"WULP" It's started.

[Walleye Express]

[b]Just got back from having my taxes done. Happy to say those 4 new tires I have to have put on my trailer, aren't going to be as big a buron as I expected. I took the long route to the tax mans office to check the rivers and as many of their landings as I could. One of my observations included the Tittabawassee Rivers Gordonville Ramp, where I launch and fish probably 30 to 40 times a year.

The river was wide open at the ramp area with good size ice flo's moving along in the current at 3 to 5 MPH. The water was at the top of the ramp and was running surprisingly clear. But with the ice flo's as they were, I personally (for safety sake) would not have launched and tried to fish the river. But of course spring weather brings out people, who lets say, can't wait to be safe to go fishing.

At the ramp when I got there was a young man, his younger son and their small collie getting ready to go out into the current. They were in a 12 foot aluminum boat they brough in the back of their pickup truck. The young man was intently trying to get the 7 horse (Sears) Ted Williams model, to start and stay running. It would spit and sputter for a few seconds and then die. Finally it started to run, but the choke had to feathered to keep it doing so.

The boat was not far enough out in the water to float freely, so the motors skag/keel was dug in on the cement ramp, making it impossible for the little guy to push the boat off and away. So like a good guy I get out of my truck and walk over to the ramp to help. I seen then that there are no life preservers in the boat and about that time the motor quits again. Oh ya, theirs was the only vehicle and the only boat that would be on the river as well.

At that point I decide I don't want to be an accomplice to murder, so without touching anything I simple ask how the fishing has been and comment about the river conditions and the life preservers. He gives me the (who cares) wave, and off they go upriver. Nice to know nothing has changed over the winter hey?

[Airwave(OH)]

You can put all the laws in the world in place but ya can't stop stupidity. I may have helped them though, by calling the DNR whoever it is you guys call. Might save a life or two, or keep from risking others saving there dumb A**'s. It's amazing what some peolple will do to catch a fish. Believe me I'll be first one out, when it's safe enough.

[Chuckles]

On top of that they'd probably be the first ones to turn around if something did happen and try to sue whoever talked to them at the ramp for not stopping them. Some ignorant judge would give them a settlement for 100's of thousands and the ignorance continues. Or worse yet they endanger everyone elses lives that will have to save them when they get in trouble... A buddy who is a park ranger often states that he wishes he could write people a ticket for being stupid in a non-stupid zone... that would certainly apply to the situation. Chuckles

[JLDII]

I don't remember who, but someone on this board always signed off with the saying, "There's no lifegaurd on the gene pool" or something close to that. Stories like this just prove it.

[ScottL]

"Here's your sign" Bill Engvall

Regards,

Scott Lee

Since there is six times as much water as dry land on earth, any fool
can plainly see the good Lord meant for man to fish six times as much as he works.

[Marble Eyes]

This sounds more like a "here, Hold Mah Beer" to me.


Must be they got jealous of all these Oscars handed out the other night and was attempting to earn something like it themselves...

A Darwin award.

[mrbreeze]

Hey Capt...

What's up with the dude that tried to run up the river in the middle of the night earlier this week. Heard that the fire dept had to pull him and his boat off an ice flow. Apparently the boat was 150' up on it. Another Darwin candidate?

[Walleye Express]

[b]Breeze.

Believe it or not, my tax man told me that particular story before I ran into his obvious relative at the ramp Wednesday. Said the guy thought the ice burg would break under the weight of his boat. Well, they usually do, I've even pulled that maunver, but the flows I broke through wern't 14 inches thick like the one he tackled. :D

[JLDII]

No offense intended buddy, but you might have a slight weight advantage in your boat over most people!

I know I do, but thats OK, I eat good and it shows!:9

[Pitts]

Man that is Gods way of thinning out the stupid people and will make the race of man that much smarter :)

To bad they probably have people that care about them that are smarter than they are and that is the sad part of the whole story.

Child endangerment comes to mind if the son was under 18 years old.

I used to take my kids out casting for slimers and bass in a little metro lake with a no motor rule.
We would roll the small trailer and 12' boat down the sidewalk to the fishing pier and launch by hand then use oars and a small electric to move around the lake.
I like that boat when it was calm or just a slight breeze but any size waves and you were looking at water to the gunnels.

As the kids got older and heavier it was worse and worse until I finally sold the boat because I thought it to be a bit small for me and 2 kids going almost 100 lbs apeice plus gear. 6" of freeboard just is not enough let alone how hard it was to row:)





Pitts