Let’s Use Our Heads Out on the Water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Fourth of July weekend is suppose to be a time of fun and relaxing! Thanks to a fisherman that chose to take others lives in his hands on Saturday morning mine turned out to be a scary one and not so much fun! On Sat. morning the fog had rolled in HEAVY on Pool 4. My girlfriend and I made it out around 5:30am before the fog got real bad to chase everyones favorite brown fish. We were fishing a rip rap current break south of Wabasha when the fog got really bad. The kind of fog that you don’t see the end of your cast because you can’t see that far. We were fishing for about 20 minutes in this spot and didn’t want to move because of the fog. My girlfriend turned to me and said “Is that a train?” I quickly relized that someone who has desided that he is going to live forever is running thru this stuff. Being as close to shore as we were I was expecting to hear him go by us when I quickly realized that he was coming straight at us. I began to scream as loud as I could to get his attention. When out of the fog came a Ranger 205 that thank goodness was coming off plane. He would have come straight across my front deck and most likely destroyed both our boats and if, and only if, we were lucky would he have not killed me, my girlfriend and hopefully himself!!!! I got a half hearted “I’m sorry” and he drove off. I dropped f-bombs at him but he didn’t care, he is going to live forever! Running right behind him was some kind of Skeeter that took off into the fog before I could give him my two cents as well! My girlfriend was VERY shook up and so was I. My point, lets use our heads out there, is a little green or brown fish worth killing someone for? If it is please say so, that way I can take up golf! The same boat later desided to run the no-wake zone in Wabasha. You wonder why others hate bassfisherman? I don’t!!!!!!!!!!

I could care less for your post…..I apologize that this happened to you…but the fact that he was a bass fisherman had NOTHING to do w/this situation.

the PERSON was a moron, plain and simple.

Yes, please don’t take your personal bad experience out on other bass fishermen. There are plenty of bad boaters out there and they’re not all bass boats. In fact, there were many times where I could’ve dropped F-bombs to plenty of pleasure boaters this weekend alone…but to be honest, it won’t do any good because they’ll continue to do it.

There have been way too many attacks on bass boats on here lately, and it’s really getting kind of sickening. I’m sorry to hear about your experience…hopefully it won’t happen again.

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There have been way too many attacks on bass boats on here lately, and it’s really getting kind of sickening. I’m sorry to hear about your experience…hopefully it won’t happen again.

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If you jerks would stop running like maniacs, you wouldn’t get attacked. We all know bass boats are the scorge of the water!!

Ha, just kidding BC. I’m in complete agreement with both you and slop. Just trying to rile you boys a little!!!

BC and Slopbass, maybe I should have stated I’m a bassfisherman as well, I run a bassboat! My point is that the fact that this was a bassfisherman IS the point! I have read your posts in the past and neither of you gentleman appear the type that would do this and neither am I. That being said we must govern those that do. So that in the future we can, as a group, repair our imagine to the general public. My point with the last line was if we are going to give them reason to look down on us then we live by our mistakes. Lets use our heads out there and we can all help make people understand that as a group we are people that love to fish and are good honest fisherman. Lets not allow those stupid few to wreck if for the rest of us. I respect both your views but we need to self govern our fellow bassfisherman.

Only you kooty ..lol

Not just them!

Idiots are Idiots. They come in all shapes and sizes. No need to single any one out.

Well Said Shimanonut….

I was hoping this wasn’t the beginning of another BassBoat Bash Session…

It is our duty to help our own cause, as well as to inform others that the boat doesn’t always make the person

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Ha, just kidding BC. I’m in complete agreement with both you and slop. Just trying to rile you boys a little!!!

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HAHA…thanks Kooty!

Let me guess, you have a Stratos right. I was the guy you think had a Skeeter. The guy you are describing is my buddy. We were traveling not quite 15 mph. ( as slow as we could go on plane.) When he saw you he shut down. It wasn’t a big deal, it wasn’t a close call, and you were ridiculous. We all had a great laugh at your yelling. The reason he headed that way was to go into that slough you were fishing the mouth of. You were right in the main channel also. Not that that matters, bhut if I was as scared of boats in the fog as you are I wouldn’t be in the main channel in a fog bank. Again folks, I can’t stress enough that the guy was travelling less than 15mph, saw you, set down, idled around you and that was it. I could understand if it was a close call or he was running fast and had to swerve, etc.
Also he di not run a no wake zone in Wabasha either. He never ever does, not even in the mornings when everyone else does, I can’t talk him into doing it and we lose boat position. Must have been someone else.
So in closing, my friend is not crazy or careless. Hes twice as courteous as myself and most guys I know. You exagerated a little too far for me.

I agree with you Slop…I don’t know why it is Bass guys take the wrap for so much.
One possibility is the speed that comes with bass boats, there are too many people out there that buy a bass boat for the speed that comes with it more than the actually functionality.

These people probably figure if they are spending the $ they might as well get the fastest boat they can. Snowmobiles are the same way to a certain extent, some people buy their first sled and it is the biggest fastest one they can get…..inexperience and speed are a bad combination.

