Fun with the Lifeguards at Castaic 6/14/2010

[TroutOnly]

Thats funny fishfinder, stu its one of the oldest ways around to anchor off a point,those sport boats should not be cutting in between rons boat and the point as a matter of safety,,,,,,hey realanus boy the cops are way cooler than the suntan boys and girls,,,,,,,,,,,,maybe youre just paranoid,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[fishinone]

So if I understand how you were anchored, one was in deep water, and the other was essentially "on the shore"? So your rope was floating on the surface? How far were you from that anchor line that was moored on shore? Sounds like enough for them to slip through and cut your line. I understand your frustration with the lifeguards but I am not understanding why you would anchor up like that in the first place.

I was 100 to 130 ft from shore. My anchor was up on the rocks about 4 ft out of the water. My bright yellow anchor rope was suspended in the air for most of it's length at least.

I anchor like that because I'm in the place that we are not permitted to go past. Niether is anyone else. We aren't allowed to tie on the buoy line that's illegal. Putting one anchor out in 120 ft on the mud bottom and one on the point allows me to adjust my position to pretty much any place on the point.

Great way to anchor I do it all the time. There really isn't and speeding allowed in that area specially enough to cut your anchor rope between the shore and boat. The speed boaters should stay at least 150 feet away from the shore and fisherman. in the past I have had good encounters with the life guards two or three times helping to hold the boat at the docks on those strong windy afternoons that can come up quik. Only one bad encounter with the sheriff when we rolled (floated) in like 40 minutes late when there was a good afternoon topwater bite, and was told that the next time it would be like some 380.00 or 480.00 fine the next time.

Yea, the anchoring system works great. It's legal and it was done in place where only someone breaking the law would cause a problem.

I really think that the Lifeguards just didn't understand that with only one anchor I wasn't where I had been when this bozo cut my line.

40 minutes? I can't believe you didn't get a ticket.

im still wondering about this anchoring situation. this is blowing my mind. either you have a ridiculously long anchor rope or this was the most dangerous maneuver ever performed on a boat. either you were waaaay to far from the shore which makes no sense because how did the rope go from the point to your boat and still remain effective? orrrr this guy cut between an average distance of you from the point. i guess the lesson we all learned today was shorten the distance on our janky anchoring systems and keep our eyes out for yahoos

I have ridiculously long anchor ropes but I was only using the ends of them.

How far from shore am I allowed to be?

I'm going to anchor legally and keep my eyes out for the authorities who don't seem to understand what the guy in the boat clearly understood. He was breaking the law.

Most of the life guards are retards ,only a couple are actually decent ,they like to treat the fishing people like second class people as comparison the water sport idiots who dont know how to behave them selves they launch there boats and turn istantly into idiots , ive watched them at that lake since it opened,,,,,,,,,,,

I can understand your point of view but I don't want to presume that I know their motivations.

They seem to claim that they have authority over me while at the same time claiming that they don't have authority over skiers and speed boaters.

Maybe we're just easier people to deal with so they try to solve the problem by pushing us around instead of trying to talk to the people intentionally causing problems.

[FishermanStu]

Do people on boats understand that its not just rules that are broken and property that is damaged but lives are lost? Im still pretty bummed hearing about this.

[fishfinder]

I have a story to tell: In the middle of the week one day, we were out trolling. There was hardly a boat to be seen on the lake. Well this was a day we brought our little propane bbq on the boat and were cooking up some tasty burgers on the front deck of the boat. It was kinda comical, cause smoke was pouring off the boat from the burgers. Sure enough we attracted some attention from the lifeguards, who must have thought we had caught the boat on fire. Upon getting a closer look, the lifeguards/women realized we were bbqing, and told us You are going in the wrong direction, and quikly told me the counterclockwise rules of boating. She was right and we made no fuss about it, although i always thought this was a dumb rule for trollers, cause we are barely moving anyways. Point being, had he been a fisherman cutting through a pleasure boaters anchor, then all hell would have been raised. There was a good point made on this post, that fisherman pay the magority of the lake fees throughout the year, and should be treated like first class citizens.

[Eat Sleep Fish]

I have a story to tell: In the middle of the week one day, we were out trolling. There was hardly a boat to be seen on the lake. Well this was a day we brought our little propane bbq on the boat and were cooking up some tasty burgers on the front deck of the boat. It was kinda comical, cause smoke was pouring off the boat from the burgers. Sure enough we attracted some attention from the lifeguards, who must have thought we had caught the boat on fire. Upon getting a closer look, the lifeguards/women realized we were bbqing, and told us You are going in the wrong direction, and quikly told me the counterclockwise rules of boating. She was right and we made no fuss about it, although i always thought this was a dumb rule for trollers, cause we are barely moving anyways. Point being, had he been a fisherman cutting through a pleasure boaters anchor, then all hell would have been raised. There was a good point made on this post, that fisherman pay the magority of the lake fees throughout the year, and should be treated like first class citizens.

This guy gets it. Now why don't more of you guys get it. Get it. DO IT.

[Fire Ball]

This guy gets it. Now why don't more of you guys get it. Get it. DO IT.

I get it too.

[kaneo]

I love the fact you told her that it was her opinion and your not interested in hearing it.

Nothing more should of been said, you should of turned your back to her and motored off.

That would of been classic!

As for Kaneo, I am a little hesitant to hate on the guy, suppose he traveled a long way just to fish Castaic or his one day off? Who knows? Can't hate on the guy that much. It's not like he left you high and dry at closing time. He made an attempt to get you help atleast. That tow back to the docks you asked for would of taken an hour.

I've towed many a guys back to the ramp and HATED EVERY second of it!

cutbait, i do understand about the bass fisherman not wanting to tow me back to the ramp. i do understand i would have been taken time away from his afternoon of fishing, and i really do not think he called, because most phones do not get a signal back in the dry gulch area.... if he did call they never made any attempt to find me. i found them in old s.s. as i was trolling in towards the marina... if ANYONE EVER ASK'S ME FOR A TOW, I DROP WHAT IM DOING AND HELP..... it called being a concerned fellow boater..... it was not a low gas issue that caused the boat not too start.... not one other boater offered help, skiers waking me 50 feet away, going back into a 15 mph head wind on a trolling motor is no fun.... it took me one hour before i reached the lifeguards.... i also fish the salt with many friends on their boats, and they are always helping any boaters in distress.... it karma.... fishing is for fun, helping someone is because you care... what if my trolling motor went dead and i got washed on the rocks... not very cool.... and maybe i would have compensated him for towing me in ?? i mean it was only like 11am, he still would have had another 7 hours to fish... but just my point of view

[seance]

So you were anchored 100' - 130' from shore. Sorry to hear about all the crap you went through. I was at Castaic about a month ago and was anchored up 35'-40' off of a point in a no wake zone and within an hour I had 3 diff idiots in boats cut in between the shore line & myself. Two of the boat boneheads were making a 18" plus wake as they pass by & I'm looking right at them, shaking my head. I can't get over how clueless some of these people are.

[bassmeister]

Yeah, I didn't get the ticket because i told the sheriff that my starter battery was dead and I had to remove a trolling motor battery to start the boat. I just removed one trolling motor battery and had it laying out on the floor.

[TopwaterTony]

Your anchoring makes sense now thanks for explanation, although I think, given the crowds, the situation you encountered seemed inevitable for possibly 2 reasons. If the buoy line was not in place, one it might not obvious to some that don't frequent Castiac and don't know that area is off limits, and second, there are those other types that just don't heed at rules regardless of that knowledge. Obviously this person didn't pay attention to you attempting to warn them off. Either way, it does suck, and I feel your pain.