co-angler missing, FLW Okeechobee

[Sam]

11 hours ago, Fishing_FF said:

Cadaver dogs arrived today to help with the search. 

 

More local resources are arriving too like Orlando Fire Dept’s boat team.  

 

I saw a video of a 26’ inshore boat on the lake yesterday that looked like a Jon boat being tossed around in the big waves. 

 

Nik was a USMC instructor for water survival, so there is hope he’s on one of the many small islands. 

Let's hope so.

 

But the surface of water is like concrete.

 

When you hit it you know you hit it.

 

Still keeping the hope alive.

[Fishing_FF]

7 hours ago, Sam said:

Let's hope so.

 

But the surface of water is like concrete.

 

When you hit it you know you hit it.

 

Still keeping the hope alive.

I had to wait until this info was public record. Both the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast news are carrying this.

 

Nik was wearing a life vest and helmet when he left the boat ramp.

 

Nik was alive and waving to the boat operator after he got knocked out. 

[soflabasser]

Have noticed that nobody mentioned how fast the bass boat was traveling. What is the maximum speed competitors drive their boats in these types of bass fishing tournaments? Is there a speed limit for the boaters or can a competitor drive the boat as fast as they want to in bass fishing tournaments in Lake Okeechobee? There was 3-6 foot waves with +15-20 mph winds when this event happened, even saltwater boats made for the ocean can have difficulty traveling in these type of conditions.

[WRB]

Each state and lake can have different boating laws regarding speed.

SoCal public lakes have a 35 mph speed limit, it's rarely enforced.

If we relied on common sense the FLW Costa event would or should have been delayed do to severe weather conditions and don't know if the TD had a safety meeting or not?

If a witness said Nik was alive and waving why wasn't he rescued? I realize the boater tried and failed to turn around the boat and fell overboard, was he the source of info? Have they found Nik?

Tom

[Fishing_FF]

16 minutes ago, WRB said:

If a witness said Nik was alive and waving why wasn't he rescued? I realize the boater tried and failed to turn around the boat and fell overboard, was he the source of info? Have they found Nik?

Tom

 

Some answers probably won't be available publicly until after the FWC investigation is complete. 

[Sam]

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Have noticed that nobody mentioned how fast the bass boat was traveling. What is the maximum speed competitors drive their boats in these types of bass fishing tournaments? Is there a speed limit for the boaters or can a competitor drive the boat as fast as they want to in bass fishing tournaments in Lake Okeechobee? There was 3-6 foot waves with +15-20 mph winds when this event happened, even saltwater boats made for the ocean can have difficulty traveling in these type of conditions.

 

South Florida, there are no speed limits in club or professional bass tournaments.

 

Guys race to their first spot as fast as they can and move around the lakes and rivers as fast as possible during tournaments.

 

In Virginia, each lake has either a speed limit or no speed limit. Virginia rivers have only "wake zones" in some places.

 

Otherwise, it is like the wild wild west when we blast off. The faster the better.

[Sam]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Each state and lake can have different boating laws regarding speed.

SoCal public lakes have a 35 mph speed limit, it's rarely enforced.

If we relied on common sense the FLW Costa event would or should have been delayed do to severe weather conditions and don't know if the TD had a safety meeting or not?

If a witness said Nik was alive and waving why wasn't he rescued? I realize the boater tried and failed to turn around the boat and fell overboard, was he the source of info? Have they found Nik?

Tom

 

Tom, a number of years ago my club had a Virginia state trooper as our tournament director.  He is a great guy and a pleasure having him in our bass club.

 

Since he has to give his commander his days off and vacation requests in January, he would not change the dates of any tournaments no matter the weather conditions. If he did, he would miss the tournaments and lose his day off.

 

I remember driving in southwest Virginia the Friday before the Saturday tournament and calling the guys in the club asking them to ask our tournament director to postpone the Lake Gaston tournament as the weather guys were calling for high winds and heavy rain in the South Hill area on Saturday.

 

No, was the reply. Since our tournament director had taken Saturday as an off day and he could not replace it if he lost it, our tournament director made a decision to have the tournament on Saturday and then stay overnight in South Hill and have our Buggs Island tournament on Sunday.

 

And the guys had motel rooms for Friday and Saturday nights and they wanted to fish both days. The weather could not be that bad they told me.

 

I refused to fish the Saturday tournament and went as a nonboater on Sunday. When I got to the Eastland Creek ramp Sunday morning the guys were huddled up discussing who was going to fish with who, which had me confused since we had already had the draw at our last club meeting.

 

Seems the lake turned into heavy waves due to the wind on Saturday.  A number of boats were damaged on Saturday and one of these boats was a constructive total loss as the water pulled the transom off the hull.

 

One of the guys told us that he hit a wave in his Ranger and the water lifted the front pedestal and seat and threw it back at him. The seat and pedestal hit right next to his left. Had it been a foot to the right, he could have been seriously injured or killed.

 

Who won the tournament?  A guy who was trying to get back to the ramp in the early afternoon when he pulled into a quiet cove to rest and safety.  Since he had nothing to do and was bored waiting for a break in the weather, he started to fish and caught his five bass limit.

 

I have trailered my boat due to weather conditions in tournaments and waited to weigh-in in the parking lot. 

 

 Better to be safe than sorry. But some guys are just hard headed about tournaments and want to fish no matter the weather conditions.  It is a miracle that more guys are not injured in tournaments.

[Chance_Taker4]

I was told the north end was were they launched and it was calm. The entire field except for Bill and another boat ventured south even after the TD warmed them about the weather change.

