Now here this....
 

You ever passed those small convoys in enemy territory consisting of fishing boats, sampans, etc? Ever noticed that every time you passed them the Japanese sends out their planes for you. I think they got lookout spies on those boats. I wouldn't waste ammo on them I just submerge.

That's probably the safest option :)

This is what happened once when I started taking them out(this happened in the Korea straits). Every contact and sunk ship in these pics is a fishing boat:

http://staufa.bounceme.net/files/tutorial/fboats.jpg

http://staufa.bounceme.net/files/tutorial/fboats2.jpg

Take a close look at the fishermen.....they have antenna on their masts!!!!! You bet they are calling in for some fishermen support:arrgh!:

Umm...it's "hear", if you want someone to listen to you.:sunny:

Well, excuse me. It's a typo. Holy Bilge Rat over 12,000 posts! What? You live here?:rotfl:

Wow! Fincuan you took them all out! Those sunk boats made a Y shape.:rock:

Was just bein' helpful.

I don't live here...but I camp out in the lobby.:sunny:

It's exacerbated in the stock game by the fact that they all have radar, lol.

Historically, some of those fishing boats did infact, act as pickets and radio in or otherwise notify the local japanese forces of a US submarine in the area. Boats would infact avoid them, to avoid being seen because of this.

Yeah, this is true. There was a picket of trawlers ~600-650 miles off the japanese coast I believe.