Crossing Wakes mistakes - almost didn't post because I look...stupid

[78Staff]

As stated in the title, I wasn't going to post this, it's actually from weekend before last, but after some thought on it decided to go ahead. It will make me look like an idiot, and I think I know what I did wrong, but can always benefit from constructive criticism and/or just plain old learning from folks better at driving boats than me. Figure it might also help someone else prevent things like this from happening to them as well...

Backstory, long run up the river... have passed multiple boats on this run, and usually am far enough away and/or fast enough than I can "outrun" opposing boats wakes. In the beginning, you can see remnants of some previously passed boat traffic wakes that I had "outrun" so they were barely noticeable. You then see the boat passing on port side, and this is where I screwed the pooch. You can actually see me turning a bit to starboard as in my mind I'm just going to outrun the wakes as I typically would do. But I guess I didn't take into account this particular boats speed, or was closer to it than realized, and came up on them much sooner than I expected. Well, you can see the result. I don't mind saying, it was a pretty scarry couple of seconds. No so much the catching air, but the side-to-side hits while the nose was high really had me hanging on to the wheel for dear life...

The 1st takeaway that I have, is as soon as I started seeing/feeling the wakes of the boat in the vid, I should have slowed/trimed down and turned back into them more immediately, but that little bit of delay meant I bascially hit them on plane, at near WOT at a bad angle. And it was not pretty. 2nd takeway is, maybe don't try to outrun wakes, especially on busy weekend days, and lastly, It was scary enough that I think I'm going back to my Mustang Excel PFD and keep the HIT in the locker for use while fishing on rough days.

These two vids are cuts from looping GoPro vids, tried to keep them short but show enough to see the action/mistakes. Constructive Criticism/Knowledge Drops welcome :).

Rear Camera View... this is the most dramatic. Stabilization is on for both cameras, so not sure how much if any that effected the video...




Side/Console Camera view

[Bass in the grass]

Just be glad you didn’t accidentally turn the steering wheel or you would’ve found yourself bow hooking.

[Welaka]

I think it was a pretty good outcome. Hindsight is always 20/20. Agree, trim in a slow down when the rolls stated. Im sure most have down the same thing.

[n2bassn]

I agree that most have done the same thing. When you see another boat going in the opposite direction you know for sure that you will eventually meet his wake.

[jrh_67]

I've been there a few times. The lake I fish is completely over run with wake boats and jet skis running all different directions. There's so many waves going all different directions it's easy to get surprised by one and when you do it's a butt pucker moment....

[4weight]

I've been there a few times. The lake I fish is completely over run with wake boats and jet skis running all different directions. There's so many waves going all different directions it's easy to get surprised by one and when you do it's a butt pucker moment....

You must fish the Lew. I hate that lake

[4weight]

Pretty simple. Slow down

[jrh_67]

You must fish the Lew. I hate that lake

I do... Where do you fish around here?

I also have a Triton TR-186 with an XR6 150...lol

[4weight]

I do... Where do you fish around here?

I also have a Triton TR-186 with an XR6 150...lol

I’ll DM you tomorrow. Maybe we can pick up the phone and chat. Pretty funny

[clayshooter]

It’s not too difficult to get caught off guard.! It happens quicker than it looks.!

[wareagle24]

Glad it didn't turn out worse than it did. We've all been in situations on the water that when it's over it takes a few minutes to regain your composure.

[n2ratfishin]

That could have been much worse, glad all is ok.

[rctreece]

I run into that all the time on the river I fish but our river is not nearly that wide so hard to outrun the wakes. What i do is slow down alittle and then turn into the wakes so I do not take them parallel.

[tj]

I also slow down and try to take wakes less parallel. Nice stereo speakers.

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

I really appreciate that you posted the videos they are a good reminder for us all regardless of experience level. We all have misjudged the water and found ourselves in a less than ideal situation. For me my first rule is don't run WOT or even close to it unless there are no boat wakes and then I only do it for short stretches. I find a cruise speed of 35 to 40 to be good if there are a lot of boat wakes, 30 or less if there is wind driven whitecaps, 50 to 55 if conditions are real good as in just other bass boat wakes - no wake boats, cruisers, and 60 to 65 if conditions are just super good and I'm in a hurry. As posted earlier if you pass a boat headed your way you know you are going to have wakes to deal with. I judge how big by looking at the boat and how it is running. A big boat plowing water is going to be trouble. I try to be conservative and slow down probably more than I should but I slow down, get the nose down some and try to hit the waves at a 45 degree angle. The main recipe for disaster is too much speed, period. I think many of us need to slow down some. Chickamauga is so busy with pleasure boaters on the weekend I cringe when I see a bass boat running 70 plus through traffic sometimes with the driver's head looking down at his maps / sonar. I hope it never happens but we have all the ingredients for a bass boat to T-bone a party barge pulling a bunch of kids on a tube and the blood and guts will make national news. I had a guy in a pontoon pulling a bunch of kids just for no reason turn 90 degree right in front of me. Thankfully my "radar" was up saying "danger-danger" in my ear and I was already backing off the speed even though I wasn't going that fast. He turned in front of me with not much room and then he saw me and his jaw dropped and he started waving his arms. If I would have been going faster or not paying attention it could have been a bad day on the lake for a lot of people. We all need to be careful and mindful of others, many are new to boating and need extra margins of safety and patience from experienced boaters. We were all new in the beginning.

[duracraftman]

We've all been there, even if we won't admit it lol. I cringed when I saw you turn parallel into the wake and no trim/slow down! Ouch!

[4weight]

I run into that all the time on the river I fish but our river is not nearly that wide so hard to outrun the wakes. What i do is slow down alittle and then turn into the wakes so I do not take them parallel.

This 100%

[Rangerdeepv]

Anyone who says they haven't done this..........well I caught the world record largemouth here in Illinois. The weekends are nuts here on the rivers and the small stripmine lake near the house. I really slowed down a few years back after a trip on Ol' Man River made a believer out of my. Better safe and late than early and dead.

[crawdadking]

That made my back hurt just watching it Most of us have been in that situation, just slow down when it happens.

[78Staff]

That made my back hurt just watching it Most of us have been in that situation, just slow down when it happens.

Thanks all, and yep I definitely felt it in my back for the next few days for sure!