Pro Bass fatal accident

[AndyG]

In the spring of this year a pro tournament angler hit an occupied boat killing all 3 on board on Smith Lake in Alabama.

The accident was blamed on fog , despite a video shows it occurred during broad daylight.

To add insult to injury, angler at fault made the statement they were in a bad place on the lake.

Pretty much anywhere in front of a bass boat traveling 67 mph is a bad place buddy.

I told the attorney representing the families- they don’t allow NASCAR to race on public roads ..why in the world allow professional anglers to race on public lakes.

Governing speeds needs to happen.

The angler is charged for manslaughter and a few other things that they could throw at him.

Tell me what you guys think about and especially you guys with a legal background I would love to hear what you think will be the outcome.

@tr21triton …. Your list of felonies and misdameanors does not count as a legal background.

 

[1o1proof]

I find more accidents on the water are caused by alcohol rather than speed. Personally, I’m not a fan of speed enforcement on the water…but I am amazed it hasn’t happened yet.

 

[DaveC]

As a boat owner of 30+ years, I've seen my share of irresponsible behavior on the lakes and dodged a lot of potential accidents. It never ceases to amaze me how careless people can be.

In AZ, no license is required to operate a watercraft and you only need to be 12 or older. So kids who don't even qualify for a learner's permit to practice driving on the street with mom and dad are totally fine to operate a boat, with no licensing in an even more dynamic environment.

Alcohol drives a fair amount of stupidity on the water, but simple carelessness and lack of awareness cause most.

67 mph on water is like 134 on land. There's no numeric speed limit on the water here, just 'prudent '. No reason he should have been going that fast unless the lake were closed to the general public.

 

[AndyG]

As a boat owner of 30+ years, I've seen my share of irresponsible behavior on the lakes and dodged a lot of potential accidents. It never ceases to amaze me how careless people can be.

In AZ, no license is required to operate a watercraft and you only need to be 12 or older. So kids who don't even qualify for a learner's permit to practice driving on the street with mom and dad are totally fine to operate a boat, with no licensing in an even more dynamic environment.

Alcohol drives a fair amount of stupidity on the water, but simple carelessness and lack of awareness cause most.

67 mph on water is like 134 on land. There's no numeric speed limit on the water here, just 'prudent '. No reason he should have been going that fast unless the lake were closed to the general public.

I agree- ya’ll need to catch a fish so bad ya got to do that? Lease the lake and kill each other but leave innocent people out of it. The guys he hit were fishing for another species, not even competing.

Just a day or 2 before there was a similar non fatal tournament/speed created accident in the Carolinas.

 

[tr21triton]

I agree with DaveC on not wanting speed limits on the water. I've been boating since the mid 80's and my current bass boat will run over 80 MPH and you have to have your mind on driving at that speed and not watching your big screen fish finder and GPS at that speed. floating logs come up on you fast. These guys that hit another boat just are not paying attention to driving. The problem is these days those guys run 2 giant screens and keep looking at them while driving fast. And what good do speed limits do anyway nobody pays attention to them , just ask my buddy Sgt. Hill in Ellijay.

 

[KennethS]

It’s a sense of entitlement. I saw an episode of Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Aransas Pass area coast where they encountered a tournament angler in a restricted zone. They told him it was a restricted area and he replied he was in a tournament, as if that exempted him from the rules.

 

[tr21triton]

It’s a sense of entitlement. I saw an episode of Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Aransas Pass area coast where they encountered a tournament angler in a restricted zone. They told him it was a restricted area and he replied he was in a tournament, as if that exempted him from the rules.

hopefully they wrote him a ticket and notified the tournament director and got him disqualified !

 

[AndyG]

I agree with DaveC on not wanting speed limits on the water. I've been boating since the mid 80's and my current bass boat will run over 80 MPH and you have to have your mind on driving at that speed and not watching your big screen fish finder and GPS at that speed. floating logs come up on you fast. These guys that hit another boat just are not paying attention to driving. The problem is these days those guys run 2 giant screens and keep looking at them while driving fast. And what good do speed limits do anyway nobody pays attention to them , just ask my buddy Sgt. Hill in Ellijay.

See , another example of blatant and reckless abuse on this forum Chris. Smack him.

Hard.

 

[AndyG]

It’s a sense of entitlement. I saw an episode of Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Aransas Pass area coast where they encountered a tournament angler in a restricted zone. They told him it was a restricted area and he replied he was in a tournament, as if that exempted him from the rules.

