Heads Up- Pissed Off Fisherman@ Skyway

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

I got this in my mailbox today and though I would pass it along:

I must say that i'm sad to see that your site fails to mention in it's saftey section that other people on the water deserve respect. i was fishing on the flats next to the sunshine skyway a week ago, i was at anchor when some of the 15-20 kite boarders crossed mullet key channel and began riding back and forth in front of my kayak. these riders showed no respect for the fact that i was fishing until one of them picked up all 4 fishing lines i had out and nearly got hooked. they didn't even say sorry. i was the only boat on this huge grass flat but that didn't seem to matter. is the ocean not big enough? i respect other people on the water and give them as much room as possible, kite boarders should do the same. shame on you and your website.

My reply:
Hi Mike,
I am sorry to hear that kiters messed up your fishing out there, and I will share this on the forum so that the local kiters can see it. Most kiters are very respectful people and easy to get along with. We have enough problems as it is with access for kiting these days, and we surely do not want to cause conflict with ANYONE on the water, period.

Just so you're aware (and can plan your fishing trips accordingly), the North Skyway rest area is a spot many kiters use on North or West winds, as it offers shallow water and fewer hazards than most of the other launch sites. You can be fairly certain that if the wind is out of the North or the West, that there will be a bunch of kiters out there riding. For South and East winds, East Beach at Ft. Desoto Park, or East side of the Skyway rest area is where many of the kiters will be.

Once again, I am sorry to hear about your day getting interrupted, and will pass the message on to other kiters, so we may avoid these kind of problems in the future. If you have any other issues with kiters in the area, feel free to call me to discuss it.
Regards,

PLEASE GIVE WAY TO ALL WATER USERS!

[Unimog Bob]

As you know Steve, I am 'Sarcasm' on KF.
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.p...60711&start=10

Any kiter close to a fisherman is a making a moron move, imo.
As this fisherman clearly states, we have the entire fricking area to ride... and wtf?
Learn some respect and common sense (like fishing poles have lines and hooks attached)
It's embarrassing sometimes just how clueless some "watermen" are of others on the water. No doubt b/c many have little time on the water prior to kiting.

This is a jetski move, and why so many learned to hate them.

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

Gee, I had NO IDEA that was you Scotty...

I am just thankful he complained to me instead of making a bigger stink out of it with someone else.

[Gator Gris]

I tell all of my fishing buddies that kite surfing is the perfect compatible sport. When it is windy, fishing is $*itty.

[Unimog Bob]

Yeah. I fished at least 4 days a week for several years until kiting came into my life. I routinely went out in pretty high wind, btw (prior to kiting) especially during King Fish season (which is now). But, then I just couldn't justify the cost of a boat when wind is free and finally sold it.

Anyway, these guys spend a lot of time getting in a spot and are often on fish that are in one specific area. They should be shown respect and we should stay away from them. Now, if a large yacht is motoring back in the ICW, just W of Backside SW... well... surf his wake.