My favorite fishing place is a small (162 acre) lake. The landing is shallow and the big boats can't launch so the boats are mostly on the smaller side. About 75% of the shoreline is undeveloped because it's in a county park. Among the residents on the developed side of the lake are of course a few with big boats and unfortunately because they live on the lake seem to believe they own it. I was fishing yesterday - a really beautiful fall day with sun and a light breeze and almost no one else on the lake - a perfect day for a fair-weather fisherman. In the evening one of the residents came out with his Triton and a massive Evinrude in the 200hp range. The whole outfit was the size of a small Great Lakes freighter. Needless to say, on a 160 acre lake, by the time this juggernaut gets to full throttle it's already on the other side of the lake. At full power the thing sailed over the water with the stern hidden in a mist of spray, I have to say it was pretty impressive. So this guy went from place to place like some giant bumble bee sampling his favorite sweet spots. He'd stop and make a few casts and then go screaming off to the next spot. Also impressive were the wakes he created when he was at low speed plowing through the water. Twice he came within about 100' of my 12' jon boat at low speed, both times creating wakes that had I not been paying attention would have swamped me. There are protocols and common courtesies that most boaters abide by but a guy like this can really turn a perfect day into a bad time in a hurry. I don't really know whether someone like this is ignorant or just doesn't care but one thing's for sure, he's never owned a 12' boat. Near dusk (the second time he nearly swamped me) he went to his dock and picked up his girlfriend/wife and if I'm not mistaken a bottle of Jim Beam. They went out into the middle of the lake and just drifted around doing whatever they were doing. I thought to stop on my way to the landing and give him an earful but figured that it would be a waste of my time. I don't know what it might take to clue this guy in but I guess when you're the biggest fish in the pond you don't worry about it. It's too bad because there are mostly responsible boaters out there and this guy gives them all a black eye.