People that don’t use some common sense are dangerous to all of us and it doesn’t matter what kind of boat they are in. We all have stories and we can all blame the boat or kind of boat but the person behind the wheel is the dangerous part of the equation.

Okay I was told this a few weeks back from my grandpa… “there are two kinds of fishermen out there, one of them are just people who fish and the other and fishermen” and in my opinion that guy who almost hit you was a guy who fishes not a fishermen. So us “fishermen” don’t like be told all this crap about bass fishermen are all the problems on the water. Everyone makes mistakes. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks,
Aaron

I agree Shimanonut. How can we organise? We need to get others on board. And not those of us who are on this sight. We need to make the guys that own Bass boats because ther fast or fun under stand. These are the guys that don’t seem to understand that they are sitting on a 20ft 70mph missle.

Any thoughts

every shape and size no matter what your doing is correct.

I could go on a 10page rant about the lakes in Western Wi and how the majority of those people are just jack

sat. fishing wakeboard boat comes within 20 ft of me.

Sun. me and my brothers were tubing. in the middle of the lake away from everyone. we were making circles and whipping each other into the waves when this jetski started to cut thru the middle trying to jump our waves

We yelled at him and he must of took his tough guy pills that morning cuz he came to the boat with all 3 of us are standing up.

I explained to him that there were lots of muskies in this lake and I fish it all the time. I would hate to accidently catch him with a 10″ suick

He stayed away the rest of the day

I know how you feel about what happened or almost happened to you saturday. But stop and think for a bit. This really isn’t a bassman/walleyeman/tuna boatman thing. Plainly and simply, it’s uneducated and or uncaring users of the water, and all the ranting and raving going on is just more fuel for the F&W service to implement what we all are dreading. And that, friends, is more regulations placed upon the curtious users. The idiots out there won’t care one iota about more regs on when, where, or how they can run. But we will and it will only hurt us.
Sort of the same thing they say about locks.
Locks will only keep the honest people honest.
The best thing to do that I can see is to write down their numbers if at all possible and turn them in to the water patrol or who ever takes care that type of thing. I know, most times we don’t think about that, but I believe that is the way to handle it instead of publicly chastising each other or a certain group.
Glad you two made it back safley.

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I explained to him that there were lots of muskies in this lake and I fish it all the time. I would hate to accidently catch him with a 10″ suick

He stayed away the rest of the day

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LMAO!!

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Yes, please don’t take your personal bad experience out on other bass fishermen. There are plenty of bad boaters out there and they’re not all bass boats. In fact, there were many times where I could’ve dropped F-bombs to plenty of pleasure boaters this weekend alone…but to be honest, it won’t do any good because they’ll continue to do it.

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I agree with you guys BC & Slop. It is not right to bash Bass Guys (Even though I often am the first one in on the ribbin’).

I had two instances this weekend where a person practiced bad boating decisions and both were pleasure seekers.

The first I was working a gravel shoreline, very close to shore in 8 fow and had a Seadoo Jety Boat come flying in between me and shore at about 20 mph going through 2-4 fow, with 4 people in his boat and had the nerve to wave !

The other incident, some dummy was bringing his kids tubing in a very busy narrow on the lake and decide it would be fun to begin doing cricles through all the waves, having no concern for his saftey, his passengers, his kids tubing or other boaters. Looking back at his kids and not watching where he was going almost clipped one boat with his kids tubing (10 feet max.) and his boat was heading for mine. If I did not get on the throttle and go from 20 mph to 40 he would have hit me with his boat for sure. ! It still was close as I was fleeing he missed me by about 20-30 feet with his boat not to mention if I did not keep going everyone in my boat would have been deheaded from the tow rope.

I know this is the worse wekeend for this type of stuff, but please practice common sense. So I know the Bass Guys get the bad rap on this site for this, but more than often I find it is the weekend pleasure seekers or as previsously quoted the people who fish that are the ones not using good judgement.

My turn to whine…

No bassfisherman involved…

Going down Buffalo slough on plain…at the end was a fella trolling with a young lad and another person in the boat…it’s a fairly narrow area…so off plan I go and putted past him…about an hour later, we were anchored in a cut that wasn’t very wide either…yup…never slowed down and darn near tossed my wife off her chair. They waved though…

We moved to the snake pit and set up…heard another cat boat coming…he comes flying around the corner with his john boat, sees us and stops dead in his tracks…his wake bumped us pretty good too….but the differance is we were hidden by a tree and he didn’t see us until it was too late…but he tried…

My hats off to the operator of the john boat and I’m questioning what the heck the eye fisherman was thinking!

Ps if I would have been a little faster their (eye guy) pic would be posted here.

holy cats!!!! Sounds like a few people had some close calls, but good thing no one got hurt.

