We all knew it would happen

A Lafayette County man was killed and a woman injured Saturday in a boating accident on the Mississippi River.
Wayne Mester of Belmont was killed about 1:30 PM when the personal watercraft he was operating collided with a boat on the river at the mouth of Dogfish Slough near Prarie du Chien according to the Crawford County Sheriffs Dept. He died of internal injuries. Mesters passenger, Debra Whalen was critically injured in the crash. Details were unavailable.
Let’s all be careful out there
Beav

Terrible news. A similair thing happened last year at lake Delhi in NE Iowa. A young boy (I think he was 9) fell off a pwc while riding behind his sister.

I was talking with one of my dad’s friends, who is a big waterskier, and he was reminiscing about camping down by Muscatine. He takled about the first year Bayliners came out, and how when anyone with $4K could buy a brand new boat, the river became rapidly populated with people who didn’t have clue 1 about how to safely handle a boat. PWC’s, snowmobiles, and motorcycles are in that same class – fast and fun, but easily mishandled by inexperienced and reckless riders.

Be it cars, boats, pwc’s, motorcycles, snowmobiles, knives, firearms – anything and everything – safety first. My prayers go out to the families.

I was fishing in the BFL as a co-angler and from about 11:00 on the river was full of boats and people. It’s too bad a tragedy like this is what it takes to get people to slow down and use their heads a little more. It’s also too bad the everyone thinks “it won’t happen to me” and will forget about this all too soon. It reminds my of the outlook highschool kids have with drinking and driving. My idea on the water is to always play it safe, I know my abilities but I don’t know the other guy’s. As fishermen and people that know the water better we need to make sure we don’t do dangerous things and watch out for the one’s that do. Be safe, hopefully the rest of the summer will be a safe one.

I know its to late now but I was also on the river this weekend and the Jet Skis and the Bass Boats where absolutley FLYING around !!!!! 60 mph 50 mph is too fast on the river. In the back sloughs it is way to fast !!!!! The weekend is full of pleasure boaters on pool 10 . I don’t even bother trying to fish on the weekends. Maybe the tourneys could be held on week days instead of weekends.

Lets ALL practice safe boating. …

ec

ecnook, I know what you mean. I was fishing today (sunday) and watched two big pleasure boats blow through a narrow cut going into a stump infested backwater. Thankfully nobody was coming through the cut the other way. I’m like you, it’s getting harder and harder to justify going fishing on a weekend. It seems like there is just to many idiots out there then.

I’m with you guys. I’ve turned into a spring and fall fisherman because of the pleasure boaters and jet skiers. Over the years the river has only been fishable for me until the first armada comes locking through on their voyage up or down river. Nothing p’d me off more than to be on a good wing dam bite only to be blown off the area by cabin cruisers throwing up 4 foot waves. So I found refuge in the back water cuts. Now even that is gone because the jet skiers that are tired of flying over cabin cruiser wakes are getting their kicks running through the sloughs and backwater cuts. Last year I was fishing pool 9 below Hwy 82 when 2 jet skiers came flying through a vast field of arrowhead and lilypads. When they reached the open water they turned hard left and came past me at full throttle at a distance of about 6 feet. They never saw me.That was enough for me. It’s not worth it for me to drive 200 miles for a weekend fishing trip when I get to fish about 4 hours each morning before the armadas start running the river.
I guess it’s no different whether you fish rivers or lakes. It’s something that we all have to put up with during the summer months. So until I can retire and fish during the week, I’ll have to be happy fishing in seasons that are more suitable for fishing and less suitable for watersports. It seems that there aren’t any places to get away from PWC anymore. Waterways are getting more and more crowded every year.
Can’t wait for fall
Beav

I know what you mean about the pleasure boaters and such.There are quite a few no wake lakes,no motor lakes except for electric and some carry in lakes that offer good fishing without the noise. Once fished on Lost Land,and Teal Lake. One of the quiet lakes n Northern WI. It was nice but you had to go slow because of the speed limit but no skiers or jet boats there. I also fish some small carry in lakes for crappies and as of yet I have never seen any one else fishing there.I also still like the bigger waters and I sure like trolling on Pepin even though I don’t catch much> Steve

