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Started By
Message
re: Boat wreck at Smith Lake today - UPDATE three confirmed deaths
Posted on 4/21/25 at 11:49 am to captdalton
Posted on 4/21/25 at 11:49 am to captdalton
quote:
It is interesting to go back and read this from the beginning.
Who and how did the “thick fog” and “blind curve” rumors start?
One rule that could be implemented that would increase safety would be to make it a tournament rule that electronics can only be used at idle speed/no wake or when the big motor is off.. That would keep guys from running 80 mph with their heads buried in their chart plotter, oblivious to what is around and in front of them. Need to use your GPS to navigate? Cool, you can. At idle speed. But at 75 mph you move over 100’ per second. If you look down at the screen for three seconds you have travelled a football field. If visibility is so bad you have to rely on your chart plotter you need to slow down. If you are so unfamiliar with a body of water you have to rely on your chart plotter you need to slow down.
I drag Umbrella rigs on both sides of the boat while I am plotting with my love scope looking for brush piles and fish....while using the big motor at idle speed....and at times it is pretty damned distracting....I have had to turn the tiller hard over when I thought I was plenty far away from another boat or a dock or a buoy....it can really be distracting when there is a 10 pound striper trying to run off with one those expensive rigs LOL...watching a screen while driving a boat at 50+ MPH is a dammed foolish idea....
1
Posted on 4/22/25 at 7:50 pm to AwgustaDawg
Yeah, I never look at my map at places like Toledo, Eufala, Rayburn, you know because its safe to drive and not look at it....
Posted on 4/22/25 at 7:54 pm to LSUAZ
What is more dangerous? To knock a lower unit off or run over another boat?
If you are focusing on your GPS chart plotter while running 70 we may read about you too.
It starts with a glance. Then we check out water temp. Then the time. And we think about that other spot, should we go there instead. We tell ourselves there won’t be another boat in front of us. I have been guilty many times of looking up and asking myself “where the $&@? did that boat come from”. It happens fast when you are moving fast.
If you are focusing on your GPS chart plotter while running 70 we may read about you too.
It starts with a glance. Then we check out water temp. Then the time. And we think about that other spot, should we go there instead. We tell ourselves there won’t be another boat in front of us. I have been guilty many times of looking up and asking myself “where the $&@? did that boat come from”. It happens fast when you are moving fast.
This post was edited on 4/22/25 at 8:02 pm
Posted on 4/22/25 at 8:02 pm to captdalton
This is not a solution. GPS is required on most Big lakes - as you are trying to stay in the boat lane via your screen as most are not marked. Rayburn, Toledo, Eufaula, Pic, Hartwell and many others that I have fished tournaments on and you need your screen to navigate. But too many short people that cant see over a 12inch screen shouldn't have them in front of them. But to say not to use when running is obviously not a solution. Yeah, drive that way between the pine and oak until you get close enough to see the rock jetty then you neem to turn before you hit the rock jetty...... yeah lets go backwards....ROFL 
PS MLF rolled out a rule then retracted it this year about the height of the screen compared to your seat bottom.
PS MLF rolled out a rule then retracted it this year about the height of the screen compared to your seat bottom. Posted on 4/22/25 at 8:19 pm to LSUAZ
quote:
This is not a solution. GPS is required on most Big lakes - as you are trying to stay in the boat lane via your screen as most are not marked
How fast are you running when you are concentrating on your chart plotter to make sure you stay in the boat lane?
We may have found the problem.
Posted on 4/22/25 at 9:22 pm to captdalton
I often run places in the marsh that require running off the plotter. Zero spatial reference otherwise. Maybe crab traps sometimes but not always. There's really no other way to safely navigate places like that. Similar with toledo bend outside of the boat lanes.
I can easily see of the top of mine though, and my boat is usually going 15 to 18 knots when I'm doing that, and I'm standing up. Big difference between that and going 70+ with a 20" screen in your face and your eye level is 24" off the water line.
I can easily see of the top of mine though, and my boat is usually going 15 to 18 knots when I'm doing that, and I'm standing up. Big difference between that and going 70+ with a 20" screen in your face and your eye level is 24" off the water line.
