# Bass Boat wipes out!



## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

Anybody see this? I got there shortly after it happened....about 2:30 or so on Saturday. Evidently, a guy in a Champion was going a little toooo fast, come across another guys wake, the boat starts bouncing all over, throws him around and then out of the boat, the boat heads for shore, hits a log in the process and was still sitting wrecked up on shore yesterday. Steering wheel is all bent up, I imagine from the driver. Yesterday, it was on the east side of the lake between 224 and the dam, about 2/3 up from 224. When I got to the ramp, about 6-8 emergency vehicles(Stark county sheriffs, ambulances, fireman..etc) had every launch blocked and there were 15-20 boats out in the bay waiting to get in. The fella was in another guys boat(evidently he stopped and picked him up!!), they had a brace on his neck and were trying to get him out to transport.


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## mirrocraft mike (Mar 17, 2006)

Dang!!! Never heard a thing about it..Know a couple of guys that hit berlin but not word about this


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

Left Berlin at noon on Saturday. Fortunately I just missed that idiot. Hope he's okay.


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## Robert Woodson (Mar 24, 2005)

Ouch!!! 
Hope the guy is all right...too bad about the Champion too. I guess that means we aren't bulletproof after all. I have no knowledge or opinion regarding this incident, but after surviving "The American Idol Amateur Show", once again, at the State Park this last weekend...and knowing that a lot of those folks weren't really amateurs...there is something to be said for consideration, public, and personal safety, as practical, everyday, boating exercises.
Good fishing, 
Woody in Akron, 
Portage Lakes/Coventry


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## starcraft67 (Jul 4, 2004)

Speed kills!! That guy is lucky!!


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## greg3891 (Apr 19, 2004)

You know just because this guy crashed his boat dont mean he is an idiot, you guys all know darn well if you had a bass boat you would fly down the lake too. Instead of calling him an idiot pray that he is okay. He could very well be one of our fellow ogfer's Just my opinion. Greg, there sure is alot of negativity on this site anymore worse than a bunch of old lady's maybe we should just get back to the basics here FISHING


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## jkp836 (Apr 28, 2009)

greg3891 said:


> You know just because this guy crashed his boat dont mean he is an idiot, you guys all know darn well if you had a bass boat you would fly down the lake too. Instead of calling him an idiot pray that he is okay. He could very well be one of our fellow ogfer's Just my opinion. Greg, there sure is alot of negativity on this site anymore worse than a bunch of old lady's maybe we should just get back to the basics here FISHING


I agree Greg. I have a center console and I often stand up while motoring at 40 or 50mph down the lake. I have often wondered if I should quit doing that...it looks so cool on tv though...lol! Anyway I just hope the guy is alright.


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## Erterbass (Jul 4, 2005)

Here's the real McCoy jumping a wake - and nearly being the first person in line at his own "wake." 

Watch through the whole thing and learn the lesson this guy did: Wear a PFD at all times and make sure you're hooked up to the boat's kill switch...






As the Sarge used to say, "Be careful out there..."

Bob


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## Procraftboats21 (Apr 6, 2004)

you really have to pay attention out there, when planed out and trimmed up just the pad of the boat is touching the water. hopefully the guy at berlin is alright.


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

Hope this operator....and anyone aboard.....is ok.

Safety on the water is not as simple as it sounds especially above 30 mph. The highway has no wakes and waves. Boats don't have brakes as we think of them.

The faster your rig...the greater your responsibility.

Good luck....be safe out there.


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## Trautman (Aug 7, 2007)

Was out there sat and there were a couple different boats running across the water at high speeds. I left at 2:00 and all was well but there were a couple boats out there that were huge. There was a high speed cig boat just cranking around the area that your talking about. I remembering making the comment to the guy fishing with me that the bass boat guys coming down the lake were getting WAY too much air over his wake for my tastes and I was glad my lund was a 35 MPH boat with a deep V! Hope all ends well...

Brian


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## Irishjim (Apr 22, 2005)

We saw the crash and I can assure you the guy was acting like a complete ass and idiot!! Before the accident we had commented on him an several other IDIOTS that were doing their best to spoil everyones holiday! Fully trimmed up, at full speed, probably close to 70 mph, blasting every wake on a holiday weekend with enough boats on the lake that you could nearly walk across the lake stepping hull to hull is not someone showing caution or concern for other boaters! The guy didn't even have his kill switch on! The boat could have continued down the lake an killed or injured any number of people. 

