Looks like Ike is toast

-Shawn- · March 16, 2013, 09:54:39 AM

I don't think it is stirring of the pot.. It is just a misunderstanding of the water we are routinely faced with in the south and what it takes to fish it.

People forget in Louisiana there are 10k acre lakes that are average 2-3ft depth in the Boatlanes... Caddo is a good example of having to run on pad over the top of stumps..

It is just a fact of life and we learn to
Live with it.. Hard for guys that fish highland lakes to fathom.

inNOTof · March 16, 2013, 10:15:42 AM

For the record, Shawn, I'm with you.

Being from Maryland, NO I don't know what it is like to run in that shallow of water but I did live in Florida for a while and got a little taste of it. Iam a highland reservoir fisherman.

I was really making my comment to the guys who are doggin' Ike out for doing something that could happen to any of them. Fact is, what he was doing is what they all were doing. Alot of people dont like Ike but he is one of my favorites. Impossible to count the number of young people he has attracted to this sport and sponsors must know this because he has weathered the storm after some poor decisions. He is EXTREMELY marketable.

I would be his wing-man anytime.

merc1997 · March 16, 2013, 10:17:26 AM

there have been many reasons posted as to justify risk taking. some have quoted nascar events and some that the marshalls pay to ride in the boat, but what about others that are using the water that are not in the tournament, but just out enjoying a day of fishing? so, if ike's out of control boat hit an innocent by stander, it was justified because he was fishing a tournament?? that does not justify anything. things of this nature are exactly why tournament fishing leave a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of the public. i am just saying that tournament as a whole would be looked at in a different light if they would all apply more stingent safety rules. we all have to admit thatway backin yester year, there was not the traffic on the road that there is today. you could get away with a driving mistake and not cause and accident. that is not the case now. our waterways are just the same. there is way more boat traffic now. so, safer boating is a must. plus, if tournament fishing values public support, they are the ones that have to set the standards. luckily ike's accident ended up without harm, but it could have a much worse ending. it could have ended up involving someone else, just an innocent by-stander. i will give an example. here on table rock in a central pro-am tournament one of the contestants running in the 70mph range was running in narrowed water coming up behind a boat. that boat stopped to pulling to fish and the tournament contestant ran over them. now just because the guy fishing the pro-am tournament was fishing a tournament, did it justify his poor judgement of running too fast for the conditions and run over an innocent by-stander?? no, it did not. common sense and safety first has to come into play sometime. and accidents like ike's do not shed a good light on tournament fishing. if we do not police ourselves, eventually we will get policed, and probably will not like the policing. just my opinion and i am sure there will be continued arguments on both sides.

bo

inNOTof · March 16, 2013, 10:34:50 AM

First off, if "IF" was a "SKIF" we'd all go for a boat ride.

I see you are fm MO. So the type of water on the Sabine you never experience up there. Do you even know where Ike was? Who was around or near him? Obviously NOONE. Picture him shooting through a slough where visibility is fine and he KNOWS noone is around or close to him. All of the sudden he smacks an underwater stump or log that drifted in the channel over night. THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE!

Have you any idea the number of bass tournaments in this country and the minimal amount of "accidents", all things considered. The story you pose, well that boater was a bonehead and wasn't practicing safe boating methods. Hey, I could be wrong but if my memory serves me correct we haven't had one of the pros kill someone AND THAT IS BECAUSE SAFETY IS 1ST TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BASS AND FLW. So your point is mute....null.....void.

Accidents are going to happen and we need to thank the good Lord He kept those guys safe thru it all. There is a difference between accidents (Ike) and stupidity (your example).

-Shawn- · March 16, 2013, 10:55:14 AM

Merc, you continue to prove my point that you do not grasp the water they are fishing.. There is no "safe" water anywhere close to where they are fishing.

When I say no where close I mean they are running 100 miles of 2-3 foot swamp water.. Simply idleiing is not an option.

I am not a big fan of Ike on the water, but your assumption that he was doing something wrong in running shallow water is 100% wrong.

Creel Limit Zero · March 16, 2013, 11:48:30 AM

Merc, why are you assuming he was doing something unsafe? Accidents are just that, an accident. Maybe he was driving unsafe, maybe he wasn't, we don't know. If a deer jumps in front of me on the highway and I hit it, does that make me a reckless driver. Here Ike was driving to water he practiced on and now something got in his line that wasn't there before. Why assume he was being unsafe?

