OSMB Vs Willy Wake Bros.

Looks like springer fishing in the downtown area of the Willamette will be a little less choppy going forward. It's probably not such good news for those who fish other stretches of the river. I imagine Hagg Lake will see more tow-behind boating activity too.

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/01/29/oregon-state-marine-board-wake-sports-restrictions-willamette-river/

Will be interesting, but I gladly welcome this change.   Wake surfing is the devil in narrow areas of the Willamette.  Still allows for skiing and boarding (just not surfing) upstream of Sellwood.  Reading the new reg, I kind of wish they had worded it a bit different.  Rather than targeting "wake surfing" by name I feel they should have just banned wake enhancing devices since that is what is creating the problem wake.  I feel its easier to define what devices are not acceptable rather than a nebulous definition of an activity.   In the transit zone, nothing keeping a DB wakeboard boat from keeping their WED deployed as they go through, even if they dont have anyone being towed. 

Hagg at least has half the lake dedicated to a no-wake zone so you can at least escape it.   I would be worried more about the lewis river system reservoirs seeing increased traffic.  At least they are pretty cold until mid summer.

I've posted about this before, but hey, this issue is current again!

I used to wakeboard all the time, I love the sport, and I still wakeboard when I have the opportunity (no, I'm not very good, it's just fun). So, I guess I would consider what I'm about to say an "informed opinion". I also really dislike laws for the sake of laws. But the bottom line is that the wakeboard community has done this to themselves, and I honestly wish the new rules were more restrictive than they are. Shin's suggestion as to improved wording is a good one, too.

There are plenty of wakeboarders out there that just want to have a good time and not bother anyone, but unfortunately they are a smaller and smaller proportion of the crowd every year. The other folks seem to think that anywhere they can drop their $150k boat is Lake Havasu. I have never understood why people will drive 30 minutes to wakeboard a crowded, narrow, sewage-having section of the Willamette instead of driving 60 minutes to wakeboard a wide open stretch of the Columbia. Not as many people to show off your boat to, would be my guess.

But anyway the real issue here is competition for the resource. (I would argue another issue is simple lack of civility, but I digress.) There has never been more pressure on the river from a bunch of different hobbies, and never been as many people using the river. It's worse every year with no end in sight. Hopefully we can find a lean set of rules that represent the greatest number of stakeholders.

As for me, I really enjoy fishing the Willamette including some of the busy spots. I've made my peace with sharing with a bunch of other users that have different priorities. But really I'm just biding my time until I can GTFO.

Not to mention wake enhancing devices consisting of water filled ballast tanks are a HUUUUUGE invasive species risk.

But really I'm just biding my time until I can GTFO.

Leaving us?? Or just hoping to get outside more?

Mebbe leaving the Portland area

But really I'm just biding my time until I can GTFO.

Leaving us?? Or just hoping to get outside more?

Oh hey I missed this somehow. It's in my long term goals to spend more of my fishing time further from the city. Right now I can't as much as I'd like. I could see myself living in a more rural area eventually but who knows.

I spend most of my time on the Willamette upstream of the restricted area, so I won't benefit from the restrictions much, but I want to state my main objections to wakeboarders: 1) too many of the wakeboard boat skippers play too much hip-hop way too loud, 2) they go too frickin' slow. I find it annoying to hear those things coming my way for 10 minutes and then going away for another 10 minutes. Ski boats and PWC at least have the decency to not stick around. 

But really I'm just biding my time until I can GTFO.

Leaving us?? Or just hoping to get outside more?

Oh hey I missed this somehow. It's in my long term goals to spend more of my fishing time further from the city. Right now I can't as much as I'd like. I could see myself living in a more rural area eventually but who knows.

Plenty of room and fishing at the coast captain!!!

Plenty of room and fishing at the coast captain!!!

  It's on the short list for sure.