ANOTHER VIRGINIAN-PILOT WITCH HUNT

[wpvboat]

As if the world weren't dangerous enough with all the sharks, sex offenders, below par schools, racists, crocked developers, rotten club owners, etc., now we have cold water boating deaths. Funny how these journalists latch on like leaches when they get everyone's attention. They will suck the life out of it until they scare the crap out of every wife and mother in town.

This morning's article stated that "Those who canoe and kayak are especially at risk.....because it is almost routine to end up in the water with such craft".

If you have any comments please e-mail steve.stone@pilot online.com. I already sent him one. I don't think it is fair to single out paddlers when there are plenty of safe ones out there. If you take precautions you are fine, like any other boater.

Tom

[Cory ruthless Routh]

I will also send him one on behalf of the TKAA.

[Linstad]

I read the article a couple times, and i don't think that we are being singled out. It is a fact that kayakers and canoers can more easily be exposed to cold water. (not just from tipping over either) And that wearing a PFD and having a boating plan with someone else expecting you back at a certain time.....are a good idea. This IMHO is not flaming kayakers, and nasty letters will only cause us to look like a bunch of jerks. They want the same thing we do, saftey. I am a safe kayaker, i wear my PFD, I dress for the water instead of the weather, and i always use the buddy system (as well as tell someone where i am going and for how long) I am not offended because i do so. If I didn't do these things, i would think about why i didn't (becasue of this article) It is too bad that people have died because they didn't follow those simple saftey practices...........so write those letters....make them feel bad for caring about the saftey of our fellow sportmen. I will send them a thank you letter.[grin]

[Cory ruthless Routh]

He really should have interviewed one of us, before writing that article. That article is not very benificial to the sport.

[Linstad]

YOU should of interviewed US before you write letters on OUR behalf. It is not benificial to the sport.

[wpvboat]

I agree there was alot of useful information about hypothermia in the article. I also know he mentioned the canoe accident and then later quoted a source stating that "those who canoe and kayak are especially at risk".

Anyway, if you think this won't scare some people, think again. What we do is already misunderstood by many. It's funny how perceptions can dictate reality. I will admit that I used to surf all the time and never think about sharks. After the 'summer of the shark' I couldn't help but look in the water and think WHAT IF.

The newspaper is not a public service non-profit organization either. They write what they think people will read, regardless of quality of content. IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY.

My e-mail was from me, not TKAA.

Tom

[Linstad]

This is true....and they succeeded, they got me to read it, you too. They got their message across, and made a living doing it.

If i wrote an editorial titled "Skydiving without a Parachute causes Testicular Cancer in Women" i am sure i would get some nasty letters. But think for a second of all the people that would think twice about jumping from a airplane without a parachute![grin]

The end result is the same....be it safer, more informed kayakers, or safer, testicualar cancer free women. WE all benifit.[smile]

[ovyaker75]

do you know how many times I have heard " you better be careful in your kayak, ... you heard about those guys in willoughby?!" , from total strangers who just glances over my kayak on top of my car when I'm just about to get in to my car? people who has'nt tried kayaking, canoeing, or even thought about it, will give a bad opinion about what we do. I've been fishing all my life, and I've been fishing out of my kayak for the past 2 yrs. and I enjoy kayak fishing more than anything. I know the writer for the newspaper was'nt trying to single us kayakers/canoers but he has, people who hasnt tried our sport and read the article has already made assumptions that what we do is crazy, eventhough I take extra precautions before I go out. it only takes a few little words to give what we do a bad name.

[Linstad]

Ok.......
you had people tell you "you better be careful......etc etc etc" at your car.....now vision that you arent you...but you are guys just like those from willoughby. And you didnt hear about it, you ask "why what happened at willoughby?" They proceed to tell you that some guys were out without life jackets and one of them drowned and the other guy got hypothermia..... you hadnt realized that you could get hypothermia because no one ever told you.... you had always thought "having a life jacket in the boat" was all that is necessary. Now because a TOTAL STRANGER warned you.... you might just put yours on. Now, i know this isn't you, because we ALL take necessary precautions....right? If that were true, no reporters would have stories to write.....because it wouldnt need to be said....right?

