Driving A Bass Boat In Rough Water

[Randy Banta]

On 10/4/2012 at 6:21 PM, wnybassman said:

I have been fishing Erie for nearly 20 years and have been out in water I probably shouldn't have been out in more times than I care to mention. Riding the bow high is a necessity. In those conditions I run my 19' Ranger with the trim all the way up. Many times I am looking at the sky over the bow, and am looking to see where I am going by looking over the side of the boat as I turn the boat to the left a touch. Those who do this know what I am talking about. This will provide the softest and driest ride too. I also run a 4 blade prop to grip the water better, and know guys who run 5 blades for the same reason. I rarely have the prop blow out.

When the swells get big enough you can get on plane while running across them. Just try to stay in the trough and be careful going up and over the tops. This will get difficult in those large swells when they start breaking on the tops.

I have had a couple times where the waves were so big, I didn't dare go up and over the top of them while going with them. I would try to hit that perfect speed where you kinda surf on top, but the instant you feel like you're going to go over the top and back down, slow up and let the wave catch up and get ahead of you again. That's when they get in the 6 to 8 foot range. I have never been out in anything bigger than that though.

I actually enjoy fishing in these conditions on Erie when I am just repeating drifts over and over, but getting from point A to point B is a bummer.

Oh yeah, a second bilge pump is also a must.

I am reading this dialog on rough water boating.  I have had many sailboats over the years, on big water with big waves. Whether it be a sailboat or a motorboat.  If going into the wind, go at an angle into the wind and tack back and forth to get to your destination.  Sailboats do this naturally and the ride is smooth, even with big water.    If going with the wind behind you, go at a pace that matches the motion of the wave action.  Speed should match the wave speed. Surf the waves.   

[A-Jay]

 

 

 

A-Jay

[slonezp]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

 

 

A-Jay

I have never felt unsafe in my Lund

[A-Jay]

On 4/16/2013 at 9:39 AM, A-Jay said:

 

THIS ~ ^^^^^^^^^^^

 

I had purposely stayed off this thread.  My view of this topic may vary quite a bit from many mariners.

But, here it is . . . . .

 

Just like everything in our lives - when you combine the right tool for the job with a person who is experienced with that job or tool, you are much better equipped to have a successful out come.

 

 Despite the claims of any company that advertises to the contray, any boat with a very low freeboard and a planing hull, is just not designed to safely transit what most boaters will call "Rough water".

 

 Can it be done, yes.  Is it safe?  Depends quite a bit on the conditions and the experience and abilities of the individual at the wheel and throttle.  A vessel with a low freeboard and planing hull, is much less forgiving in conditions that come close to or exceed the abilities or experience of the driver.  This means there is very little margin for error which makes this combination less than the ideal "Learning tool".

 

 I would compare it to taking a stock car out onto a wet, muddy and hilly 4-wheel drive trail.  An experienced driver in this situation would be challenged to keep from getting stuck.  A first timer is much more apt to get stuck a few times.  However, give the less experienced driver a vehicle that is made to handle the environment, and the rate of success, even in the beginning, goes way up.  

 So when the conditions are right for the stock car, it's full throttle all the way, once the mud is encountered, the speed goes way down and full care is directed to throttle control and vehicle direction.

ALL of this applies to navigating a vessel in "Rough" weather.

 

Clearly,  spinning your wheels in the mud and sinking a truck to the frame on a two-track is not the same as capsizing your boat several miles from the boat ramp - unless the mud puddle is 36 feet deep . . . . .

 

A good way for a boater, especially a first timer, to evaluate his or her own boat's abilities and suitability for waves is to look at & understand what the freeboard at the bow of the boat is. For our discussion here, freeboard is the distance between the surface of the water and the upper edge of the side of a boat. Freeboard is what determines how well your boat will ride in any size waves. As mentioned in previous posts, using the trim of your engine may bring your bow up so that you do not "spear" into waves.  Please remember that when you do this, you are also forcing the stern on your boat down. This can be as much of a problem as the rough water itself. And since it's behind you, you will not know you have sunk the back of your boat with the big heavy engine on it, until it's too late. Trimming way up is not the secret to handling rough water. It's a tool that must be used judiciously.

 

I would Always Advise boaters to watch the weather both before you go and while you're out on the water.   If the forecast is questionable, wait it out.  While on the water, wind and waves can and do come on very quickly.  Keep an eye out and head home BEFORE that "Bad Looking Sky" gets over you, this can often times make a Big Difference on the "Pucker Factor" - and anyone that's gotten caught out in something that they don't belong in, knows Exactly what that is.

 

You can hammer in a nail with a wrench, several times being successful; but sooner or later you'll smash your thumb.

 

Stay Safe

 

A-Jay

 

Initially responded in this one 8 years ago.

The clip below include some of what I was advocating as it relates to operating in sloppy conditions.

Stay Safe

A-Jay

[Deephaven]

IMO a hot foot is a critical investment if you are regularly driving in rough water.  It allows you to get the boat up on the waves and modulate your speed crossing them controlling the bow lift as needed and reducing the slap.  Propping for power at the speed you run helps tremendously as well.

[A-Jay]

Been doing effectively with a throttle for a long time.

While I can see the attraction and results of the throttle on the deck, having both feet available to help keep me in my seat is my personal preference. 

A-Jay

 

[TOXIC]

Wow, way to pull one out of the depths and bring it back to life.  Always a good topic to repeat though.  As for hot foot or no hotfoot, I’ve had boats both ways and each has their pros and cons.  As for rough water, a hull can only do so much and at some point the driver has to make it work.  The old saying is that a bad driver can make the best hull beat you to death and a good driver can make the worst hull smooth as silk.  I’ve had it proven to me multiple times.  A professional walleye tour pro and I went out on Lake Michigan and I literally had blisters on my back from bouncing in the seats.  We were in a Ranger deep v 621 Fisherman hull made for rough water.  I’ve been on lake st Clair with a good friend who grew up on the lake in a 20ft Ranger bass hull in extremely rough conditions and I didn’t even have to hold on to the “oh *****” handle.  The difference was my buddy on st Clair never and I mean never stopped inputting to the throttle and steering.  

[TnRiver46]

When the water is rough, I do several things. Put pork on a meat smoker, cut the grass, sweep the floor, etc. These strategies are guaranteed to keep you safe from spearing a wave 

[J Francho]

Ideally, you wouldn't go out in rough water.  Almost always it's getting back that is the issue.  As the sun rises, so do wind speeds, and height of waves. 

[Krux5506]

I've been in some sketchy conditions with my deep V lund, never really felt like anything was out of control but I really never have any desire to try and fish in those conditions anyway. There's a fine line for me between tolerable and just straight up nauseating if you're in big swells trying to fish. It's neither enjoyable nor productive. I've always felt like bass boats don't mix well with big water like the great lakes if you're going out in those sketchy conditions....I see guys do it all the time but I never would. 

[A-Jay]

59 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Ideally, you wouldn't go out in rough water.  Almost always it's getting back that is the issue.  As the sun rises, so do wind speeds, and height of waves. 

 In the latest video posted here, the winds were forecast to be in our grill on the way out in the morning and at our back for the ride home.

We kept a close eye on it and it's the way it played out as well.

Would have liked to show the ride up the lake in the morning as it was 'pretty Intense'.

But the spray on that stern camera made the video look like a ride through the car wash - 

so not very helpful I'm afraid.

Suffice it to say, I was very conscious of where my bow was and it took a while.

A-Jay

 

[J Francho]

I'll add that I'm not a big fan of riding down waves with the wind.  That's the situation where I feel least in control.