Tournament Turns Scary!

[Simp]

Well I got a lesson today that even your local lake you feel 100% comfortable on can get dangerous. Our bass club held a tournament on the lake I basically live on and fish 70-80% of the time when I go out. They were calling for high winds, but I hadn't ever been on the lake and felt it was dangerous to be out on. Even if I'm just fishing out of a 17ft traker style boat.

The wind was just everywhere today it didn't matter where you were, Only the places that were "wind protected" were fishable at all, and they were so bad you had to run 5 on the TR motor just to move when against the wind. Then when you hit the points of one of these pockets it's white caping. I'm talking about coves that you usually go in to hide from the wind were white capping!!! We had a spit weigh in and that meant evreybody had to brave the main lake at least a couple times. Well we got soaked from head to toe. My partner had his rain suit on and didn't even look out side his hood. I had swim trunks on thank god and just went shirtless for a couple hours.

We didn't have anything to weigh in at lunch time and were bummed but we could only fish so much. After lunch we seriously debated tailoring to a wind protected cove and I wish we would have. Instead we ran to another protected cove that had allot of cover. Well after hitting it hard and a 100 other boats coming in we left the coves protection. This is where it got scary. This time we were going against the wind and not with it. We went over a few waves and I was have trouble seeing. Water was in my eyes like I was taking a shower. Then a few more and these became giants and the boat didn't get over them the waves crashed into us and then the boat suddenly had a foot of water in it and then it was two feet of water. I don't know how deep it got but out Gatorade jugs were floating around close to our knees. My trolling motor is flopping around and my ram mount for it couldn't get here soon enough. I might have to drill new holes for the TR motor after this. It's at this point I'm thinking about two things. First getting back alive and second how can I minimize the damage. I couldn't figure out the second. We got back to the cove we launched out of and decided to call it a day. We trailored up and began draining the boat. It's still in my driveway on a hill drying out btw. After closer inspection we also found the passenger seat had been torn free of it's rivets that hold it to the boat! It was just crazy out there.

When I got home I emptied my tackle bag and all it's plano boxes are open in the sun drying in the back of my truck. I also had to empty my wallet and spread out all my stuff so it doesn't stick together. I certainly don't need 200$ glued together. So now starts the repair process before we hit KY lake next week.

[Sam]

I know what you went through.

Happened to me once on Lake Gaston.

If I note the weather is going to include high winds I will not go fishing.

Glad you and your partner are OK and all equipment suffered light damage.

And guys, even Rangers can have a hard time in the wind and water with white caps.

[Glenn]

That's some pretty scary stuff there! Been in a few of those, and it's definitely no fun at all. Glad you made it back in one piece!

Be sure to open every compartment and let it completely dry. Otherwise you'll be dealing with mold.

Then get it the boat with a screwdriver and make sure everything is tight. You'd be surprised how many things work themselves loose after a beating like that. Look for any broken rivets too - especially under the boat. Be sure to check the engine mounting bolts too. That's often overlooked, with disastrous results. I check all these things at least once a year on my boat, regardless.

[Simp]

That's some pretty scary stuff there! Been in a few of those, and it's definitely no fun at all. Glad you made it back in one piece!

Be sure to open every compartment and let it completely dry. Otherwise you'll be dealing with mold.

Then get it the boat with a screwdriver and make sure everything is tight. You'd be surprised how many things work themselves loose after a beating like that. Look for any broken rivets too - especially under the boat. Be sure to check the engine mounting bolts too. That's often overlooked, with disastrous results. I check all these things at least once a year on my boat, regardless.

Good advice Glenn. I've already went over it with a screwdriver and will again. All the compartments are open and hopefully drying.

[ctf58]

Just drove from Branson MO. to Henderson KY. Wind was terrible!!!. Ohio River at Shawneetown had at least 6 foot rollers going upstream. Saw one lake white capping out of it's banks.

[CJ From Dinwiddie,VA]

were they too big to trim way down and cut the waves/ride the tops of them?

[slonezp]

That's some pretty scary stuff there! Been in a few of those, and it's definitely no fun at all. Glad you made it back in one piece!

Be sure to open every compartment and let it completely dry. Otherwise you'll be dealing with mold.

Then get it the boat with a screwdriver and make sure everything is tight. You'd be surprised how many things work themselves loose after a beating like that. Look for any broken rivets too - especially under the boat. Be sure to check the engine mounting bolts too. That's often overlooked, with disastrous results. I check all these things at least once a year on my boat, regardless.

X2 Glad you're ok.

When weather is like that, we take a vote during our tournaments whether they should go on or be rescheduled. So far, all of the time egos get involved and we have never rescheduled.

Worst I ever had it, I was salmon fishing on Lake Michigan all day on glass calm water with my son who was 8 or 9 at the time. We were on my dad's 24' Pro Line walk around. I heard on the weatherband radio the warnings and started to head in. A storm cell developed and in a matter of minutes we went from calm to 5 footers and pouring rain. The anchor came loose from its lock on the bow and flipped around and smashed into the hull. All could do is think about my son. It was the scariest 10 miles of my life trying to get back to the marina. We made it back alive with minimal damage, and a whole new respect for the water.

Always remember water doesn't forgive.

[vapredhunter]

Couple weeks ago on Smith Mountain Lake, There was no running fast in this 2 to 3 foot wave and whitecaps. Still caught a couple but wasn't easy. I had the trolling motor on 100% fishing into the wind and the wind blowing me backwards with waves breaking on my feet and front deck at times. Reminded me of Rock fishing the lower Chesapeake Bay in the fall but with a bassboat instead of a 27ft Sea Swirl