Too close for comfort

[zacs]

Originally Posted by stripermaineiac

Know the feeling. I put one of those lights on my yak a I use it a lot at night and have had several close calss on the Saco River.I fish close to the jetty and twin island at night as its shallow an has some nice rips. I think the idiots think I'm a channel marker.I now keep a couple of those hand held air horns with me that I can reach. Loud an scarry.

hitting a kayaker is one of my biggest fears running at night. I think it is CRAZY to kayak at night in open navigable water.

[Nebe]

i bought a led man overboard light from west marine and mounted it into a pvc pipe that will slide down into my rear rod holder. . The insane part about people who kayak fish at night is when they use their red lights on their head lamps. at night, it can easily be confused with a red can or red nun and boats will head right for you...

my light is white and is very bright, but does not shine its beam on me at all... gives a nice ambient glow on my deck.

Being run over is my biggest concern when i fish off of newport, especially around castle hill...

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by zacs

hitting a kayaker is one of my biggest fears running at night. I think it is CRAZY to kayak at night in open navigable water.

Mine too... when the fishing is hot on Joppa.. some nights there may be 50 of them... in tight to the grass..I'm expecting them... but I never expect them in the channel at 2 AM... most dont realize we cant see them that low to the water( when they don't even have a head lamp lit) anthing slightly above head way speed..their savoir are the ones that do realize it and put flags up or high lights... those that fish the river often, know the back ground lights... any light out of place catches our attention... it's the " budweiser bangers" that only fish on week ends I worry about hitting them the most...

I've been through alot in the 42 years I've fish for bass at night... swampings... getting fired up onto the sand(beach) by a "rouge" wave... haveing to get into the water to cut an illeagal gill net( floater set for bass) from my prop before the boat gets dragged down by the stern.. I've been over board twice... once to save a man after a boating accident... once while clearing the deck with a tuna on... neither times I had a life jacket on... another thing i now faithfully wear( BTW... both I and the tuna which i was NOT fighting got landed).....it takes alot to raise my blood pressure.. this one rattled my cage..I know this much.. as the boat sped away.. the motor had a very distinct sound... much differant than any i have ever heard... I'm thinking inboard center console... should we meet again.. there will be a reconing....

[piemma]

Originally Posted by zacs

hitting a kayaker is one of my biggest fears running at night. I think it is CRAZY to kayak at night in open navigable water.

Had 2 of then at false dawn last week cutting across from Prudence to the North end of Jamestown in a 2 foot chop. Lucky for them the area is lousy with lobster traps so I am always vigilant looking for buoys.
BTW, no lights on either of them.