Fishing Pots - Warning

[boristhebold]

For anyone on south coast who likes to visit Durlston area and see the sea birds there is a new fishing pot placed right in the area many of us like to cruise along at low knots and look at the cliffs and the sea birds.

Spotted it on saturday a large red fishing pot marker, gave it a wide berth (well I thought I had) of two boat lengths 15M and still managed to snag the line. I was in 7m of water and 15M away from pot marker and snagged the line, dont know how I managed to do this, luckily it didnt foul the prop and only caught on lower leg of outboard and I was only doing about 3 knots, im glad i glanced back and spotted the marker buoy moving.

Big brown trouser momemt as the tide was running toward the cliffs, I was on my own and I was only about 25 metres from cliff, switched engine off and raised outboard and cleared rope from lower leg, restarted and all was well.

I hate fishing pot markers and the places fisherman like to put them.

So anyone on south coast visiting durlston area (the cliffs between durlston castle and the light house) then beware, still cant figure out how I snagged the line as I gave it suitable clearence unless the line itself was somehow floating half a metre beneath the surface.

250kts beware if this fishing pot and marker buoy are still there for the start of your season as I know you visit this area a few hundred times a season.

[Ovey]

Thanks for the warning, and I'm pleased you got away with no damage or dramas!

Most fishermen work out the correct length of line to use for the depth (+ a bit extra) so the marker stays above the pot with not much (if any) slack. However some leave deep water lines attached even when setting in shallow depths. As such the buoyant line tries to float to the surface, which isn't too bad when a tide runs as the line goes tight diagonally up to the pot. As the tide changes there's not so much pull and the line floats to the surface, trailing behind the marker. It sounds like this happened to you.

[lukewhiting]

Had a similar incident in swanage bay.

Heading just past the pevril point toward poole, passed a buoy that wAs a good 20m away. Doing about 30mph the nose of the nose boat suddenly dug in and I ground to a sudden holt!

Turned out the line was floating and it got tangled in the prop.

Luckily cut it free with no damage but it's not something I want to do again

[tonymac]

Loads of pots around my usual ribbing grounds.

Usually they are ok and I manage to leave well alone.
However had one serious incident with 6 crew aboard
Luckily the knife got me out of it and engine started up again ok to get me home.

Fisherman generally leave the pots close to land and I steer clear.

Any left out in the channels however are fair game to my knife if I touch it!

Good way to sort the prob you have outlined.

[boristhebold]

One year to the day I posted this and was out yesterday and ran over a fishing pot line at moderate speed, luckily I managed to pull kill cord in time and it just caught my lower outboard leg. The line was floating across the water and as I had given pot marker a wide berth I decided to investigate the line.

The pot marker was a 5litre plastic oil container, depth of water was 3.2M and in an area frequented by lots of power boats. I pulled the line and 35metres, yes 35Meters later it resisted my pulling as lead weight on the line. So that was about 31metres of line or rather rope floating on the water surface.

So in an area which depth only changes by about a couple of metres at maximum would a fisherman have 30+ meters of rope which can float attached to the weight.

I was rather miffed.

[treerat]

I think I'd have been up 30m of rope.......

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by treerat

I think I'd have been up 30m of rope.......

Yep I think I'd have cut it off far enough below the water for it to no longer be a hazard

[Pikey Dave]

There's an article in this months RYA magazine regarding fishing gear. It's now a legal requirement that all fishing gear is clearly marked, this is supposed to be policed & enforced by ICFA, but it's an impossible task & a low priority. Like the others, I'd cut it. (After I'd pulled it up to see what was on the end)


.....sh1t happens.......

[Maximus]

Portland Bill is a real problem area!!
A proliferation of Pots close in (where it often pays to be to keep out of the Race) Coupled with the Spring Tides there...when it's ripping the Bouys are always submerged just under the surface!.. hard to spot...and a REAL Hazard to Power Boats.
NOT the place you want to loose Power!!
Just a case of proceeding with extreme care,if it's not too rough,it does pays to have someone in the Bow on lookout.
You've been Warned

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

There's an article in this months RYA magazine regarding fishing gear. It's now a legal requirement that all fishing gear is clearly marked, this is supposed to be policed & enforced by ICFA, but it's an impossible task & a low priority. Like the others, I'd cut it. (After I'd pulled it up to see what was on the end)


.....sh1t happens.......

No wonder the French always give you a Hard Time!!!

[Kev UK]

Out mackerel fishing in the summer with a hand line and drifted past what looked like a giant jelly fish .
Motored back to where it was and it was still there so hooked it with the boat hook.
Turned out to be a buoy and rope below the surface covered in weed linked to a lobster pot which a local had lost the summer before.
Took it and all the weed ashore to the guy who never said thanks so know what will happen next time......but an obstacle was removed from the bay.
Regards

[kaman]

I do a fair bit of sea fishing in South West Scotland.
In some areas the amount of pots is ridiculous.
To make matters worse a lot of the buoys are joined together with sub surface painters.
These treacherous lengths of rope can span 60 plus feet between markers - horizontally suspended beneath the waves like a trip wire menacingly waiting to snag on a propeller.
I must admit I have cut more than one in anger with my filleting knife.

