Tourist Jet Boat on the French Broad?

[Byron Begley]

I hate to show you this. I think this is what we are looking forward to. Check it out on YouTube.

Byron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbN4tvQD3Jk

[Byron Begley]

Gary,

I didn't see the video you posted. Same company in New Zealand. Maybe the same kind of boats.

Byron

[waterwolf]

First Gatlinburg dumps raw sewage into a trophy smallmouth river and gets basically a slap on the wrist for how they manage the facility and protect the surrounding water resource. I heard another person was killed there yesterday.
Now something like this might be coming. Can you imagine wading out on the river on a nice calm peaceful shoal and this blows by you. How would you feel if they did something like this on the South Holston, Watauga, or the Clinch river? How about the little river also? Wish there was some way to stop this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBT-2yGXVwU

Good news for the latter 3 you mention is that the low water jet crowd will only get so far before they lose pieces of motors or hull to the rivers. If they could, they would already be there in mass.

You may not want to hear this Troutman but as I was waiting for the water to go down on the so.ho. last week one of the shallow running jet boats screamed up the river.

I suppose air boats on low water will be next.

c.v.

There is 2 air boats on the Holston now. I have seen them quite a few times in the last few years.

This jet boat thing is nothing new, they decimated the lower Pigeon around Newport years and years ago, by running out of Douglas to add smallmouth to their tournament limits.

If this bothers those of you who frequent the french broad, then why aren't you all raising holy **** over another serious threat? That threat is the new fad of river bass tournaments which have taken off in the last few years. That poses a serious threat versus an aesthetic threat to the river.

[Corbo]

Well; I owned two jet boats (trackers) when I moved here and sold them as I didn't think I would have much use for them because I primarily avoid bass fishing. If you didn't know, BASS is a four letter word. LOL

When I moved here I found that both hulls were too heavy to run in most trout water; about the only place I think a jet would come in handy for trout would be the Clinch AND then it might be difficult to navigate without pissing off wade fishers.

There's is nothing that aggravates me more than someone motoring bye when I'm wading; this has happened to me on the Holston a few times and it puts the fish down.

At least most driftboaters offer an "accuse me" when they drift through your feeding lane.

Just wait until there is a "concordia" disaster when they strike a shoal at 40 miles an hour; it will happen.

[MadisonBoats]

Good news for the latter 3 you mention is that the low water jet crowd will only get so far before they lose pieces of motors or hull to the rivers. If they could, they would already be there in mass.
......

Agreed, the point is large jet boats. I see small boats on the river every other day. However; I am probably one of the few people who goes up the river on low-water conditions. Lots of bottom scooting and not very practical for most motors. I saw the cowl hood off of a newer model 200 Black Max two-weeks ago below Massengill Bridge. Seems somebody hit a little bump. I am aware of a handful of boat flips/crashes in this area already in the past few months. One was particularly bad and I am surprised no one drowned.

......
When I moved here I found that both hulls were too heavy to run in most trout water; about the only place I think a jet would come in handy for trout would be the Clinch AND then it might be difficult to navigate without pissing off wade fishers. ....

Although the Clinch is wide; it is treacherous in many places and deceiving. Most boats do fine on one-generator; but, I would not even consider taking one out on any low-flows.

[Knothead]

Anything for a buck! Tourism brings a lot of $$$$ into the state but where do we draw the line? If someone wants to live dangerously, drive through Atlanta during rush hour Friday evening.

[Mike_Anderson]

Wait till they open three or four large commercial Kayak rental companies dumping hundreds of city folks into the river all day long,, every day. Tying up access areas for hours at a time, pouring trash into the river, bumping into you because they can't paddle, seeing who can smack their paddle against the water the loudest, picking fights with fishermen, being drunk and obnoxious, etc, etc. If you would like a preview of what that would be like come visit the Caney Fork this summer. It's pretty much ruined the river as a fishing destination.

[Flat Fly n]

Maybe a few well placed signs to keep them off the river:

a) Raw Sewage discharged freguently! PS...Mostly Yankee sewage!

b) Remember the movie - Deliverance?

[Grannyknot]

I saw the zip line structure this past weekend. I thought it actually blended in quite well with the rest of the area atrocities.

[Corbo]

The few times I've headed into the Park to fish Greenbriar it was pretty much NON fishable due to tourists; all the best pools were full of people playing in the river or throwing a ball for their dog... then there are the fruit loops in Townsend.

At least I don't wade fish for trout near the 66 bridge on the French Broad.

QUESTION THOUGH... Because this jet boat business is taking PAYING CUSTOMERS on a motorize craft would all the operators be required to have Coast Guard approved & licensed CAPTAINS?

Anyone know if this is the law?

Half the businesses in Sevierville hire "Guest workers" or Ukrainians, russians etc. for the summer.... how would you like it if the Captain didn't speak English and you were screaming "Look out for the rocks"?