[seafarer]

Please remember to file a float plan each time you venture out into the saltwater fishing or just boating around. I have one available on my website West Pasco Navigator or there are many online available. It could help save your life.

As most of you most likely have heard. We just lost 3 football players, 2 NFL out of Clearwater FL. They went out last Sat and got caught in that cold front, flipped the boat. 1 was found on the over turned boat hanging on the prop, cooler and life jacket found today and search is being called off 6:30 this evening.

Also, cell phones do not work well past 5-6 miles and VHF is limited by it's height.

[shortbus]

Good post. It's always a must to be prepared for an emergency no matter what body of water you are on.

It's awful that those guys got out there and got caught up in bad weather but it was irresponsible to be going that far out in a 21 foot boat. Sadly, it's no longer a rescue effort and likely hasn't been for some time. In 60 degree water I'm somewhat surprised they one guy they found clinging to the boat was in as good a shape as he was in.

It's nearly impossible for the remaining boaters to still be alive at this point.

We got caught up on Lake Eufala last spring when the weather turned nasty in a hurry. One second it was cloudy, the next second it was 40 mph wind gusts with severe lightning and pretty heavy rain.

Luckily, we were pretty close to the boat ramp. We got off the water and to the lake house just in time to avoid the marble and bigger sized hail and the tornado warning. It was pretty damn scary. Had we been on a different part of the lake, as big as that lake is, we'd have been in deep, DEEP doodoo.

[reel cowboy]

File a float plan but most importantly, check the weather. That's what got those guys in trouble. I was 200 miles N of them and knew it was gonna get nasty down there. I check NOAA weather during the week, the night before and the morning of before we leave. That is the responsible thing to do, for yourself and your fellow anglers.