toolie fog, close call on the delta

[Slippy]

Launched out of Holland Sunday, got a late start (7 am) headed for Franks track hit a wall of toolie fog so i got off plane and went into about a 10 mph crawl. All of a sudden 3 boats blasted throught the fog doing about 40-50 mpg on both sides of me. Man i have been fishing the Delta and have seen alot fo stuff but this was scary to say the least.

[TonyL]

Mann that is scary,I just purchased a gps unit tas be able ta navigate the fog out there,didn't think of the other guy though .

[Cooch]

Ya know, we go through this every year. Right now, small patches of tule fog are popping up every where. No doubt the guys ya saw Sunday were in that Hook torunament, woulda been about right from their blast off time at 6:45 to reach the other side. Amazing that some guys just don't give a $hi+ and continue drive like that out on the river.

GPS is only good when yer crawling around at 5 mph. Way too many guys think they can use GPS and run on pad through the fog! A GPS unit can not tell you when there is a tule island, or an anchored or moving boat in front of you. Time to slow down guys and be cautious, before we kill one another.

It's sad ta say, but there will be accidents in the coming months involving ignorant bass fishermen!

[Ken C.]

Not to mention the fact that many of the maps & chips are so bad that they will show you are on water when infact you are literally on the bank! (Just ask Bill K.! ) That's why the GPS when you first power it on tells you to not use it for navigation!

Bottom line is just as when driving a car, slow down when you can't see in front of you! Boats don't got Brakes!!!

[MrSkeeter]

Gives me goose bumps thinking about it again. Was out Saturday fishing the NCCC and was running on the main channel. Hit a spot of fog and slowed way down to just being on plane (20-25MPH) ... keeping an eye on the GPS too ... then pops out the fog patch and about 30-40 feet in front of me was ... the BANK heading STRAIGHT towards it ... Wow ... if I was going twice that, I might have hit it!!!

[kb]

I agree guys you need to slow down in the fog and if you find yourself in a fog bank don't slow down so much that you are not making a wake. You need to let boats coming up on you that you are there. make a wake, trim your motor up to make a disturbance on the water, let them know you are there. Yes if someone hits you they are at fault but try to let the crazy ones know you are up ahead of them, put your lights in, carry a small air horn or whistle in your hand when your in the fog and have your partner pay attention, four eyes are better than two in the fog, better yet launch at 9 and fish till 6 this is the nicest time of the year to fish the afternoons on the Delta.

kb

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

GPS is a fantastic piece of equipment, but it is not radar and it most certainly cannot and should not be used as a replacement for common sense..I don't care what the prize money is for first place, it will not salve the hurt caused by an irresponsible accident..Both Cooch and kb have laid out some excellent advice..GPS is great for not getting lost, and for finding your favorite honey hole, but it does not allow you to see what may be right in front of you in the fog or the dark of night..

mac

[Jason Wood]

That was you Slippy??? We watched it happen!!! We were fishin' the tullies just to the east...

[Bill kizer]

Hey Ken, I resemble that remark.

[Dan McKenzie]

Just goes to show you even if your cautious and being safe things others are doing can still put you in harms way. We fished the hook tournament Sunday, I wasn't about to leave 5 mph area until I was certain I could see and they could see me. Still while crossing Franks Tract around 10 am we had a duck boat loaded with decoys, no way he could see in front of his boat going 25-30 mph turn right into us about 30-40 yards away, if there had been fog he would have hit us no doubt. Launch as close to the area you plan to fish, avoid areas of traffic until visability is good, I like the air horn idea, I also have seen those brite flashing LED lights, they get peoples attention. As the person operating the boat you assume a great amount of responsibility for your passenger and others on the water, use your head and make safety your number #1 priority at all times.

[kopper_bass]

Move as far to the shore as possible and SLOW DOWN!!

- I DON"T get close to shore to see where i am going,
- I DO get real close to shore to get the heck out of the middle where the morons try and stay if they run it wide open.

Most guys trying to run either think they are safe running the middle with their GPS or move to the side just enough to see the burm. i try and move even closer inside.

This is extremely true if your in a tourney on the Delta and your one of the boats going out first. if you are running and hit the fog and slow down, get out of the middle, 'cause you know someone is coming up behind you at full speed!!

It's not fullproof as guys run close to shore wide open too, but as slow speed i can get closer to shore than if i am running fast, so i have a lot better chance of staying out of any stupid person's way.

Just a thought to consider.
Kopper_Bass

[NaCl]

Have your nonboater man the twin 50's and listen for idiots. If someone is running on pad towards you in the fog, fire a few rounds into the water. If that doesn't get their attention...SINK EM!

Seriously, at this time of year, it is best to plan your first stops close to your tournament site. Even if it's not the best water, it just doesn't make sense to risk anyone's life for a stupid trophy and small check. As the fog burns off, I make my longer runs.

.....NaCl

[Dewayne]

It does not make sense to risk anyones life for a big check either as you know!!!!

I have fished some pretty big events and I can tell you the guys fishing the bigger events tend to drive far more carefully then the guys in the lower level tournaments. Experience tells you that it is tough to collect a check when your dead and one accident due to "pushing it" will ensure your fishing career will never show a profit.

Running in the fog is not showing your competitiveness it is showing your stupidity. Personally I think this is one of those issues where we need a TD or two to issues a couple DQs just to emphasis the importance. HHHHHMMM!! Maybe I will have to do some volunteer work for a couple of the TDs and see if we can get pictures of a couple of these idiots.

BTW - Yes, that is how I really feel.

[Blue_R70]

This is extremely true if your in a tourney on the Delta and your one of the boats going out first. if you are running and hit the fog and slow down, get out of the middle, 'cause you know someone is coming up behind you at full speed!!

It's not fullproof as guys run close to shore wide open too, but as slow speed i can get closer to shore than if i am running fast, so i have a lot better chance of staying out of any stupid person's way.

This reminds me of the Hook's season opener 2 or 3 years ago. Total white knuckle driving while having the passenger keep an alert eye out for boats coming from behind so as not to get plowed....

[sTony]

The problem is identifying the idiots who race around in the fog. This should come under the ehading of common sense but most of us figured out long ago that good sense isn't common at all.

We had a threat of fog up on Clear Lake for the Federation Championship and I told all the anglers I wouldn't hold them up but I expected them to move around cautiously until the fog lifted. Anyone going too fast for the conditions and ID'd would be eliminated. We had no fog both mornings.

sTony

[Fishin' Dave]

The only way this will ever be solved is canceling or postponing the tournament with fog. We had it happen at the Oroville Pro/Am a few years ago and it sucked, but there was no problems. I wish fog wasn't a problem, but guys make it one.

[Andy Giannini]

It is stupid. I have heard boats running in zero. One guy pops off pad and gets near enough to see me. I said

"Hey, what are you doing running in this fog?"

"Ahh, you get used to it...."

Idiot.

As if somehow he was using ESP, or the Force to guide him.

In this regard, GPS sucks. It gives people a false sense of security, and more stupid boat operation is going on.

The trouble with running the bank, and watching rocks, or tules is, thats right about where I have been sitting fishing! The average guy sitting there is about THAT far off the bank, think about it for a second. Everybody doesn't launch from the same ramp, and someone might already have beaten you there.

Soapbox is over, check your insurance.

A.G.

[Blue_R70]

The problem is identifying the idiots who race around in the fog. This should come under the ehading of common sense but most of us figured out long ago that good sense isn't common at all.

There were a few of us who actually slowed down in the fog but you shoulda seen the number of boats that blew by, working up to WOT.
Common sense--yea, you'd think...