Fog season is approaching...are we all on the same page?

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:25 am

With all the talk about "rules of the road" in the other active topic on this forum...it reminds me of some of the scariest moments I've had on the Delta. I remember a tournament where we blasted off out of Ladd's Marina/Buckley Cove where it was perfectly clear. Minutes later as we approached Turner Cut we hit a fog bank...we're talking zero visibility, pea soup fog. I slowed down to 5 mph and handed my partner an air horn while I grabbed my police type whistle and had it at the ready. We pulled as far to the right side as we could without hitting the rip rap bottom.

Well sure enough, here comes boat after boat behind us...some going 30-40 mph. We blasted the horn at least two different times narrowly escaping getting rear ended by other bass boats. Had we not been prepared with good noisemakers, we could have been involved in a nasty rear ender.

This raises the question...should I have been going a little faster and thrown a larger following wake to help alert boats coming up from behind? Or should all of the boats been throttled down top 5 MPH? I am thinking the latter. But the problem is...if everyone approaches the fog situations differently...we are bound to have some nasty accidents.

: air horn blaster.jpg (10.19 KiB) Viewed 2518 times

Do you carry a can of that air horn blaster and also a loud whistle? (I personally like the whistle as a boater because I can keep it in my mouth at the ready with both hands on the wheel. But always carry a fresh can of air horn blaster too.)

How do you handle the dense fog situations (especially at blast offs)?

The more we are all on the same page...the better off we are.

WackySenko · Post by **WackySenko** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:48 am

I am under the impression that you are suppose to be able to STOP your boat within the distance that you can see, COMMON SENSE. I know that common sense is something that everybody uses all the time.
I am sure that some guys get excited at blast off and think that thier momory or GPS will get them through the fog. Not everyone is willing to rely on those.
I have had the same situation going out of Russos's. We pulled 10 feet from the bank and just fished with the trolling motor down. While both of us watching and listening to boats coming from behind us. We had two boats have to turn really hard to prevent hitting us and another boat go by at about 45 mph really close to us.
Now if the fog is bad we just start fishing the boat docks until we feel it is safe to go.

kraetzer · Post by **kraetzer** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:56 am

Good point Caudawg -> definitely have to get me a whistle for the boat. Everybody should remember that you don't have breaks on your boat so SLOW DOWN when you don't see where you are going (fog but also turns you can't see ahead)!

Robb R · Post by **Robb R** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:04 am

This is an excellent example of one of the benefit's of this website . A great article that benefits any reader that fishes the Delta . For me , after 35 years of bass fishing (only 10 years with my own boat) , it's kinda scary . I have only fished the Delta twice , both times on somebody else's boat. Once in really nasty weather , once in great summertime weather. The main reason I don't fish the Delta is exactly what is described in the first post . A wide array of boating skills , knowledge , understanding of conditions mixed with an overwhelming desire to go 70mph in sometimes narrow water ways !!!!
To hear that tournament anglers need to have airhorns and whistles to warn other tournament guys from running up and crashing from behind ---in crazy. It's informative , but still crazy.
I am really glad to read these type of posts , makes you consider safer options .
tight lines ,
Robb

whazup · Post by **whazup** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:24 am

And in foggy conditions we can't blame the wake boats, jet skies and ski boats for creating the hazardous conditions. It is us, for the most part. Fellow "sportsmen". Everyone needs to take a little personal inventory and determine if they are the idiot on the water. Too many think speed = macho. I think speed in dangerous conditions = stupid!!

dbbasser · Post by **dbbasser** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:37 am

Excellent topic John .....the Delta Tullie fog is nasty stuff ! I'm inclined to idle when its really bad otherwise if you can see a little run slow. With the advent of GPS some folks are running faster, it's not Radar slow down and be safe.
Danny B

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:10 am

Depending on the situation...I sometimes tilt the motor up a bit and go just fast enough to create a larger "following wake" which can be helpful if oncoming boaters are paying enough attention. This can be done while still going around 5 mph. Just another "alert" to other oncoming boaters that can be helpful.

LOL...in other situations on clear days...I don't think that some boaters even know what a "following wake" is! But that's a whole different topic.

R. Duzac · Post by **R. Duzac** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:14 am

Caudawg, I can't see anything wrong with what you did here.
There's no reason to die to get to the hole before someone else.
I also carry the air horn, but got tired of them running out or going bad so this is what I carry now.

http://www.amazon.com/Seasense-Ecoblast ... m_sbs_sg_4
I do like the idea of the whistle as well because you don't have to reach for it.

Hopefully more people will read this as it only makes the Delta a bit safer.
Like I tell my son who is 16 and just about to start driving.

"Don't be that guy"

Take Care, and good post Caudawg,
R. Duzac

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:54 am

You're right. Slow down, horn or whistle or both, and running lights.
But that only protects you from other boaters with a brain and sense of self preservation.
I've been passed by boats on plane in pea soup fog at Cachuma, and the SB rowing teams who practice there in the fog don't have running lights on their motorized coach boats.
For people like that, Ron White said it best. "You can't fix stupid"

gabuelhaj · Post by **gabuelhaj** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:39 pm

Robb R wrote:This is an excellent example of one of the benefit's of this website . A great article that benefits any reader that fishes the Delta . For me , after 35 years of bass fishing (only 10 years with my own boat) , it's kinda scary . I have only fished the Delta twice , both times on somebody else's boat. Once in really nasty weather , once in great summertime weather. The main reason I don't fish the Delta is exactly what is described in the first post . A wide array of boating skills , knowledge , understanding of conditions mixed with an overwhelming desire to go 70mph in sometimes narrow water ways !!!!
To hear that tournament anglers need to have airhorns and whistles to warn other tournament guys from running up and crashing from behind ---in crazy. It's informative , but still crazy.
I am really glad to read these type of posts , makes you consider safer options .
tight lines ,
Robb

You should really fish the Delta here and the more you do, the more acclimated you'll get and will then really enjoy the waterway here. Use common sense, caution, and be a "defensive" driver, this whole "system" will be second nature to you.

Good luck!