What can be done about a frieghter pilot boat

[stinger63]

Running along the wall too closely and aggrivating fishermen?Where I fish at is off the wall on the st clair river and a loud annoying pilot boat that has the use of a river that is approximately 1/8-1/4 mile wide likes to run within 50-100 ft off the wall scaring the fish awayor spooking them so at the very least they wopnt want to bite.Is there some kind of law that this pilot is breaking by harrasing fishermen by doing this?Us wall fishermen would like to have this stopped if possible. Thanks Aaron.

[Sailor]

Call the Coast Guard and they'll call the Pilot Office.
Good luck.

[boehr]

There is no law that supports fishermen from fishing off a wall along a body of water that interferes with the passage of vessels. Vessels have first priority. I find it hard to believe a pilot boat is doing it for the sole purpose of bothering fishermen.

[Sailor]

Boehr is correct regarding the law, but the pilots do care about PR and I'm sure that if you complain they will give the wall a wide berth and check down.
But having said that they will probably consider you a crybaby. Also those fish are used to the heavy boat traffic and don't spook as easy as the fishermen.

[Ed Michrina]

Those pilot boats throw a HUGE scary wake. At least when your in a little 16 foot boat. Most times when they pass a group of small boat fisherman, they give them wide birth or keep the wake to a minimum when passing.

The Capitan probably isn't doing it on purpose

[stinger63]

There is no law that supports fishermen from fishing off a wall along a body of water that interferes with the passage of vessels. Vessels have first priority. I find it hard to believe a pilot boat is doing it for the sole purpose of bothering fishermen.

Im not sure actualy why this pilot does this.I think he just likes looking at people along the wall but then he does this in the middle of the night also when no one else is around except fishermen.The fish are spooked by this boat because the roar of the 2 detroit 571 desel engines is deafining and it similar to that of 40 something plus ft scarob boat thats running close along the wall.Salmon and trout are especialy sensitive to this kinda noise and when us fishermen sit there and wait for hours or days to catch one this just doesnt seem right for this pilot to do.He has the whole freekin river river and us fishermen only are able to use a small body of water near the wall where we fish at.

[CL-Lewiston]

Do all pilots run the same way. Perhaps there is a reason?

[Ferg]

There is no law - my recommendation would be to call and complain about the partiular boat in question to the pilots office, they are a professional group and take their job seriously.

Don't call with a vauge discription of the boat, call with times, hull numbers/markings etc. They keep dispatch logs and will know for sure whom the master of the pilot would be at any given time.

thanks

ferg....