All anglers know the joy and anticipation before a day of fishing. The excitement of spending a day on the water and possibly catching the biggest bag of fish or the lunker of the day, and winning money or a trophy is in everyone’s head.

However, no one thinks of not coming back at the end of the day.

To have a fishing day end like that hits all fishermen hard. Let me explain.

Recently in Florida, there was a bass tournament on Lake Okeechobee, a lake that is 730 square miles, approximately half the size of Rhode Island, and is exceptionally shallow for a lake of its size, with an average depth of only 9 feet.

To fishermen, it is an ocean! That’s the way I felt when I fished it a few years back. Luckily, we had a guide.

A week ago, on the big lake an accident happened. Not much information has turned up, but I found out that Nik Kayler wasn't wearing a personal flotation device. That is a no-no in bass tournaments! Everyone must wear a PFD when the big motor is running, or they will be disqualified.

Kayler and fellow angler Bill Kisiah were competing Jan. 4 on the first day of a bass fishing tournament on the lake when a wave overtook the boat and knocked Kayler out, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.The two lost sight of each other.

The engine on Kisiah's 21-foot Ranger bass boat was damaged in the rough waters, so Kisiah drifted to shore and was located by Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies about 11:30 p.m. — about 15 hours after the incident occurred, said Kayler's brother, Anthony Llanos.

Kayler's body was found six days later.

Folks, please get a good PFD that will float your head up, and wear it while the big engine is running. Plus, if you're a larger person, get a ladder on the stern. For recreational boaters, a simple fall overboard is the No. 1 boating accident "event" that leads to the most fatalities.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that last year, 275 persons died in 721 boating accidents that began with or involved a fall overboard. While some of these accidents involved other factors, being able to quickly get back in the boat — without help — isn't easy, as a BoatU.S. Foundation test of 11 portable boarding ladders recently found.

"A fall into the water can turn into a life-threatening situation very quickly," said Boat U.S. Foundation president Ruth Wood. "It doesn't take long for exhaustion or hypothermia to drain the life out of you. Boaters and anglers need to be prepared, especially if you are alone.”

While many larger boats have built-in boarding ladders, the Foundation tested portable models on a 17-foot Boston Whaler, 14-foot Jon boat and 12-foot rigid-hull inflatable. What follows are five important tips that will help ensure a fall overboard doesn't become tragic:

n Wear your life jacket. All the BoatU.S. volunteers participating in the testing program wore a life jacket before they voluntarily went over the side. All agreed that a fully clothed adult with no buoyancy would have difficulty attempting to get back aboard using any type of ladder;

n You don't need to spend lots of money for a functional boarding ladder. Testers found an affordable model fashioned from four-inch wide yellow webbing proved best. Simplicity also ruled the day as the highest-ranked ladders all had fewer than three steps. The ideal ladder length, measured from the water's surface to the bottom rung, averaged 20 inches;

n Some ladders work better with certain types of boats. It's important to match the ladder to the boat;

n Before you head out, your boarding ladder needs to be positioned so it can be reached from the water. Also, attaching the ladder to the wrong spot on a narrow, lightweight boat can increase the chance of capsizing, especially if there is wave action;

n Practice is a must. Many ladders were difficult to use on the first try. Take the time on a warm, sunny day to fine-tune any adjustments, get in the water and use the ladder. Some ladders threw testers off-balance when weight was placed on them, causing the device to swing underneath the boat. Only practice solved this problem.

Wayne Hooper is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and a lifelong Seacoast resident. He can be reached at sports@seacoastonline.com.