agelesssone
04-17-2014, 09:44 PM
Let this be a word of warning to all my boating and yakker friends out there.
Today, while fishing on JPP, we were trolling (.9 MPH) for crappie in my 18' 6" highly visible bass boat when another boater came running at us head on. He had high back bucket seats on his boat that he couldn't see through, over or around. He was probably running 20 MPH and his hull (big, wide aluminum boat) was riding high like he was just taking off.
He didn't see us. I was using a trolling motor so couldn't avoid him, a collision was imminent and I had an 8 year old boy and his 43 year old father on board.
I picked up my air horn and blasted it for about 5-6 seconds before the other boater realized we were there and he jerked his wheel to the right and missed us by about 10 ft. He cut across my side planers, cutting one of them off.
He had the courtesy to circle around, pick up my planer, bring it back to me and apologize, telling me he never saw us. And I knew this to be fact because I couldn't see him or his passengers, just the underside of his boat.
And now the kicker....I have had that air horn in the storage compartment beneath my drivers seat for....2 years. And last night I took it out and set it beside the drivers seat. Call it what you will, but if I hadn't had that air horn, I seriously doubt I'd be typing this note tonight.
You can rest assured that I will always have one handy for the rest of my fishing days. Actually I'll have two, one stationed up front for when I am at the trolling motor and one beside my driver's seat for when I am at the wheel.
Fellas it happened so fast there was no time to react to avoid it. Please think safety when you are on the water. Yakkers remember you have a small, short profile. A person running 60 MPH may have watery eyes from the wind and not see you. Have a way to warn them. Me, I'd have a flare gun sitting in my lap. Splashing a round off their windshield will get their attention.
Today, while fishing on JPP, we were trolling (.9 MPH) for crappie in my 18' 6" highly visible bass boat when another boater came running at us head on. He had high back bucket seats on his boat that he couldn't see through, over or around. He was probably running 20 MPH and his hull (big, wide aluminum boat) was riding high like he was just taking off.
He didn't see us. I was using a trolling motor so couldn't avoid him, a collision was imminent and I had an 8 year old boy and his 43 year old father on board.
I picked up my air horn and blasted it for about 5-6 seconds before the other boater realized we were there and he jerked his wheel to the right and missed us by about 10 ft. He cut across my side planers, cutting one of them off.
He had the courtesy to circle around, pick up my planer, bring it back to me and apologize, telling me he never saw us. And I knew this to be fact because I couldn't see him or his passengers, just the underside of his boat.
And now the kicker....I have had that air horn in the storage compartment beneath my drivers seat for....2 years. And last night I took it out and set it beside the drivers seat. Call it what you will, but if I hadn't had that air horn, I seriously doubt I'd be typing this note tonight.
You can rest assured that I will always have one handy for the rest of my fishing days. Actually I'll have two, one stationed up front for when I am at the trolling motor and one beside my driver's seat for when I am at the wheel.
Fellas it happened so fast there was no time to react to avoid it. Please think safety when you are on the water. Yakkers remember you have a small, short profile. A person running 60 MPH may have watery eyes from the wind and not see you. Have a way to warn them. Me, I'd have a flare gun sitting in my lap. Splashing a round off their windshield will get their attention.