Time for a new Duck Boat.

Just wants to or add a comment in light of this weeks Duck Boat tragedy in nearby Branson, mo.

I used to fish for walleye with my father in N. Minn and Canada. Mostly we would rent a very small (14 ft) aluminum boat, with a tiny (5-7.5 hp) motor. This combination is inexpensive, easy to launch and control, and very effective for most slow speed fishing techniques (walleye respond best to slow).

What this combination does not do, is run fast enough to get you off the water when violent thunderstorms hit. We were a couple of farmers, and very good at reading the sky to anticipate changes in the weather. But the combination of a small, slow boat, and fishing on very large lakes, resulted in getting caught out during several severe storms. Fortunately no lightning storms.

When I bought my current fishing boat, I was reminded of the terrible, helpless feeling when you have the little boat running flat out, but you are still miles out on the lake when the storm catches you. These little 14 ft rental boats are pretty sea worthy for their size, but they are not very fast, and not deep enough to handle high winds and big waves.

So I bought a bigger boat. A much bigger boat. I intentionally chose a norther style Deep Vee fishing boat built by Crestliner (one of the better manufacturers), and I chose one with a much bigger main motor. There is only one reason to put a 90 hp motor on a 16 ft aluminum boat, Speed. You can't fish at those speeds, and I'm not going to enter fishing tournaments, and zip around the lake chasing bass. No, I bought this purely to get me off the lake as fast as possible, when one of these violent storms spring out of no where.

I feel for the survivors in Branson, because I've been in their shoes several times. I would offer a couple pieces of advise.

First, the time to grab the life jacket, is when you first start the motor. If the boat is moving, the jacket should be on.

Second, as much as I enjoyed riding duck boats, the last one was built for the US Military in 1945. These things are over 70 yrs old. Perhaps it time for a new Duck.

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Time for a new Duck Boat.