Drinking/littering On The Water...is It Ever Acceptable?

[Missourifishin]

Like other posters have said, I have no problem with a guy drinking some beer during a day of fishing. I've done it myself. Sounds like this guy was crossing the line with the way he was killin 40's though, especially while driving the truck. And as for the littering, I don't know if I could have kept my mouth shut. Seeing someone toss an empty 40 in the lake would make me sick.

[Master Bait'r]

I am so confused by this. So is it okay to shoot and drink brandy and toss my cigs on the ground so long as your dogs are not there?

 

 

Or that brady guy, whoever he is haha

[DILLY07]

On practice days for tournament, I will not drink at all. I need to focus on the pattern. 

 

After tournament is over, I usually pack 4 beers in the cooler in the truck, Ill grab one and wait til I leave the ramp or marina. My partner can drink 2. Ill drink 2. Its okay for me but if being obnoxious, not going to allow it.

 

on the littering part, I WILL never litter. God gave me the body of water. I gotta respect that body. 

[deaknh03]

Open container is illegal in every state?

[bassguytom]

I don't drink on my boats and never have. I just have too much fun fishing and running the boat around. I am also very aware that I am responsible for the safety of all of my passengers. I never litter and get funny looks from people while picking up trash at the local lake. Just hoping they will follow my cue. Still hoping. Not against drinking and will raise some hell from time to time at party's and such. I have seen lots of people in cuffs while the coast guard is towing their boat behind them in the Deleware River. They are made examples and should be. DUI has impacted every person reading this in some form or another it's just not worth it to me.

[Sam]

Airborne, if you look in the dictionary for the definition of "jerk" you will see his photo.

[deaknh03]

Is drinking and driving illegal in every state?

[geo g]

That would be the last time I spend any time with that guy.  He has a lack of respect for others and mother nature.  He is everything that a outdoorsman should not be.  I'm sure he is violating laws while driving and while operating a marine vessel.  Where is a marine officer when you need one!  He should be excluded from any and all tournament activities.

We just lost 4 young people in three boats in South Florida, on the 4th.   A combination of boating and drinking.  There should be no excuse, and no tolerance for it!

[Missourifishin]

Is drinking and driving illegal in every state?

I'm pretty sure it is. There are a handful of states that allow passengers (not the driver) to have open containers though.

 

Edit: I just found an article online that said even drivers can have open containers in Montana. And another one that said Mississippi is the only state where the driver can have an open container. I've found a lot of conflicting information from my google searches on this subject. What's clear though, is that there can be open containers in the vehicle in some states. But driving while drunk is illegal in every state.

[slonezp]

Is drinking and driving illegal in every state?

Everything in IL is illegal except political corruption

[FirstnameLastname]

Reading that makes my blood boil. People like him should be used for cut bait, blatant disregard for nature and the well being of others. To bad no fish would take a bait so vile except maybe catfish. They like there bait disgusting.

[Fishes in trees]

I like to have a beer or two when I'm fishing.  I put empties in the live well.  Sometimes during a slow day, I need to slow down and consider my fishing options.  A barley pop helps.

[NathanW]

The biggest crime here is that we are talking about a grown man that still drinks 40's. Question: was it Mickeys or OE?

 

On a serious note, of course it is wrong to litter in a lake, especially glass. I rarely drink while I fish but do not see the harm unless you are fishing dangerous water or around crowds. Drinking amoungst the Salmon/Stergeon/Steelhead guys is very common place in our area. Its almost as if they use the fishing as a excuse to drink heavily all day. It's not for me, I want to stay sharp on the water.

[airborne_angler]

Back in the day when I hunting 2 legged prey I drove home tipsy many a night, glad to say I haven't done that in 30 years. 

In this day in age many people don't leave home without their pistol, I'm not going to drive with some that's drinking and chance he is packing too.  That's an element I don't care to be around, the littering would not have been an issue as I wouldn't have been there to see it.

As far as I'm concerned only an idiot would even gotten in the car/truck with him in the first place.

I understand it wasn't a wise choice to ride with him. It was my first (last) time ever traveling with this guy. I didn't know that much about him and never knew he like to drink and drive a vehicle/operate a boat. Wish it was as easy as just getting dropped off and calling someone to pick me up on my cell...where we were at there's ZERO cell service whatsoever...no roaming...nothing.

[Bassun]

A: Drinking behind the wheel, wrong.  Period.  Not acceptable.

 

B: Drinking a little while fishing...has never happened on my boat; but, I would not be against it in legal moderation.  If I had a pontoon boat then I would probably be more likely to have seen drinking onboard.  Now, on the banks - pop a top and sit back. 

 

C: Littering less of a big deal as opposed to drinking and driving, but still not cool.  However, I remember years ago being told if it rust's sink it.  Beer cans, soda cans, etc.  If it rusts, sink it.  Glass and plastic stayed on the boat.

