An incid nt in California, It could be worst.

This is not a race on a closed circuit; these are fishing tournaments on public water. The orgs have a responsibility to do whatever they can to keep bystanders on the lake safe.

We need Horsepower restrictions and speed limits, especially in the lower divisions such as high school and college.

6 hours ago, hunterPRO1 said:

This is not a race on a closed circuit; these are fishing tournaments on public water. The orgs have a responsibility to do whatever they can to keep bystanders on the lake safe.

We need Horsepower restrictions and speed limits, especially in the lower divisions such as high school and college.

Agreed, safety is paramount.

Sorry people got hurt, glad it wasn't worse. Speed kills, always has always will.

I agree that speed kills, but it also sells boats. Because I buy fishing gear, the algorithm keeps playing the same Bass Pro shop ad, which features speeding boats far more than anglers fishing or catching. For me, the ads say, "Buy a boat! Go FAST!"

I'm not sure how it works there, but here the highschool anglers don't drive the boat, they have a boat captain (adult over 18), that operates the outboard. I've done it before in highschool tournaments and it's a pretty fun time watching the young anglers do their things. Take off can be a real mess though. I've seen all sizes of boats and motors, so when the 16' Tracker takes off with the 40 year old 50hp Merc at the front of the pack, then everyone else is dodging it on their way out.

I think one of the biggest issues with boats in general, there is litte to no licensing requirements to own and operate a boat of any size in most states. So I can go buy a 22' bass boat with a 300hp motor on it with absolutely zero experience operating it, and cook a cool 90mph across a lake with no idea of how to read the water, how right of ways work, what different buoys mean, or how to operate in rough water. I had to get a "Boater's Permit", to operate in Missouri, but it was literally a free online course that I could search for all the answers online while I took the test and I only have to do it once in my lifetime. It's the same for all the big cabin cruisers, wake boats, and speed boats though.

@Bluebasser86 most states have a certification requirement to operate any motorized watercraft. I know Virginia does. Minimum age is 16 and ALL operators must pass a boaters safety course and carry that certification with them on the water. With that being said, it won’t solve the problem. My own personal experience, there are some who are more wrapped up in speed than they are fishing. But I will say, the speed freaks I know are good boat drivers and are safety conscious. One of them decided to bring his go fast boat with us to St Clair and found out just how different a pure fishing setup handles big water. As has been said, it’s the less experienced put in a high volume group with some heavy horsepower that can cause a problem. If a college age and above have passed the safety course, then it’s all on them. You can’t legislate common sense. 16 year olds can drive autos and even with speed limits and licensing requirements, there are still accidents. I am not for punishing all by lowering speed and horsepower limits. I maxed out the horsepower on every one of my boats when I was guiding to insure I could get off the water in case of emergency or weather and to make sure my boat could perform as designed with a full load of people and gear. If you look at the statistics, I’m sure there are far more accidents from pleasure boaters who’s day on the water include heavy partying. They just don’t get the press. I had to avoid them many a time guiding on a weekend.

44 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

@Bluebasser86 most states have a certification requirement to operate any motorized watercraft. I know Virginia does. Minimum age is 16 and ALL operators must pass a boaters safety course and carry that certification with them on the water. With that being said, it won’t solve the problem. My own personal experience, there are some who are more wrapped up in speed than they are fishing. But I will say, the speed freaks I know are good boat drivers and are safety conscious. One of them decided to bring his go fast boat with us to St Clair and found out just how different a pure fishing setup handles big water. As has been said, it’s the less experienced put in a high volume group with some heavy horsepower that can cause a problem. If a college age and above have passed the safety course, then it’s all on them. You can’t legislate common sense. 16 year olds can drive autos and even with speed limits and licensing requirements, there are still accidents. I am not for punishing all by lowering speed and horsepower limits. I maxed out the horsepower on every one of my boats when I was guiding to insure I could get off the water in case of emergency or weather and to make sure my boat could perform as designed with a full load of people and gear. If you look at the statistics, I’m sure there are far more accidents from pleasure boaters who’s day on the water include heavy partying. They just don’t get the press. I had to avoid them many a time guiding on a weekend.

Right, like I said, little to no requirements. Virginia appears to be just like most states, you pay a small fee, take an online, open book "test", and they give you certification that is good for life. I don't know of any that requires anything close to what you have to do to get a DL for a car. When I took mine, I had it in less than 30 minutes and a good portion of it was about navigation buoys that I'll never encounter in an inland body of water.

I've not been checked many times on the water for my fishing license, but I have never in my life been asked to show my boater's certificate.

Obviously, we have courses for vehicles and wrecks happen every second of every day, so it won't fix the issue, but it wouldn't hurt anything to have people a lot more educated before they got behind the wheel of something as powerful as a bass boat. One of the first tournaments I ever fished, we had a co-angler miss the trailer and put a brand new bass boat on the rocks because he "couldn't find the brakes". That same guy was old enough to go out and buy a boat and not need to get a boater's certificate to operate any watercraft in Missouri or Kansas just because of his age.

Sounds like the boat captain was either not paying attention or intentionally blew through a no wake zone and ran over the boat ahead of him that had slowed down. What an idiot .

