Northwest Fishing Reports

I read a story earlier today saying a few people fell out of a capsized boat, guess the driver made it out and was just arrested for homicide. Driving wreckless and intoxicated while running a boat on those high, fast moving rivers...Again, no life jackets....

16 foot jon boat with 4 people I think? Gotta be safe out there fellas. It can be reassuring knowing you've never fallen out of a boat all your life, but things can change just like that for the worst. Let's be safe out there fellas. No fish is worth our lives. Wear those PFD's. If you don't like the big ones, buy one of those compressed air ones. They are slick!

http://www.komonews.com/news/19875504.html

there was a local story of a gal falling off and getting ran over....the prop cut her arm up so bad it had to be amputated

Seems like there is no shortage of people just not using their brains. How about loading a boat, while in the water, with the engine running.... Really, she didnt need both legs did she? Actually, I think there is a law about being by the back of a boat while its running.

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/ ... b68c0.html

ive taken my boat to the river quite a few times on the snoqualime and snohmish SP?? and you really need to keep your wits about you. i limit to 2 beers no matter how long im out there. on the lake ill have a few more but i am trolling so it is a different kettle of fish. 40 on the river is F**king way faster IMO than on the lake.
Its also one thing i do like about the jet drive no prop.....

Drinking and Boating,...wow,..people never cease to amaze me!

brownbomber wrote:Drinking and Boating,...wow,..people never cease to amaze me!

I feel guilty drinking a beer watching people fish on TV!!!

:safe: I feel guilty drinking a beer watching people fish on TV!!! [/quote]
i feel sorry for the ones that get hurt.
stan

These calls are heart breaking because they could have easily been avoided.
About 8 years ago,we responded to a call where mom and dad had been drinking,decided to go rafting and took their 3 year old daughter. We arrived to find mom and dad with pfd's and they both informed us that their daughter did not because they had forgotten it and didn't want to drive home. We found the girl a few hours later but sadly,she was gone.

I couldn't agree more that just a little common sense can spare you tragedy. Is it just me or has there been an increase in accidents lately?? Like Kevin, I too witnessed a needless drowning. I waded out into the frigid spring-time Yakima River and watched a two year-old float by a couple of feet out of my reach. It really tore me up. My girls (3 and 6) wear lifejackets ANYWHERE near ANY water. I'm the embarrassing paranoid dad on the water.

Just the other day somebody flipped his 2007 Tahoe and nice 30', twin-engine power boat on I-90 near my house. He had his family with him (kids included), but fortunately everyone was OK I think. The rig and the boat did not fare so well.

As the story goes, he was drunk and nailed for a DUI. If I'm not mistaken, a Tahoe might be a little overmatched pulling a 30' boat (I have a buddy who had to trade a Tahoe for a 3/4 ton pickup to tow his new single-engine 24' Sea-Ray), which might explain the boat fishtailing on him on a descent.

That or maybe one of your empties getting stuck behind the brake pedal.

So, to add to his hangover he's got a totaled Tahoe, a totaled boat, a DUI, and if he was towing over capacity, he might be uninsured for the whole accident. Be grateful you and your kids are still alive, buddy.

Story @ Spokesman-Review.com

Slideshow @ Spokesman-Review.com

A few samples:

No worries there TroutCowboy,hearing your story makes me sad and angry. I think your right,it would seem that common sense is slipping away from more and more individuals.To bad they end up hurting/endangering others.
Thanks for sharring,I'm sure that is not easy to tell. Makes me want to start drinking....
but that doesn't do anyone any good.

TroutCowboy wrote:If I'm not mistaken, a Tahoe might be a little overmatched pulling a 30' boat

Gee, do you think? I'd never pull a load like that.

I had a 16' 1969 Aristocrat travel trailer start to do that on the old Wandermere bridge behind my 1971 F100 1/2 ton pickup. The combination of the road turn, slope and expansion joints started that trailer to rocking. With some quick thinking and being totally sober, I was able to recover from the swaying. When I got to the other side of the bridge and started up the hill, I discovered that my cheeks were sucking vinyl!!:shaking: That is a scary feeling with on coming traffic.

kevinb wrote:No worries there TroutCowboy,hearing your story makes me sad and angry. I think your right,it would seem that common sense is slipping away from more and more individuals.To bad they end up hurting/endangering others.
Thanks for sharring,I'm sure that is not easy to tell. Makes me want to start drinking....
but that doesn't do anyone any good.

Thanks for the kind words, Kevin. I spent months agonizing over what I could have done to save that boy. I should have grabbed my foam camping pad and jumped in with it. I should have just risked it to get those extra couple of feet from shore. How long could my fly line have held out if I'd used it as a lifeline? But it was spring run-off so it was cold and fast and there was likely nothing I could have done. And there may have been two of us dead. You know how some folks say that when things get really crazy intense (3 seconds to drive to the basket, 3 seconds to avoid an obstacle on the road, an impulse move to disarm somebody, etc) things kind of go in slow motion? Well I saw this kid coming downriver and I jumped out of my chair, told my wife (then girlfriend) to get on the cell phone, I grabbed an umbrella I had under the seat (don't laugh but it was one of those long, hook-handled Mary Poppins-style umbrellas, and it was going to give me something to hook him with) and I go thundering off thru this nasty brush downriver and wade out and wait for him to go by and...