Posted on 4/22/25 at 9:45 pm to LSUAZ
quote:
GPS is required on most Big lakes - as you are trying to stay in the boat lane via your screen as most are not marked. Rayburn, Toledo, Eufaula, Pic, Hartwell and many others that I have fished tournaments on and you need your screen to navigate.
How old are you?
Posted on 4/23/25 at 8:34 am to ccard257
I use my GPS as a reference but if I'm relying solely on it to run I'll shut down and idle.
On the other hand though, I don't have 52 inches of graphs on my console. I have one 8 inch screen.
You should be able to run every boat lane on TB without having to start at the GPS. Even the ones in LaNan that are spaced way out are visible. I glance at my screen just to make sure I'm not off course but no need to stare.
On the other hand though, I don't have 52 inches of graphs on my console. I have one 8 inch screen.
You should be able to run every boat lane on TB without having to start at the GPS. Even the ones in LaNan that are spaced way out are visible. I glance at my screen just to make sure I'm not off course but no need to stare.
Posted on 4/23/25 at 8:41 am to captdalton
quote:
This is not a solution. GPS is required on most Big lakes - as you are trying to stay in the boat lane via your screen as most are not marked
How fast are you running when you are concentrating on your chart plotter to make sure you stay in the boat lane?
We may have found the problem.
Exactly. Nothing wrong with staring at your screens, just go under 10mph. If you are running wide open, you should be looking in front of you 90%+ of the time with the occasional glance at your gps to make sure you are staying on course or what not.
Plus, come on guys. Most of these guys have fished these areas before. DId he not practice and fish this lake 2-3 days that week already? It was a wide open area, its not like he was going to miss a turn anytime soon.
Posted on 4/23/25 at 9:19 am to captdalton
quote:
If you are focusing on your GPS chart plotter while running 70 we may read about you too.
It is also possible, and advisable, to get off the throttle substantially after you get on a plane......if a boat is rigged properly once it gets on a plane it will more or less stay on a plane at 35% or so throttle....and will be proceeding at a very moderate pace compared to WOT.....this is the way most sane people navigate narrow channels with unforgiving boundaries.....get on plane and throttle back to the point that the hull is just before stepping off plane and proceed....the advertisements of bass boats running WOT in narrow boat lanes and channels are done by professionals on closed courses with safety measures in places more or less ensuring some old boy ain't anchored in the middle of one of those blind turns bream fishing in a jon boat....here in the real world only a fool would run in that situation at WOT....
The problem is that most boat owners know only one speed and that is as much as the damned thing will do....simply dropping back after getting on plane to the point where you've only advanced the timing and haven't opened up the carbs will increase fuel efficiency by about 100% and will cost most boats, properly rigged, about 5% of speed.....but most boat owners peg it and never back off...
Posted on 4/26/25 at 11:28 am to captdalton
I can see both my GPS units (12inch graphs) and out in front very well. If you are not a midget and don't have 18" graphs you can easily do this. Turning your graphs off is just dumb. Knocking a lower unit off?? then losing control and running into a boat you were not headed at or killing you and the passenger - yeah well you didn't really think that one through. - you really said this? lol I have 2 bass boats one that exceeds 80mph and the other around 70mph and I have been boat 1 in a 220+ boat field with a 115hp SHO in a boat that went 42mph - so I know a couple of things, just a couple....why not just demand everyone drive a center console so you could see better - well that would be crazy too.
Posted on 4/26/25 at 3:16 pm to LSUAZ
You sound like one of the ones causing so many people to dislike bass anglers. You come across as a basshole here. I can only imagine how you act when you are in one of your many bass boats.
Posted on 4/26/25 at 4:06 pm to captdalton
Every year in April Desert Storm comes to Lake Havasu Az. Last event is the shoot out. Top speed last years was 203 mph. This happened at this years event.
Posted on 4/26/25 at 4:11 pm to LSUAZ
quote:
LSUAZ
You sound like an absolutely intolerable douche
Posted on 4/26/25 at 5:11 pm to captdalton
Talking sense versus nonsense. You should never operate a boat without a map. Ever, unless you know the lake like the back of your hand and even then it's not a good idea. I can't help you understand what it's like to go to lakes where you have absolutely no idea where rocks are, pipes etc etc but to suggest not using maps when running is just dumb. So personal attacks are welcome but it makes 0.0 sense to not use a map.
