Balance

[Catt]

Tell y'all what's fun!

 

Peeing off the back, at least with the Caracal there is shallow water anchors. Now in the Alweld its a picture show.

[dodgeguy]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

Balance the ability to stand under moving conditions like standing in the front deck operating  the TM without falling over board  was my issue in selling my boat.

Today when I get the opportunity to fish everyone treats my like the old man I am. 

I wouldn’t fall fall overboard but who believes this? Very discouraging  to be treated as an old man and hope you all never experience this. But when you do be grateful!!

Tom

I know the feeling. I have a bad knee and numb feet.

[Dwight Hottle]

23 minutes ago, MassBass said:

You can train balance, it's not something that must inevitably worsen. Surfers are big into it, stuff like wobble boards, bosu balls, balance training. Even work on standing on one leg. I could say this to someone, but it is up to the individual to be curious and have a drive to get better, and not just be resigned to their current age or physical condition.

I agree. I stand on one leg in the shower while I wash my feet. Helps promote core balance. 

[gim]

I'm still very young and athletic and coordinated so there are no balance issues.  But clearly the day is coming when I won't be able to do what I want anymore, and I am taking it for granted right now.

 

I played a lot of sports growing up, many that required a sense of balance.  I think it has helped me in the fishing realm, although I've never really thought of it that way.  Its just natural and automatic.

 

My Father is 73 and fishes with me about a dozen times/season.  I put a standard chair on the back deck for him and he uses it regularly.  Most of the time when we fish together, I pick him up at his house and drop him back off when we're done.  All he has to do is ride in my truck, sit on the back deck of my bass boat, and cast.  I run the bow mount during the whole outing, which is usually about 3-5 hours long.  I do not have spot lock either.

[Tackleholic]

I'm 82 and fish alone almost always;  inflatable PFD never comes off, I have not fallen yet.  I bought a long, wide, heavy boat , a Vexus VX21, for increased stability, smooth ride and adjustable air cushioned seats in the console to aid my back pain.  I hit the gym every day I don't go fishing and I know that aids my balance.  Even so, when the wind exceeds 12 mph I stay home.  I stand while using the trolling motor, sitting on the pedestal seat wreaks havoc with my back but I leave it up and grab ahold when things get too rough.  BTW, I'm not insulted when younger generations offer help and call me Sir.

[GreenPig]

1 hour ago, MassBass said:

You can train balance, it's not something that must inevitably worsen. Surfers are big into it, stuff like wobble boards, bosu balls, balance training. Even work on standing on one leg. I could say this to someone, but it is up to the individual to be curious and have a drive to get better, and not just be resigned to their current age or physical condition.

I used the Bosu after my fusion and the standing on one leg at a time was the thing that helped me the most. I worked up to 3 sets for 2 minutes on each leg 3 days a week.

[gim]

That's impressive at 82 @Tackleholic.  I hope to make it that far someday.

[Swamp Girl]

I turn 68 at the end of August. I walk more slowly through the woods to prevent falling. My Kevlar canoe is a constant balance challenge. I hope I can fish until I'm 80, but I won't know until I'm there. When I fish my Royalex Old Town canoe, it's so stable that it feels like the deck of an aircraft carrier and I sometimes stand in it. 

[Pat Brown]

I'm 37 but bass fishing makes me feel 12 again 🙂 

 

As for balance.  I've fallen in a couple times.  Sucks when it's cold.  Good thing I'm a great swimmer.

[Functional]

12 hours ago, Catt said:

Tell y'all what's fun!

 

Peeing off the back, at least with the Caracal there is shallow water anchors. Now in the Alweld its a picture show.

for this very reason I keep a empty gatorade bottle on the boat. Peeing off the back in open water and got hit by a small wave a jetski left I didnt think would throw the boat. Had to wash the back deck after the stumbling mid stream on that one. 

[Mobasser]

We can all have some balance issues as we get older. One thing that's improved my balance is losing weight. I've lost 18lbs, and still working at losing some more. I'm lighter on my feet, and my balance has improved as a result.

[BucksBasser]

I'm 69 and have an inner ear disease that is destroying my balance.

As your ears lose ability to help you balance your eyes start to take over.

But poorly.

On a good day I can stand on the casting deck.

On a bad day I can't get off the floor.

As Dirty Harry said "a man has to know his limitations."

I never used to heed that but now I do.

If I don't feel great I won't stand on the casting deck.

I did get a nice seat that can be plugged into the casting deck for days I have issues or there is high wind/waves.

 

 

 

 

 

[river-rat]

 

I put myself through college working construction as an Iron Worker which most of the time meant I was working in the air. I had no problem walking beams as narrow as 4" and never had a problem no matter how high off the ground the job was. I had great balance back then.

 

Now, not so much. In fact I just finished my second round of vestibular rehabilitation with a Physical Therapist for balance issues. I'm really careful in the boat and have decided that wearing my life jacket all day is probably a wise move.

 

 

[Koz]

I’ll be 60 this year and I’m well aware of my limitations. Last weekend I fished off the back of the boat with no seat or stool seat. 

