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The most outspoken man
on the topic locally has been Long Islander Rich Johnson, who hosts “The
Fishing Line,” a regional radio and TV show. Johnson told me, “It
[the legislation] is the government stepping in and trying to be common
sense for the common man.” He added, “In the end, it’s
the captain and only the captain who makes the call and is responsible
for his vessel and crew. That’s why he’s the captain.”
However, some readers
did express approval of the bill.
“While I would
have voted no a number of years ago, I must concur with Nassau County,”
wrote one reader who wished to remain anonymous. “During Small Craft
Warnings, tournaments should be postponed; this eliminates ego overcoming
common sense and would probably save lives over bruised egos. And let’s
face it: Most tournament owners have egos as large as their battlewagons!”
“When idiots don’t
know enough to stay home, the tournaments should be cancelled. Why take
the risk of sending our Coast Guard out and risk their lives when an emergency
could have been avoided entirely?” asked reader Robert Rawa.
“Yes [tournaments
should be cancelled]. Some people don’t have enough [sense] about
themselves to keep an eye on the weather and come in out of a bad blow,”
added Bernard Wyche.
The strong feelings
being voiced by Long Island’s angling community have made this bill
a contentious issue. At presstime a committee had been formed to review
its content to ensure the wording was correct before it was to be voted
on. The legislature has asked Johnson, a prominent member of the local
media and angling community, to be part of the committee.
While these deaths are
tragic, I don’t think legislation is the solution. These men were
all experienced, but made a fatally bad call. What fueled their decision?
Perhaps seeing that many boats were staying tied to the dock, they thought
their odds of winning would be substantially increased. Who knows? However,
while one captain and crew made a poor decision, many more made the right
call. And it’s that majority that would be affected by this bill.
Maybe the offshore angler
needs to practice even more due diligence these days so an elected official
doesn’t have to make the call from a landlocked office. I know that
the Hudson Anglers required EPIRBs be carried on all boats entered for
its 2003 tournament, and that’s a step in the right direction. But
the next time you’re entered in a fishing tournament of any type
and the weather is questionable, ask yourself, “If this wasn’t
a tournament, would I take my boat and crew out?” If the answer is
no, don’t go. There’s always another day, tournament or not.
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