-Bryan- · March 16, 2013, 11:54:12 AM

Southern water is shallow by nature, northern water typically is not. That said, you run what you have to run in order to get to the fish you want to fish. I have fished all kinds of water and can say that even those highland lakes have their issues. I fished Dale Hollow after a very heavy rain and there we more obstacles in the water to avoid than I had seen in a long time but when you are boat #2 and have 125 boats behind you, you either run or get run over, either way it's dangerous. I hit everything from coolers to logs to lawn furniture that day and was fortunate enough to miss a few propane bottles...hell, I think I might have hit a couple of pot stills...my point is that Ike was doing what the rest of us do when faced with a given situation, make the best of it...this time it didn't work out so well for him but at least nobody was hurt. Y'all can arm chair QB anything you want, but if you were not there, you don't have enough info to judge...just my .02

inNOTof · March 16, 2013, 12:35:42 PM

Stripped down to its most basic, fact is, there is nothing safe about running 70mph in a 20' fiberglass hull in open water......

......then toss in no seatbelts, no "cage", shallow water, narrow river turns, floating debris, stumps, trees, other boaters, even mechanical breakdowns accidents are going to happen.

To assume and even imply that IKE was being reckless is nothing short of absurd.

kidd · March 16, 2013, 12:47:50 PM

They just announced from now on the elites are fishing out of kayaks all because of what Ike might have done or might not have done maybe kinda sorta almost a little bit sometimes. Sweet.

DBrooke · March 16, 2013, 01:08:23 PM

Quote from: smartbass102 on March 16, 2013, 09:19:20 AM
Just curious, if all this stirring of the pot would be happening if the angler was Stacey King, Rick Clunn or Shaw Grigsby?

I was gonna say that but last time I said something similar it cost me a friend :/

Oldfart9999 · March 16, 2013, 01:28:14 PM

I'm from the north, NY, farther north than Bo and can show water that is very scary. You can be in 25 foot of water and 18 inches later be in 8 inches of water. If you had a tournament on Stillwater Reservoir half the field would lose their lower units and at that speed, probably be in the hospital. I was fishing a tournament on Fairhaven Bay off Lake Ontario, deep water, known by all who fished the tournament yet we had a boater stick his nose just after blastoff, the motor was ripped from the hull, one of the 2 guys in the boat had internal injuries and broken bones he had to pulled from the water before he sank, the other guy had some broken bones also. There were 2 mistakes made, a charter boat went up the middle of the putting up a 3 foot wake which is what tourny guy hit and neither of the 2 guys was wearing a PFD which almost became a fatal mistake. Nobody saw the wake, several others hit it and almost lost control, the person at fault, the numbnuts charter guy. Accidents can happen anywhere.
BASS has safety rules as well as all Coastguard rules apply, if Ike had gone by anybody on plain he would be disqualified as happened to Swindle in a tourny a few years back. The mistake Ike made was not seeing how the water was dropping.
Rodney

Smallie_Stalker · March 16, 2013, 03:13:40 PM

Quote from: Mike Cork on March 15, 2013, 04:43:55 PM
If he would have thought about it, he could have put his power poles down before he hit the bank and stopped the boat

Somehow Ike doesn't quite strike me as the if he would have thought about it kind of guy

He's got more of the let's do this and see what happens sort of thing going on.

-Bryan- · March 16, 2013, 09:43:32 PM

Quote from: DBrooke on March 16, 2013, 01:08:23 PM
I was gonna say that but last time I said something similar it cost me a friend :/

If he didn't like your opinion...he was only an acquaintance...you can say anything you want as your opinion...even if I don't like it, you're still my friend because friends go beyond trivial stuff...just sayin'.

WSMBUCK · March 19, 2013, 04:56:22 PM

Guys I didn't read all the 3 pages of post, but the Wreck wasn't his fault,, it was a Under water Log he hit..
And he might have been the only one hit the bank but there were a ALLOT of boats and Motor with some major Damage Thursday and Friday when I walked through the Parking lot after weigh in

I was there and was talking with his Marshals Dad when he called and told him(His Dad) what happen and that he was ok.. And he wasn't going 70+ he just past a Boat that was taking Pictures and then slowed again to go around a Low hanging tree when he hit the Log or Motor or whatever it was under thee...Bottom Line it was a Accident and there was ALLOT of Equipment Tore up down there.

