Your Worst/funniest Boating Close Call

[tbone1993]

Last weekend we had a pretty rough tournament on the ozarks and had a few funny close calls. At the end of day two we decided to get up and run back to the launch early. We didnt notice the trolling motor was still down and took off on plane. Once we did we were getting splashed pretty bad and I came off plane resulting in the motor splashing down and drenching us. Not only that but the wave behind us splashed over the back and hit us from behind. Because it was a short run we had previously taken off our save phaces and we were soaked from head to toe. Glad I had my bibs on to stay dry. What is your funniest or worst boating close call? 

[basscatcher8]

Had my new boat out for the 3rd time on tuesday. Was in a river that I've only ever run once before. Was headed back to the ramp and was a quarter mile from there and I missed the channel swing and hit a rock bar. So had to stop by the dealer and buy a new prop for the brand new boat lol.

[BrianinMD]

Hard to pick between these two. First was on a Potomac River tourney, wind picked up against the tide and it got rough pretty quick. Was cruising back to ramp for weigh in going wave to wave and everything was fine. Then hit a wave which didn't seem different then the rest but it kicked the front of the boat up. Boat stood up on the transom, when it caught the next wave it slammed back down, which did not feel very good. But got better when weighin was done and we won with a 5lb 10oz kicker.

 

Second, was at a lake in upper NY. Again it got very windy and had about 4ft waves, was in a 19ft Ranger. Ended up spearing two waves, was completely soaked and electronics were knocked off mounts.

[tbone1993]

Hard to pick between these two. First was on a Potomac River tourney, wind picked up against the tide and it got rough pretty quick. Was cruising back to ramp for weigh in going wave to wave and everything was fine. Then hit a wave which didn't seem different then the rest but it kicked the front of the boat up. Boat stood up on the transom, when it caught the next wave it slammed back down, which did not feel very good. But got better when weighin was done and we won with a 5lb 10oz kicker.

 

Second, was at a lake in upper NY. Again it got very windy and had about 4ft waves, was in a 19ft Ranger. Ended up spearing two waves, was completely soaked and electronics were knocked off mounts.

IVe got a crazy video of my friend spearing a wave on kentucky lake in a 17ft boat. It came completely out of nowhere.

[gulfcaptain]

Does almost smashing 2 guys in a 30ft center console in Grand Isle LA count when they decided to try and shoot the gap between the dock and the  170ft crewboat I run?  Think they figured they weren't gonna make t when my stern was already touching the dock and the gap they were sitting in was closing fast since it was a tad windy....only blowing about 35kts.  And yes, when they did come down the other side after rapidly backing down there were a few words expressed by myself.

[BrianSnat]

Not really a close call by my wife and I were fluke fishing on the Shrewsbury river.  We were anchored. I just had a sandwich for lunch and my wife broke out a big salad she had made. Just as she was about to take a bite a huge cabin cruiser went by and kicked up a big wake that hit the stern of the boat the wrong way sending a big splash that soaked the both of us, and my wife was sitting there with her salad floating in a bowl of saltwater. Not the sort of dressing she was expecting.

[Jar11591]

Last summer, a buddy and I just launched on a small lake, right around dawn. The short channel to the lake had some fog, but nothing too bad. When we got to the main lake, different story. The fog was so thick we couldn't see a foot in front of us. We were literally in a cloud. We were so worried about not hitting the left shore, we almost hit the right. This lake has a somewhat unforgiving shore, but luckily we saw it at the LAST moment. To be honest, it was pretty scary.

Once the fog cleared up we had a good laugh.

[tbone1993]

Last summer, a buddy and I just launched on a small lake, right around dawn. The short channel to the lake had some fog, but nothing too bad. When we got to the main lake, different story. The fog was so thick we couldn't see a foot in front of us. We were literally in a cloud. We were so worried about not hitting the left shore, we almost hit the right. This lake has a somewhat unforgiving shore, but luckily we saw it at the LAST moment. To be honest, it was pretty scary.

Once the fog cleared up we had a good laugh.