 

There were a few times when the wakes and waves picked up that I sat myself on the deck. I also have an auto inflate vest and I wore it the entire day. I find no need to take risks.

 

I’m still not comfortable standing in my kayak, but now that the water is warm I may practice at it.

[Catt]

I can tell y'all right now a kayak & this Cajun ain't happening!

 

I simply can't sit that long & standing on one ain't no way.

 

@riverat I did that for a while, old hand told me anything wider than your foot is wasted anyway. Climbed & slid down many a column. 

[papajoe222]

Although I'm not ready to sell my boat, my situation is similar to yours. The similarity ends with not falling overboard, which I've done four times in the last three years. I'm 74 and I can stand with one foot on the TM with no issues, However, when I bend down or over, my balance suffers.
I started wearing an inflatable PFD after the first incident and I've gone to stepping down off the deck when landing fish, or even reaching for my pliers, or phone. There is no one else to take me fishing and I've stopped fishing the big lake.  I know there will come a time when I may need to hang it up, but hopefully by then, the grandson will be driving. He already knows how to operate the boat.

[Bazoo]

I don't currently have a bass boat, but I couldn't stand on one for very long if I did. I have poor balance due to some medical issue. I don't fall a lot, but I feel off balance a lot. I prefer to sit anyways, so if I ever get a bass boat, I'll be setting it up for primarily sitting.

[WRB]

I was a gymnasts as a youth with exceptional balance and aware of my proprioception, knew where I was.

I feel off a 8’ ladder last year and was able to turn 180 degrees while falling backwards to land on my chest in lieu of my head saving more severe impact.

I fell because of being birds flew into my face and stepped back.

Getting old and loosing balance is part of aging,

Tom

[Glenn]

My thing is that I've been fishing for decades with boats that have pedestal seats and trolling motor foot pedals ON the deck of the boat (not recessed).  When recessed pedals became popular, I considered recessing mine....until I tried it on a friend's boat that had one.  I realized I couldn't reach it while leaning on the pedestal seat.

 

Big problem.  I use that seat for balance.  Not so much for "sitting".  So I tried standing while using the pedal, and felt like I was going to fall overboard any minute.

 

So I didn't recess my pedal.  I still fish "old school", meaning I still have the seat and non-recessed pedal on my boat that uses cable steering (no powerhead). No big deal, right?  I mean, I'm not doing it the "modern" or "popular" way - no seat and a recessed pedal...but it works for me.

 

Fast-forward to the days when I go out with a pro to shoot videos of him.  It's commonplace he'll launch me in his boat while he parks the truck (even though I always offer to launch them...must be a "thing" with pros.  I don't know.) So there I am in their boat, and now I have to operate their PowerPole/Lowrance/Garmin etc. trolling motor with a power head and no seat to lean on.

 

Well....thing is, they all have recessed pedals and no pedestal seat.  Combine that with the trolling motor is almost always on high, and a new-fangled high-tech trolling motor with a powerhead (I have zero experience), and .... well.... next thing you know, I've fallen on me knees and am now trying to control the trolling motor with my hands!  And failing miserably!

 

Soooo dang embarrassing!

 

Geeze, I don't know what it is, but I just can't get the hang of standing without leaning on a seat while using a recessed trolling motor.  And I haven't used the powerhead motors enough to get the hang of them. Plus those new ones usually have a digital readout somewhere that shows the power setting (seems they're always in a different place), so I don't know what it's set at until it's trying to hurl me off the deck of the boat! LOL

 

Ya...I look like amateur hour at the comedy club.  I'm surprised I haven't fallen overboard yet.

[Catt]

@Glenn That was my problem with Mike's Caracal, the trolling motor was so sensitive & I was so unbalanced it look like a bobble head.

 

I've never liked foot control & have a hand control on my boat.

[GRiver]

4 hours ago, Glenn said:

So I didn't recess my pedal.  I still fish "old school", meaning I still have the seat and non-recessed pedal on my boat that uses cable steering (no powerhead).

Hahaha @Glenn had to laugh. I haven’t even mounted the pedal to the floor…. I slide it around to where I want it.  I didn’t know where I wanted it mounted….. that was 3 yrs ago.

[MN Fisher]

^ I'm with Glenn and GRiver - foot control is allowed to be moved around. It's often enough that I'm facing a direction that makes it so I couldn't reach a recessed pedal, so I leave it loose so it can be moved around on the deck to where it's handy for me to use.

[geo g]

I am 76 now and have had some balance issues the last 4 years.  I now never fish alone without an inflatable life vest, a pee jar so I don't have to stand on the edge of the boat, a hand control T/M so I never stand on one leg, a seat up front and often sit while waves from other boats are present, and think about moving around the boat slower then before.  For 45 years of fishing from the boat I never had these issues, it's just goes with the territory if you're lucky enough to make it this far.  Never thought balance would be problem.  The kicker is, our waters are full of gators, and snakes!!!!!!!!!