[Va_Yakfisherman]

Linstad, whoa buddy. We are all in the same kayak here. We are talking about two guys that went out in a canoe without much experience and not wear PFD's in very cold water. A canoe in waters that move extremely fast and can be rough. Not a great place for a kayak at times but most assuredly not a canoe. Thats plain stupid. We hear about it each year. People trying to get to the fish in whatever they have but not using much brains. We (most of us and for sure TKAA) promotes safe kayaking, what to wear in cold water times and paddle with a buddy. Know the weather and what to expect. We are not talking about the majority of people that post on this board or most other kayak fishing boards that dont think before they paddle. But what I think most are trying to say is that Kayak fishing has come a long way. And it is detremental and really not fair to chunk us in with a few bad people that dont know the basic rules as to fishing this area in small type craft such as kayaks and canoes. It would have been nice if the reporter would have saught out more info about kayak fishing and canoe fishing in general before he used that reference. Thats all. And each person has the right to send an email. As for Cory sending one from TKAA, well he is the president. I am sure he is only protecting our best interest.. I am sure it would have been a good idea to pass it along to all of us before hand even if he has sent one yet. All he said was that he was going too. But we dont have a meeting set up to discuss it. All I think he is trying to do with such a letter is to bring to light that the majority of kayak fisherman are well versed in safety, weather protection and cold water paddling. Not to jump on the guy but to help him (the reporter) and the public become more aware of us and what we do. Cory and I have worked hard and long (over three years now) to make kayak fishing a strong reality here in the Tidewater and we only want to portray our sport in a positive way. We hope that it keep growing and growing and from the interest that has come up, we know that it will. I am glad that there is someone out there (reporters) reporting the good and bad about such things. But its usually all bad, thats what sells papers. When was the last time you saw an article about someone catching a 43 pound Cobia from a kayak. Was hardly a mention if there even was one in the paper (way to go CHAD!) So lets let forget this one and show others what is good about our sport.

[YakandSurf]

Lets set up a fishing trip and invite a news reporter to come with us so he can see the corect way to do it. I know we can find an extra kayak and PFD for the reporter and with a little notice we can find a pair of waders or wet suit that will fit him.
Just maybe he will write a artical that would be positive for the sport.

Just a thought
Robert

[Chad]

Okay,
It was actually a 47 pound cobia (lol lol) and Cory did a good job of getting the word out by getting it on the cover of The Chesapeake Angler and hopefully it did shine a little positive light on the sport. That said, I volunteer to take this gentlemen fishing and I have an extra yak, extra waders, extra life jacket, extra rods and the extra time to do it. So, send him a letter and set up a meeting for us, don't bash him and I'll go out and change his opinion real quick or at least enlighten him to a group and organization that promotes safe and effective fishing from a kayak. I can see where Linstad is coming from but agree we should make an effort to let this gentlemen know that the prevention of incidents like this is what we are all about, invite him to our next club meeting, offer him a free membership to be a voice for our sport in a forum other than fishing magazines and websites, that is actually kinda what we need anyway.
Just my .02
Chad

[George Z]

Gentelmen, please read the article more closely. Although it wasn't in quotes, that statement was attributed to Chris Edmonston, director of boating safety for the Boat U.S. Foundation. Mr. Stone was only reporting what he was told. If I can find Edmonston's email address, he will be getting a smoking email from me. He's the culprit. Don't shoot the messenger.

[Va_Yakfisherman]

I like YAKANDSURF's idea. Lets invite this reporter, this Edmosnton guy and the Petty OfficerDonnie Brzuska to join us for a kayak trip during the day in the inlet and let them see first hand what kayak fishing is all about with the TKAA. Safety first!

Sorry Chad. Like I said, there was not much coverage. Cory did do a great job putting it in the Chesapeak Angler but the VA Pilot couild have done something...no a word.

Linstad, I do not personally know you. Have you come to a TKAA meeting? If you have and I do not remember , my bad. But if you have not come to one, dont know Cory or I personally, dont bash. Cory is a highly qualifiedkayak fisherman, holds a degre in MArine Biology, worked for the VMRC for quite a few years and have been fishing and Kayak fishing these waters for a very long time. He just comeplete his quals and gained his Captian's License. Thats a tough feat to under take much less complete. He has hundreds if not thousands of hours on the water and just about all of them with a rod of one type or another in his hand. He is well known in almost every aspect of fishing in this region and is also known in futher reaches as a member of the Wildernes Systems Kayak Fishing Team. So, before you make a statement about Cory speaking for us, the TKAA, please be sure you know what he is all about. I have known him for a long time and beside him being a good friend he is a great ambassador to this sport. There is no one finer to talk for us in this region.

