Jerry's Close Encounter with Boater Mishap

[OceanSunfish]

I read Jerry's account of the boating mishap on another BB today. I hope Jerry will post the same details on this BB at his convenience.

I didn't know just where to post this thread, but I trust the moderators will adjust if need be.

The reason I bring this up is that Jerry has a real 'beef' that needs to be addressed quickly by the BASS folks, especially those that use the delta that is full of multi purpose boaters.

Sadly, when I watched BASS TV shows or listen to local radio shows, I never hear anything about boater safety, out side of the once in awhile reference to PFD, etc.

This isn't the first time a 75 MPH BASS boater has wrecked havoc on someone from this BB community and it wont' be the last, but just because a fisherman is in a "tournament" or just wants to be like Mr. "BASS" guy on TV, doesn't mean it's acceptable to scare the living daylights out of a slower boat or even collide, which was almost the case yesterday.

I'll let Jerry expound further when he has a chance.

Glad you weren't hurt Jerry.

[Scott V]

I use to fish in bass tournaments and when you are blasting off, you pass an official boat that checks that you have on your PDF, that you are tethered to the kill switch, and to see if you have anything in your livewell. They are very strict on safety at tournaments. And of course you do not hear anything about safety while watching a show, that is not what people want to see. The real problem is just people that have boats that do not know how to behave properly while driving them. I can not count how many times I have had close calls with all types of boats.

[OceanSunfish]

I use to fish in bass tournaments and when you are blasting off, you pass an official boat that checks that you have on your PDF, that you are tethered to the kill switch, and to see if you have anything in your livewell. They are very strict on safety at tournaments. And of course you do not hear anything about safety while watching a show, that is not what people want to see. The real problem is just people that have boats that do not know how to behave properly while driving them. I can not count how many times I have had close calls with all types of boats.

I guess the same could be said about cars, guns, etc. And, I realize that it's not just BASS boaters out there causing these mishaps.

What gets me is that the person that lost the brand new $69K boat commented that he'll just use his older boat for the tournament probably like nothing happened?!

Anyway, the BASS industry campaigns so much on C&R, blah, blah, blah, yet with all the money being generated on boat and motors, they should campaign as heavily on safety AND less glorify the speed aspect of the activity.

I know this subject has been beaten to death before so enough said.

[David Lee]

I know this subject has been beaten to death before so enough said.

Not until I get to rant a bit first .... :evil:

Common sense is totally lacking in most boaters - I really believe that people who boat should have to pass some kind of test . Running fast in OPEN water (middle of a lake , Franks , anywhere you can see what's around) , no problems ..... but if the boater is near-shore , or in an area where blind corners are present , they should slow waaaaay the hell down .

Ed Wahl and I were fishing Westgate landing last year in tubes ..... no biggie , since it's ALL a 5 MPH zone in there , right ?? A Wakeboard boat came thru doing 35-40 MPH and passed me at about 30 feet :shock: :shock: :shock: . I'm pretty sure the young folks on board couldn't understand why I didn't wave back at them . I was shitting my pants in absolute horror at getting mashed and I was really , REALLY preturbed that anyone could be that stupid .

Just why a 'Basshole' (or anyone , really ....) would think they have the divine right to zip around without a thought about their , or anyone elses safety , is beyond me . I don't care how much $$$$ is at stake in whatever tourney - it just isn't a good idea most of the time .

I guess it's going to take somebody being killed out there before things change ...... I hope it ain't one of US !!

David [-X

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

:shock: Boy am I glad I won't be out there this weekend, at least not on Saturday anyway!

My son and I are going to go ride the new Tony Hawk roller coaster at Six Flags :D. Probably safer than being out in Frank's Tract this weekend!

Although, Paul may talk me into going out on Sunday.... :)

[JerryInLodi]

Here's an edited copy of my post to Blanton's board. I've added a little to make the details clearer.

"On Saturday, 3/8, two guests and I were traveling north on Holland Cut just south of Frank's at about 25 mph in the "No Nonsense." One of my customers was looking back at a bass boat that was closing on us from the stern at record speed. At 25-30 mph my boat throws less than a one foot wake.