Well anyway, sorry for the self-therapy session but I tell the story because before anyone thinks about putting the family in the car or boat with you after a bender, or even just yourself out on the road where other people are driving with their families, think about how long you'll agonize over that decision if you hurt/kill somebody. The life you take may not only be your own.

Living along the shores of Lk Wa are very nice until hot weekends in the summer.Then it is a zoo.The past 3 weekends boating traffic has been fearfull.So many idiots at one time on the lake.I live in near the 3 knot bouys.Its like speedboats and jet skiers cant read.I saw the police boat a few minutes here and there .Even with the police boat there they still go buy at 40 mph.There just arent enough police boats in the summer along Lk Wa.I really only see what happens in front of our home.Im sure its just as bad in other popular spots in Lk Wa.During this time of year its amazing how many boats that I see targeting what I feel are Sockeye.When I see lake violators I write their boat lic. numbers and report them as well as most folks do that live along the shoreline.

TroutCowboy wrote:My girls (3 and 6) wear lifejackets ANYWHERE near ANY water. I'm the embarrassing paranoid dad on the water.

Dude, Same here. I will not allow my 7yr old boy in the boat with out it and he cant be on the dock unless I'M there, and he swims (lessons).

Gotta put in the extra effort to keep the lil ones safe.

========

kevinb wrote:About 8 years ago,we responded to a call where mom and dad had been drinking,decided to go rafting and took their 3 year old daughter. We arrived to find mom and dad with pfd's and they both informed us that their daughter did not because they had forgotten it and didn't want to drive home. We found the girl a few hours later but sadly,she was gone.

Some people just shouldnt be parents! I would duct tape and barb wire (not really) my life jacket to my kid before I would selfishly put him in without one so that I could have fun.

Im 54 yo and I also wear my PFD whenever im on a boat or even a pier or dock. Swimming isnt the problem.Its the hypothermia that kills ya.I would rather be embaressed and alive then be in a obituary colum.

Hi y'all. New member here! Don't know why I started out at this thread. I guess I just care about people, their health, safety, and especially kiddos. This is a great DestinNation site and you all should be proud of your contributions to it. Make sure you thank the founders and moderators for keeping it well organized and clean. I, especially, thank them for immediately responding to my complaint of having trouble logging in, the 1st time, after registering. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all better, and using my ImagineNation to help add some more excitement and F.U.N. to an awesome site. Keep up the DeterminNation it requires to go out and bring back all the great stories that make this site what it is. Some sites are an ObamaNation and their mismanagement causes AlienNation from what should be F.U.N. Nice to meet you all.

TroutCowboy wrote:

kevinb wrote:No worries there TroutCowboy,hearing your story makes me sad and angry. I think your right,it would seem that common sense is slipping away from more and more individuals.To bad they end up hurting/endangering others.
Thanks for sharring,I'm sure that is not easy to tell. Makes me want to start drinking....
but that doesn't do anyone any good.

Thanks for the kind words, Kevin. I spent months agonizing over what I could have done to save that boy. I should have grabbed my foam camping pad and jumped in with it. I should have just risked it to get those extra couple of feet from shore. How long could my fly line have held out if I'd used it as a lifeline? But it was spring run-off so it was cold and fast and there was likely nothing I could have done. And there may have been two of us dead. You know how some folks say that when things get really crazy intense (3 seconds to drive to the basket, 3 seconds to avoid an obstacle on the road, an impulse move to disarm somebody, etc) things kind of go in slow motion? Well I saw this kid coming downriver and I jumped out of my chair, told my wife (then girlfriend) to get on the cell phone, I grabbed an umbrella I had under the seat (don't laugh but it was one of those long, hook-handled Mary Poppins-style umbrellas, and it was going to give me something to hook him with) and I go thundering off thru this nasty brush downriver and wade out and wait for him to go by and...

Well anyway, sorry for the self-therapy session but I tell the story because before anyone thinks about putting the family in the car or boat with you after a bender, or even just yourself out on the road where other people are driving with their families, think about how long you'll agonize over that decision if you hurt/kill somebody. The life you take may not only be your own.

Nothing wrong with venting....trust me,better to let it out.It took me several years to figure that out and you always feel guilt,it sucks but remember that it was not you that put that child in that situation. ITS NOT YOUR FAULT.
Take care TroutCowboy,we'll do some pike fishing sometime in the near future.

outfishUnetime wrote:Hi y'all. New member here! Don't know why I started out at this thread. I guess I just care about people, their health, safety, and especially kiddos. This is a great DestinNation site and you all should be proud of your contributions to it. Make sure you thank the founders and moderators for keeping it well organized and clean. I, especially, thank them for immediately responding to my complaint of having trouble logging in, the 1st time, after registering. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all better, and using my ImagineNation to help add some more excitement and F.U.N. to an awesome site. Keep up the DeterminNation it requires to go out and bring back all the great stories that make this site what it is. Some sites are an ObamaNation and their mismanagement causes AlienNation from what should be F.U.N. Nice to meet you all.

Wow!! I first saw this and didn't give it much thought but you want to give me crap in my reports. You must be the alpha male? Welcome to WL,.....I guess...