topcat · March 19, 2013, 06:13:18 PM

It dose not matter if Ike was right or wrong.....you can be dead right or dead wrong....The problem with all of this speeding.......in the tourneys is going to catch up with all of us bass anglers....In Oklahoma they have started to police more lakes and setting up speed limits.....you can not drink on the lakes anymore.....even if its just one beer...they will get you for open container....this all started because of the number of accidents on Oklahoma waters.....people running over people trying to get to a fishing place and not yelding to the right away and skiers driving reckless running over patoon boat and killing two innocent elder people who was anchored down catching crappie..I have seen people fishing and bass anglers trying to get to a spot ( first ) speed by a Jon boat fishing off shore... and gave them a bath...That is not called for.....So the people hate to see us comming or hear a tourney is on the lake.....because of all of the disrespect they receive from bass anglers.....Its not our water it belong to everyone...everyone have a right to fish and be safe on tourney days.....If there is no safe water where the anglers are fishing then the director need to make it off limits....In all tourneys....
from the Bass Master Elite series to the Local tourneys.......if it is not safe it should be off limits......even to us who think we are the best boat operators in the world....and we can do the impossible.......

Topcat

-Shawn- · March 19, 2013, 08:04:12 PM

It was an ACCIDENT....... and that is all there was to it. He hit something and the boat bowhooked, unless you redesign all bassboats back to tri hulls and reduce them to 75 hp it is going to happen.......

50mph or 75mph when you drop the bow and catch a chine you will lose control.

The problems that states have with Boating has nothing at all to do with how fast the boat goes or doesn't go............. it is because so many have the me attitude. The same dang thing goes on on the highways everyday.

As far as guys being in the middle of the lake in a flatbottomed boat at Daybreak........ the aree STUPID.. I can tell you I have almost ran them over several times........ Fishing in the middle of the boat road with not one damn light on. Guess what? that waas not one bit my fault......... those idiots should have their boat taken away from them and made into beercans.

I am sick to death of Bassboats being blamed for almost running over IDIOTS that want to be in the middle of the lake without proper lighting.

Sorry, but 90% of the time that is Exactly what happens........ They aren't out there in a well lit boat that you can actually see. they are in a flatbottom dark colored boat with ZERO LIGHTS.

Bobby Saffel · March 19, 2013, 08:24:27 PM

I agree with Shawn on this one. It was an accident. Now if he was totally wreck less and happening all the time then I think something should be done. I guess people use to running in 3' of water don't think this is a big deal. Just like Shawn said about someone fishing in a boat road. That's just stupid. It's like getting hit in the middle of the interstate by a car because they were trying to get a quarter.

Stump bumper · March 19, 2013, 08:50:41 PM

I have to agree with Top Cat, the FLW is here at Beaver every year and I now take that week to fish out of State and the year they didn't come here due to Walmart not supporting them was my favorite year because those guys make me fear for my safety on the water even during practice week.

I drive for a living and want to relax and fish on weekends not fight traffic and fear for my life, I have even thought of moving over to Reelfoot Lake in Tn because there are so many trees no one runs through there at 70mph.

But it isn't all Bass boats, I also don't fish Table Rock after Memorial Day because of the Wake boats...but it is bad when fellow fishermen interfere with fishing as much as water skiers.

To each their own but I keep up with BASS and FLW just to make sure we don't cross paths.

-Shawn- · March 19, 2013, 09:20:55 PM

I feel alot safer with Bassboats running around me at 70 than I do anywhere I have skiboats and pontoons running around at 35mph.... And I fish Lakes with 90% of the boats being 70+ mph boats...

I guess I have a different point of View, because I fish lakes that don't have many ramps and it is common for everyone to run 20-25 miles in one direction........ Speed is Necessary when having to make runs like that.
If you fish Lakes that have a ramp in every cove, then you have NO idea why faster bassboats are needed.

I don't really understand why folks are scared of speed...... $:-\$

At least in Texas 80-90% of boating accidents are caused by pleasureboats that are not in any way High speed boats.

topcat · March 19, 2013, 09:23:58 PM

Quote from: topcat on March 19, 2013, 06:13:18 PM
I have seen people fishing and bass anglers trying to get to a spot ( first ) speed by a Jon boat fishing off shore... and gave them a bath...That is not called for.....

This happen at 8:30 in the morning....and those two guys had as much right to the water and being where they were as the Bass Anglers...you don't need lights that time of morning....I have almost ran over prople who Didn't have proper lights or no lights.....I was on my way to a fishing spot...If I had killed those people I would have never been the same......

It want be long before we have a major wreck in the Elite series or Flw...It want matter who was right or wrong....rules will change and bass fishing will never be the same anymore.....the wreck may only involve just one boat trying to fly on skinny water and he hit something ( rock, stump, floating log or a net.......and things will never be the same.....If that marshall had died...it may have been a accident...but things would have changed a lot......I guess that is what it is going to take to get Anglers attention.......