[Brian]

I can't understand all this moaning about pot markers.
They are there, and so are you-the difference is they are static-so avoid them and keep a sharp lookout.
They are put there by guys working-it's their living.
Most of you are having fun and enjoying yourselves.
And as for those of you cutting lines and not rejoining them-well shame on you.

[Stuart1975]

Originally Posted by Brian

I can't understand all this moaning about pot markers.
They are there, and so are you-the difference is they are static-so avoid them and keep a sharp lookout.
They are put there by guys working-it's their living.
Most of you are having fun and enjoying yourselves.
And as for those of you cutting lines and not rejoining them-well shame on you.

if they earning a living they should do it safely and know how deep the water is and NOT put other people at risk

cut every one in my book, boats are easily spotted and avoided - ropes and crappy little markers aren't and become dangerous to boats so don't defend people who are supposed to be professional earning a living

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Stuart1975

if they earning a living they should do it safely and know how deep the water is and NOT put other people at risk

cut every one in my book, boats are easily spotted and avoided - ropes and crappy little markers aren't and become dangerous to boats so don't defend people who are supposed to be professional earning a living

Totally agree with that! greedy fishermen potentially risking people's lives because they can't be arsed to do things properly deserve to lose there gear
Just because we boat for pleasure doesn't give others the right to make it dangerous for us
Perhaps if more dodgy markers got cut off the offenders might get the hint

[kaman]

Originally Posted by Brian

I can't understand all this moaning about pot markers.
They are there, and so are you-the difference is they are static-so avoid them and keep a sharp lookout.
They are put there by guys working-it's their living.
Most of you are having fun and enjoying yourselves.
And as for those of you cutting lines and not rejoining them-well shame on you.

Brian I would whole heartedly agree with that statement if the practice was carried out in a responsible manner.
I have seen pots marked with up turned clear plastic 4 pint milk containers.
Hardly visible!!!
The ones that are clearly marked I have given an extra wide berth only to find that the lazy bar steward who put them there has joined 4 or 5 pots together with a length of rope - merely to facilitate a quick recovery.
I took exception last year when out with the wife and kids - pottering along next thing the outboard is nearly yanked off the transom by a rope no more than 1ft below the water.
I traced it back to a string of 5 pots each pot being 25 yds apart.
I had no hesitation cutting this highly dangerous under water painter.
As I'm not a complete arse I made sue that the ends were tied off so that the pots could be recovered individually.
In my eyes that was my reminder to whom ever set them - have a bit more respect as others use the waters as well.

[boristhebold]

If fisherman set the pots correctly there would not be a problem, I am very supportive of commercial fisherman, they have a very hard job to do, I just wish all fisherman commercial or not would think about safety of others more and not use lines that float and just set the gear up the right way for the area.

To be perfectly frank I think maybe 75% of the problem is perhaps non commercial fisherman, there are lots of examples of well set out pots that are also well marked but equally lots of badly set pots.

If your going to use 30+ metres of floating line in a depth of around 3.5 metres in an area which is in the natural path to the majority of leisure boaters going along a well known spot on the south coast its going to be an issue to someone at some time and being very near rocks it could end in disaster for someone let alone a £400 bill last year for me for damaged hydrolics (I was lucky).

Bit like if someone put a large brick in the middle of a motorway lane.

I expect the only time legislation will be called to be enforced is when something really bad happens. (is there legislation to do with pots and lines ?)

The pot in question isn't an issue anymore, or rather the line isn't as I could hardly leave 35M of line floating on the sea right across a well used transit route. (sorry mr fisherman but didn't have any other choice).

Bah humbug. LOL

[slate1234]

I have to agree with Brian, how would you like someone comeing to your house, business premises, or work vehicle and cutting phone line, slashing tyres ect, as for pulling up nets, pots its plane theft, you are no better than someone who steals ribs outboards or breaks into house's its a mans liveing you are takeing , if your near llandulas there are a lot of nets but all are close in

[rnwright1969]

We don't have a huge problem with poorly marked pots in my neck of the woods, that said some of the shot-lines can be a bit long and with floating rope that can be an issue, that said a little knowledge about the tide and you can give them a nice wide berth.
I am a bit twitchy about the idea of just cutting shot lines, this leaves the string of pots effectively 'ghost fishing' until such a time as a diver comes along and slashes open the sides or the metal base rots away, in either case a potential significant amount of time.
The problem of fishermen stopping the launching of RIBS from 'their' harbours also becomes problematic if they suspect phantom slashers......

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by slate1234

I have to agree with Brian, how would you like someone comeing to your house, business premises, or work vehicle and cutting phone line, slashing tyres ect, as for pulling up nets, pots its plane theft, you are no better than someone who steals ribs outboards or breaks into house's its a mans liveing you are takeing , if your near llandulas there are a lot of nets but all are close in

Whoa there boy!!! Commercial fishermen have a duty of care to the public, just like any other business. If I caused injury to the public during the course of my business activities, then I'd be hung out to dry. The law requires fishing gear to be clearly marked, if it isn't, then the fisherman is in breach of the law. Like others, I give VISIBLE gear a wide berth, if it's been set irresponsibly & I run into it, then out comes the knife. Rather than abandon any catch to starve to death, I'd liberate it.


.....sh1t happens.......