First off I feel bad for the family,s of those lost in that accident and the statement that it takes a tradgedy to slow people down,I wish that were true the deaths have only started with big power boats and PWC,s .I went to a F.B.I. scvhool on physicological profiling and are test subjects were snowmobile,P.W.C.s and dirt bikes,ATV,s and motors cycles, Now mind you this is not a science and only goes by probabilities and not all are like this but MOST ARE. The typical person that partakes in these activities are of below averege intelligence,are adreniline driven, can,t stand fishing or canoeing(not fast paced enough) are proned to drink to much(how many PWC,s do you see by the shoreline taverns and snowmobile during snow. Drinking is part of the profile,it is part of the game. Party people type thinking. the personality trait is anti authority. thats why they like it, no rules and the rules there are ,almost impossible to inforce,not enough cop,s most of them have been trouble makers all their lives and most are self serving , they could care less about you or any thing else, they could not stand and watch a perfectly calm piece of water without driving a PWC and messing it up or a snow landscape with out a foot print the would get a snowmobile and mess it up. they are not able to just sit and watch nature and enjoy peace & quiet ,I realy feel sorry for them. The only reason they are not banded from using them(PWC,s) is MONEY.there are enough deaths on the books to show they are deadly(they make everyone wear seat belts yet they still allow those killers on the water,80% of all water deaths in boat accidents are PWC,s but thats why they do it. IT,s RISKY.

I was down above Wabasha on a guide trip this past Saturday, and stopped next to a green can to ask Dustin how he was doing, and a very aggressive, and arrogant large pleasure boat driver intentionally veered toward us shouting obsenities about us being on the wrong side of the river! We were fishing wingies, and I could have literally touched the can we were so close. He and others out there were just CRAZY! It was impossible to fish. A little consideration for others is key. And it would have been a lot safer for us all. Someone is going to get killed around here soon also if people don’t just slow down, and take it easy!
Tuck

It is sad that this happens and it it all comes down to responsibility.I had to run to PDC on Saturday and just below Gordons Bay there was a PWC jumping wakes and the river was full of traffic.Another one I saw was out in front of Cold Springs and for those of us that know this area there is still alot of stumps left there and this couple were bouncing thruogh them,I was just waiting to see them stop dead in the water.
Has anyone heard if they are going to regulate them (PWC) on the river?

Len

I’ve heard rumors of speed limits on the Croix, but nothing for the Miss. At any rate, a little common sense on everyone’s part will go a long way. Stay safe everybody!!

Very Sad…

I have heard very reliable rumors that this accident was in fact the Bass Boat’s fault and alcohol may have been involved.

I also do agree that there are a number of unsafe PWC riders out there, but to stereotype them is very inaccurate. They are a lot of fun(even to some of us that love fishing the river as well), they do have way more control than any boat(with responsible, experienced drivers of course), most of them stick to the main channel with the cruisers, and definitely not all of them are drinking. And finally, they do have just as much rights to be there as us fisherman, whether we like it or not.

We are all going to have are run-ins but there are definitely tons of spots on the River where you can avoid them!!

Its all about Boating Responsibly.. Whether it be them or us!!!

B

According to the La Crosse Tribune, alcohol was not a factor.

“Kirschbaum said alcohol was not a factor in the crash. He also said it was the worst river crash he’d ever seen. Stone also spoke of the horror of the accident.”

We should not stereotype anyone. I was in a bass tournament last weekend, and one of the participants went flying about 45 MPH or so BETWEEN a wing dam and three older people anchored above the dam bottom fishing for eyes. They coulnd’t have been anchored more than 60 feet of so above the dam. After their boat wuit rocking we heard them say “damn bass boats”. We were fishing in my bass boat about 50 yards away. After we idled by they thanked us for not speeding past, and we told them it’s not the kind of boat, it’s the kind of idiot behind the wheel.

My sources were a little more directly involved. But either
way??