All of a sudden I heard a large commotion behind me. I thought my guest had fallen out of the boat. I looked around just in time to see a bass boat's hull rocking in the water with a a large amount of debris floating all around and one person frantically swimming back towards the boat.

We turned around and closed on the wreckage as quickly as we could with caution so we wouldn't run over a disabled fisherman or some of the floating gear.

We yelled to the swimmer, "Are you the only person in the boat" to which he replied that he was. He asked us to come over and help him get in and we came up to the Ranger's hull which was right side up. One of my guests changed boats and gave the swimmer a hand then checked him for injuries.

He was OK with the exception of a large bruise on his thigh and some shock. He was shivering and complaining that he thought he was suffering from hypothermia. Since the water was 54 degrees and he was in the water less than 3 minutes we felt it was more likely shock. My guest gave him his coat and calmed him down. We picked up what debris we could and tossed it into his boat and then took his boat in tow to the Sugar Barge.

The boat was missing its engine.

My guest who had observed the crash said that the boat was trimmed very flat to the water, jumped my wake, went airborne and then buried its bow into the water going all the way down to the steering wheel area. When the bow hit, the boat's contents including the driver flew out like pellets from a shotgun. The engine shattered its mounts and flew forward through the air in a large arc towards our boat landing only a few feet away. At the same time, the pilot was ejected as was most of the debris. Still in motion, the boat then twisted sideways and did three full rolls airborne before coming to rest deck up.

The engine had shattered its tilt mount at about a 45 degree angle. The tilt mount is a cast marine aluminum fitting about an inch and a quarter thick and eleven to twelve inches across. The total length of the fracture line was about 18 inches long! The remainder of the engine's mounting including the hydraulic lift was still on the intact transom.

My guest who boarded the bass boat relayed that the boat's pilot said that he was going about 75 mph when he went airborne. He was not wearing his helmet and PFD, something he said he usually does. The boat was a brand new Ranger, two weeks old.

The now missing engine was a 500 pound 250 Merc with less than 50 hours on it. Total cost of boat and motor, $69,000. As far as we know, the motor is still at the bottom of Holland cut with a shattered mount and bent and broken control connections.

One of my guests who has some experience with bass boats said that the operator had his engine tucked in causing the bow to plunge when he went airborne. If he had trimmed out properly he would have flown 50-75 feet and then pancaked down instead of burying the nose and flipping then rolling.

When we last talked to the boat owner he said he was towing his wreck home and was going to tow his older tournament boat back so he could continue pre-fishing for the upcoming tournament.

Once at the dock and a little more self composed, the operator offered to pay for gas for the tow. I told him that he had enough problems to deal with. I got a kick out of the fact that my two guests emphasised to the boater that he had been rescued by FLY FISHERMEN!

The coming weekend will see well over 100 bass boats around Frank's. This is a big time, big money tournament with teams all the way from Japan involved. I hope they stay safe. "

Yes, the delta can be a scary place with the way some of the boaters operate. While this experience actually involved a crash, I've seen other things like bass boaters flying through the small opening at the north end of Mildred at over 60mph. So far I have not seen any injuries at that passage but it is about as blind a passage as you can get. I'm always very cautious when going through that narrow hole.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I wonder if this has ever happened before?

Maybe we need a speed limit in the Delta?

[JerryInLodi]

Bill, last summer I saw what I took to be a 25 foot cruiser with only about five feet of bow sticking up at the intersection of Disappointment and the San Joaquin. It had obviously sank within hours.

I'm sure KD and Costello have similar stories to tell since they are on the water as much as I.

The bass boats you see with the 250's and now 300's on their sterns are capable of 90+mph. Boats driven at those speeds should not be piloted by novices. They can get airborne very easily. My guest asked the pilot of the boat we towed in if he had seen anything like his crash and his reply was, "Sure, all the time."

