A little courtesy and safety please !!

[pearl]

Guys,

Want to post an open request before someone gets hurt !! I don't know if the folks involved were associated with ifish but with the power of this board I know the message will be relayed to the culprits.

This is not a salmon vs bass thing!!!

We were fishing salmon at the shelf above the Sellwood Bridge this morning. There was obviously a tournament that started at Willamete park. First few boats that came up river and went around the 30 to 40 boats that were trolling the shelf (It's a wide river guys). The next wave of three boats that came through decided to go right through the middle of the trolling fleet at a minimum of 50 MPH missing a number of boats by 10 to 15 ft. One aluminum boat was making a turn and about got T boned. This time of year their are a number of users on the river including bass and salmon fisherman not to mention rowers. Just because your boat can go fast and the adrenelin is pumping don't put my life in your hands. The guys involved know who they are due to the number of one finger salutes they got not to mention some lead flung their way ( not condoned mind you).

As in life 95% of the people in the world are good folks and the other 5% are jerks. I'm sure 95% of the guys fishing this tournament are good guys and enjoy fishing as much as I do. The three boats that decided to make their morning run and put others in danger are jerks or just plain ignorant !!!

If you were involved with the tournament and get the word to be a little more courteous and safe next time out it sure would be appreciated by all river users.

I figured this might be the best way to stop this sort of thing from happening again. Next time we can discuss it behind the wood shed.

Thanks for the vent.
Pearl

[shalom]

I am sure what you said was true. I have seen a few jerks that have done this. I wasn’t in this tournament. I to get upset when they endanger me. I fish a few tournaments and learned long ago that safety is very very important. I was in the COAST GUARD and saw a lot of unsafe boating . You only have to be involved in the after mat and clean up to appreciate safe boating. :angel1: :dance:

[Wannabe]

This must have been a club tourney if it was yesterday as the only posted tourney I know was in the upper river above the falls. I will check around and try to let the club know if I find out.
<)))><

[Abalone]

Yepper, I was on the river too and saw several boats going
full tilt boggy. A none tourney guy told me also that he objects to the practice of Catching Bass in one part of the river and turning them lose in another part of the river. He told me that the Tourney is the whole river but many of the guys head for
Oregon city area where there are lots of nice big S.M. and then they head back to where the tournement is and turn the local fish loose. In otherwords they are depleting local stock.

:hoboy: <font color="red"> </font>

[rebell]

pearl, great post, and thanks for bieng a gentlemen about it.

I agree with you 100%. I know what club was holding a tourney there Saturday, and I will make sure they get a copy of this thread. I was not involved in the one Saturday, but was involved in one out of Cathedral park the weekend before. One thing I stressed to everyone involved was safety and bieng a good representive of our sport. I hope we did a good job.

In the future I would recomend to anyone that has a problem with tournaments anywhere in the state that they email a polite and concerning letter to the Oregon Bass Federation, they will pass on your concerns to the club or organization that was involved that day. They will know who to pass it on to because all tournaments in the state must be registered threw ODF&amp;W and the Oregon Federation.

[bucketmouth]

Pearl, I too was on the river this weekend with other members of my non tournament fishing club. There were large fiberglass Bass boats all around Saturday morning. I did not have a problem with any of them myself. I was fishing slack water in a lagoon and was on my way out when one of these tournament boats came into the lagoon. He headed straight to an area where other members of my club were fishing. I have not talked to them since Saturday so I don't know if there was a conflict.

It seems to me that for the most part, bass tournament fishermen are good sportsmen. I have been on the water many times when they were too. Except for seeing them go really fast I don't know much about the ins and outs of their rules or regulations. But I'm on the water alot and I see skiers go really fast too.

I sincerely hope that all users of any given body of water get along and for the most part are able to enjoy thier their respective sport as much as the next guy. I would hate to see any particular interest group spoil an outing experience for others.

You made your point very tactfully. I hope all sportsmen in the great outdoors can appriciate the kind of diplomacy it takes to get along.

[bassin]

I was in that tournament and will pass the infomation on to the directors of it.
I was the 1st Boat thru that area and tried to avoid the salmon fleet. Like you said it is a wide area.

[Brnzbk]

Excellent points made by all, and I am glad to see it done in a respectful manner. Pearl, you are correct in stating that not all bass anglers act that way. I have seen this situation go both ways in the Sellwood area this spring. I was fishing for bass outside of the channel just upriver from Willamette park last week, and I counted no less than fifteen salmon boats in four hours that ran on full plane wihtin two boat lengths of me, although I was plainly fishing the area. Except for the jet boats, they were very lucky the tide was in, as it is very shallow there. A few times, I had to move out of the way to avoid a collision.

Several other boats were trolling through the same area, across the spot where I was clearly fishing at the time. Rather than swear at them, I merely waved and asked if they were having any luck. Not a one responded. I am in no way trying to justify what the bass tournament guys did to you, but my point is, that everyone needs to just chill a little and show not only some common courtesy on the water, but also practice safe boating habits.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun experience on the water this year, and good luck catching whatever you are out to catch.

[pearl]

Thanks to everyone who responded both on the board and through my e-mail. I believe the message has been delivered so lets put this one behind us.

Every spring I think about the two professional baseball players that were killed in a boating accident a down at spring training in Florida. Different situation then the one described above but had a fatal outcome. Don't want to see something like that happen again.

Let's all have a safe spring and summer on the water and reap the bounty that awaits us here in the great State of Oregon.

Tight lines!
Pearl

P.S. To show there is no hard feelings I'll let some one show me how :shrug: to fish for small mouth on the John Day system. Read alot about it but never tried it. Will trade salmon steelhead trips.

[bassin]

I spoke with our Club President about this issue and he asked that I pass on this message.

Our club is very pro active to boating safety, And this would be a item for our next meeting.
Our by-laws state that we are not to conduct our selfs in any unsportmenship like conduct. And we are pleased that it has been brought to our attention that there maybe a few members that need to be reminded of their responsibities to the public and fellow fisher persons on safe boating.We are all judged on the actions of others and do not promote or condon these type of actions. And will be working to avoid any thing like this in the future.
We wish to extend a apologie to anyone who may have been involed in this incident. And if it is witnessed again please report it to any other boat you see with our green contest band on the engine cowling. A boat hull number and or color and make of boat.
We are very committed to a safe and enjoyable sport, and will not tolerate unsportsmen like conduct.