Topcat

-Shawn- · March 19, 2013, 09:48:38 PM

What will it Change? You can't shut off 100K acres of water because there might be a hazzard..........

If you hit something and drop the bow it will hook at 70 or 50............ Accidents happen and will continue to happen and the last thing we need is some Liberal government trying to save us............

Untill this becomes a continual problem then any cries for regulation are premature ............ That is Exactly what is wrong with the whole country right now.

-Shawn- · March 19, 2013, 09:57:47 PM

Come on............. What your saying is the same as saying that if someone blows a tire and runs over someone on the sidewalk that we should limit all cars to 5 mph and shut down all the sidewalks........ That is EXACTLY the same thing.........

TheLastRodBender · March 20, 2013, 05:26:54 AM

Im' with you Shawn... There was another boat near him... and he slowed down to pass it... got to a point where in case something happened, it was still safe to take off.... and something happened.. and nobody was hurt. It was an accidental situation. The hypothetical "what if" argument is ridiculous because he took the precautions to minimize the risk. There WAS a boat there. He DID come off plane to pass it. Who knows.. had that boat not been there taking pictures, he could have gone through on plane, never had a problem, and nobody would even be talking about it.

jocko · March 20, 2013, 08:12:46 AM

Wow, my computer went down yesterday and I missed all this.

First - I don't fault IKE. I think alot of people do - given his wild reputation. I too may have jumped to that conclusion - until I read how it happened. It is an accident as shawn said and I don't feel IKE was in the wrong. What happened makes perfect sence and Ike did nothing wrong that I have read.

I agree that Marshals should know it could be dangerous and there are risks. Yes Marshals volunteer and in fact pay for this priveledge. I have Marshalled before and I am always amazed that about half of these guys have NO clue what they are in for.

I know that Stone button hooked his basscat and threw the Marshall overboard - he was not hurt and continued on for the day. I know Remitz hit a submereged wing dam and his Marshal got ejected on to the bank and had a back injury. Remitz followed another boat ahead of him yet his lower unit hung. Accidents happen to no error of the drivers. There will be more - BASS does not need to make any adjustments for this. It comes with the territory.

I do however reject the idea that the Pro has no responsibility for his Marshal. I'm not saying he has to slow down because his Marshal may get frost bite. Some of these Marshals have no clue and have never been in a bass boat. Some are elderly and the ride can be very rough on them. I think there is a flaw in the system. There should be some sort of qualification process for Marshals. The pro has enough on his mind - that he shouldn't have to worry about his running , when his marshal wasn't prepared for his day or is fragile and didn't know what he was getting into.

My only point and the point I wanted to make is: maritime law states the captain of the boat is responsible for its passengers - regardless if it is a cruise ship or bass boat. The driver is ultimately responsible. That's my only point. I don't think that is arguable. That is the law of boating.

LgMouthGambler · March 20, 2013, 08:31:07 AM

Im not gonna say that Ike did something wrong, but I will say that I have personally seen how "wreckless" some of these Pros can be. When the FLW was here at Lake Okeechobee, my buddy and I had a Pro go past us at idle in a very shallow path that they followed us into, and then 5 feet in front of us get up on plane. Now, not only did that stir up all the water that we were searching for beds and such, but he did not know that only 50yds away around a sharp bend that the water was going to get real shallow REAL QUICK. As we sit and wait for what was going to happen, we both chuckled. Then it came, the bog, and then the back and forth throttle to get unstuck, lol. Obviously not famialiar with the area, but who cares if they damage the boat right? I mean thats what the sponsors are for. My point is, boats dont have brakes like cars, so you cant compensate for a slight misjudgement fast enough. I would agree to put a HP or speed limit restriction on bass boats for there will be less of a chance for deaths, and just be overall more safe. NASCAR does it with restrictor plates and more safety features, but with the car you have a cage protecting you, and a seatbelt that holds you in place. Doing 70-80MPH in a car is fast even since you have brakes to slow down, in a boat its just crazy. My friends boat will do 50, but I will not drive it faster than 30-40. You might be the best boat driver, or motorcycle rider in the world, but there are always gonna be those "knuckle drivers" that dont pay attention to what they are doing, and will make your day go from good to bad in a split second. I have had a second chance in life due to a very bad accident in which I do not know what happened, and no witnesses came forward. That car crash will forever be in my life, and being a Firefighter, safety is a BIG thing for me. If you choose to do 70-80MPH on the water, just keep in mind that you wont always be as lucky as Ike was, and please be carefull. God bless.