Prior to our taking delivery of our boat, my wife and I took a safe boater's class from the Stockton Coast Guard Auxiliary. It's an eight hour class that covers safety and rules of the road. It was inexpensive and because of that we received a discount on our boating insurance equal to our tuition, and we get that discount every year so it was money well spent. I believe every boater should be required to take the safe boater's course either from the Coast Guard Aux. or the U.S. Power Squadron.

However, when it gets to operating super fast boats like the bass boats at 90+ speeds or the numerous cigarettes capable of speeds of up past 120, the above mentioned courses would not be enough. At those speeds the pilots are operating ballistic missiles in and amongst boats as small as kayaks and 10 foot dinghies.

And of course, when operating a boat capable of those speeds, there definitely should be no alcohol on board.

[Darian]

It seems to me that as long as the prizes offered in these tournaments are so large that there is little incentive to run at lower speeds. Competitors see it as necessary to reach the "best water" first. Soooo,.... maybe a safety course wouldn't help much. :? :? Time for reacting to changes is substantially reduced at high speeds. Not all bass pro's are Kamakazes but enough are to cause a problem.

Maybe the real need is for a mandatory boat drivers school to teach these guys how to run, safely, at high speeds and anticipate upcoming potential hazards. :? :?

[Scott V]

Maybe the real need is for a mandatory boat drivers school to teach these guys how to run, safely, at high speeds and anticipate upcoming potential hazards. :? :?

Only problem with that is you can still crash and burn while not going fast. Until there are actual water police officers out there to enforce a speed limit, this will continue to happen. And as history has shown, it will only get worse.

[OceanSunfish]

Jerry,

You have a legitimate 'beef' now that you've seen firsthand what these new hull designs and bigger HP are capable of in the hands of idiots. If you feel inclined, you may want to write or call in to Kent Brown's radio show for BASS anglers at 1510 AM KFBK in Sacramento and provide the same vivid account of the mishap. I'm sure he'll be covering the tournament and creating the exact marketing hype that encourages this stupidity on the water. In fact, he did a commerical for Triton Boats recently showing off a new hull design capable of the same 75+ MPH speed.

Unfortunately, Darian's comments are spot on. The format of which BASS follows only encourages the need for speed and it's my humble opinion that this format also attracts more than it's fair share of idiots.

Too bad you didn't have a digital video camera on board and captured the action. I'm sure Ranger Boats would've paid some good money for that footage. :)

Thanks.

[captnorm]

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/article.cfm?id=148095


It seems that a bass fisherman was injured in another incident on the delta. . See article. Hope this weekend tournament goes without another injury to the contestants or other folks.

Norm

[Darian]

Hmmmm,.... I'm wondering where the Coast Guard Aux/Sheriff's patrols are during these tourneys :?: :?: Do they decide to take the day off or something else :?: :?: Even during the times when there're no tournaments going on, I see guys blasting thru 5 MPH or "no wake" zones at high speeds. :( :( I'm pretty sure there're reasonable speed limits imposed on most areas. :? :?

Seems like a real effort during by law enforcement would be a good thing during tournaments. Of course, as Scott pointed out, "....you can crash and burn while not going fast."

Maybe it's time to consider mechanical speed restrictors like fuel flow governors on the engines. Outboard manufacturers wouldn't like that, tho. :? :?

[Scott V]

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/article.cfm?id=148095


It seems that a bass fisherman was injured in another incident on the delta. . See article. Hope this weekend tournament goes without another injury to the contestants or other folks.

Norm

I have fished with Gary Dobins and I can tell you from personal experience that he is one of the safe drivers out there. So accidents happen whether or not a person is experienced or not and Gary has tons of experience.

[OceanSunfish]

Hmmmm,.... I'm wondering where the Coast Guard Aux/Sheriff's patrols are during these tourneys :?: :?: Do they decide to take the day off or something else :?: :?:

Who do you think are fishing these tournaments? :lol:

[Darian]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Scott,... Not sure but it sounds like you're defending these guys.... I acknowledge that accidents can happen at any speed. But I think you'd agree that factors that contribute to accidents, such as very high speed, could and should be reduced or eliminated. Would you defend very high speeds while weaving in and out of traffic on a highway....??? I don't.

