Suggestions for water improvement???

[elnutsmalljaws]

One of the two boys that drowned in the Clay City private lake a week and a half ago was the son of one of my boyhood friends. I found out about it Easter Sunday and visited him at his home that night plus the funeral home the next evening. Obviously, he was upset then and wants to make a difference so that other parents don't have to go thru what he is going thru at this time. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife contacted him yesterday and asked him to meet with them on the 16th of April concerning the accident plus during the conversation it was discussed as to what other safety or other improvements he would suggest to make our waterways safer or better. He called me a few minutes ago, knowing I was an avid fisherman, and I gave him some of my suggestions, now I am opening it up to all for yours. These suggestions could be related to boating, safety, fishing, regulations or anything else you would like to see to improve the all around safety, boating or fishing in our state. I will pass them all onto him and he will pass them on the KFW. I hope some good can come from this tragedy for he is one Dad that taught his son to fish and hunt and especially taught his son to fish "Offshore Structure" and is blaming himself for his son's untimely death. He thinks his son was using the paddleboat to move away from "Bankbeating" just like his Dad taught him and if he had not known this, then maybe he would have walked the bank instead of getting into the paddleboat. Thanks in advance for all of your help and suggestions. I am leaving for Ky and Barkley early Saturday the 12th so I will have to get them all to him by the 11th.

[Col Forbin]

I love to run WOT as much as anyone, but there needs to be established and ENFORCED speed limits on lakes. I can see maybe running 70 + down the main channel on Ky lake - but not near that on most other lakes. They enforce this on the highways - why not the waterways. It seems a speed limit, would be a better safety option that HP max on some lakes. Some lakes have 150 hp max to help ensure safe boating. However, I have seen a few 18' boats that can reach higher speeds than 21' with a 225.

I know boater safety courses are required for younger boaters - why not for all. I am not talking about a performance based test - but maybe even an online test. I know I familiarize myself with safe boating procedures - but who knows how informed the guy running at me is? The number of boats are rapidly increasing on our waterways - We need to start regulating and standardizing safe boating procedures.

[Grumpy]

Something I have said for a long time is that there needs to be more regulation (control) of people using Personal Water Crafts. Those things can be very dangerous, both to the rider and the people in the areas where they operate. First off, I think that the drivers of PWC need to have a license and take a safety course, before they are granted the license. Specifically, they need to be told that shouldn't circle around or cut in front of fishing/pleasure boats.

Second, I think there needs to be more regulation of where PWCs can and cannot operate, specifially they shouldn't be allowed to get closer then 300 feet from other PWC and/or boats when going above a certain speed. Also, they should not be allowed to run in the smaller creeks or at least they should be made to use idle speed when in restricted waters. I cannot tell you how many times I have been fishing in a narrow cove or creek and someone on a PWC comes within ten or less feet of me, throws up a wake, and then runs back out to open water. I guess they think its fun but to me its down right dangerous.

Thats my suggestion.

Grumpy

[BassNNutt]

I agree there are way too many people on our waterways that dont respect WATER. I see people passing on the wrong side and I see a bunch of guys with thier nice fancy boats up on plane with thier eyes glued to the NEW GPS Units instead of in front of them, when there isnt many people around sit back in a cut and watch a Channel Swing Bank and you will see exactly what I am talking about, they are just cruising along and then you hear them get out of the throttle because they lost the channel on thier GPS, and another thing i see that disturbs me is when there is the channel and then a fairly deep flat roughly 15' and thier will a fisherman on the channel bank and the boats come by and think they have to run the channel and run with in feet or yards of the fisherman. I guess Common Sense is not used Often enough.

[18'stratos]

Prayer sent for Families and friends of victims. That's Horrible......

Boating safety tests where you receive a permit or license to operate a boat or PWC. Age minimums, I think should be 16 years old for a license and maybe 14 for a permit. (Permit-operate under supervision of a Licensed boater). (Like a car -permit)

More money added to revenue through testing and hopefully increasing law enforcement, that would bring in more revenue. Laws are often overlooked by people if they aren't enforced. That's my $.02

[LarryG]

Wear your PFD!I never fish with out putting that thing on. But I'm lax about the kill switch lanyard.One of the guys I used to fish with had his brand new PFDs safely stored in one of his compartments, they found his empty boat, and two days later his body. This was on lake michigan, the waves that day were about 2ft, not bad.What happened, we dont know. The club we belonged to had a water safty course a year earlier, this was hosted by the coast guard. What else they recommended, use a buket or container when that bladder thing happens, it was stressed as very important, why? Over a 1/3 of the bodys they find, have the flys open, guess what happened? You cant regulate stupid behavior. I have seen many boats operate at high speeds at night, when there is floating debris present. My friend had two young kids,and how will that affect them?A lot of guys ask if I can swim, when they see me put on that PFD, yeah I say, and I can swim a lot better wearing that thing.

[elnutsmalljaws]

bump