Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I'm new to the world of being a "Bass Boat" owner. I was wondering if the fleece lined "Vest" style was more popular than the Sospender or Mustang style among the average bass fisherman. I live in the southwest so it will be getting hot here pretty soon. However, I don't want to look like a bigger dork than I already am by wearing something that is completely out of whack!!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ouachitabassangler

Whatever you wear needs to be USCG approved. I wear the Sospenders during summer and sweated everywhere outside them. They are not hot to wear, being a little insulated, completely out of the way, no friction with arms. My vest type are in storage. Check the activator mechanism occasionally and have a spare arming kit on hand in a Zip bag. I had one go off mid lake in a blinding rain with no way of navigating other than watch the GPS screen. Your first experience with that is a heart-stopper.

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ouachitabassangler

I really would like to see the sospender type required equipment. I wear mine all day no matter the weather. They are that comfortable and easy to forget. Everytine you reach across a vest type you are reminded it's there. I don't know how many times I've stopped the truck to get out and remove the thing after taking off from the ramp. If you zip a vest type up you get no air circulation, but left open the ends get in the way. The main thing I like about the new style is it gets worn. I very rarely see a fisherman fishing with a PFD on. When are you most likely to fall in the water? Sitting down holding onto a steering wheel, or walking around the boat trying to get a bass aboard? Most guys will say they always wear it boating around, but yank it off the moment they stand up. Want to know how most drowned anglers are found? In the act of fishing, not boating.

Let me tell ya'll a story that convinced me about wearing it while fishing. My shift got a call from the lock & dam operator, a bassboat had drifted up to the dam with nobody in it. A PFD was in the seat when we got there, open tacklebox on the deck, a part eaten sandwich on the console, bass in the livewell. A short search found the man face down in the river, moderate current, held under a tree by a catfish limb line.  The way he was caught and held made it impossible to turn around against the current or make his way to the tree. He just hung there facing downstream, and went under, the current pushing him down, with no PFD. We can only speculate that he was drifting under trees along the bank casting upstream like all of us did there. His backside didn't see the hook coming. It caught on his backside belt, and the fellow walked off the deck before able to cut the line. Knife was on the lower deck, out of reach. Of course it's possible the hook caught him while floating in the water, but I can't make that happen in my mind. Anyway, the Texan left a beautiful family alone to carry on somehow. Would the PFD have kept him above water? We don't know, but it might have helped.

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Outboard Engine

    fishing tackle

    fishing

    fishing

    fishing

    fishing

    bass fish

    fish for bass



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.