When I see statements like lets not stereotype any I believe you are referring to my comment,and as I stated my comment is that certain types of personalities are drawn to certain recreation. like dog owners I bet a sportsman even though thier not hunters preffer a lab over a poodle, a librarian would probably like the poodle better. So what profiling shows is that personalities of PWC and snowmobiles and off road atv,s, dirt bikes are usualy people that are fast paced and andreniline driven,impulsive, and have a thrill seekers mentality know thats not stereotyping thats a 75% to 90% garantee. I,m not saying some bass boat operators arent carless I,m saying that it is the nature of PWC,s type that is careless, they can,t help it most are born that way.

profiling… stereotyping… six of one….

I see way too many woman(including my wife) who love to ride PWC to agree that the “Adrenaline Junky” profile is
over 75% the case! My wife won’t even ride on tame rollercoasters….
But I would think about 95% of the population craves this Adrenaline action. I guess its just where you get it, when a huge fish hooks-up or cruising on a PWC, or Both!!
So I would bet this “Profile” if it exists, was done by some desk-jockey that doesnt do anything of any real excitement, and resents the people who do.

IMHO

B

You got it right on the head 95% like adrenilene flowing,and the answer is exactly that how you get it. most jet skiers,snowmobile and dirt bike and off road dirt 4×4 hot rodders can,t get there required andreniline waiting for a fish to bite this group would need too jump in the water ,catch the fish by hand and they woulds bite the fish. now that does not say all these people need a charge,like the people you mentioned but the profile is very accurate on the personality type. if you ask a large group say 5,000 and ask questions on what you like to do,sit and watch a sunset or drive fast down a curvy road and ask similar quetions in groups of 100 questions you start to get a profile in likes and dislikes some like a faster pace of life to satisfy there needs others don,t. the faster paced people are more likely to get hurt, it,s not a character fault, it is a fact of life that a mountain climber is more likely to get hurt than a person riding a bike. a PWC or dirt biker is more likely to get hurt than a guy fishing unless he is struck by the PWC . NOw lets look at the problem . poeple need to have recreation, some like to take a gentle boat ride down a nice lake to enjoy themselves others need to race down a lake at top speed and jump there own wakes, now who is imposing on who. the guy racing down the lake is getting his needs met,but the gentle crueser is getting screwed and that is the problem I,m not saying pwc are against the law but the very nature of the beast makes them annoying to the queter side of life that canoers and fisherman like.I have read a large number of fisherman mention how it,s nice to catch fish,but the sirenity of the river and enjoying gods creation is the real reason to be on the river,not once have I read a post on how wonderfull the river is from a PWC or the serenity of a fresh unspoiled snowy landscape from snowmobile hotdogs or the beutifull grassy hills and valleys from a hot dog off road 4×4.they distroy not enjoy nature and they only get away with it because of money,some of these small towns in the north need the tourist money they provide other than that what good are they

Ugly Bass- I don’t know who your source was, nor do I care. But if you are implying the alcohol was involved at the bass boater’s end you are 10000% incorrect. If you are not implying that, your statement is very poorly worded. To say something like that is totally irresponsible if you do not know the facts.

Guys….

Sounds like this discussion is getting a bit off track. A terrible accident occurred this past weekend and someone died while enjoying their time spent on “our” favorite body of water. Another was severely injured. My hopes and prayers go out to those involved as well as to their families that are certainly to be in an emotional crisis as well. None of the other stuff matters at all at this point.

Well said James, let’s think of the families involved,keep them in our prayers and wish them strenghth in this trying time. Now is not the time for this forum to take sides on this tragedy…………B

My post was not to place blame at all, in fact, I was just trying to say we have no idea what happened, so we shouldn’t try and guess or blame any groups or anything.

Someone lost a son, maybe a father, a brother. Someone’s daughter, maybe mother or sister, is in the hospital. Everyone just be very very careful out there. No thrill, wake jump, fish, or weigh in time is worth that pain.

AMEN

I’m with you… Our Prayers go out to those involved and their family and friends…

The involved boater was a very reputable bass angler fishing a fairly high profile tournament. Consumption of alcohol during tournament hours, or at the pre-tournament meeting for that matter, is illegal. If alcohol was involved, I would venture to guess it was on behalf of the PWC.