Be Extremely Careful Out There

[Bill Babler]

My 4th. of July weekend is off to a very shaky start. Launched at the ramp at the Knob at 5:15 to a fog just hanging over the water. You could see under it as it hung about 100ft. above the water.

At 5:20 with lights on a blue Malibu wake boat came past me pulling 2 skiers, and pulled them into a fog bank at the mouth of the Kings River.

We went up the White River and started throwing a wobblehead on a long flat point. There was another fishing boat on the other side of the point. Looked like he was jig fishing, but could not see him all the time. We were about 150 feet off the bank and the fog had settled down so much that I could not see the bank. I would at times be able to see the other fisherman. Heard the boat coming before we saw it. Big Ranger sporting 2 power poles and running flat out in complete soupy fog ran between us and the bank at I'm guessing about 60 MPH.

Really shook us up. moved in a little closer and both of us fishing boats had our lights on. We are at Sans Souci and cannot see across the lake. 20 minutes later we hear blaring music, this is about 7 in the morning and in a total fog bank here comes a black tow boat pulling 2 skiers and I'm guessing he can just barley see the skiers behind the boat. We saw the boat coming and it was bearing right at us with its bow up and plowing. Missed us about 50'. I really do not think they ever saw us standing and screaming at them. Music was just blaring and shaking the water and they were completely void of anything that was going on.

Hard day for us, mostly catching suspended fish at 23' over depth. 13 total with maybe one squeeker keep.

Pulled back around to the twin rivers area of the Kings and continued to throw the wobble head. We were casting a bank with pole timber splashing the bait into about 10' of water when a black and grey tracker V bottom alum. trolled between us and shore. I jut threw my hands up and the guy trolling threw his up back and me and yelled you bass fisherman don't own the lake.

My gosh is there a cure for completely Stupid.

On the way home I was going down the big hill just to the east of Carr Lane and was following a motor cycle with a pull trailer and a Rav4. The Cycle was in front of the Rav4, we were going 55 mph. All of a sudden the cycle decides he has missed his turn at Carr Lane and decides to pull a U'ie. Slams on the brakes and the RAv4 takes the ditch on the right side and I lock them up. IF it had not been for the Phoenix trailer braking system I would have ran the cycle over or went into the ditch and overturned my outfit. The guy behind me hit the ditch on the other side to keep from hitting me.

Cycle guy got a ticket for an illegal U turn, but he was claiming he was going to pull into a farmers gate. Bull Pucky. That dude could have killed himself and his wife and completely ruined a lot of lives by completely stupidity.

I'm really scared to go back on the road or the water today, so I'm home and gong to sit tight.

[J-Doc]

I'm simply at a loss for words on how stupid some people are. The bass boat should know better. And the wake boats ....well.....I'm not that surprised. Something about a wake boat just requires you to leave your brain at the dock.

[REDSOXWSCHAMP]

and that right there is why i keep a good old fashioned sling shot in the boat

[J-Doc]

Good point.

Seriously though....is that considered terroristic threatening or assault??

[Bitethis]

I am at work today, by choice. I had to option to take it off, but if I work I can bank the holiday and take it some other time. I have had a dozen people ask why I am at work today and not out fishing, my verbatim response is "Do you know how many other people took that same approach, and went to the lake? I would rather go on a Tuesday, when everyone else is at work."

You just validated my decision, my assumption, and my response.

[gatorbitu]

The holidays always seems to bring out the idiots and a**holes.

[Quillback]

I can't believe anyone would even think of pulling skiers in the fog.

[rps]

I can't believe anyone would even think of pulling skiers in the fog.

The operative word is "think."

[*T*]

Sad state of affairs. Hope no one in Rav4 was hurt "ditching it" Don't expect things to improve 'til Sept. And even then keep you head on a swivel for the reckless ones. We all can make a mistake but some are like the insurance commercial "Mayhem"....just waiting to happen.

[denjac]

I still daydream about having torpedos mounted on my boat, and button's on the steering wheel to launch em. I usually fire em off 3 or 4 times a trip!