Jerks On The Rock

[Feathers and Fins]

the ones i hate are the ones in the big barges that keep running by within casting distance, and their wake comes over into the boat. maybe one day the water patrol will be around to see them.

bo

The wonderful thing about cell phones today is they have video cameras and it can be turned in to the local PD. Just a thought

[Sam]

Maybe you need to get a good (reputable) self defense class in your future.

RSBreth, I didn't mean to criticize or give the wrong impression. I'm a retired law enforcement officer and I had to keep a handgun within reach 24/7 for many years. I'm a lifelong hunter, gun collector, and I've held Federal Firearms Licenses for both gun sales and commercial reloading. I used to teach those classes you think I need, at the college-credit level, in both armed and unarmed self defense. Believe me, I'm all for your gun rights including your right to legally carry a concealed handgun if that's your choice, and I respect your judgment in the use of a weapon. I still pack one myself anytime I feel there's a particular need to.

I'm saying it's my personal decision to not carry a handgun, at least not outside my vehicle, at the lake. One reason is that as we've all observed, there are some drunken idiots out and about at times. I'm in my late 60's now, and what if a verbal situation should escalate into a physical situation? I think I could still give a good account of myself in a fight, but what if there are two or three of them and I take a whipping? Could I still keep control of a gun if I've got one on me, or do the bad guys get it away from me? If they get it, then real bad things could happen and it might make me the guy who brought the gun to the shooting. That's a situation I'm just not going to be in.

But that's a decision for each of us to make, and I certainly respect whatever you decide for yourself. Hey, I like Fin and Feather's comment about shooting a video of bad behavior at the lake (including hull numbers) and showing that to the cops.

[op79]

Guys, this is a very volatile subject. Please keep it as extremely clean and non threating as possible. You never want anything in print that may or may not come back to haunt you. This is also a very friendly family forum, so I must ask for a bit of decorum even though feeling are very close to the surface.

Being out there everyday I more than feel your pain. I have witnessed several incidents this year that were very reprehensible at best, and all of them were by some of our own fishermen.

As far as out early, that is great advice. Did have skiers on the water at 5:50 AM yesterday however. Pretty unusual, but they were there.

Good Luck

[op79]

I still haven't got the hang of this mobile version butt the reason i quote Bill is drinking and posting I'm guilty and apologize check out my post history i got riled over proper behavior n the sport this forum is riddled with info not shared elsewhere thanks to all !!!

[MOPanfisher]

Karma can be a bummer. Especially when the person who was acting like a jerk and zooming around throwing wakes etc. has to swallow their pride and ask you to tow them back to the ramp after they have knocked their lower unit off on a rock. They are very quiet and polite them. Having working at or around a lake all my adult life I have seen more than a few jerks, but probably they are outnumbered 100 to 1 by the simple good folk. NEVER let a jerk ruin your time on the water. Whether they are a ramp hog, or simply a rude boat operator. The exception is a drunken boat operator, stay away and report it. There may well not be an officer available anywhere nearby but a hull ID number is solid gold, and they do follow up on them, even if they cannot cite them for that incident they know they have been checked up on and may save their life or someone elses life in the future.

[Ultralance12]

I always assume everyone on the lake is packing. Some people would be wise to do the same. Lets be honest though, how many of these hotheads in ski boats could catch us on our fishing boats? I see steel and Im dropping the hammer on out of there.

[fishEd]

Something I've never understood is why people make the boat launch such a frantic/chaotic environment. You are going out to or coming back from enjoying your choice of watersport on the lake. You should be at an optimum relaxed state at that point. If you've spent several hours on the lake fishing, skiiing, or whatever, then why are you in such a frenzy to get loaded up and out of dodge? I've had several people cut me off or blantantly get in my way to get loaded up, yet the majority of the time I'd be more than happy to let them go first so they are well on down the road before I leave. I certainly don't promote dilly-dallying around, but no need to add stress to cap off what was hopefully a great day on the water.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ed, I think it is most people are afraid of loading and unloading and or being embarrassed at the ramp. They are not familiar with their own trailer simple as that and if they spent a few trips in the slow season to the ramp and practiced it would be much smoother. Others are just idiots who think the world revolves around them I.E those who load and unload everything at the ramp tying it up while others are forced to wait.

[Sam]

I think that's it - the frantic scenes at the ramps are caused by people not knowing what they're doing and embarrassing themselves. My partner and I had a temporary starting problem once and we beached my boat near a ramp and I sat in it for over an hour while he went for a part and came back. It all worked out fine for us, but it's worth hanging around a Tablerock launch ramp in the summertime just to watch the show!

In that short time I saw several husbands yelling at their wives while trying to get a boat launched. After they got a boat floating, one wife drove backwards when she meant to go forwards and half-filled the inside of a Dodge SUV with water. LOTS of people couldn't get their outboards started so motor covers came off, tools came out, lots of cussing, etc. I saw the back end of one ski boat get pulled underwater because they forgot to take the rear trailer tie-downs off. Taking out a party boat, a big picnic cooler got knocked overboard but it floated, so a guy had to jump in and swim for it to get it back. One bunch with a bunch of kids drove off and left their 4 year old at the ramp, crying - but they missed him and came back just before I called the cops. Watching that ramp was a hoot.

On another day at a different ramp I saw a guy launch by himself by backing down the ramp fast and hitting the brakes - with a long rope tied between the front of his boat and his trailer. That would have worked a lot better if his rope had actually been TIED to his trailer (chuckle). I gave him a ride out to his unoccupied boat.

Makes me real glad I've got Bull Shoals to go to in the summer.

[Quillback]

I've had a couple of minor inconveniences lately waiting on water fleas to launch or untie from the dock. Latest one was a family of four parked in the middle of the ramp (it's a 2 lane ramp, but they still parked in the middle), while I was waiting they started applying sunscreen to each other. That was a first. Can't wait for the cold weather.