I recently talked to several people about fishing in Summertime and they were surprised to find that the majority of Bass Anglers do not have alcohol in the boat... "Fishing is supposed to be fun and hanging out with your buddies on a hot day pounding some beers" they said.... Now as a long time tournament angler I had to hold back a bit and try to approach my response carefully.
I said Tournament fishing has rules against drinking on the boat as it is unsafe to operate a machine which in some cases goes 70+ MPH through congested waterways all the while remembering sand bars, stumps and other obstructions as we are trying to find a pattern to catch these fish throughout a changing day of their activities based on an ever-changing weather situation...
That is what I should say... And did say then... But I wish I could have taken a picture of the man's foot yesterday at Seafair on Lake Washington after a friend pushed his buddy off the back of a boat... moving backwards, pulling the man's foot into the propeller causing severe damage to his foot... Only then would the point be made and understood.
All of us need to be alcohol and drug free when out on the water to ensure we can respond to our boat, our weather and our Lake / river conditions to make sure we get home safe.
I will be bringing to the next meeting, my personal boater aid kit as we also should be able to help someone who did not follow these standards.
Safe boating and tight lines folks.