A very close call on LSC

[Erie660]

A friend and I were fishing Saturday on LSC a couple miles out from masonic. It was very calm at the time and we were on some fish so we were pretty focused. My friend was in the back and heard some waves and looked up and here is at least a 30' cruiser coming right at the back of the boat on plane. We were facing north and he was heading north so he was heading right at the motor. I started yelling and waving my arms just about ready to jump in that's how close he was! Well the lady in the cruiser must of seen us and yelled because all of a sudden we see him pop up and turn the boat. He was 30 yards or less from hitting us and if I would have been in a small boat, his wake could have capsized us. I raised my arms like, you idiot, he looked at us and just kept going. I could not get his MC numbers or I would have turned him in. Needless to say we both were pretty shook up for a while. Sorry about the long post but everyone needs to pay more attention especially on weekends.

[Mike S.]

I have learned that many people who own those really big boats don't really care about the people in the little ones.  I have had those hairy experiences here in Lake Michigan.  I guess they just figure that they own the water.  We were salmon fishing a couple years back, and almost got hit by a charter boat.  We were 400 yards or better from him, and he began closing in on us.  He got real close to cutting our lines.  When we contcted him on the radio, he told us it was our fault because he was on auto pilot.  I pass his boat every time I go to muskegon lake, and just wish I could pull the plug from the back of it.

[djkimmel]

EVERY boat captain is responsible for avoiding collisions. That includes the idiot running his big cruiser on plane without watching where he was going AND the selfish charter captain on autopilot!

[motocross269]

It has become a big game for those cruisers on LSC....I don't understand why when 2 boats are fishing 50 yards apart and there is a mile of open water on both sides that the Tuna boats have to run right between them.....

Until some enforcement action is taken on "Responsibility for wakes" we are at the mercy of those rigs and it is best to be on the Defense.....

[1javelin]

Why not have your camera handy and catch the action, then turn it in to your CO?  Seems they should be able to enforce it just like a security camera.

1jav

[Bender]

I don't know too much about Auto-pilot but aren't they generally supposed to be tied into radar to avoid collisions? I can see the guy out fishing not having radar but I would think that all charter boats should have it if it indeed does work this way.

[TritonTR20]

Last year I was out from the mile roads and had a group of kayak's come from clear across the lake and one of them actually ran into my boat while I was fishing. Other went within 5ft of the front and back. There was probably 15 in the group. After she ran into me I held my hand up like "what the.." she responded with "is there a problem". I replied "the problem is you need to have a higher IQ that the boat your are in to operate it!" Did you not see me? I saw you coming from miles away! You have a mile between me and shore and 27 miles behind me, but yet you feel the need to run into me...". Idiots...

[Bender]

Now that's just funny! How the heck could they not see you? I guessing that one was on purpose, not sure why though. While there are fewer of them I do tend to have more issues with recreational kayakers than even jetskis.

[thedude]

the autopilot the charters use is tied to a compass bearing. You set the speed on the throttle and the autopilot just steers for you. On the tuna boats, i'm not sure - i know many 'drive themselves' which is fine because its meant for use in long stretches of hazard free water. i don't consider much of lake st. clair hazard free.

[djkimmel]

Hazard free is a lot different than 'turn my brain off and pretend I'm drinking tea on my patio' too!! There are some real winners out there!

I would pay for video of a kayak ramming a bass boat!!!! That is so funny, I may have to do a re-enactment some day on video with your permission!?!

Ramming speed!!! Stroke! Stroke! bump...

Shoot! That didn't go as I'd planned it...

HEY!!! What are you doing out here fishing!?! Don't you know it's kayak time on the lake now!!! (Funnier if you read the thread about the Elk Lake ski time lady)

[MIBassKid]

My favorite is when you are sitting over a hole in the river salmon fishing and the yakkers come by and say "hey there are a bunch of huge fish down here!" and then of course the rest of them have to paddle over to check them out.

[djkimmel]

Well... the salmon are probably going, 'hey look! A bunch of yakkers!!' I've had pretty good look with almost all of the ones I bump into (no pun intended).