| Throughout my past years of tournament bass fishing, | | | | 2. A "Hot-Foot" (normally an option in most bass |
| teaching students and charter clients, I have witnessed | | | | boats,) which is a accelerator pedal that is connected |
| many boating accidents, close calls, and have seen | | | | to the floor and works just like a gas pedal in an |
| many inexperienced anglers just waiting for accidents | | | | automobile. I have had a "Hot-Foot" installed in all my |
| to happen the way they operate and handle their | | | | boat(s) ever since they were introduced on the |
| boats. There are several tips a boater should learn | | | | market because I personally feel that this is one of the |
| before he or she launches their boat when spending | | | | best safety features you can have when operating a |
| time on the water. I share these boating "safety" tips | | | | boat, especially in rough water conditions. This pedal |
| with all of my students while attending my 3-day bass | | | | allows a boat driver to keep "Both" hands on the |
| fishing school as well as my bass charter clients | | | | steering wheel especially when the water gets rough |
| because I hope that I can help to eliminate some of | | | | (for maximum boat control), and it will slow your boat |
| these incidents that do happen unexpectantly (kinda | | | | down real quick when you let your foot off the gas |
| like preventative maintenance on the water.) | | | | pedal. The only problem that I have found with a |
| One of the first and probably the most important tip | | | | "Hot-Foot" is that some of the boat dealerships I have |
| would be to ALWAYS KNOW YOUR WEATHER | | | | visited claim that it voids ones warranty if they had |
| FORECAST!.... I’m sure that I can speak for | | | | one installed in their new boat, so please check with |
| most of the tournament anglers as well as the serious | | | | your dealership and make sure of your boat warranty |
| bass anglers who spend a good amount of time on | | | | before installing or having one installed. |
| the water when I say "Always expect the | | | | Now, let’s start back to the boat launch..... |
| unexpected." It seems like at least 80 percent of the | | | | The best way I found when encountering big waves |
| time (especially during tournament days) you will find | | | | or choppy water is to slow the boat down and keep |
| bad weather conditions. Weather can play a very | | | | the nose (or bow) of the boat trimmed down as much |
| important role to a angler and can very easily ruin a | | | | as possible. If you have a side of the lake or body of |
| good day on the water unless one is prepared for it. | | | | water that may have calmer conditions, ease over to |
| For example let’s say that I was going to | | | | the calmer side by driving the boat in-between or |
| fish on Lake Champlain, Kentucky Lake, or Lake | | | | parallel with the waves. If conditions get really unsafe |
| Ontario. All three of these different lakes are very big | | | | such as small craft warnings on a body of water and |
| bodies of water and when you get a good wind come | | | | if there isn’t a close place to go to instead |
| up, these lakes can become very dangerous if you: | | | | of the launch, sometimes a "Zigzag" pattern will help. |
| A. Have a boat that don’t handle well in | | | | As mentioned above as far as keeping the nose (or |
| rough water. | | | | bow) trimmed down as much as possible angel the |
| B. Don’t have enough boating experience to | | | | boat about a 15% angle and zigzag back and forth to |
| handle your boat in rough conditions. | | | | each side if the waves are coming straight against you |
| C. Don’t have the right size of boat that can | | | | on your way back to the launch. A larger boat will of |
| handle rough conditions (what I mean by this is to have | | | | course handle better than a smaller one in rough |
| a big enough boat to safely get to where you want to | | | | conditions, but when you get 2’ to |
| go on a certain body of water. For example, if you fish | | | | 4’ waves coming against you even the |
| a river that has protection from the wind you would | | | | 20’ boats will have a rough wet ride. The |
| not need to have as big of a boat as you would need | | | | worst thing you can do in rough weather is panic!, just |
| if you fished big open areas of water that can get | | | | take your time and be a smart (not a rookie |
| rough in a hurry.) | | | | scatterbrain speed freak) driver always keeping |
| Secondly, anglers need to know how to operate their | | | | safety in mind and you’ll get wet, but |
| boats in most any kind of conditions that may arise. | | | | you’ll make it back safely. I have been in |
| Let’s say that we launched our boat early in | | | | these situations many, many, times through my years |
| the morning when the weather was nice, clear, and | | | | as a bass pro and I may get nervous sometimes, but I |
| calm, and the forecast for the day was light winds of | | | | always managed to get back safely without injury to |
| 5 to 10 miles per hour (yeah right! how many times has | | | | anyone on board my boat. |
| your local forecaster ever got the weather right?) and | | | | I would like to give you a few tips on boating that I |
| we went to some of our favorite fishing spots and | | | | have had to learn the hard way over the years. |
| nothing was biting, and then we went a little further and | | | | Hopefully these tips can make a difference for you |
| further and as the day went on before we realized it | | | | one day and not ruin a good day of bass fishing. |
| we were about 10 miles from where we launched our | | | | Tip-1... Always have either a spare battery |
| boat. Now, all of a sudden the wind starts to blow a | | | | (charged-up) or a heavy duty set of jumper cables on |
| little harder and harder more like 25 to 35 miles per | | | | board. The reason for this is because I’ve |
| hour instead of what was forecasted and the waves | | | | been in 2, 3, and 4 day tournaments or have been with |
| start showing white caps and grew to 2 and 3 feet | | | | clients or students and not running the main gas engine |
| high and we only have a 16’ to a | | | | very much (which usually charges the main battery) |
| 18’ bass boat (ugh-oh). The first thing we | | | | while running my livewells and electronics all day long |
| want to do is make sure that all passengers on board | | | | (which usually run off of your main battery), not |
| are wearing life jackets, especially the driver of the | | | | realizing this at the time I go to start my boat up and |
| boat making sure that his or her life jacket is | | | | there isn’t enough juice in the battery to turn |
| connected to the safety cord that fastens to the kill | | | | my main gas motor over to start. Believe me! it |
| switch. Next, make sure that everything is secured to | | | | happens to many anglers.......... |
| the boat deck (boxes, rods, baits, etc.) or they are put | | | | Tip-2... Always let someone know where you are |
| securely in compartments to keep them from flying | | | | going and an approximate time for your return. |
| back and hitting anyone in the boat while in motion. | | | | Situations in the past that I have encountered were |
| Before we get started for a rough trip back to where | | | | anglers that didn’t know how to handle their |
| we launched out of, I would strongly recommend two | | | | boats in rough water, or they broke down (stranded |
| very important items you should have on your boat | | | | without communication), or for what ever the reason |
| which are: | | | | didn’t make it back to where they launched |
| 1. A electric trim (or tilt) switch for the outboard gas | | | | out of at their designated time. Try to carry a 2-way |
| motor (which usually comes equipped on your boat | | | | radio, cell phone, flares, and emergency flag in your |
| when you purchase it) | | | | boat and always expect the unexpected! |