Three people in a bass boat, highly likely the 2nd fisherman was sitting on the center back of the front deck obstructing the drivers view. I see this scenario frequently. Glad no one was killed.

2 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

Sounds like the boat captain was either not paying attention or intentionally blew through a no wake zone and ran over the boat ahead of him that had slowed down. What an idiot .

I am extremely familiar with the area where this took place. There is a no wake zone but it's not legal, basically one dock where the property owner has posted their own signs. There's a big yacht parked there and most people do slow down just to not be jerks. 2nd boat was 100% not paying attention.

Thanks @ATA for posting this, fortunately there were no fatalities. And thanks for the picture @Peacedivision of the yacht docked there on the east side of Werner Dredger Cut. What one isn’t able to appreciate from the picture is the cut is 50 yards wide at most from levee top to levee top and the channel narrows prior 5 mph zone at the yacht. After safety passing the docked yacht, if memory serves me right, it’s about 3-5 seconds up on pad before you have to drop off plane for the 5 mph zone 90° blind port (left) turn at Discovery Bay.

As for those unsure or unfamiliar about the speed limit when passing a docked boat, maybe this will help with clarification-

“In California, the speed limit for passing a docked boat is 5 miles per hour.”

California State Parks (.gov)

California State Parks (.gov)

California Speed Limit Regulations

According to California State Parks and the Division of Boating and Waterways, you must maintain a speed of 5 mph or less when your vessel is within certain distances of specific areas to ensure safety and prevent wake damage. 200 Feet Distance: You must slow to 5 mph when within 200 feet of a landing or dock where boats are tied up. This also applies to swimming beaches, diving platforms, or lifelines.

100 Feet Distance: The 5 mph limit also applies when you are within 100 feet of a bather or a person in the water.

Be safe out there

I always shake my head at all the social media posts and comments of fishermen in quest of getting additional speed out of their boats; I could do 70, but my comfort zone is in the high thirties. I wouldn't want to pay for the gas of those who always push pedal to the metal, or ride with them.

I don't own a boat but the same concept that applies to motor vehicles, aircraft, firearm owners and the like. The driver, captain, pilot in command, shooter, IS responsible for everything and everyone in their purview. Safety is paramount. There are no exceptions and all too often, this is taken too lightly. When that happens, things can go sideways quickly. Being vigilant and maintaining situational awareness doesn't guarantee event free operation but it sure tilts the odds heavily in your favor.

Apologies, but I'm an admitted safety Nazi. I drive friends and family crazy until something stupid happens that could have been avoided.

One of the biggest issues I see is enforcement. Fines only happen after an accident happens.

Anytime I have ever been checked it’s just lifejackets, horn, fire ext, fishing license, etc. maybe it’s just my area and this does get done.

I can't comment about the specific incident that the OP posted, so maybe this issue wasn't a contributing factor.

But many of these souped up bass boats often used in tournaments these days have multiple enormous screens mounted right to and above the console. I can't figure out how that's allowed. Full size screens are literally right in your front viewing sightline.

You wouldn't mount screens like that in front of your windshield in a car, so why are people doing it in a boat? You can't tell me that your vision isn't at least partially obstructed with a setup like this. Now haul ass down the lake going 70 mph too.

@gim i do not like how in bass boats you sit down and in. I didn’t like it about my tracker. One of the main reasons I wanted to switch to the boat I have now is visibility.

The desire for speed is the mindset of a careless person. Imo

@Bird No. With great speed needs great respect.

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

i do not like how in bass boats you sit down and in. I didn’t like it about my tracker.

If they would simply install one screen how it was designed to be installed to the console, there wouldn't be an issue. My graph is flush mounted right into the console and its below the windshield, so the appropriate sight lines that Ranger designed are still there.

It's the obnoxious and dangerous addition of multiple large screens above the console that I can't grasp. Visual acuity on what is ahead on the water is at least partially lost when they do this.

More training . Young. Guns and speed never a Good combo

Amazing that High School fishing isn't in like a Kayak..

9 hours ago, Pumpkin Lizard said:

Amazing that High School fishing isn't in like a Kayak..

This is sort of my point, in racing they don't start kids out in full blown race cars, they start in karts.

High school tourneys should be in jon boats with 10hp limit. This would simultaneously increase safety, and decrease barrier to entry. I've fished local tourneys with nothing but a trolling motor.

“High school tourneys should be in jon boats with 10hp limit. This would simultaneously increase safety, and decrease barrier to entry. I've fished local tourneys with nothing but a trolling motor.”

None of the high schoolers are operating anything other than the trolling motor. I’ve captained many high school tournaments and practice days. In order to put your focus on these tournaments, you’d have to look at who’s actually running the boats. Not that you shouldn’t but it’s not the kids.

18 hours ago, hunterPRO1 said:

This is sort of my point, in racing they don't start kids out in full blown race cars, they start in karts.

High school tourneys should be in jon boats with 10hp limit. This would simultaneously increase safety, and decrease barrier to entry. I've fished local tourneys with nothing but a trolling motor.

Tremendously good point.