When Bass Fishin' Turns Deadly

History has an unfortunate way of repeating itself on Lake Conroe in Montgomery County, Texas, and it's not entirely unpredictable, either--at least, that's my opinion.

The problem starts with Lakeview Marina, which is located near Houston. They sponsor a yearly bass tournament series that generally runs from February to October. Unlike a lot of other similar events around the country, designed for the run-of-the-mill working man/angler, however, their event hours aren't conducive to running a safe event.

Their CONROEBASS Tuesday and Thursday Night Tournaments, as they call them, for 2017, were held every Tuesday between Feb. 7 and March 7, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. (well after official sunset, which, on Feb. 7, was 6:04 p.m. central time). Starting Tuesday March 14, and continuing every Tuesday and Thursday through Thursday, Sept. 7, the hours are 6 to 9:15 p.m. central time, compared to official sunset averaging two hours ahead of the scheduled weigh-in time. Those same 6 to 9:15 p.m. hours also continue every Tuesday between Sept. 12 and Oct. 10, when sunset for the latter date is 6:56 p.m. central time.

Anytime boats run around on a big lake like Conroe after dark, the chances of a mishap occurring increase significantly. Just last night, at 9:22 p.m., for example, 911 operators received a call from a child, saying there had been a boat crash on Lake Conroe, and her father was injured seriously.

Units were dispatched to the scene, where multiple victims from one of two bass boats were found in the water, including a 39-year-old male, along with a 12-year-old girl and her mother. The 39-year-old male was in traumatic arrest when medics arrived, and they immediately started working on him, but he succumbed to his injuries on the scene. Two other adult males also were in the water with another bass boat that had flipped over, but they reportedly were not injured.

Preliminary information showed the bass boat with the family aboard possibly was sitting still in the water and fishing. Marker lights were illuminated. Meanwhile, the two fishermen in the other bass boat reportedly were headed back for tournament weigh-in (most likely, one of the Lakeview Marina events, although the reports don't say). Their boat also was lit. Both said they did not see the family's boat ahead of them before slamming into it at the center, where the 39-year-old was sitting at the steering console. The boat with the two tourney anglers continued forward before rolling over and ejecting them. Game wardens did a field-sobriety test on the tourney anglers, who did not appear to be impaired.

Now let's back up in time to 9:07 p.m., Tuesday, July 1, 2014, when another Montgomery County 911 call was received, saying there had been a collision on Lake Conroe north of the dam.

One woman reportedly had gone into the water and had not been seen since the crash. Another male passenger pulled several children out of the water, all with severe injuries. The 911 caller also reported two men from another boat in the water.

Investigation revealed a 29-year-old female had been thrown from a pleasure boat after it was struck by a Skeeter bass boat, which reportedly was involved in a fishing tournament (again, I tend to believe, a Lakeview Marina event). The anglers supposedly had just left a fishing area and rounded a point when their boat crashed into the large pleasure boat. Both anglers were ejected but were wearing life vests. The impact cut the pleasure boat (which was underway) in half.

The two bass anglers initially said they did not see any lights on the pleasure boat, but further investigation was deemed necessary to make a determination. There were four adults and four children on the pleasure boat. No alcohol appeared to have been involved in the crash.

Divers found the body of the 29-year-old woman thrown overboard in this mishap two days afterward. The crash also claimed the lives of two others who were aboard the pleasure boat: a 30-year-old female and her 9-year-old son.

Boating in the dark is tough, and even if you've never gone cruising at night before, you can guess why: You can't see much of anything. And that includes the stuff you're about to hit.

To safely run a boat at night, you must know boating laws, among which one exists requiring boaters to operate craft at a speed that is "reasonable and prudent" for conditions to avoid collisions. The responsibility to avoid hitting something in or on the water rests clearly with the boat operator.

Nighttime boaters should be extremely familiar with the body of water they are traveling. Landmarks clearly visible during the day can disappear in the darkness. Operators need to learn a whole new set of nighttime landmarks (e.g., like lighted water towers or radio towers from nearby cities). Tall trees, rocky hillsides, valleys, open fields, shore lights, and wooded shorelines can all provide good navigational clues. Communications equipment and electronic positioning gear also can help you navigate with more confidence.