The unfortunate event noted by Jerry illustrates the strange mindset of the kamakazes among tourney guys. The instigator/victim of that accident, apparently has a death wish. He's had other accidents and towed his boat home to get another and return for another pre-fishing session (...and to take another shot at us). 8) 8)

It's one thing to run at very high speeds on an open reservoir where visibility is not restricted, water conditions are flat and quite another to run at those same speeds in a winding delta slough.... :? :? Yet, reduced visibility and restricted size of the water certainly didn't deter this guy. Maybe the real solution is to bar guys like this from participation in tournaments.... 8) 8) 8)

[davkrat]

One of the few "I'm about to see someone die moments of my life" happened out on the SE corner of Franks Tract. I was helping some UC Davis grad students map invasive plants in the Delta around the time of a cigar boat race. I assume a race was coming up, when else do you see a bunch of million dollar race boats on the water at the same time. Any body who has spent anytime in the Delta has surely seen the little 8' bath tubs with motors that subsistence type anglers like to use. A guy was fishing from one of those tiny little boats tied up to the tules when all of a sudden cutting around the corner comes this 50' race boat leaned over on one side with the bow sticking up in the air. There were three middle aged men having a good old time cruising around in there big shiny boat. They could not have possibly seen the fisherman in the small boat. They nearly ran over his boat, their wake threw the boat up into the tules, how he staid in and upright I will never understand. The cigar boat never slowed down or waved as they never saw the smaller boat. They were not going fast by cigar boat standards but cutting through 50' wide gaps in tules at 35mph is like driving thru a residential area with no controlled intersections.

One of my scariest encounters where I thought I was going to get crunched occurred on the San Joaquin near Rough and Ready Island near Stockton. The river there is not extremely wide in that area but it is a fairly good size. I was in our airboat which most people know is coming from a mile away. All of a sudden there is a wakeboard boat full of teenagers flying downstream making big s turns from levee to levee. There bow is trimmed way up high to create a nice wake but also completely blocking the view of where they were headed. I was right at the point of turning and burning to avoid a collision when at the last minute one of them saw me and turned the other way to avoid ramming my boat. They had the sound system loud enough that they could not hear my 350 Chevy hooked up to a 4 blade stump puller prop. If you've never been near one that equals LOUD! As they went by they looked at me like I was in the wrong. Stopped 5' from shore acting like a speed bump to them and I was in the wrong.

The last one, I promise. Last year I was again helping UC Davis map invasive weeds near Franks Tract. We were in the channels south of Bethel Island and I was in a 20' Gregor. When we look for weeds we tend to crawl along around 10 mph. Up ahead in the channel I saw a boat on shore, several people swimming and a waverunner with two ladies on it. It appeared that the driver was standing behind a mentally disabled passenger with her arms holding the passenger and steering at the same time. She was making very fast and aggressive S curves jumping her own wake. She was showing the girl a good time, I’m not going to complain about that. I slowed down to 5mph and hugged the bank but continued down the channel. The waverunner continued making wide turns and just kept coming. Once again at the last second she turned away from me narrowly avoiding a collision. I was traveling very slow in a straight line on a course that I had been traveling for over 100 yards. In other words a blind man could have seen where I was going and when I was going to be there. As I passed her friends on the beach she ran up to them, nearly ran a few of the swimmers over and yelled that she had the right of way and that I was at fault for the near collision. Once again I was in the way. What am I supposed to sit and park and wait for her to get tired of using her little section of river? Of course not! I slowed to a crawl as there were numerous people and small craft in the water and set a straight course that avoided them. No sudden movements, course changes, speed changes. When two craft are passing each other in a narrow space they should line up parallel and pass each other at a safe distance. This lady got all bent because I forced her to go an extra 50’ before continuing her s curves.