Posted on 4/26/25 at 5:13 pm to No Colors
yeah, name calling lol good one. I am not the dude operating a boat without a map........good luck with that
good one. I am not the dude operating a boat without a map........good luck with thatPosted on 4/26/25 at 5:45 pm to LSUAZ
quote:
makes 0.0 sense to use a map when running 70 mph.
Now THIS is a correct statement. There is a place for chartplotters. That place is not when you are running 75 mph, covering 100 yards of water every 3 seconds. You are saying you spend a lot of time looking at your electronics instead of in front of you while running wide arse open. That is foolish and dangerous.
If you have to completely focus on your electronics to navigate and can’t/won’t see what is in front of you then the only responsible thing to do is to slow down. Period.
Or you can run over a center console and kill three people.
It never happens to someone, until it happens to them.
I have a little experience on the water driving quite a few different boats in quite a few different bodies of water.
You should sign up for sea school, you would learn a ton about basic safety and navigation.
Posted on 4/27/25 at 5:05 am to captdalton
quote:
Now THIS is a correct statement. There is a place for chartplotters. That place is not when you are running 75 mph, covering 100 yards of water every 3 seconds. You are saying you spend a lot of time looking at your electronics instead of in front of you while running wide arse open. That is foolish and dangerous.
If you have to completely focus on your electronics to navigate and can’t/won’t see what is in front of you then the only responsible thing to do is to slow down. Period.
Or you can run over a center console and kill three people.
It never happens to someone, until it happens to them.
I have a little experience on the water driving quite a few different boats in quite a few different bodies of water.
You should sign up for sea school, you would learn a ton about basic safety and navigation.
All of this is great information and very accurate. I guided full time for over 20 years on a very crowded lake in North Georgia from a bass boat. I also have fished tournaments all the way to the top level. Speed just reduces the already short time to react to a bad situation on the water. #1 rule, boats do not have brakes. You are always safe, until you are not.
Made the move to south Florida and now I am running a 25 foot bay boat which is much slower but also less agile. More narrow channels here in the bay so you are in more close quarters with all sizes of boats. Less speed, just as dangerous
I completed my Mariners Training Class and passed my 6 pack test a month ago. Finished all my requirements and sent my application off to the USCG about 2 weeks ago, just waiting on the response now.
After fishing and boating for over 40 years and being on the water over 6000 days, I would say that experience helped me about 15% on the training. The rest was virgin water.
Point being, some kind of training class would be a great thing to do for anyone who is going to spend any significant time on the water boating. Could save your life or someone else's.
Posted on 4/27/25 at 7:49 am to LanierSpots
A few of the rules of the road and the plotting is honestly not something 99% of people will ever really need. For instance, being able to identify the nav lights of a submarine. But one thing everyone can use is the theme they beat into you, safety first.
ETA: “There are old sailors and there are bold sailors, but there are very few old, bold sailors.”
ETA: “There are old sailors and there are bold sailors, but there are very few old, bold sailors.”
This post was edited on 4/27/25 at 8:02 am
Posted on 4/27/25 at 10:01 am to captdalton
quote:
A few of the rules of the road and the plotting is honestly not something 99% of people will ever really need. For instance, being able to identify the nav lights of a submarine. But one thing everyone can use is the theme they beat into you, safety first.
Honestly, I dont think 50% of the stuff that is taught will be used, needed or remembered by inshore or nearshore guys who fish. Lights, sound signals or even day shapes are fairly overboard for those guys unlike guys who are using the license for things it is intended for. Big ship guys.
Since taking the class and the test, I pay more attention to those things looking for them. I have seen thousands of sailboats since, a lot of them using propulsion but not one downward triangle dayshape.
We do have ships that come in and out of Tampa bay and stage out in the gulf where we fish but we never get close to them to worry about it. Different going in and out of ports for bigger ships.
One of the things I was told when I started was, "Imagine you are controlling a 600 foot ship and not a 30 foot boat when you are going through the material. It really helped absorb and make it relevant.
I was so concerned with the Rules of the road section, I spent a lot of extra time on it. IN the end, I didnt even miss a question on the test for it. Same for the plotting. Missed one question on the Navigation and two on the Deck portion. In the end, I knew the answer to all 3 questions I missed, just misread the questions.
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