Warning

[BJ Laster]

For those who are lucky enough to draw me in tournaments this year this is what you might have to put up with!!! If you were to ask my dad he would say I drive a little fast but if he had his way we would be in a 16 foot tracker with a 25 horse!! He is getting used to the bigger boats though.

 

[Josh Bertrand]

I saw that picture earlier. That's pretty amazing. I hope he had the rods strapped down, I know someone who's lost a few that way. lol Josh

 

[Charlie Nethaway]

Is that considered abuse?

Do any of you guys go like that?

Does that hurt?

 

[Staci Matheis]

What happened to the picture?



I'm not getting the picture to come up.....







OH! NEAT!! I wanna ride with you guys! Can I drive!!??!!



(I went to your library and took a look at the picture.... Don't know why I couldn't pull it up. I run Windows so I should get a .bmp file.....)

 

[Brian Bell2]

Hope those seats have the new built-in butt protectors.. I have been in water like that, and it is not fun.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Lucky that toon didn't snap in half. And you wonder where stress cracks come from. A good driver will never "launch" like that (unless he wants to). A few observations.....Look at the divot in the water behind him, looks like he launched because he planted from the last swell he went over. Look at the waterline in the carpet, through the consoles and down the back deck. He's been running that rig hard in the chop for a while. Usually you try to keep most of the boat in the water!! Real danger is if he "spears" one of the next ones coming up. Good way to lose electronics, TM and occasionally a console. Does it hurt? Dang tootin it does!! And the ramifications to your kidneys are usually obvious the next day.



TOXIC

 

[Jim B]

Yea i would consider that abuse. for one that water dosent look that rough, itlooks to me like that driver is just going faster then conditions allow. I boat in rough water a lot and when it gets rough its time to trim it in some and slow it down. I dont like getting wet and beat up, and i generally dont because i dont beat my boat. I have been wirh people who do drive like that and yea it hurts a bunch.

 

[Texas Transplant]

How about losing a co-angler???



If I'm riding as a co-angler in it, I'm asking to get out and walk. Seriously. I would demand to be taken back to the launch site, get my gear, and wait on the Tournament Director.



Of course, the co-angler in this pic looks fairly comfortable.



Tex

 

[C C]

I wonder if the "OH CRAP" handle has an imprint of his hand in it. LOL



Cass

 

[Bryan McDonough]

I have launched my self more than i care to mention when trying to get back to weigh in. Yes it hurts. Yes this is how stress cracks form.



But look at those waves!? the picture is decieving cuz there seems to be 20 ft between crest to crest. That is some big water there.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Looks a LITTLE EXTREME to me...can you say"Crackin' Glass"!

 

[Jim B]

or bent tin

 

[Greg Duggan]

i was in a 19' savage as the non-boater at lake winnipisauki small mouth open, we left the pretty early in the group and entered the braods at close to 70mph. the hit a swell and it launched the boat striaght up. we both thought we were going to die. when the boat hit the water he had put the throttle into nutrual. we picked up all the gear that went flying and found that the flasher and broken out of the dash and was on the floor and when we left the tourny we found a hole bunch of new stress cracks on th ebottem of his hull.

lets just say it gave me a real bad taste for big water!

GregD

 

[Steve Hutson]

My back hurts just looking at that one! Can you imagine the landing???

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Can't wait to hear what Mac, Mini and Rob have to say about this....All I know is if I took a client through that, I'd be lookin for a new partner. My neighbor has an 18 ft. Javelin and we were running rough on Champlain 2 years ago and he was running WOT in about 3 footers. I finally told him to slow down or I was gonna lose the fillings in my teeth!! The next day I had bruises on the tops of my legs from hitting the console and the good old pink lemonade kidneys. I chalked that up to driver error. There is also a way to run where you don't fall "flat" back on the waves. The guy in the pic actually looks like he is re-entering pretty good (butt first).



TOXIC

 

[Travis Smith]

wonder what my Dad would say if he caught me doing that to his 911CDC?





I probobly would not be fishing with him any more.



BTW- BJ I can handle that no biggie you just have to know how to drive in the conditions. So if you are lookin for a partner that can handle a rough ride gimme a call....







T.S.

 

[Bill McElroy]

The pix is totally decieving,....we don't know how fast he's going,....I've gotten airborn like that before driving 10-20mph in 6ft waves,..and landing can infact be as soft as ploppin' down on the couch if it's done right...that pix just looks worse than it actually may have been....I've been in that stuff before (and worse) and I've been airborn when I'm doing all I can to stay upright, let alone "abusive".....you can't tell the "whole story" by looking at a snapshot. IMHO!!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Typical day on Champlain. What's the big deal??? LOL Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. The guy obviously does not know how to run big water. Keep your nose up like he is, to keep from spearing one. BUT, you never want the boat to completely leave the water. Once it does, it has to come down, and that coming down to HIT water is what does damage and hurts. We all miss one once in a while and lauch. As long as you keep the last 2-3' of your transom in you can roll up and down the waves. Takes a lot of practice. That's a perfect example of when hydraulic steering, a hot foot, and wheel trim stick are invaluable.

Mac's right though, hard to tell from a pic exactly what is happening.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I'd say from the spray he ain't doin' 20 LOL!

T minus 10 seconds and counting...Roger that Houston!

 

[Bill McElroy]

Tee,..one does NOT need to be going fast to create a lot of spray,...especially when coming down off a wave like that....a good landing will (transom first) will dissipate the shock more evenly and provide a much easier landing...plus it's easy to create a lot of spray anyway with a heavier 'glass hull...it's physics, pure and simple...you put a lighter tin boat in conditions like that and you're going to be OUT of the water a lot more than you'll be IN it,...and you will NOT enjoy it...trust me...been there,....experienced it!! That's why I will never own anything but glass as long as I fish in conditions like those which are VERY common on the Great Lakes....I want the BEST tools for the job at hand!! Gotta GITER DONE!!

