Missouri Water Patrol Getting Ready For Drunken Boater Crackdown.

[Blazerman]

Gavin, you hit the nail on the head. I love to fish as much as the next guy. But this time of year I pretty much make it an early morning thing, then grab a tube and join the party. My teenage son loves to brings his friends down to the river and show them what floating in a tube is all about. They always come away talking about what a blast it is.

I am sure Justin would agree that most of the people floating this time of year could care less about fishing and are there to be with friends on a Ozark stream.

Check out these pics from a couple of weeks ago at Shady beach and Indian creek on the Meramec. I am pretty sure most posters on here would want np part of this scene. But to each his own.

[Gavin]

Better watch out for our bunch too..We had an awesome time on our float between Akers & Pulltite last Saturday. Fishing was the last thing on our minds. Only one person fished...and it wasnt me.

[rangerman]

Shady Beach is a great example....They in years past had lots and lots of problems with unruliness. The owners asked for stepped up patrol which was provided and we have seen a large decline in problems there. That and the persons there know that drunken behavior will generally not be tolerated.

[Greasy B]

Better watch out for our bunch too..We had an awesome time on our float between Akers & Pulltite last Saturday. Fishing was the last thing on our minds. Only one person fished...and it wasnt me.

Look at all those happy people on the river, surely there must be someone doing something wrong.

A great group having a good time. sometimes there are things more important than fishing. Good for you!

[P_L]

The thing is, if these people were acting like this in any other public place where people gather, they'd be arrested in short order. What the heck makes the rivers different?

It happens everyday everywhere. I live across the street from the 2nd or 3rd busiest mall in Illinois and our town is only 10,000 people big at night but during biz hours its about 25,000 people. Most of the accidents, drug busts, thefts and other crimes happen by out of town people. The same thing goes(with drunk americans) for cruise ships, all inclusive resorts, and spring break destinations. the citizens and resort owners say the exact same things you all are saying about all of the vacationers. When americans go on vacation and let their hair down they really dont spend much time thinking about how much respect they are showing to the locals(wherever they are). its not just a Missouri problem it is an American problem. Not picking on you just trying to show a different perspective.

I float somewhere between onondaga and merrimac state park at least once a month and the 2 most dangerous things I have ever seen had nothing to do with drinking or drugs. Had 2 dogs swim across the river to the sand bar we were on and start fighting right next to a 3 year old child(they were the land owner's dogs from the other bank not being watched). The other was a middle aged man cussing out a 10 year oldish looking girl who seemed to be his daughter. He was yelling at a 50lb girl because she wasnt doing a good enough job steering from the front. If I see something disrespectful or illegal I say something period I think it is hard to say you care and not to speak up. I have seen all of the same things you guys mentioned and always say something to the people and 99% of the time they apologize and stop. sometimes people just plain dont realize they were born stupid or are screwing up. I think it has to do with the way you say it more than what you say.

I'm sorry I didnt expect this to turn into a debate just wanted to remind everyone about your registration, fire extinguishers, and not to let any of your pot head friends screw up a fun weekend. For what it is worth id rather they crack down on drinkers than smokers any day of the week anywhere. I couldnt tell you when someone is high on weed but I wish I had a dollar for every time I have said "This guy is so drunk He is gonna hurt himself or someone else"

[jdmidwest]

One thing I have learned, any place you go on a Saturday, expect all kinds of other people that don't really get out any other day of the week. You should not expect to see what you would on the other 6 days of the week.

If you fish a trout park, Sat. is the biggest crowd. If you float, Sat. is the biggest float day. If you fish a lake, Sat. is the biggest boat day.

Sundays are usually less crowded, Mon thru Fri are finest.

[Mitch f]

The dorks just flat outnumber the enforcement, and it's just tough to try and prioritize how many cops go where. I want the law to hide in the bushes at night to enforce illegal gigging. Others want us to enforce poaching deer and other wildlife. Others want to cut down on drunks running watercraft into swimmers. There's just not enough cops to go around.

[fishinwrench]

I guess I'm just a tad less uptight or a bit more easygoing than most. I've spent alot of time on the waters of this state and have only had 3 unpleasant encounters, one was a threesome of vietnamese weirdos and the other two were lawmen ( and no I wasn't doing anything even remotely questionable, and they actually acted quite "put out" that I wasn't).

The encounter with the supposed non english speaking hoods I was capable of handling just fine without the help of any badged heros.

Seen a few drunks on the rivers and lakes....usually they are free entertainment until I get tired of them....then I move on. Never saw a reason to help feed another lawyer just cuz a guy (or gal) shows their butt, whether literally or mentally.

Don't recognize me as someone in uniform...Shouldn't even have brought it up a couple of posts ago. I'm not like that.

Apparently I missed you mentioning it, The dead giveaway for me was when you said I was "wasting your air". I've hung out with a handful of LEO's (have a few in the fam) and there's a definate pattern to that cliche, they must use it heavily in training. Sad attitude IMO but I'm sure in this instance it was merely said in jest.

[rangerman]

It was "our" not " your"...Come on man, your better than that.....

[Guest]

We all know its a circus on these rivers, especially when its hot outside.

In fact, Ive noticed the fish dont give a dam about drunks. They'll bite right underneath those idiots..

The crowd keeps the fishermen away, you have to adapt to the crowds.

Those people are a pain in the butt but they paid to float or swim just like the rest of us.

Its a fact of life and we have to deal with it and make adhustments, or stay home until September...

dogs fighting is a real problem that I had to deal with firsthand.

I had another dog try to sneek up behind me while I was wading a secluded creek.

There was nobody out there until the idiot drunks showed up with all their gear.

Their dog wasnt on a leash and decided it wanted to tangle.

that hyena lookin bastard jumped my dog and the fight was ON.

I had to break it up, and that dog kept biting my dog until I popped it on the snout with a flippin stick.

Then the drunks told me they didnt know whose dog it was, its obvious they were lying and I was hacked off.

I wanted to beat those punks over the head, but I kept my cool and got out of there before things excalated.