After a hard day of fishing and not much catching, I'd finally discovered a new spot where the bass aren't yet wise to my deep crankbait. I'm anchored up, occasionally catching a big fish, and otherwise minding my own business. But I gradually become aware of the fact that the siren in the distance is getting closer and closer. Then I hear a car with motor racing very loudly, followed by squalling tires and the extremely loud sounds of a car crash -- so loud that I almost expect to see a car barreling down through the woods into the lake. Moments later the siren sounds like it's right on top of me -- then it abruptly cuts off. I deduce -- correctly, it turns out -- that someone has wrecked their car on a nearby road while trying to outrun the law.
A few minutes later I hear a series of loud noises in the woods near me, and notice birds flying and deer running away from the ruckus. I then realize there's a guy running toward me on the bank of the lake. At that point it occurs to me that it might be a good idea to pull up anchor since I'm within wading distance of the bank -- although I hesitate momentarily given that I've been catching some big fish in the last half hour. But I decide it best to live to fish another day, so I pull the anchor and open the throttle of my 30lb thrust trolling motor. I putter away toward the middle of the lake at a slow but effective 3MPH while at the same time pretending I don't see the guy. Then I notice the man starts working his way up the bank, so when I'm at safe distance in the middle of the lake, I call 911 -- but they basically hung up on me (guy tells me cops are on the scene). But I'm worried about a friend who lives a short distance up the lake and I don't know at that point how many people are on the loose or how desperate they might be, so I call him -- and he then he promptly calls his wife to warn her (and I'm sure he's telling her to put a round in the chamber!).
When I get back to the boat ramp, I learn the cops got a dog on the scene almost immediately and tracked the guy down (he's now handcuffed). Turns out he was speeding and, with his wife and kids in the car (!!!), tried to outrun a trooper -- but didn't know about the sharp turn in the road near the lake . Fortunately he wasn't able even to start the turn (or he might have rolled the car), so he just ran straight off the road into a plowed field and into a stand of smalls trees. After the accident, he bolted and ran, unfortunately for him, directly toward a small peninsula that jutted out into the lake. His wife and kids that he abandoned in the car were fine. Although the man now has a lot of work to do to get his name back on the short list for the "Father of the Year" award (!).
I've never had to leave biting fish under these circumstances. I really hated to pull anchor and run from a desperate felon who had eyes on my boat and trolling motor as a potential get-away vehicle.
But mainly I didn't want him to discover my new fishing spot.
[all is this is factual -- except (1) I had no idea whether the guy realized his only option to escape the scene was to hijack my boat and cross the lake -- I just didn't stick around to find out if/when he'd figure that out. And (2) I don't know for certain whether the woman and children were actually his wife and kids; that's what I was told by someone on the scene shortly after the incident.]
FWIW! // joel
A few minutes later I hear a series of loud noises in the woods near me, and notice birds flying and deer running away from the ruckus. I then realize there's a guy running toward me on the bank of the lake. At that point it occurs to me that it might be a good idea to pull up anchor since I'm within wading distance of the bank -- although I hesitate momentarily given that I've been catching some big fish in the last half hour. But I decide it best to live to fish another day, so I pull the anchor and open the throttle of my 30lb thrust trolling motor. I putter away toward the middle of the lake at a slow but effective 3MPH while at the same time pretending I don't see the guy. Then I notice the man starts working his way up the bank, so when I'm at safe distance in the middle of the lake, I call 911 -- but they basically hung up on me (guy tells me cops are on the scene). But I'm worried about a friend who lives a short distance up the lake and I don't know at that point how many people are on the loose or how desperate they might be, so I call him -- and he then he promptly calls his wife to warn her (and I'm sure he's telling her to put a round in the chamber!).
When I get back to the boat ramp, I learn the cops got a dog on the scene almost immediately and tracked the guy down (he's now handcuffed). Turns out he was speeding and, with his wife and kids in the car (!!!), tried to outrun a trooper -- but didn't know about the sharp turn in the road near the lake . Fortunately he wasn't able even to start the turn (or he might have rolled the car), so he just ran straight off the road into a plowed field and into a stand of smalls trees. After the accident, he bolted and ran, unfortunately for him, directly toward a small peninsula that jutted out into the lake. His wife and kids that he abandoned in the car were fine. Although the man now has a lot of work to do to get his name back on the short list for the "Father of the Year" award (!).
I've never had to leave biting fish under these circumstances. I really hated to pull anchor and run from a desperate felon who had eyes on my boat and trolling motor as a potential get-away vehicle.
But mainly I didn't want him to discover my new fishing spot.
[all is this is factual -- except (1) I had no idea whether the guy realized his only option to escape the scene was to hijack my boat and cross the lake -- I just didn't stick around to find out if/when he'd figure that out. And (2) I don't know for certain whether the woman and children were actually his wife and kids; that's what I was told by someone on the scene shortly after the incident.]
FWIW! // joel