 

[David Munaretto]

Ask my partner... BEEN THERE DONE THAT...



David

"I got one speed - WIDE OPEN"

 

[Bill McElroy]

You wana see "spray"?...Drive a 901 with a loaded gas tank and full livewells in 3-4ft waves!! ALL of the weight in that rig is behind the driver...the nose on that boat is very light and I had to drive mine with a lot of "down" trim to keep the nose down in conditions like that......my Ranger on the other hand is nose heavy (by comparison,..plus it's over a foot longer anyway), but Rangers require a lot more bow lift in those conditions just to avoid the dreaded "spear!!" It was a complete 180deg shift in driving characteristics between those 2 hulls. Put a 200HP motor, 56gals of gas, 60gals of water in the wells, 3 battery's and a charger in the back 3-4ft of a 901 and you've got some serious weight there to contend with...my old 896 was different from the 901 too,..it took BIG water very well..the tanks in my current boat are mounted under the seats, and just that weight shift alone, moved 5ft forward makes a huge difference in handling....especially in adverse conditions. You really need to experience conditions like that in a few different hulls to really notice the difference a weight shift can make.....pretty cool actually!

Mac

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I know what your sayin' Mac...but, ya' won't catch me doin' that in glass or aluminum...I'm a big woosy when it comes to rough water(unless I'm in a 60 ft. boat

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I agree Mac. Buzz's 896, seemed to really handle the chop nice. My Ranger definately runs better than my old TF and better than some other rigs I've been in, but a totally different ride. If you aren't really careful, a spear is easy with a Ranger. That's why only SERIOUS drivers run Rangers! LOL Lesser drivers can't make them perform the way they can and should.

 

[David Munaretto]

Boy I don't know what is worse, the tin versus glass debate or the Ranger verus everyone else debate... Either way, us Nitro guys win hands down!



David

 

[Larry Harp]

Okay I'm reading all this and not really understanding what to do. I realize that the situation is differant in my little 50hp PT185 Super Soaker but what is the correct technique for handling big waves? What is spearing and why is it a bad thing?



Harpo

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Spearing is when the bow goes through the wave instead of over it. The added weight of the water can drive the nose down even furthur and it can get really hairy really fast (depending on how fast you are going). I call it submarining...the motor is actually driving you under the water, ripping everything off as it progresses up the boat.



In a smaller rig (it should be a total mistake if you ever get caught out in that kind of wave action) you have 2 options, either nose into the wave and power up one side or if you are lucky you can get the wind and waves behind you and power surf. Tacking is harder but it can be done. Safest...Slow down and get to shore!!



TOXIC

 

[Staci Matheis]

WOW, Mac.....

If you drove it like that.....

Sure am glad I didn't buy your old 901.....

Pity the poor sucker who did.















(ROFL!!)

 

[Bill McElroy]

If you only had a clue........



You haven't seen nor experienced rough water until you experience the great lakes on a bad day!! And I've seen it go from dead calm to 5 footers in less than 3 hours so sometimes we gotta drive in those conditions just to get back...and believe me,....if you ever got caught in stuff like that,..you had better pray that your driver has experience with that stuff cause he/she can literally save your life if they do!!



and BTW,..that 901 was in some of the WORST water I've ever been in and it came through fine...except for the stupid radio falling out,..LOL!!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

One final thing BJ......Nobody drives like that on purpose. You do what you have to do. ALWAYS respect the water. Rips up your boat and endangers you and your partner. You wanna drive like that on a regular basis, get into racing boats, my mechanic does and runs 120+ all the time. I don't want to read about anyone from this board found in a lake.



Word up!!



TOXIC

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I was just kiddin' about rough water..My two best walleyes(2) 10 lbr's in one weekend was caught in 9 ft. swells 5 miles north of the islands at Lake Erie. Me and the captain were the only ones that would tough it. It's very diificult to keep your footing but, if your careful can be rewarding. Of course this guy has years of experince and a 30 ft. rig...we still speared one wave and water infiltrated it's way thru the cover and got totally soaked on the way back. Don't do that often but, the bite WAS ON and I couldn't pass up the chance

TEE

 

[Rob LaMoy]

And THAT ladies and gents is why your's trully as to take 6 Tramadols a day to function. And I had the back problem BEFORE I had the Ranger, so don't even go there! LOL Remember, boats don't have shock absorbers, your spine does that! And like Mac said, when you live on truly BIG water, you can get stuck HAVING to run in that stuff just to get off and get home. Somebody drowns in Champlain every year, 'cause they don't respect it. My rig saved my butt at least 3 times last year that I distinctly remember.

 

[Bill McElroy]

It's something that has to be "experienced" to be fully appreciated...and people that think 3ft waves are BIG,..have never seen or driven on Lk. Erie/St.Clair/Saginaw Bay, Michigan/Huron or Superior when it's BIG!!!...LOL!!!!.....Superior can whip up 50 foot waves,.....it took the Edmund Fitgerald down....image what that would be like in a bass boat!! LMAO!!!!! BUT,..it's not the size of the wave that's so dangerous,...it's how close they are together!! I've seen Saginaw Bay blow up to 5-6ft'rs that are LESS than 19ft apart!!! THAT my friends...is where you better be religeous AND experienced..cuz if you aren't......you WILL BE when/if you make it back!! ahahahahhhahaahhaha