Our Lund Pro Vee is capable of +65 mph but we never got above 30-35 due to the conditions this weekend. A little common sense goes a long way to everyone enjoying the lake!

My opinion and $.02.


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## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

Another friend who has a campsite right by the launch says they went over and checked out the boat. Minus the trolling motor, batteries, fish finder, tackle and anything else, all while the boat is perched up on a bluff. I just wonder who cleaned it out.....friend or foe? Also, it has a 200 hp motor, so I'm sure speed wasn't something he had a hard time attaining!!!


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## Robert Woodson (Mar 24, 2005)

Thanks for the re-cap Jim, 
What you say is correct..."stating an opinion is not negativity"...for us it should be a positive tool. You know, this is what some of those other folks see and what forms their opinion of our sport; fishing, and fishermen, in general...now that is real negativity. We need to remember that we are, each of us, a representative of our sport and try to "carry a message" that reccomends us through attraction; rather than setting ourselves up for a negative reading in other folks eyes. 

Seems to me that this forum should help to produce some values and guideposts for our behaviour that help to create a positive image for the Sportfisherman from the Tournament Pro to the simplest of Bank fishermen. We should each make an effort to remove the stigma around us by taking our trash along with us, cleaning up not just our environment but also our image, behaviour included, and not adding to whatever negative feeling or stigma that might already exist. Of course we are concerned about the fellow who wiped out. But we can turn a negative experience into a positive if we can witness the example and learn to adjust our own behaviour accordingly. 
Good Fishing, 
Woody in Akron
Portage Lakes/Coventry


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## Narf Koscelmik (Sep 21, 2007)

Nicely said, Woody!


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

I know this man. 

He's about as geniune nice a guy you could meet and far from "idiot" status...and yes, I know many idiots. 

I will give him a dummy rating for no kill switch hooked up...and even a duh for no life jacket. It still doesn't mean it wasn't just what it was...an accident.

That model Champ with a 200, top end is low 60's- on a perfect day. He was not full throttle.

Hit a wake awkward and tossed him into the throttle, ejecting him from the rig and breaking his hip. Emergency surgery following day- progressing currently.

Bad situation, went the best route it could. 

We can arm chair coach most any situation, I'm with coach Woodson.

nip


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## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

Very well said Woody!!

I know a lot of you think that guys who have bass boats and go fast are unsafe or stupid but that would be like lumping everyone who has a fast motorcycle together. Both vehicles need to be respected and even when they are, bad things can happen. Just letting off the gas when you are up on pad can create a bow hook that will spin the boat 360 degrees in less then one boat length. Much less what another boats wake can do to a driver or a boat. That does not apply to just bass boats either.

Not saying the driver was at fault or not, I don't know but I do know that I don't like the assumption that going fast in a boat equates to an unsafe practice. Most lakes don't have speed limits and I personally would like to see that maintained. If a bias keeps being echoed, we stand the chance of losing those privileges. 

My boat will do just under 85 but does not mean that when I'm running at those speeds, I'm being unsafe! Running at 60 would be considered taking it easy in my estimation. So what you consider fast my not be, at least in my opinion. 

Yes, you have to factor in conditions, traffic and other parameters but to blatantly make an assumption that going fast equals unsafe, only makes me think that you haven't had the opportunity to ride in a performance boat. I promise you that I can run at 60 safer then a lot of people I see driving boats much slower, who have very little experience behind the wheel of said boats.


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## Erterbass (Jul 4, 2005)

Woody, I appreciate the wisdom you communicated so clearly in your post. 

EVERY experience is a learning opportunity if we simply approach them all that way...

We should each ask ourselves what lessons we can learn for our OWN behavior - not someone else's - from this incident.

Now I'm going out to Mogadore in my electric-powered skiff and see how many wakes I can jump... 

Bob


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## TWD67 (Jun 22, 2006)

I dont know the guy personally but I know his dad and a buddy of mine says hes a stand up guy and has been fishing ever since he was a little kid and has been fishing tournaments for a long time and it was a freak accident. I didnt see it but I tend to believe his dad..And by the way he has a broken hip in case nobody mentioned it and is doing ok..


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## Irishjim (Apr 22, 2005)

Seapro, your avitar says it all, a boat out of contact with the water is the ultimate in boat saftey!?!


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## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

Nicely said Woody. Kudos to you and good fishing.

