Bass Boat goes airborne. It's spring so think safety.

[WillCFish]

[Lightningboy]

Amateurs.  Try Saginaw bay on any given day.

Know your limits, and slow down to meet conditions.  There's many days I run 30 mph on the big water instead of 60+.

Running big water requires work.  One of my buddies likens it more to riding a dirt bike; you need to react to each set of waves as they happen.  Keep your elbows up, and arms reactive.  Try to keep the boat level as possible.  Work the trim & gas pedal as required to land the bow on the next wave.

Big water is driveable, but you gotta be ready to deal with it.  But most of all, know your limits and stay home when it's right.

[Skulley]

Safety Should always be first and foremost.




BD.           

[djkimmel]

This video has been posted on here before and we had a little lively discussion along these same lines.

[troossien1]

Doesnt just have to be the great lakes, we were at charlevoix for a club tournament and everyone had to stay in the south arm due to 4-6 footers  on the main lake my partner and I stayed on hemmingway point and rode some hefty rollers. Inland lakes can get sketchy as well, especially one as large as charlevoix

[WillCFish]

Thanks for the comments. There are always newbies that can use this advise and I have to remind myself now and then also. 

[djkimmel]

I get asked about speed verses performance, and big water boating all the time. When I fished around the country more, it seemed everybody thought their water was the roughest.

I know I didn't see the worst Okeechobee has to offer and probably not even Kentucky Lake down the long straightaway but outside of a hurricane, I have been on some stuff in the Great Lakes that probably suggests poor thinking skills... I try not to do that anymore.

But definitely, rough is in the eye of the beholder and some of the worst stuff I have witnessed or been told about happened simply from bass boats hitting boat wakes. We can all use safety reminders and safe boating advice. Anytime you are boating, safe boating should be first and foremost in your thoughts. For sure, one of the reasons I started this website.

(had to fix my 'there' 'their' error - that drives some people [cameraguy] crazy!! )

[WillCFish]

Thanks DJ,
I was lucky on Okeechobee not to have gotten into anything too bad. The worst was Lake Michigan and once on Lake of the Woods all in a 17.5 Crestliner and much more careful than when I was young.                                                                          My son in law took a Coast Guard Class in Florida when he bought his saltwater Ranger. We don't have CG Classes in our area of the Midwest that I'm aware of. Do the Great Lakes require CG training now? As I recall when I used to fish them a lot it was based on boat size.

[bigjc]

I get asked about speed verses performance, and big water boating all the time. When I fished around the country more, it seemed everybody thought there water was the roughest.

I know I didn't see the worst Okeechobee has to offer and probably not even Kentucky Lake down the long straightaway but outside of a hurricane, I have been on some stuff in the Great Lakes that probably suggests poor thinking skills... I try not to do that anymore.

But definitely, rough is in the eye of the beholder and some of the worst stuff I have witnessed or been told about happened simply from bass boats hitting boat wakes. We can all use safety reminders and safe boating advice. Anytime you are boating, safe boating should be first and foremost in your thoughts. For sure, one of the reasons I started this website.

Well said Dan,  I have been on the North end of KY Lk. during a strong south wind and it was not pleasant, but nothing like a bad day on Erie.

[djkimmel]

There are times just about any body of water can be unsafe or dangerous, but day in and day out... not too many of the other waters outside our Great Lakes have 500 to 1,000 foot boats sitting on the bottom. We can all use more care and safety.

Coast Guard classes are not required for general boating in Michigan but not a bad idea at all. I see way too many people on the water doing things that are not safe or well thought out. Some of us are way on top of this stuff, but some of us can use refreshers too.

There are Michigan and Great Lakes safety equipment requirements that get more involved with boats 16 feet and longer. There are requirements for young boaters to take and pass a safety course (personal water craft users) and there are online safety courses that would help just about anyone improve their safety. There are a few other states that now require boating safety courses.

One online source I have worked with is BoaterExam.com. This link goes to the Michigan-specific Boating Safety Course & Certification Exam section. You choose sections for any state or Canadian province.

Boating Safety Practice Test: http://www.boaterexam.com/safety/practice-quiz.aspx Generate 10 question practice quizzes - no registration or fees.

I like to take free refresher courses now and then since it never hurts - lots of good reminders we can all use - Navigation Rules Mini-Course: Free Mini-course covering Navigation Rules, Aids to Navigation, etc

Michigan Boating Safety Course - example of what you see.

In Ontario and the rest of Canada, everyone who lives there, or even visitors who stay there longer than 60 or 90 days (I forget the exact length), has to pass an approved online test and have a Pleasure Craft Operator Card - see the following information.

Do You Need a Boating License?

All operators of powered watercraft used for recreational purposes within Canada now require a Boating License.

As of September 15, 2009 all boaters are now required to have the Pleasure Craft Operator Card in order to operate a powered watercraft. There is no grandfather clause or age exemption – this law applies to all boaters. Powered watercraft includes watercraft fitted with any size motor – even a trolling motor.

Get Your Boating License Online!

Here's a very general boat terms graphic I like. Yeah, most of us know this stuff but I admit I sometimes forget which is the starboard and which is the port side...

Image courtesy of BOATERexam.com

[bigjc]

One more good reason NOT to cross the boarder!!!