 

As for drinking on the water, know the risk.  Among adolescents and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation... {U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (US). Recreational Boating Statistics – 2010 [online]. [cited 2012 May 3]}

[airborne_angler]

Beer and Soda cans are Aluminum..

They don't rust...

[gulfcaptain]

When I fished tournaments with my Dad back when I was 17-18, I would run the trolling motor and by mid afternoon he was a good six pack in.  Good part though is he new he was buzzed(drunk) and other then putting the boat on the trailer, he left all the other driving up to me including the drive home....lol but we made it in one piece, and the emty cans stayed in the boat, not over the side.

[Bassun]

Beer and Soda cans are Aluminum..

They don't rust...

Well, you're almost right.  They are not pure aluminum, they are alloys and they do rust.  They rust better in a wet environment, but not as quickly completely submerged - either way, it's slow.  And trash in the water is often used as a form of cover and protection for wildlife.

 

Don't read into this thinking I agree with trashing our waters, I don't and anyone whos been on my boat knows I'm anal about it.  But, realistically if we step back and think about it - trash can help the fisheries.  Old christmas trees, we repurpose for crappie magnets or sunfish habitate in general.  We even make artifical fish attractors we sink around docks or elswhere.  Large scale, sunken ships in the ocean are specifically targeted for fishing because of their ability to create a new habitate and attract fish.  A beer can, is the same thing only on a micro scale.  Again, regardless to that, I do not dump trash overboard. 

 

I have a bigger problem with the guy drinking and driving vs being a DB and sinking a can...

[FrogFreak]

I don't drink when I fish as a rule. Some of my friends still don't believe me because I do drink when I'm not fishing.  But I want others to have the choice to do so in moderation if they would like to. When their freedom infringes on my freedom, that's when I call bullsh*t. I think I would have been surprised if my fishing buddy pulled out a 40 on the way to the lake. I'm thinking I would have told him that either I drive or we are going to have a problem, same thing with the boat. I've been around some people who are complete idiots after one beer. Sure, he may have been OK but I'm not taking that chance. This is my life and I want to fish tomorrow.

 

Airborne, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you are a bad person for not confronting him, just that I would have.

[Greeneye8181]

I can't stand people that litter. Scum. It's lazy, dirty, and selfish.

I'm cool with light drinking. I'll have a couple occasionally while fishing with a buddy. Preferably Stella  

I like to eat fruit and I'll throw the remains of a mango or banana in the water or on land but IMO that's not really littering. 

[Mainebass1984]

I would never fish with that guy every again. I absolutely hate drinking and driving as well as littering.

 

Drinking and driving is not only putting his life in danger, your life but also every one around you as well. It is just plain DUMB. He could kill someone and would have to live with that the rest of his live.

 

I am not against drinking A COUPLE beers while out on the water fishing. Drinking responsibly is one thing and getting drunk is another. Each persons body digests alcohol differently and at different rates. As long as you stay within in the legal limit I don't see anything wrong in my opinion. If your going to be on the water for an entire day, 12-14 hours, have plenty of water and food, how many beers is too many ? 2 ? 4 ? 6 ? You got to know your limits and be a responsible adult... Getting drunk is not allowed in my boat. I cant see anything good about having a drunk person in the boat. Someone gets drunk in my boat and they will be left on shore until I am done fishing.

 

I really hate littering. It is a mindless careless ignorant thing to do. That guy would have got a piece of my mind for sure. Either he would have trolled over and picked up his litter or he would have been swimming for it.

 

Cigarette butts... man oh man seeing people toss them aside...  Nothing will get me angry or in a hostile mood quicker. It is trash. It is littering. They do not decompose quickly. Fish and other wildlife will eat them and it is terrible for them. Don't be a lazy butt faced slob and dispose of your cigarettes butts in the trash.

 

I would never fish with this guy ever again. He probably wouldn't want to fish with me either. I would speak my mind and he would know EXACTLY what I think of how he is acting.

[cbass12]

I like to have a beer or two when I'm fishing.  I put empties in the live well.  Sometimes during a slow day, I need to slow down and consider my fishing options.  A barley pop helps.

This ^^^ I'll usually take a few with me, along with one to wind down while we're bs-ing at the end of the day at the ramp. The front live well is where we put all trash and it gets emptied at the end of the day.

[missouribigbass]

I don't drink on the boat and I don't litter. I fish for enjoyment I don't understand the need to drink alcohol while doing so. I'm not completely anti drinking I'll have the occasional beer here and there. I may even have several a couple times a year but never while operating a vehicle or boat. Littering just disgusts me

[Roadblock]

I don't litter, we always keep our empties but I thought beer was a prerequisite to operating a power boat and fishing?

 

In all seriousness, I've never been drunk on a boat but I don't mind if other people tie a little bit of one on. I normally have 1 or 2 drinks max because someone has to drive the boat and trailer it at the end of the trip.

 

Side note, this would be a cool boat flag.