Had the same problem on table rock last year. Had to run the boat by gps and our previous track to know our lower unit and entire boat wouldnt get destroyed 

[rippin-lips]

Running on a lake I'd only been on 1 time prior. Only about 4 days earlier I was there. Cruising along towards what looked to be scum on top the water. Well once I was close enought to realize what it was,it was too late. Ran right up into the mud and got stuck. The water had dropped like 4ft from a few days prior. Had to call 911 and have the volunteer fire dept. come out on a pontoon. About an hour later they arrived and I had four fireman in their skimpy's come out to my boat to help push it free while the pontoon was trying to pull it with the rope. Once free I had 4 dudes in their underwear on my boat getting a ride back to the pontoon. No damage was done other then my pride being hurt. I said thanks and continued fishing.

[Fishing_Cory]

Got my first bass boat last fall and twice already I was rerigging some tackle before taking off to my next stop, well I got my tackle done and I go to take off but I left the trolling motor down...I got pretty wet! 

[WIGuide]

While prefishing on the Mississippi for an early season tournament last year, I was rigging tackle when the phone rang. I answered and it was my dad who proceeded to talk my ear off. While he was talking I could see the sand bar that I was floating towards but it looked like there was plenty of water on top of it. Unfortunately, I misjudged. My boat stopped about 40 feet from the edge. I thought I could get my TM to drag it over because it didn't feel like I was hung up too bad. That turned into an epic fail. I jacked my motor up trimmed it up and cranked it over. I couldn't get it to budge and didn't want to risk dropping it down any and sucking up sand. I was on to my last resort...jumping in the water that was in the low 40's. After 3 trips in and out of the boat, my legs finally numbed enough I could stand to be in the water. I was able to lift up on my motor lifting the transom out of the sand enough that I could over come the resistance. Half an hour later I finally made it that 40 feet. Lucky for me it was in the mid 70's that day and sunny along with the fact that I have a smaller boat! lol

[paangler13]

First trip with my boat I launched it without keeping it hooked to the trailer. Of course it started to float away! Lucky for me I had enough rope in my jeep to lasso the trolling motor and pull it in. Thank God no one was around to see it, I felt like the south end of a north bound horse.

 

Jim

[ww2farmer]

Not really a close call or anything, more of just ..."huh...cool story bro" kind of thing. But I was on the south end of my local lake, which is a long skinny lake the runs north and south and is about 3-4 mile long. It was late/summer early fall, a time when my allergies are acting up. I had forgotten to take my prescription meds that AM, so on the way to the lake I stopped by the drug store and grabbed some OTC allergy stuff.....I didn't pay much attention, and did NOT get the non-drowsy stuff. After about 20 mins of fishing I was pretty sleepy, so I laid down in the boat.....only to wake up several hours later just about ready to crash into the shore on the north end of the lake...............lesson learned...don't take a nap in the boat without anchoring.

[lmoore]

Not really a close call, but a story one of  my fishing buddies reminds me about every now and then.  We were in high school and went one weekend to fish a small resevoir near home out of my dads jon boat.  The ramp was only about 100' from the dam and we were loading the boat to leave.  I backed the truck in while my buddy was holding the boat on a rope.  We got her all lined up and I was cranking her down when I saw it wasn't on the trailer straight.  I saw he was still holding the rope so, without really thinking about it, I shoved the boat back off the trailer.  He either wasn't paying attention or was worried about the dam, becaus he held on the rope all the way until it drug him off the bank and into about 3-4 FOW.  He let me hear about it on the ride home.

[Choporoz]

First trip out last spring was on a trolling-motor-only lake.  Worked the far end of the lake all day.  Wind started to pick up around 2PM and I was at least a mile down-wind from launch.  Swapped out batteries for last hour or two and the ride back, and nothing.  Somehow, I'd only charged one of the two.  I got blown up on shore and not enough juice to even get off the sand.  Was lucky a couple of kind strangers happened by who had a full spare battery on board, loaned it to me, and I followed them in and thanked them profusely.   Not the first time I ran out of juice, but the first time that rowing/paddling wasn't going to be an option and I was sure I'd be hiking through the woods.