the chosen path of travel by watercraft of any description no mater if another watercraft is already there or not. I or no one else should to be harassed by non-caring, rude water craft operators where ever we choose to fish. If you are not one of those , THANK YOU. Basically, I don't have to and won't go hide in a cove to leave you or anyone else a particular spot to play.

[outdoorsman]

Hey Trev , how the hell do you ride four waverunners at a time?

Just kidding man, that was a joke. All I was trying to say in my origanal post is that there are idiots out there. I was more or less directing that at the people not the watercraft. I would be a hypocrite if I said I have never been on any of those types of watercraft waverunners ,ski boats, ect....  I was even on a huck fin raft

The point I was making were the people.

Now, ya'll go fish!

[Trevor in Burke]

Trev, thanks for the fishing location advice. I have been fishing Lake Anna for over 30 years and know how and where to successfully catch bass there in all seasons. My point is that some of the best summertime fishing areas seem to be the chosen path of travel by watercraft of any description no mater if another watercraft is already there or not. I or no one else should to be harassed by non-caring, rude water craft operators where ever we choose to fish. If you are not one of those , THANK YOU. Basically, I don't have to and won't go hide in a cove to leave you or anyone else a particular spot to play.

i never doubted you knowing where to fish or not or how long you've been fishing, thanks for sharing that though. I was just simply saying if you're bothered by it there are ways to get away from it, i agree you shouldn't HAVE to and i never said that, i was simply just proposing a possible solution to the inevitble problem he was presented with his last experience, and simply said fishing in the middle of the lake won't get you away from all the traffic if that's what you want, but fishing in the back of some of the protected coves will. That's all, I wasn't questioning anyones ability or knowledge.  That's absurd, so get off of that kick right about... now.

oh and i wasn't insuating you were talking about me and my waverunners outdoorsman and i wasn't defending any operators of them, after re-reading i can see that it came across that way, sorry, i know for a fact there are more idiots than not on those things

[JShrock07]

Speaking of the class where can I go to get the cert? I'd like to get it finished before I have to sit in the class with a bunch of pleasure boaters. Thanks

[Trevor in Burke]

What class are you talking about? boaters saftey? i though you only had to be certified in that if you were under 16... what gives? is there a new law or something i don't know about yet?

[rondef]

Nitroman,

You can go to www.boaterexam.com and sign up, take the online class and the online test. Once you pass the test you pay the fee and they let you print a temporary card and they mail you the permanent card within a few weeks. I took the exam in June 2007. Everyone will be required to pass the exam in the next couple of years.

Here is the phased in schedule:

PWC operators 50 years of age or younger and motorboat operators 20 years of age or younger by July 1, 2011

All personal watercraft operators, regardless of age, and motorboat operators 30 years of age or younger by July 1, 2012

Motorboat operators 40 years of age or younger by July 1, 2013

Motorboat operators 45 years of age or younger by July 1, 2014

Motorboat operators 50 years of age or younger by July 1, 2015

All motorboat operators, regardless of age, by July 1, 2016

Ron

[JShrock07]

Thank you so much for the info. It is very helpful!