Change of plans

Today I planned on a fishing report for the upcoming Crappie Masters tournament. But this is more important.

This certainly isn’t the kind of thing we wanted to write about today. But it serves as a stern warning to each and every one of us every time we go out on the water. This is a super busy time of the year on Lake D’Arbonne and all our waterways, so it’s more important than ever.

There have been TWO boating accidents on two separate lakes in our region that resulted in fatalities in the past couple of days. One was on Lake Conroe in Texas involving a near head-on collision. Another was on Toledo Bend involving two boats with members of the same family involved. An investigation isn’t complete, but it is possible that the wake from one  possibly threw the two fisherman out of the other boat, resulting in the fatality and a serious injury. In another incident, a man’s boat in Iberville Parish was found empty. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries later found the body not far away. It is unknown how or why he fell from his boat.

This isn’t meant to be a downer. Enjoy your time on the water. But remember. Always remember — no two pound crappie, no trophy, no big bass pot, no state tournament, no local tournament, no Facebook photo ...nothing…is worth something like this. These people never dreamed something like this would happen. Then in a split second, it did. Our prayers are with their families and friends.

Here’s the deal. Take your time. Be safe. Watch out for others. Slow down and be considerate. It’s fishing, folks. It’s not life or death. Unless we let it be that way.