Boating - Outdoors

I wonder. Why is it that even within certian groups there are dyamtrically
opposed segments that make defending a pastime from antis a less than
stellar experience.

In out circmstances most bass fishermen use some form of boat at one time or
another and we don't want to lose that priveledge.

We curse at other pleasure boaters when they bother us, and even have open
animosity to some like PWC users. Yet for those anti's who would like to
see boating reduced to the bare minimum for law enforcement, or less, they
will attack any segment of our group. Boaters that is. Attack fishing and
some none fishing pleasure boaters will jump on the band wagon. Attack PWC
users and lots of fishermen may join in. Attack anything with a motor and
the sail boaters will be ecstatic. Yet as a group, boaters, we could
certainly stand up to any legal threat.

I could say the same thing about hunters, trappers, and fishermen. If we
could agree to deal with our differences between us and fight a unified
fight against legislation we would be less threatened, and our numbers would
probably not be reducing as they are today.

Twice I have rescued PWC users this year, and one stranded pleasure boater.
Once it cut short the time I spent fishing a tournament. Some of the other
guys fishing the torunament said, they would have ignored them. Especially
the PWC users. Wow! First off. Its against the law. Thats right Coast
Guard regulations require you to render aid to a boater in distress. Most
state regulation do as well. Secondly, thats a pretty awful thing to do to
a person, and it widens the gap between users of public water ways. I doubt
that the young lady I rescued from the back waters in behind Laikin Lakes
will be more likely to vote for issues that harm fishermen, and she is more
likely to vote for things to protect us. If I hadn't been fishing she would
have had to swim and walk another mile before she got out to the secondary
channel were there was some other pleasure boat traffic.

Just something to think about.

--
Bob La Londe
Yuma, Az
http://www.YumaBassMan.com
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