Sorry for the rant but boater dis-courtesy really gets under my skin. It just goes to show that it does not matter what type of boat you are driving inconsiderate jerks are dangerous. Uneducated drivers are dangerous. Speed and power absolutely make the problem worse. We don’t even let people drive the airboats until they have spent two years working on them as passengers. Any yahoo with enough money can buy a 300hp bass boat and turn it lose. Cutting blind corners at 50-75mph with pedestrians all around would probably land you in jail, but on the water that’s fair game. If I were god I would ban all pleasure boats from going more than 30mph in the Delta. Better yet make us all use paddles or sails, certainly would help my waste line. I’ve worked with State Parks guys out in the Delta and they regularly respond to horrendous accidents, usually involving skier vs. riprap, riprap usually wins. Nothing ever changes it boats get bigger and faster and the waterways get more crowded. We are not even allowed to work in the Delta near three day weekends, too many uneducated yahoos. I work with pesticides all the time in remote areas all alone yet I’m not scared of mountain lions, poisonous snakes or pesticide exposure. Boaters on the other hand scare the crap out of me. Even worse all that time on the water and I don't even get to fish :(

[JerryInLodi]

Davkrat, the cigarettes converge on the delta for "poker runs", events sponsored by various cigarette clubs. The boats go from destination to destination and pick up cards, etc. and then have a BBQ at the end where prizes are awarded. I've seen as many as 100 of them in a three hour stretch one Saturday.

There was also a recent meet in Franks for speed runs, I understand top speed for that day was 104mph. I assume the rules are similar to land runs, two runs on a measured mile, one in each direction. The conditions on the tract must not have been perfect that day, probably a little cross wind or something since I know these boats can hit 120mph.

As you have learned from your time on the delta, very few boaters know the rules of the road which are designed for the avoidance of collisions at sea. Horn signals are useless when overtaking or passing on the delta since, first, the other boat operator does not know the signals and second, they probably can't hear them since they're in their cabins with the stereos on, or have their boom boxes playing or have a 300hp engine roaring in their ears.

In addition to the speed of some of the power boats, the big cruisers are just as much a problem. Some of these hulks are way too big and heavy to plane but since their owners are in such a hurry, they throttle them up to well past displacement speed. Traveling at such speed pushes a huge wake, sometimes bow waves can exceed five feet. I'm sure that many of the boat operators are unaware that they are responsible for their wake.

When these cruisers pass by boats close to the banks, their bow waves will lift and move the small boats up onto the rocks or capsize them. In contrast, a 400 foot ship, traveling up the deep water channel barely puts out a bow wave at all.

I'm a pretty conservative guy and usually opt for citizen freedom from legislation when possible but I believe that it's probably time for some licensing on the delta or any water where traffic is not restrained by a 5mph limit.

A voluntary system of education is already set up by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadrons. They provide a 6 to 8 hour course with a test at the end that provides the basic information a boater needs to operate safely on heavily trafficked waters.

It would be easy to incorporate these into state regulations for boating as being required before operating a vessel, possibly along with a requirement of certificate of insurance at registration for any boat of over 500 pounds or capable of speeds in excess of 25mph.

Here's something that may reduce traffic this summer. I was at the dock one day at Korth's when one of the cigarettes pulled in to fill up. The deck hand pumped 400 gallons at a little over $4 into the boat's tanks. Total bill, $1,600, and that would be for one day's play. At the current price of gasoline on the water, prices per gallon may climb to $5. A $2,000 bill for one day's play may cause a few more boats to stay at the dock.

[davkrat]

I'm well aware of those deplacement hull wakes. One snuck up on me and next thing I knew I did the old sky/water/sky/water jig, as in all I could see off the bow was sky then as we plunged into the trough all I could see was water. Those waves must have been 4'-5'. Not what you expect when you see that medium sized boat cruising along. Now I know to look out for that white water crest behind those trawlers. That is what sinks airboats, they nose dive right into waves like that and don't come back up. If I had been in an airboat I probably would have sunk. The run up the Sacramento out near Walnut Grove/Hood is pretty narly because you have those big yachts heading back to Sac pushing wakes like that but the channel seems just right to reflect the waves back on themselves and you get to run through the wake and then a series of reflex waves comming at different speeds and angles. That can turn into a real washtub. They never see, to slow or pull to one side either, just keep plowing down the middle of the channel.