May I ask your qualifications Linstad?

[Linstad]

I think it would be great to have a reporter go on a fishing trip. That is the kind of publicity we need as a club/sport/family. Let them see that we are safe, we have a blast, and we catch fish. And if we could do it on a day like Chad's cobia day (i read that article, that fish was HUGE!) What a story that would make! [grin]

[Cory ruthless Routh]

Ok Linstad ...perhaps I jumped the gun on writing a letter from TKAA, but my intentions were good and I would not misrepresent the membership. I was not going in the same direction as wpvboats. I wanted to tell him that a follow up about safe kayaking should be in order. I have worked too long to promote the sport, Believe me, I would not do anything to jepordize my reputation. Promotion of safe kayakfishing is our main goal in TKAA. I have already contacted an official with the pilot about doing a posetive piece on kayak fishing.

[wpvboat]

Actually, it is perfectly normal for the president of an organization to speak for the members. That is why we elected him. He doesn't need to do a survey to make a statement.

I guess I was a little hard on the reporter. I really meant to be hard on the newspaper. I think the Virginian-Pilot is a pretty lame newspaper but I read it every morning because it is the only choice around here. I guess I should shut up or start my own paper huh? Even still, the article sends the wrong message about kayaking. You can blame the 'expert' or you can blame the guy who quoted him but it is still out there.

I also suggested to Mr. Stone that he come along with us some time and see what the sport is about.

Tom

[gdb]

Would you believe that last night I saw two guys in a canoe paddling towards the HRBT after several kayakers and myself got blown off the water by the cold front. The water was glass calm up until about 10, then the wind pick up from the north, chasing us to shore. As was packing everything up, I noticed two dudes padding around the pier and towards the HRBT. I warned them that the water was rough. I didnt notice PFDs on them.

[wpvboat]

Greg,

Un freakin' believable. I was out there. You got out to about 1 piling before my boat when the wind started blowing at least 15 knots out of the NW. I was in a 20' runabout style fishing boat (Wellcraft V20). We were anchored on the bay side. I was going to say hi but the wind came out of nowhere and blew you guys out. We stayed and the wind actually calmed down some by the time we left at 11pm. It calmed down enough that we didn't get wet on the way back to Portsmouth.

Whoever was on their way out, with no PFD's on, in that wind, in a canoe, you are NUTS.

We caught a ton of fish by the way. Over 100 shad, at least 50 striper including a 27" Calvin got on the fly, 5 croaker, and one blue. Most fish were caught on the flyrods. When we left at 11 we were still catching a fish on every cast!

Tom

[bassmanpete]

It's always a few folks this time of year who are ignorant, overeager, or just plain stupid who go and remind us all of the need for safe paddling. Sad but true. And not just on the bay, which is nothing to mess around with, but on rivers in VA too up where the current still flows over rocks.

The difference between an accident and a tragedy is usually preparation. Maybe wearing the PFD and proper clothing would have saved a life, or maybe not, but from what I read the survivor is dang lucky to be walking while his buddy wasn't so fortunate. When it's your time to go, your ticket is punched and nothing you can do is gonna matter, but we can sure put the odds in our favor for surviving a dump with proper safety practices.

Perhaps we have all pushed it a time or two, I think of me wearing my waders without chest belt a time or two on the water as an example, but far as I know the paddlers on this board practice safe boating: PFD, proper clothing, paddle partner, leaving a float plan, etc....

Inviting the reporter to go with ya is a great idea. Why not invite him and the USCG officer to a TKAA meeting that focuses on safe cold water boating for yaks. TKAA ought to be involved in educating the public on boater safety as well. Yakking looks pretty easy when conditions are right, but it can get hairy if the wind comes up or some other emergency occurs.

Best advice I got on the subject was take a class. I am sure there is a local paddle club like Canoe Cruisers or something similar that offers safety classes to member. Join and take it; thats much cheaper than paying a paddling instruction place for a safety course. What you learn just might save a life one day, maybe even your own.

Course if you do something stupid and go out in a boat unsuited for the water in marginal and deteriorating conditions then only heaven can help you.