BigBendFishing.Net

And I've already been pulled from the water once this year, no plans to do it again.
Thanks Charlie Brown!

Giving you the benefit of the doubt... you probably weren't plan'n on it the first time either. That's the point of good decision making and being prepared. It was reported that they swam under the boat to retrieve the PFD's. It sure would have been good if they could have found a dock line or similar line and tied themselves to something to assist keeping them together

Sad reminder that Mother Nature can be tough and cruel and must be respected....always!

All very tragic.

I believe the comment about interference with the CG is correct. There are very strategic patterns for searches, and they cover them as quickly as possible. No way they wanted others in their search patterns to watch out for.

My question, why no distress signal? Are you really going to take a single engine, 21' Everglades 30 miles offshore without an EPIRB?

I do have one question. The guy rescued said they all had on life preservers. Now, even if they got separated, wouldn't they still be floating? I guess the rough seas could have ripped off the floatation devices.

I agree on the stupidity of them going out that far (I heard 23 miles) with a bad forecast. And when it even hinted at being rough, they should have headed in.


Showboat, I regularly go out 20 miles in good conditions in my 19' boat. But I always be sure the seas are 1 to 2 ft and no thunderstorms. To do otherwise would be stupid. I also have DSC radios and flares. Been thinking about an epirb, but have never even been close to being in a worrisome condition with seas. I have had to run through a thunderstorm (no fun) but I was only a couple of miles out. The lightning bothered me much more than the 3 to 4 ft seas.

One other thing. Those guys being NFL players were all Big Boys. A 20' boat with all that weight shifting at once could easily overturn. I think overloading probably contributed to the disaster.

Dubble

Dubble Trubble wrote:Showboat, I regularly go out 20 miles in good conditions in my 19' boat. But I always be sure the seas are 1 to 2 ft and no thunderstorms. To do otherwise would be stupid. I also have DSC radios and flares. Been thinking about an epirb, but have never even been close to being in a worrisome condition with seas. I have had to run through a thunderstorm (no fun) but I was only a couple of miles out.

Dubble

Understood. I've been 30 miles out of Pensicola in my buddy's 20' CC Angler, but not in those types of conditions or in the company of somebody with an Everglades budget.

Guys come on, dont act lke they are that stupid. IF any of you have been fishing offshore with buddys before, it is easy to try and impress them and get over confident. Yeah, when you get older and wiser you learn things. My boat is 35 feet and I am more cautious with it than I was 10 years ago with a 19 foot Pro-Line but that is part of it. They wanted to fish it might have been the only opportunity for all 4 of them to get together and he took a chance. I can remember many times I left Plains and drove 4 and a half hours to Pensacola with a crappy forecast just because I wanted to go fishin! Don't say you have never pushed the limis of your boat or you would be lying.

lance

This ain't good...

Nick Schuyler, 24, told investigators that about two to four hours after their boat capsized Saturday in rough seas, one of the two professional football players gave up hope and let himself be swept away, according to family members of two of the missing men. A few hours later, the second one did the same. “We were told that Nick said the two NFL players took their life jackets off and drifted out to sea,” said Bob Bleakley, whose son Will, 25, is also still missing. Then, sometime Monday morning, Will Bleakley thought he saw a light in the distance and decided to take off his life jacket and swim to it, hoping to get help.”

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafe ... 980720.ece

Natureboy wrote: Don't say you have never pushed the limis of your boat or you would be lying.

I have but the weather they were reporting to be coming in, is not pushing it but asking for it.

You are right Reel Cowboy but they might not get as many opportunties as you and me.

Natureboy wrote:You are right Reel Cowboy but they might not get as many opportunties as you and me.

I ain't never wanted to go fishing bad enough to risk my life and the life of the folks on my boat...but I guess thats a chance they were willing to take given the conditions....now they won't get any more opportunities

Natureboy wrote:Guys come on, dont act lke they are that stupid. IF any of you have been fishing offshore with buddys before, it is easy to try and impress them and get over confident. Yeah, when you get older and wiser you learn things. My boat is 35 feet and I am more cautious with it than I was 10 years ago with a 19 foot Pro-Line but that is part of it. They wanted to fish it might have been the only opportunity for all 4 of them to get together and he took a chance. I can remember many times I left Plains and drove 4 and a half hours to Pensacola with a crappy forecast just because I wanted to go fishin! Don't say you have never pushed the limis of your boat or you would be lying.

lance

I have driven to Econfina, setup camp, hauled the boats down also, and went back home the next morning because of bad weather. I will not chance my life or my passengers for fishing, no matter how much I like to go.

Dubble

You right Dubble Trubble but that is experience and responbility talking. These are young guys in a brand new boat who are wantng to fish bad. I am not saying what they did was smart or I am not taking up for them. I am thinking about times in the past where I have done similar stuff and I am not afraid to admit it. I spend a lot of time off shore more than most folks. I dont inshore fish very much. I can relate to what might have gone through their headfrom someone who loves offshore fishing. But like I said before I have a 35 foot boat now and we have either cut trips short or no gone because of the weather. I was out saturday afternoon and it was some pretty hairy seas, we cut it short because I was concerned about my buddys and me.

What a tragic story. I can not imagine what it must have been like for those guys. I don't think the other ones will be found even though they are starting a new search. It really makes you think. I generally don't want to go if there are 3's or better forecasted.

Natureboy wrote:but they might not get as many opportunties as you and me.

They were Pro football players, they "work" what 3-4 months a year.

jsuber wrote:I know most of you know about the NFL players that went out to the Gulf on a really bad day to be on the water. One person was found holding onto the footer of the motor while on top of the upside down vessel a 21" Evergaldes center console. What bothers me most about this is the number of folks that did not assist in the search. I would like to think that if one of us had suffered some series of stupid decisions or even an accident, that a number of us would be doing everything we could to help find our fallen friend or friends. I know that the Coast Guard can cover a lot of territory when a vessel is forty miles offshore a lot better than a few of us could but still, I would like to think that we would try, under favorable conditions. I would not expect anyone out in less than favorable conditions except the coast guard, but you would think that an organization like the NFL would have put a lot of effort into looking for those fellows, and show its dedication for their players. However, to my knowledge they did not.

Suber, youd be easy to find. Not many people would take a yak out that far!!