Sportsmanship

Nitro Owners Forum

Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rich D

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2001
Messages
2,555
Reaction score
0
Ya know, after reading Rob's response about the trouble he had loading and no help from his club, posted under Tim's Bass Club message, I have to vent.

A couple weeks ago, I went for a day trip by myself, middle of the week, some people on the lake but not many. After an hour or so, the wind really kicked up and the lake got nasty. The lake has a horsepower restriction, so I was sitting on the rear casting deck using my kicker motor. I didn't feel comfortable with the conditions so headed in. Halfway there, I (breaking the law) switched motors and went to dock idling my 25 hp. The launch was down right ugly, on a point, getting pounded. As I was approaching a dock, a dealer with a new boat owner pulled up and backed into the dock I was approaching. O.k., not the most friendly move, but it was just him and me and there was another dock. After pulling in, one rope got away, and I almost killed myself trying to get control of the boat. After much struggle, I got tied down, with the dealer and customer sitting in their boat just watching. As I was backing my trailer in, another boat pulled up on the other side of my dock with a man and his elderly father. I hop in fight the wind and manage to barely get the boat on the trailer. After much struggling and pulling and pushing (from the water) I got the boat secured. Again, dealer and customer watching from their boat, man and father watching from dock. No offers to help, no toss a line I will help pull. I pull out to strap down, and watch the man and father try to load. Not a drive on trailer, father on dock, man at trailer trying to pull boat. Well, all I could picture was my dad trying to do this so, back in the water I went and loaded the boat for them. The response, "Thanks, but we could have got it." The dealer and customer didn't move.

Now, what kind of example is the dealer showing a new boat owner about helping other boaters? This is probably the guys first boat and I am sure at some point will need the help and advice of other boat owners. The man and father I already wrote off as miserable and set in their ways, but still!!! I am not an "old fart" remembering when, I am in my early thirties. (no offense to any old farts reading the board, LOL!) But what about sportsmanship? I am glad I had this trouble at the dock and not in the middle of the lake!

Sorry so long, but as I said, I had to vent.
 
You know Rich it was discouraging but when my mom asked my wife at the weigh in table, (I was 20 yards away, cussing out my outboard) I overheard my mom ask "Why does he fish with those jerks?". My wife just said, "I don't know, but I do know that next week if one of them breaks down, I know Rob will stop and help them anyway!" I loved to hear my wife say that and even more to know that I have had that kind of impact on some of the local fishing community. I have pulled a lot of people off the water, thank the good Lord I have not been in that spot myself yet, but I hope that when I am, someone will have the same compassion.
Rob
 
I know what you mean Rich,.....that's why I live by my motto,..."Better to set an example,,,than to be one!"...LOL
I get the biggest kick out of watching (and helping when necessary) other people who don't have a clue at the ramps....they see the bassboats come in and we drive right up on the trailer and were in and out in less than 2 minutes and the husband,wife or kid will always start yellin,..."Now Earl,...YA OLD FART!!,...Why can't you do that like them bass guys do?!"...ahahahhha,.....I see it all the time!! Don't be affraid to help someone,...or atleast ask...a little good will goes a loooong way when someone really needs an extra hand!! Good luck this year!!
Mac
 
Hi Guys,

I've had similar experiences with rude people. But in my case, they were non-boaters. I've had to deal with peole parking lawn chairs and grills at the ramp, people letting thier kids swim, people parking in the turn around area and fishing from the ramp with thier car parked in front of it. I always give them the amount of time that it takes me to unstrap and set-up. Sometimes I'll even stand there for a minute or two and just stare at them, waiting to see the light bulb go on in thier head. Sure enough, they just don't get it. I have to walk over to them and say"Excuse me, can you please move so I can get my boat in the water."

I love when they are parked right in front of ramp and ask "Oh, am I in your way?" People like this are why I wish I majored in psych....LOL

Marke
 
Several years ago, my Brother in law and I were out fishing in a small lake in the Irish Hills area of MI. We were just relaxin' and having a good time and we noticed a couple of older (60+) ladies fishing in an aluminum row boat about 40-50 yds away. They were getting kind of loud, and although we couldn't understand what they were saying, it got our attention. We watched one of the ladies stand up on the middle seat of the boat with one foot on the gunnel and started to lean over the side to undue a snag or something.....all the sudden the whole boat flips up on the side and both women and all their gear go into the lake!! They bob back up and are screaming hysterically!!...I looked at Gary and said,.."Holy @#$!@!!!..We better get over there and help them!!"..So we fired up his motor and flew over there just as one of the women was going under!!..The water was 10ft deep and weedy as hell....I was a lifeguard in Highschool and at that time was an excellent swimmer,....so Gary pulled up next to their capsized boat and he managed to pull one of the women in while I went in after the "sinker",....I grabbed her around the arm and Gary was able to grab an oar and he stuck it in the water for me to grab on too,.....BOTH of these women were BIG.....200lbs if not bigger and come to find out,.....one was DEAF and the other was MUTE!!!..Oh but they could BOTH Scream!!...Man could they scream!!...ahaha....anyway, I went in after the "deaf one",.....and got her back up to the surface,...Gary was pulling her in and trying not to capsize our boat!! I had one hand on the gunnel and the other hand under her butt pushing this lady up into his boat with all my might,......took in a couple mouthfulls of water, but we managed to get both the ladies in our boat along with the rods and tackle boxes that didn't sink. They were obviously shaken up over the whole deal but not because they fell in....they were pissed-off because we got their rods and reels tangled up when we were tossing stuff in the boat!!...LOL....and get this,...(the deaf one could talk...but it was difficult to understand), they asked us to go back and get the 3 bass on a stringer that were secured to their boat!!...ahhahaahahaahha....
Here's the good part!!! We walked the ladies up to their cottage,...all 4 of us dripping wet, and the son of one of the ladies comes flying out of the cottage and immediately wnats to know who we are and what we did to his mom and her friend and he wanted to know why in hell they were all wet!!!....We told him...."We just pulled them out of the lake!!!...They capsized and we got them out!!".....Y'know what he said???..."Well........didya git all their stuff too?!!!"...ahaahahahaa.....we just looked at each other and said,..."yeah,...most of it"...and we got everything out of our boat and we went back out for a couple more hours,........later that afternoon that same guy came back out and got their boat flipped back over and THEN he came over and thanked us for helping his Mom and her friend. Couldn't believe it,....I'll NEVER forget that day,.....and come to think of it,....I have a primo pair of ray-ban's laying on the bottom of that lake!!!.......Wonder if that dude found those....he probably kept'em!
Anyway,....I'd do it again if I had to,....butt I'd look for another place when it came time to push!!!!
Have a good one..
Mac
 