A few years ago we had all of our personnel that work around boats from my program take the Coast Guard Auxillary class. We had a guy come up from Stockton and train about 30 of us. It was real informative, there are still hot heads out there that continue to be rude even after taking the class. It comes down to people these days having no sense of courtesy or respect for other people. The whole if you are smaller/slower than me you are just in my way. I remember my grandpa being able to pull up to shore at campgrounds and just set the anhor up on the sand next to 20 other boats. You came back in the morning and all your stuff was there, the guy next to you might even help you launch the next morning. Now you can't even take your eye off your boat to step into a pisser without someone snooping around your stuff. It's just the wild west out on the water and there can never be enough law enforcement to fix it. The problems all come down to human nature and complete lack of judgement. That's a really sad statement but a few good examples of propper behvior on the water get drowned out by the coolness factor of a $100,000 flying to the next fishing hole. That's why I prefer to hike 3 miles in the sierras and catch 8" trout.

[Scott V]

Darian,
I am not defending all bass boat fishermen, I am saying there are those that do drive safe. I had a bass boat and what you are doing is generalizing and that would have included me in that. You can not blame a group for a few ignorant people, that is all I am saying.

[Darian]

Scott,.... I just re-read my posts and don't see what you're getting at. I went out of my way to make sure that I didn't generalize.

I set the tone in my first post (on 3/11) where I said, "Not all bass pro's are Kamakazes but enough are to cause a problem." When I followed with mentioning "....these guys...." the inference was to the guys who cause the problems. My first post on 3/12 is, again more specific, "...., I see guys blasting thru 5 mph or 'no wake' zones at high speeds." This comment is specific as it refers to those I've seen.

The solutions I thought about were directed to those problem individuals mentioned. I'm sorry you feel that I included you in an imagined generalization (....no comments of mine were directed at you). I feel you're jumping to a conclusion. Maybe you need to be a little less defensive.

[Hairstacker]

I hope I'm not straying off-topic, but folks unfamiliar with the Delta shouldn't conclude the whole place is a completely out-of-control, take-your-life-in-your-own-hands style of fishing. Yes, unquestionably many areas are sadly like that. Fortunately, however, the Delta is big and varied enough to enable little boater folks like me to find/fish areas where we don't have to worry about being run over by some speed boater or swamped by a cruiser. I think about safety every time I head out there and make it part of my plans. Some of the things (perhaps obvious :oops: ) I think about as a kayaker are:

1. I always have a life jacket on and someone knows where I am.

2. Avoid fishing areas that give folks the impression they can safely boat at 80mph. In other words, if the canal looks long and straight on the map, you won't find me there. For example, Grantline Canal.

3. Avoid fishing major thoroughfares leading to or from places where cruisers anchor. For example, the main part of the Middle River leading into Mildred.

4. Avoid placing the kayak in blind corners and cuts unless you happen to enjoy playing Russian roulette.

5. Never stray far from shore and figure the shoreline into plans for getting around in the time available. In other words, you won't find me out in the middle of Frank's Tract trying to get to the other side.

6. If it's within my fishing plans, I especially like being on the other side of a rock wall where motor-boaters can't even go. Talk about peace and quiet.

I know the fishing can be good in some of those areas I avoid, as I've fished some of 'em. But the fishing can be just as good if not better in other areas that are a lot more relaxing to fish.

[JerryInLodi]

Mike, an absolutely great post. I agree with everything you say. In fact I just did a program last night for my club on fishing the delta from a float tube, pontoon boat, kayak or canoe. Many places exist where the fishing is great and safty is a big part of the picture. For example, the water within the 5mph zone around marinas. Paradise Point and Tower Park have miles of water that is productive and would take a kayaker all day to cover. Numerous other marinas are available as well.

Some of the sloughs and canals on the south side of the delta are really tiny and choked with enough growth that power boats don't venture there, yet the water is full of bass.

I sometimes envy the pontoon boater for the areas he has available to him that I can only look at with wistful eyes.

I sometimes wonder why people are willing to drive 5 to 6 hours to catch one or two trout a weekend when the delta is only an hour away with the possibility of a dozen to two dozen fish in an easy evening's fishing.