Yet another bad day on the water.

1bigfish · 07-27-2009, 07:45 AM

Over the last few weeks I have gotten quite a few backseat request by PM. I ended up with a list of 8 people I am willing to take out and I put them in the order in which I had received their PMs. I found out that I would have an open seat for Saturday so I started going down the list and calling people to see if they could go. The first 4 people I called could not go for one reason or another. No big deal it was kind of short notice so no hard feelings there maybe next time. Then I get to the 5th person and they say sure I can make it. So I send them all the info of where to meet, when, and how to get a hold of me if they had to cancel at the last minute. I said if something came up let me know, I would not be checking my PMs after 2:30pm on Friday but they could call me. I also said my phone would be off when I went to bed Friday night but I would turn it on at 4:30am Saturday morning.

Well as it turns out Friday night I had a family situation come up and to make a long story short I ended up not getting home till 1am Saturday morning and it was past 1:30 am before I got to bed. Since there is no way that I would just call and cancel a trip on someone on such short notice I went a head got my 3 hours of sleep and got up at 4:30am. I turned on the phone and there were no messages so I hooked up the boat and headed for the launch. I get there just before the 5am meet time and go ahead and launch the boat myself. I sit there and wait. 5:30 rolls around and two cars show up. Unfortunately, neither one was my backseater. I finally start calling the two number I have for the person and get a message on one number that �the person is not excepting calls at this time� and the other phone goes strait to voicemail. Wait around till 6am and then call again with the same results. Waited just a little longer and finally took off with no backseater.

First cast was at 6:30am just as the light hit the water on the place I was just sure I could get an early top water bite. Well 2 fish and a few blowups in the first 10 minutes on topwater in that spot and then the topwater bite was over for the day despite spending the next hour of trying. I sure wish I could have fished topwater on that spot at 5am as I had planned. I tossed a lipless for awhile and managed one more bass. Then switched to a speed trap and hit 3 more. I was tired and the wake boats were already coming out so I headed back to the launch and 9:30. So 6 fish for 3 hours of fishing, not great but considering how pi$$ed off I was and the fact that I was tired, I will take it.

Got back home and took a short nap before checking the computer. Looks like he sent me a PM despite telling him I would not check it.

I am going to take a break from fishing for awhile. After the last few trips it is obvious that God is trying to tell me something. I have one more trip already planned in two weeks and I will honor my commitment but after that I will likely just put the boat away for awhile.

Tight lines everyone.

BassinFever · 07-27-2009, 08:18 AM

I do not know who the person was but they should be slapped!! Nothing worse than being stood up at the ramp!!

I'm sure we can be sure that he will not get anymore phone calls from you to go fishing!

I do know one thing, he missed out on a good time with you as I know you would have gone overboard to get him into fish!

His loss!!!!!!!

MXRacer105 · 07-27-2009, 08:51 AM

That is brutal Dave.... I have had a few buddies stand me up at the LAST minute and it does ticks me off (assuming its not for a valid reason). And staying too late at the bar when we had plans is NOT a valid reason IMO.

Put your boat away and come out on mine..... we had a killer day last Thursday evening after work.

And I agree with Bassin'Fever, it was his loss.... I have had the pleasure of being your backseater before, and I have never had someone go so far teaching me the area (pictures of the area in low water, maps, etc).

flippinbaits · 07-27-2009, 09:23 AM

first impressions are key. that one isn't a very good one. he just blew his chance at some great spots on the willy!

Okumauser52 · 07-27-2009, 09:57 AM

Sorry to hear about that Dave. I hope that it doesnt discourage you to stop taking backseaters.

If that occassion every comes up again, Call me. I can be ready and at the dock in twenty minutes. Just kick back and relax and enjoy the rest of the summer.

1bigfish · 07-27-2009, 11:21 AM

BassinFever, you are correct the person will not be getting any more phone calls from me.

MXRacer105, I might just have to take you up on that.

flippinbaits, According to my logs you sat in my backseat 11 times and I never one had a problem. Too bad you had to move back to Cali.

Okumauser52, Don't worry you and everyone I sent a PM to and said I would take them fishing will be called and I will get you out. When I say I am going to take someone out I find a way to make it happen.

Now I am going to step away from the keyboard for awhile.

feisty's wife · 07-29-2009, 04:49 AM

I make it a point to be early if I am a guest, offer to buy gas,bait, I bring xtra food, and share all I have.Boat's/trip's do not operate on "thank's, had a great time"

Don Fischer · 07-29-2009, 06:47 AM

Doesn't get much ruder than that. Ask for a seat, get it, don't show up and never call.

raptorschild · 07-29-2009, 08:06 AM

Thats too bad 1Big Fish. I don't offer up my back seat all that often just because I usually fish on a moments notice, but when I do offer it, I don't wait at the dock for long. Usually about 15 minutes. I call the cell at that point, and if there is no action, I'm gone.....and I tell them that if they are more than 15 late, then they may as well just go home.

I almost always fish by myself, so it doesnt bug me too much if someone doesnt show...more bass for me.

Double Stack · 07-29-2009, 08:16 AM

1BigFish,
That sucks man. I stoped hanging out/ fishing with a dude because he did this to me twice. Never a call before the flake out- just a feeble apology after the fact with no good reason.
Don’t stop fishing man. It usally only gets better. Hell if you want to do some Eugene area bass fishing you’ve got an invite on my boat.
Keep your head up, and don’t let folks get you down !.

