Be safe on the water this weekend




This Memorial Day Weekend the lakes, streams, and bays of Texas will be enjoyed by anglers and boaters alike.

Last year Texas game wardens spent about 546,000 hours on recreational boating safety work. Use of paddlecraft, (canoes and kayaks), has exploded over the past decade. Many of these users are inexperienced or ignore basic boating and water safety rules.

In 2015 almost half of the 32 boating related fatalities in Texas involved canoes and kayaks. Wearing a PFD, personal flotation device, could have saved some of these people. Texas law does not require anyone except those under 13 and those on personal watercraft to wear a PFD. However, it does require every boat to have at least one PFD for every person on the craft.

Another safety item that doesn’t get a whole lot of ink is the kill switch on motor powered boats. With a kill switch the boat operator has a lanyard attached to usually his belt loop and the other end to the key in the ignition switch for starting or stopping the motor. If the lanyard receives a pull on it, the motor will shut off.

This is a crucial safety feature. If while underway the boat should hit some underwater obstruction, it could cause the boat operator to lose control of the boat, or worse yet, get thrown overboard. Usually if that happens, because of engine torque, the boat will go in circles. There have been too many stories about boat operators being maimed or killed by the spinning prop hitting them as it circles. Be sure to hookup the lanyard to the kill switch.

On this holiday weekend, have fun out on the water, but be safe no matter what kind of boat you are in. One other thing…leave the alcoholic beverages to be consumed on the bank.




Tell us what you think!

Lake Sam Rayburn Real Estate with Rayburn Realty

Lake Sam Rayburn Email Updates


 

Visit our Lake Sam Rayburn Sponsors!

Lake Sam Rayburn on Social Media

 
       

Lake Sam Rayburn Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Lake Sam Rayburn Weather Forecast

Thursday

Sunny

Hi: 71

Thursday Night

Clear

Lo: 51

Friday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 76

Friday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 58

Saturday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 79

Saturday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 61

Sunday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 79

Sunday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 67


Lake Sam Rayburn Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 3/28: 158.26 (-6.14)



Lake Sam Rayburn

Fishing Report from TPWD (Mar. 27)

GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 5.99 feet below pool. The magic water temperature is 67 degrees for the spawn. The water is muddy north of the Texas State Highway147 bridge. Navigate with caution to avoid sandbars and stumps. Bass are in the grass lines in 4-20 feet of water biting soft plastics and spin baits. Spawn appears to be deeper due to the water draw. This will eliminate a lot of sight fishing. Crappie are slow. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. The bite bass bite has been fantastic! Large waves and groups of fish shallow from 10-15 feet deep as well as large numbers of fish shallow 1-7 feet deep. Primarily fishing a Carolina rig, medium diving crankbait, and Texas rig in 10-15 feet. Cast rattletraps, chatterbaits, and lightweight Carolina rigs up shallow. Report by Captain Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing.

More Fishing Reports