Dead on. And I love to fish.

And the idea of fishing professionally sounds fun whether it is or not….

But competitively doing something that most people do to relax is almost on the edge of a joke at the same time.

I remember years back comedians making fun of it on Johnny Carson.

I got sideways recently with a pro angler who was complaining that someone at Guntersville Lake got “his”spot.

Dude, you’re on public property and you need to act like it.

The idea of pursuing the larger fish to the point of people getting killed is really beyond belief.

It’s hard enough to justify war.

 

[KennethS]

hopefully they wrote him a ticket and notified the tournament director and got him disqualified !

It wasn’t law enforcement, it was a TV film crew and some marine biologists.

 

[John Cooper]

Dead on. And I love to fish.

And the idea of fishing professionally sounds fun whether it is or not….

But competitively doing something that most people do to relax is almost on the edge of a joke at the same time.

I remember years back comedians making fun of it on Johnny Carson.

I got sideways recently with a pro angler who was complaining that someone at Guntersville Lake got “his”spot.

Dude, you’re on public property and you need to act like it.

The idea of pursuing the larger fish to the point of people getting killed is really beyond belief.

It’s hard enough to justify war.

Tournament fishing has ruined fishing for most average folks.

The biggest fish award.

Let them go so they can grow mentality.

Faster boats with the biggest motors.

I have fished for most of my life, 2/3 of the time out of a 16 Jon boat with a 15 hp motor and always had a blast.

Used to keep everything i caught and ate it.

Blue Gill, Large Mouth and Catfish.

Now I enjoy bank fishing and can usually catch the limit and when I do I still take them home and have a fish fry.

Professional fishing is a money driven sport, pushed by sponsorships. If you don't produce you will get dropped.

 

[AndyG]

Tournament fishing has ruined fishing for most average folks.

The biggest fish award.

Let them go so they can grow mentality.

Faster boats with the biggest motors.

I have fished for most of my life, 2/3 of the time out of a 16 Jon boat with a 15 hp motor and always had a blast.

Used to keep everything i caught and ate it.

Blue Gill, Large Mouth and Catfish.

Now I enjoy bank fishing and can usually catch the limit and when I do I still take them home and have a fish fry.

Professional fishing is a money driven sport, pushed by sponsorships. If you don't produce you will get dropped.

Mostly elitests, a few trust fund brats, hot shots.

Human beings can ruin anything.

 

[Apparition]

Imagine getting hit by that boat that set the speed record in the ozarks a month or so ago.

 

[John Cooper]

Mostly elitests, a few trust fund brats, hot shots.

Human beings can ruin anything.

Yes sir, I have known several local tournament fishermen.

They were great people till they got sponsored.

 

[Apparition]

Imagine getting hit by that boat that set the speed record in the ozarks a month or so ago.

 

[tr21triton]

View attachment 647058
View attachment 647059

I'd hate to be some poor bastard trying to cross the lake in a John boat when he came by.

 

[Apparition]

In the spring of this year a pro tournament angler hit an occupied boat killing all 3 on board on Smith Lake in Alabama.

The accident was blamed on fog , despite a video shows it occurred during broad daylight.

To add insult to injury, angler at fault made the statement they were in a bad place on the lake.

Pretty much anywhere in front of a bass boat traveling 67 mph is a bad place buddy.

I told the attorney representing the families- they don’t allow NASCAR to race on public roads ..why in the world allow professional anglers to race on public lakes.

Governing speeds needs to happen.

The angler is charged for manslaughter and a few other things that they could throw at him.

Tell me what you guys think about and especially you guys with a legal background I would love to hear what you think will be the outcome.

@tr21triton …. Your list of felonies and misdameanors does not count as a legal background.

View attachment 646931

The video

 

[AndyG]

Its bad ….they claimed fog. Yeah, right.

 

[Tranz Zam]

The guy was a moron, and killed three innocent guys just out enjoying the day. The reckless operator should, and has been charged appropriately.

Create and enforce speed limits on the water? No. Hell no.

 

[AndyG]

The guy was a moron, and killed three innocent guys just out enjoying the day. The reckless operator should, and has been charged appropriately.

Create and enforce speed limits on the water? No. Hell no.

Well said.


I think tournament organizers should establish max speed limits. Maybe I’m off base but the thrill of competition seems to be the root cause.