Googans

[Heywood]

Our small Paddle-In for CookNFish did not go off without some drama this past Saturday. As I was running a tad late, I got off the beach last. I paddled out in hopes of getting some pictures and video. Accompanied by Greg and his son Robert and a newbie to our Paddle-Ins Carl. Rik was already staked out and as I get about 100 yds from him I hear a boat coming up behind me. He was about 75yds. from me and once he got out just in front, he cut the engine and got on the trolling motor. He then cut in front of me, between me and Rik, he then swings around behind Rik.



I had a good idea what was about to happen, the NASCAR jersey and white Costas tipped them off. (Do they make those in men's sizes?) So as I was sitting a little out front of Rik, I saw them coming. I asked them if the really intended to cut in front of Rik and the shore line, and the guy (I use that term loosely) assured me he was and had no problem with it. At that point Rik got in on the action.



Now as I have tried really hard to change my ways since my wife had her heart attack, I didn't get more involved. But rest assured, if this had happened three years ago, the out come would have been much different.

Once home I learned who it was, needless to say I wasn't surprised. He's probably still pissed that Todd and I took his money at the last Superlure tournament. He told a mutual friend that we were a bunch of A-Holes that didn't know what we were doing, we were fishing in 9"s of water, blah, blah,blah. If it was so shallow, what were you doing along that shore line?



Karma is a bitch. I learned later that day he had to be towed in. My mind bullets were working overtime Saturday. Maybe we had a little help?

[Rik]

Yeah, there were no fish there..... I was drifting through there when a big red rolled on my topwater. I quickly staked out. Yes, there were some fish there. Until he came through. To give some perspective, I was casting at the shoreline and had to feather the line to keep my lure out of the trees.

The question of how far to stay away from other fishermen comes up a lot and twice the casting distance seems to be an acceptable amount.

After hearing his '9 inches of water' excuse, I too wondered why he passed by me inside my casting distance and then put his power pole down in water that was shallower then where I was.

A couple good things happened. After he so rudely interrupted us, we moved further down the flat. As he stayed on "his" spot on the power pole, Greg, Robert, Carl, Heywood and I all started catching fish maybe 100 feet or so away from him. He got to watch all of us catching while he stood there not catching. And then I heard he had to be towed.

By the way, I understand his name is Kris Howell. If any of you know him, please give him a lesson on fishing ethics. I think we all know that he'd probably go bat shit crazy if someone did to him what he did to us. Maybe someone get get through his thick skull and change his ways.

[Heywood]

You know I don't understand the mentality. Do all boaters look at kayakers as inexperienced or something?

Lets just say for the sake of argument that we weren't on the flat. The way he blew onto that flat he would have been lucky to see any fish.

But what do I know right?


GOOGAN

[ChrisR]

After hearing his '9 inches of water' excuse

what an asshat. That boat weighs in excess of 2500lbs loaded and draws an advertised 13"(I'm assuming thats the 21', its another 500lbs and an inch to the draft if its the 24')Quite the feat to sneak that tank into 9".

[DaveR]

We're getting old.

[jbdba01]

You know I don't understand the mentality. Do all boaters look at kayakers as inexperienced or something?
GOOGAN

I've been hole jumped (no comments from the peanut gallery) by kayakers and stinkpotters alike. While in a a kayak I've been hole jumped by powerboaters. I've never been hole jumped by a kayaker while in a power boat. One guy came close. Zara spooks can really fly...

Chalk it up to one of the below:

- inexperience
- rude
- think they own the water

I would say 30-40% don't know any better, 60-70% know and don't give a crap.

"Googans gotta googan."

I've also almost run over kayakers at night who did not have any lights. Last thing I expected at night 1/2-3/4 a mile out in a channel is a kayaker. Without thinking about it I let the guy know how pissed off I was. He actually apologized. We made up, met at the ramp, and went our separate ways.

[Heywood]

"Googans gotta googan."

That's pretty much the mentality of the Polk County Tournament Crowd.

I own the water and you don't know squat.

[22acrowd]

The Fort is a busy place on Saturday morning and Rik was camped out in a pretty busy little cut. From your account of the incident, I'd say it is pretty standard practice amongst boaters out there. I rarely see respectful fishermen on the water even in the kayak crowd. I'd even say that most kayak fishermen I've run into are worse.

But hey, the guy is from Land O Lakes. What do you expect? https://www.facebook.com/kris.howell.39?fref=ts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TerryW]

Is Howell on Capt Mel's? What a jerk!

[Manning]

In the first photo I am standing in my kayak in the background betewn Rik Na the powerboat. Rik and I had paddled out there together from the beach. As we approached the key Rik saw a big red that we blew out. At that point we split up. I moved south and Rik went north. We were in more than 9" of water and there were fish there. What the guy in the powerboat was a bonehead move.

[Tide1on]

I seen him years ago but in a different boat. Here's a pic from back then.

[sfurman]

Yes there are some real a-holes out there no doubt but, I have had a kayaker do that to me once when I was in my boat, and i have had boaters do it to me when I was in my boat, too. The same thoughts were running through my head at the time. These guys don't own the only license on stupid. Still very inconsiderate.

[jbdba01]

Available for an unlimited time...

[Rik]

.... and Rik was camped out in a pretty busy little cut. ..

I wasn't in a cut. I was on the east side of Sister Key about 3/4 up from the south end. Also, I wasn't the only kayak there. You can see Manning, Heywood took the pic, Greg and his son Robert were 100 yards away and Carl was in the area also. That guy just bulled his way right into the middle of all of us. He pushed his way in to fish water that was already being fished.

You know where my sympathy lies? With the boat. That's a pretty nice boat that has to put up with a Googan driving it. I'll bet the boat can't wait until it's sold and it gets a responsible owner.

[22acrowd]

This is why I don't fish on the weekends anymore when the weather is nice. I had too many experiences like this one and I have little patience for buttholes in boats or kayaks. Problem is, when you are in a kayak is isn't exactly easy to just pick up and move areas. That usually requires some work. Boats have the ability to cruise on to another area if the place is busy. That is what makes this guy extra special. He just wanted to throw his weight around and had no intentions of catching fish there. I don't even see a rod in his hand.

[sfurman]

You know where my sympathy lies? With the boat. That's a pretty nice boat that has to put up with a Googan driving it. I'll bet the boat can't wait until it's sold and it gets a responsible owner.

Amen.