Flats Class TV

I've been on the water nearly every day over the past two weeks and have noticed more than my share of inconsiderate anglers.  We have to address this issue because more and more new anglers are being introduced to the sport and they think these bad behaviors (burning mangrove edges & flats and crowding other anglers in shallow water) are the norm!  It's got to stop...I used to get frustrated by jet skis not anymore, it's my fellow anglers burning mangrove islands and flats. 

Yesterday I was fishing with clients in a back bay near Terra Ceia we had just caught our first redfish when two young men in an older tower boat ran through burning the mangrove edges with us less than 100 yards away then they peel out and silting out the entire area. I fish everywhere from Texas to North Carolina but nowhere do I see this lack of respect for other anglers like I do from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor!

Please give us your thoughts on a list of ethics for fishing shallow water so we can help promote them on the show and help educate new anglers just getting into the sport.  Do we set up more "No Combustion Zones" or "Pole and Troll Areas Only"?

We need your two cents.

I do not own  a boat currently however; I think it would be important to establish more poll and troll designated areas.  In my opinion I feel that doing so can be beneficial in a few ways.  It will have a positive impact from an angling perspecitve if vessels can only get up on plane within so many feet of the zone in addition to assisting with the regeneration of prop scared damaged grass flats.  In my area of the State (space coast) we have two areas which I have heard produce as the result of doing so.  One is the NMZ (no motor at all - having an electric or gas on the vessel and not using it is a violation- strictly paddle or pole) Banana River and the poll and troll zone in M - Lagoon which I am sure that anyone who fishes the ML can speak on this area specifcally.  All I know is that I have to deal with plenty of yahoos either fishing from shore or when wading.  I can only imagine that it gets a bit more painful once you have motored down and poled for the last 45 mins to negotiate a good position to have someone buzz the flat and or motor up to you to see how the bite is going.  I think this would get my blood presure a bit elevated to say the least.  I think it would be even tougher to swallow when you have paying clients on board and a similar scenario unfolds.