4th of July weekend: full of idiots is correct……

Took a ride myself only to see nothing but jetskis, skiers and drunk people with there boats tied together celebrating FREEDOM and having a blast. As a fisherman I just knew when to call it quits on the lake this weekend I guess. Nothing worse then 4th of July b/c it brings out everyone and anyone for 3 solid days. After being in this situation before I am glad I gave fishing a rest and just enjoyed the water with friends and family…..Should we have to take a rest from fishing? “NO”, but nobody will be able to change the amount of people that the 4th brings to the water…..

Plenty of walleye guys are running Mille Lacs WOT in the fog. Crazy **-ers have had me laying face down in the boat while anchored up. No fun at all…

-J.

ERONNINGEN…15mph, huh?? Wonder if your calculation of speed is as accurate as your spelling? Get a clue!! If your buddy was not at fault why did he apologize? I was out on Saturday morning fishing just north of the Wabasha bridge and also saw a Ranger 205 blow the no wake zone. Someone has their facts mixed up. Grow up and take responsibility for your actions.

Less than 15mph. I don’t know why he said he was sorry. I suppose he felt bad the situation happened to begin with. I don’t care about the no-wake zone thing. I didn’t see that. I know there is plenty of 205’s on the river. Thats besides the fact. I know as far as the facts go I don’t have them mixed up when it comes to the incident in the fog. I was there. Why don’t you grow up and mind your own damn business. I have no actions to take responsibility for. I was only an eye witness.

It all has nothing to do with “bass” or “walleye” fisherman.

We all here know that any body with a buck in their pocket can go purchase a water rocket. Whether that water rocket is a jet ski, a cruiser, or a 225hp power fishing boat.

The whole problem lies in the fact that anyone can purchase these things without having any training, let alone there is basically no water rules regulated.

Perfect example of this is “ME”. I went from a 14′ tiller with a 20hp to a a 20′ “bass boat” with a 225. I have many, many hours in friends boats that are high powered as well, and have all the confidence that I’m a carefull, knowledgable driver. HOWEVER, I know my limits!!!! Even though my boat has the power jack plate and the hydraulic steering, and everything else that makes it stable and safe at high speeds, it doesn’t mean that “I’M” capable of safely doing so. And with that said, I don’t spend much time at all, going wide open. Heck, it is too nerve racking and scares the crap out of me!!! (This is coming from a guy who had a 69 Camaro with a big block that did wheel stands and pushed the upper limits of 170mph)…

It takes alot of hours behind the wheel of any vehicle before ANYONE becomes a fluent driver. It doesn’t matter if that vehicle has wheels, wings, or a float.

So, with all my gas here………It all breaks down to uneducated people with money in their pocket, buying a rocket!!!

Lastly, if people are operating a watercraft dangerously, get their boat numbers and call the sheriff. This weekend alone, there was the Goodhue and the Dakota county sheriffs on Lake Byllesby. So, boat numbers and a phone call will assist in correcting the problem.

Shimanonut,
It sounds like you were scared at the incident that happened. I hate hearing these stories.

However, gassing out here isn’t going to correct it, nearly as fast as calling the sheriff!!!

All right already!! Can’t we all just get along???

Eronningen, wow! Maybe I did feel you got closer then you think, but the bottom line is you and your buddy scared my girlfriend and I half to death with that little stunt you pulled. Glad to hear you got a great laugh at my expense! Real Classy!!!! When the tables are reversed you might feel a bit different! I don’t know how fast you were going and I don’t care. You scared me to death! I would have gotten the number off the boat an reported it but before I could get calmed down enough and relaxed to think of it, you and your buddy were gone. Glad I gave you a nice laugh!

It’s not the type of fisherman it’s the type of person that is running reckless..

Besides a Lund,I am a pleasure boater too…this weekend we (two boats and a pontoon) all tied up in Horseshoe Lake Across From McGregor IA. and the people skiing were just running circles around us, until I pointed to the far side of the lake asking them to stay down there…then this fella in a 28′ Baja decided to do circles around us not 50 yards out from us at 1/4 throttle Again I pointed to the far side of the lake asking him to leave us alone…

Oh well all we can do is practice what we all preach and maybe some time they will learn…

Be safe out there !!

Whats wrong with running in the fog at a safe speed. Yes, the fog was heavy but you still could see a safe distance ahead. IMHO, if its foggy, get your a** out of where boats generaly run.

Peace

Sorry, but not completely. I am almost 60 yrs old and have been trapping and fishing the Mississippi since I was nine. On balance, the least amount of courtesy is shown by the bass guys with the 200+ HP motors who like to run through small sloughs at 60 plus. Bad experiences,andI have some relates mostly to bass boats.

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Whats wrong with running in the fog at a safe speed. Yes, the fog was heavy but you still could see a safe distance ahead. IMHO, if its foggy, get your a** out of where boats generaly run.

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JHall, I agree with your statement about running a safe speed.

However I disagree with your statement about staying out of areas where boats run, if it is foggy. I read that as to don’t cross the street if it is foggy, because someone might run you down, who is going too fast to stop in time.

The key thing, as you said, is running a safe speed. Being that you shouldn’t be running faster than what you can see, in comparison to being able to stop in time.

Sounds like Shimanonut got scared, but it also sounds like the 205 stopped in time……….