Buick


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

On subject but a little off track... IN you tube video posted on this thread earlier by ERTERBASS the write over on video says this guy was unconscious in the water for 10 minutes. Where were his "friends" in the boat doing the filming while he was unconscious in the water for ten minutes. I hope this simply means they got to him immediately saw he was breathing and tried to work out a plan to get him safely out of the water. I'd be real pissed if they left me floating out there while they continued to film

Very sobering to see how quickly a boat can go out of control even at relatively moderate speeds. I have never owned a boat, but if I ever do, I will not forget that video clip!


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## Tiny Tim (Sep 19, 2006)

I dont have a big boat like a lot of guys on here but have friends that do and have fished a lot of tourneys with them. Was fishing with one in a tourney in a 20ft. Champion with a 200 on the back and we went airborne in it at a drop of a hat. He was running at about half throttle and we hit a roller and was in the air before you could even think about it. It just goes to show even when you are careful things can still happen when you least expect it. Just hope the man will be O.K. In the mean time I will stick to my 16ft. Tracker and 9.9 Evinrude.


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## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

SConner said:


> On subject but a little off track... IN you tube video posted on this thread earlier by ERTERBASS the write over on video says this guy was unconscious in the water for 10 minutes. Where were his "friends" in the boat doing the filming while he was unconscious in the water for ten minutes. I hope this simply means they got to him immediately saw he was breathing and tried to work out a plan to get him safely out of the water. I'd be real pissed if they left me floating out there while they continued to film


I saw a video clip of the guy running the camera who was interviewed by a local TV guy. Basically, they left him in the water until they were sure he had no neck/back injuries. 

Buick


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

I sure will be more careful after seeing that. and to the guy driving the boat. its a fishing boat not a jet-ski. but seriously hope all ends well


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

Nipididdee said:


> Hit a wake awkward and tossed him into the throttle
> 
> nip



Safe to assume no HotFoot? 
Just my opinion but a HotFoot throttle system should be required in all high powered bass boats.
I've ran 'em both ways and it's like night and day from a safety standpoint for me especially in rough water!


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## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

Irishjim said:


> Seapro, your avitar says it all, a boat out of contact with the water is the ultimate in boat saftey!?!


A little of a stretch but hey........... thanks for pointing out that my avatar is simulating unsafe boating practices!!!


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## swordfish (Apr 19, 2006)

Not to be overcritical of anyone, but any of you guys that has spent any time on Berlin,after memorial day know ,that common sense and courtesy are hard to find there. Only you can prevent forest fires, and boating accidents.


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## BassCrazy (Oct 11, 2007)

Cull'in said:


> Safe to assume no HotFoot?
> Just my opinion but a HotFoot throttle system should be required in all high powered bass boats.
> I've ran 'em both ways and it's like night and day from a safety standpoint for me especially in rough water!


Agreed. Can't go wrong with a hot foot. Sounds like the Berlin incident was an unfortunate freak accident. I hope he's OK. Heavy bass boats (like Champion) are usually pretty forgiving, even if running on the pad and hitting wakes. I used to run a 19' Bullet on Berlin a couple times a week and they are treacherous, even in smaller wakes. Ran it on the lower Delaware in Philadelphia before moving to Ohio, too. I learned really quickly to stay trimmed in and out of the fast lane and STEER CLEAR OF BARGES AND BIG CABIN CRUISERS. Wait until dusk, then open her up on the trip back to the launch! We all love to open 'em up and run, just be sensible about it. 

As for the guy in the video, hitting a wake diagonally trimmed out and full bore is asking for trouble. Hope he's OK, too.


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## Steelwolve (Apr 18, 2006)

First off Im glad to hear this guys ok, secondly I am a boating novice, but Ill share a story. I was out this past weekend at Delaware lake with a co-worker, we were in his 20ft Nitro with a 150 on the back. He has owned the boat for about 5 years. I have never been on Bass boat that fast before. I run a 5.5 and never wear my PFD. As we were headed up the lake he had that thing to 70mph. When we finally slowed down I said "dude where are your life jackets!" He laughed and said "what did I scare ya" My point is when your initially going that fast on the water your mind says " OH crap what if we flip, better put on a pfd" and it scares you a little.. thats the thrill right, but the more you become comfortable at those speeds the safer you feel and you skip the 20 seconds it takes to put it on. Im not a guy that will wear mine on my slow boat, but for gods and your mama's or kids sake If your going fast wear that thing!


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## Robert Woodson (Mar 24, 2005)

Do we have an update on his condition? 
How did the hip surgery go, were there any other problems? Maybe this post can serve double duty as a "get well" and get back on the water card. Wishing you the best my friend.
Good fishing, 
Woody in Akron
Portage Lakes/Coventry


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