[DINK WHISPERER]

I completely agree that the tournament should've been postponed that week! The testimony that Nik was waving for help was given by Bill, the driver. Nik's brother gave an interview saying he is very confident his brother is alive due to their training and background. I hope this turns out to be so. 

[Sam]

5 minutes ago, Chance_Taker4 said:

I was told the north end was were they launched and it was calm. The entire field except for Bill and another boat ventured south even after the TD warmed them about the weather change.

Unless the tournament director made the southern end of the lake off-limits, it was open to anyone who wished to venture into the area.

[WRB]

The US Open at Lake Mead is a national annual event planned months in advance like most big tournaments. Mead can be very dangerous in high winds with 6'-8' waves that tend to change directions. The big events usually get postponed a day if bad weather makes boating unsafe and it's the Coast Gaurd who has the final word at Mead. It's the smaller events at Mead that accidents happen every year that bass anglers flip thier boats break something swamping the boat and lives are lost. It's hard to imagine anyone in a low freeboard bass boat looking the 6' whites and deciding to launch and fish.

Tom 

[Sam]

31 minutes ago, WRB said:

The US Open at Lake Mead is a national annual event planned months in advance like most big tournaments. Mead can be very dangerous in high winds with 6'-8' waves that tend to change directions. The big events usually get postponed a day if bad weather makes boating unsafe and it's the Coast Gaurd who has the final word at Mead. It's the smaller events at Mead that accidents happen every year that bass anglers flip thier boats break something swamping the boat and lives are lost. It's hard to imagine anyone in a low freeboard bass boat looking the 6' whites and deciding to launch and fish.

Tom 

Totally on target.

 

X2!!!

[Chance_Taker4]

1 hour ago, Sam said:

Unless the tournament director made the southern end of the lake off-limits, it was open to anyone who wished to venture into the area.

I agree I was just replying to the post about postponing the event. The launch site and popular areas where not effected by the wind and all the anglers were warned about the potential for unsafe boating conditions to the south. Out of the entire field only two boats chanced it. The boat that didn't crash didn't go all the way to their original spot and turned back. That particular boater was a witnessed that helped point searchers into the right area having see Bill continue to travel south. 

 

I fish Lake Erie 95% of my outings and if it is an event I'm fishing normally the TD decides if there is enough calm water to accommodate everyone and the rest of the lake is travel at your own risk. To me that was pretty much how they handled this event.

[Catt]

Down here there are no speed limits on any body of water. Tournaments can & are postponed due to weather.

 

The last B.A.S.S. tournament I fished on Toledo Bend back in 2001 had the first day cancelled due to heavy fog & the final day was postponed due to high winds. Tournament director Trip Weldon cancelled day one & the final day was put to a vote by anglers with Larry Nixon the final & deciding vote. Larry had 40 yrs experience on Toledo Bend & said y'all can go I aint!

[Bassin' Brad]

They are now offering a $10,000 reward for anyone that finds him. 

[frogflogger]

I have a short video I made at everglades holiday park of a catamaran bass boat going past me in the 68 canal - he was within 30' of my boat - I had a client with me - when we got back in I was told he was going between 90 and a 100 mph - It is a personal decision/responsibility to be safe on the water never depend on tournament directors or other boaters. 

[Sam]

19 minutes ago, frogflogger said:

I have a short video I made at everglades holiday park of a catamaran bass boat going past me in the 68 canal - he was within 30' of my boat - I had a client with me - when we got back in I was told he was going between 90 and a 100 mph - It is a personal decision/responsibility to be safe on the water never depend on tournament directors or other boaters. 

Frog, boat and motor manufacturers promote their products to go fast on the water.

 

This is why the Bullet and now other bass boats have motors that will power them to go into the 60's and faster.  I went with a friend in November on the Chickahominy River in his Ranger with a 275 HP Mercury and we were cruising smoothly on the river going 71 MPH.

 

No other boats out on the day we went; no wind; no surface disturbances.

 

However, when he blasts off for a tournament you can bet he is going as fast as he can to get to his secret spots before the other guys get to his secret spots.

[Hez]

Unconfirmed reports state that they recovered the body of Nik Kayler on Okeechobee this morning.  

 

 

[Hez]

Unconfirmed reports state they recovered body of Nik Kayler on Okeechobee this morning.  

[punch]

Very sad. 

 

So, FLW basically said the tournament is on BUT the weather on a certain part of the lake could be dangerous? But they let people decide for themselves and didn't postpone? 

Is FLW going to look bad after this is over? Seems to me like they are not going to come out of this looking great. 

[12poundbass]

4 minutes ago, punch said:

Very sad. 

 

So, FLW basically said the tournament is on BUT the weather on a certain part of the lake could be dangerous? But they let people decide for themselves and didn't postpone? 

Is FLW going to look bad after this is over? Seems to me like they are not going to come out of this looking great. 

I May be alone on this but I don't think this is really the time or the place to have that discussion. 

[Hez]

Just now, 12poundbass said:

I May be alone on this but I don't think this is really the time or the place to have that discussion. 

+1 

 

 

[DINK WHISPERER]

3 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I May be alone on this but I don't think this is really the time or the place to have that discussion. 

Agreed

[BassNJake]

Tragic

 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/local/breaking-body-missing-fisherman-found-lake-okeechobee/NuMRrFlyOHSsbVmUcjdG5H/

[J Francho]

I'm seeing reports that his body has been recovered.  So sad.