Addicted2Koke · 07-29-2009, 10:00 AM

It was my intention to stand you up all along.

...Just kidding! It wasn't me! In all seriousness, this could ruin it for a lot of credible fishermen. Those of us who don't have boats would kill to go fishing with you.

raptorschild · 07-29-2009, 11:11 AM

I'm dead serious. I learned this lesson from a guy that took me pheasant hunting on some ridiclously good pheasant ground last year. He told me that if I wasnt at our meeting spot at 4am SHARP....that he was gone, and wouldnt consider hunting with me again.

He was candid and honest....and guess what.....I was at that parking lot at 3:59 am. There's no use waiting for someone for 20 minutes or more...unless you really feel the need to fish with someone. Personally i feel there's lots of times where a little peace and quite is nice.

You don't need to sound like a total hard case...but if you communicate clearly and to the point about punctuality.....those problems will not repeat themselves. If you take a laid back approach.....people will show up 15-30 late, or not at all.

Outdoor Myers · 07-29-2009, 09:10 PM

If someone had invited me to go on their boat with them, It would take a death in the family to keep me off that boat! We don't have very many nice people like that here and If need be I would stay up all night just so I wouldnt miss out, might get sleep deprived and possibly sick (I have bad acid reflex, it really sucks if I'm awake for very long periods of time. seems like it some kind of fatigue just dont have the money nor insurance to go have it checked out) but I would so do that in a heart beat

BassinFever · 07-30-2009, 08:50 AM

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but I was a guide for a couple of years and I could fill this thread full of stories about people showing up late with every excuse you could dream up.

Not only have I had dozens of people show up late, I even had one show up an hour late and after I loaded my boat and went home and got dressed to go into town and do some work, he called and to ask for his deposit back!!!!!!

raptorschild · 07-30-2009, 09:16 AM

The bottom line is that everyone swears up and down that "if someone offered to take me out....I'd be there"....but reality is that 4am is early to get up on your day off, and its easy to sleep in, or hit snooze one too many times.

If you want your backseater to be there. Tell them they only get 1 chance, and that early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable! ictus rules. They will be there.

Blacktailfiend · 07-30-2009, 07:45 PM

Hate to hear that.. I guess they ruined my chance at an open seat on your boat this year..Maybe next year. Dont let it get you down. I'll tell you what, I'm going to be prefishing next weekend on the upper columbia I typically dont take anyone with me prefishing but since Im going to be looking at some new stuff your more than welcome to fill my back seat if you are open on the 8th. I will either be going out of cascade locks, hood river or rowena depending on the wind. If your interested shoot me a pm. Heres a couple of teasers from the last few weeks.

dszd 1.jpg dszd.jpg

raptorschild · 07-31-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacktailfiend

Attachment 18813 Attachment 18814

yowzas! Hawgs!!!!

outonalimb · 07-31-2009, 11:11 AM

Nice fish

micropeterous · 07-31-2009, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1bigfish

Over the last few weeks I have gotten quite a few backseat request by PM. I ended up with a list of 8 people I am willing to take out and I put them in the order in which I had received their PMs. I found out that I would have an open seat for Saturday so I started going down the list and calling people to see if they could go. The first 4 people I called could not go for one reason or another. No big deal it was kind of short notice so no hard feelings there maybe next time. Then I get to the 5th person and they say sure I can make it. So I send them all the info of where to meet, when, and how to get a hold of me if they had to cancel at the last minute. I said if something came up let me know, I would not be checking my PMs after 2:30pm on Friday but they could call me. I also said my phone would be off when I went to bed Friday night but I would turn it on at 4:30am Saturday morning.

Well as it turns out Friday night I had a family situation come up and to make a long story short I ended up not getting home till 1am Saturday morning and it was past 1:30 am before I got to bed. Since there is no way that I would just call and cancel a trip on someone on such short notice I went a head got my 3 hours of sleep and got up at 4:30am. I turned on the phone and there were no messages so I hooked up the boat and headed for the launch. I get there just before the 5am meet time and go ahead and launch the boat myself. I sit there and wait. 5:30 rolls around and two cars show up. Unfortunately, neither one was my backseater. I finally start calling the two number I have for the person and get a message on one number that �the person is not excepting calls at this time� and the other phone goes strait to voicemail. Wait around till 6am and then call again with the same results. Waited just a little longer and finally took off with no backseater.

First cast was at 6:30am just as the light hit the water on the place I was just sure I could get an early top water bite. Well 2 fish and a few blowups in the first 10 minutes on topwater in that spot and then the topwater bite was over for the day despite spending the next hour of trying. I sure wish I could have fished topwater on that spot at 5am as I had planned. I tossed a lipless for awhile and managed one more bass. Then switched to a speed trap and hit 3 more. I was tired and the wake boats were already coming out so I headed back to the launch and 9:30. So 6 fish for 3 hours of fishing, not great but considering how pi$$ed off I was and the fact that I was tired, I will take it.

Got back home and took a short nap before checking the computer. Looks like he sent me a PM despite telling him I would not check it.

I am going to take a break from fishing for awhile. After the last few trips it is obvious that God is trying to tell me something. I have one more trip already planned in two weeks and I will honor my commitment but after that I will likely just put the boat away for awhile.

Tight lines everyone.

Magic words to boat guests: I'm going to leave the dock at 5. Feel free to call me and if I'm not running the big engine I'll hear the phone ring and come pick you up. I've never had to listen for the phone to ring.