Marke,...next time they ask,."Oh am I in your way?"......say,..."Oh nooooooo,...I'm just waiting for the lake to move!,...ya MORON!"....LOL........those people have closed head injuries....be nice to them!..LOL
Seeya
Mac
 
Mac, that was very couragous of you! Good Job! This is a little different that at the boat ramp, but I work for the Department of Natural Resources in Michigan and we do lake surveys to get a population estimate for different species of fish in a particular lake. Now that is where I hear and see the most "DNR haters and unsportsmen like people". But the biggest unsportsmen like people are those damn jet skiers. Don't get me wrong, there are some nice ones out there, but there are really some jerks. Ones that know that you are fishing, but they keep running back and forth 50 feet away from your boat!! Sorry a little venting there too. LOL

Jon
 
Jon,...I've toyed with the idea of marketing little jet ski stickers that we could put on our hulls by the driver's side, just like the fighter pilots did in WWII......a few "Kill" sticker's might get their attention!..LOL I've talked to countless cops and DNR people down here, and they all hate jet ski's so you're not alone!! What really yanks my chain is this,.......as long as you're NOT anchored,.........there is no set distance that they have to stay away from you!!!....If you're anchored, then it's 50ft,.......but no anchor down??..Then they can blow by you at 60mph 3 feet from your hull and there's nothing a cop can do EXCEPT write a Carless driving ticket IF the cop witnesses the act......otherwise they can circle you like indians if they want too...nothing they can do to stop them!!
Mac
 
I had an experience a couple of years ago in NY fishing duck lake. My partner and I were fishing when we noticed a small 14ft. craft with 6 guys in it cruising down the lake with the water almost going over the front of the boat. My partner said "that's an accident waiting to happen" and I agreed. A few minutes passed and we were about to move when we heard people screaming from the shoreline and wouldn't you know it there were 6 guys in the water with no life vests. The boat had capsized and nobody knew how to swim ( thank God it was summertime). We motored over there as fast as we could and threw the 3 life jackets to them as quick as we could. We eventually pulled all 6 of them aboard my boat and started to head toward shore with the trolling motor. I had the trolling motor on full blast and hit a stump! Guess who flew off the boat and bent the trolling motor shaft? You guessed it -- yours truly. I got back in the boat and brought the startled and shaking men to the shore. We then attempted to gather there gear and when we flipped the boat over a number of needles came floating out! Man were we hot! We went to the bait store and had the owner call the cops and had them arrested for having needles without a prescription. The law enforcement agency was also going to test the needles for heroin. They were so high on drugs not a one of them said a single thing to us for saving their lives. If I knew beforehand that they were druggies I still would have done the same thing -- I guess I'm too good hearted.
 
I had a similar story a few years back. Me and a partner were fishing inside a cove when a water skier pulled by a seadoo kept whizzing by us. We motionned for him to stay away but they kept getting closer. Seemed like young kids with everything to prove, but at one time they was not more than 3-4 feet from the boat. My partner and I were getting angry and decided to leave the area. As we did my partner made a mistake and hit the skier with an oar as did his last "fly by". The rider was thrown to the water immediately and sank instantly 'cause he did not have a lifevest. I being the voice of reason, jump into the water and was lucky enought to feel my way to him. (The water was murky). We both pulled him in unconcious as the seadoo driver sped away (scare, most likely) Once in the boat I proceeded to administer CPR, and, as I did my buddy kept tapping my shoulder telling me to stop. I am a volunteer firefighter and know that when you begin CPR, you are not allowed to stop until you are physically unable, or until a paramedic or doctor makes the call. So I'm working hard to restor this youth's life when my partner tells me to look at his feet.

As I looked down his already blue body i notice.....-he is wearing cross country snow skis.

Sorry,
Pierre LOL
 
LOL..."Did you catch all them fiiiish??"...."NOPE!!..They saw me coming and they were so scared they just gave up and jumped in the boat!!.....Here's your sign!!"....LOL
I heard that tape too Rob!! ;O)
Mac
 

Latest posts

Back
Top