Improve your fishing skills


Boating tips

Throughout my past years of tournament bassequipped  on your boat when you purchase it)
fishing, teaching students and charter
clients, I have witnessed many boating2. A "Hot-Foot" (normally an option in most
accidents, close calls, and have seen manybass boats,) which is a accelerator pedal
inexperienced anglers just waiting forthat is connected to the floor and works just
accidents to happen the way they operate andlike a gas pedal in an automobile. I have had
handle their boats. There are several tips aa "Hot-Foot" installed in all my boat(s) ever
boater should learn before he or she launchessince they were introduced on the market
their boat when spending time on the water. Ibecause I personally feel that this is one of
share these boating "safety" tips with all ofthe best safety features you can have when
my students while attending my 3-day bassoperating a boat, especially in rough water
fishing school as well as my bass charterconditions. This pedal allows a boat driver
clients because I hope that I can help toto keep "Both" hands on the steering wheel
eliminate some of these incidents that doespecially when the water gets rough (for
happen unexpectantly (kinda like preventativemaximum boat control), and it will slow your
maintenance  on  the  water.)boat down real quick when you let your foot
off the gas pedal. The only problem that I
One of the first and probably the mosthave found with a "Hot-Foot" is that some of
important tip would be to ALWAYS KNOW YOURthe boat dealerships I have visited claim
WEATHER FORECAST!.... I’m sure that Ithat it voids ones warranty if they had one
can speak for most of the tournament anglersinstalled in their new boat, so please check
as well as the serious bass anglers who spendwith your dealership and make sure of your
a good amount of time on the water when I sayboat warranty before installing or having one
"Always expect the unexpected." It seems likeinstalled.
at least 80 percent of the time (especially
during tournament days) you will find badNow, let’s start back to the boat
weather conditions. Weather can play a verylaunch..... The best way I found when
important role to a angler and can veryencountering big waves or choppy water is to
easily ruin a good day on the water unlessslow the boat down and keep the nose (or bow)
one is prepared for it. For exampleof the boat trimmed down as much as possible.
let’s say that I was going to fish onIf you have a side of the lake or body of
Lake Champlain, Kentucky Lake, or Lakewater that may have calmer conditions, ease
Ontario. All three of these different lakesover to the calmer side by driving the boat
are very big bodies of water and when you getin-between or parallel with the waves. If
a good wind come up, these lakes can becomeconditions get really unsafe such as small
very  dangerous  if  you:craft warnings on a body of water and if
there isn’t a close place to go to
A. Have a boat that don’t handle wellinstead of the launch, sometimes a "Zigzag"
in  rough  water.pattern will help. As mentioned above as far
as keeping the nose (or bow) trimmed down as
B. Don’t have enough boatingmuch as possible angel the boat about a 15%
experience to handle your boat in roughangle and zigzag back and forth to each side
conditions.if the waves are coming straight against you
on your way back to the launch. A larger boat
C. Don’t have the right size of boatwill of course handle better than a smaller
that can handle rough conditions (what I meanone in rough conditions, but when you get
by this is to have a big enough boat to2’ to 4’ waves coming against
safely get to where you want to go on ayou even the 20’ boats will have a
certain body of water. For example, if yourough wet ride. The worst thing you can do in
fish a river that has protection from therough weather is panic!, just take your time
wind you would not need to have as big of aand be a smart (not a rookie scatterbrain
boat as you would need if you fished big openspeed freak) driver always keeping safety in
areas of water that can get rough in amind and you’ll get wet, but
hurry.)you’ll make it back safely. I have
been in these situations many, many, times
Secondly, anglers need to know how to operatethrough my years as a bass pro and I may get
their boats in most any kind of conditionsnervous sometimes, but I always managed to
that may arise. Let’s say that weget back safely without injury to anyone on
launched our boat early in the morning whenboard  my  boat.
the weather was nice, clear, and calm, and
the forecast for the day was light winds of 5I would like to give you a few tips on
to 10 miles per hour (yeah right! how manyboating that I have had to learn the hard way
times has your local forecaster ever got theover the years. Hopefully these tips can make
weather right?) and we went to some of oura difference for you one day and not ruin a
favorite fishing spots and nothing wasgood  day  of  bass  fishing.
biting, and then we went a little further and
further and as the day went on before weTip-1... Always have either a spare battery
realized it we were about 10 miles from where(charged-up) or a heavy duty set of jumper
we launched our boat. Now, all of a suddencables on board. The reason for this is
the wind starts to blow a little harder andbecause I’ve been in 2, 3, and 4 day
harder more like 25 to 35 miles per hourtournaments or have been with clients or
instead of what was forecasted and the wavesstudents and not running the main gas engine
start showing white caps and grew to 2 and 3very much (which usually charges the main
feet high and we only have a 16’ to abattery) while running my livewells and
18’ bass boat (ugh-oh). The firstelectronics all day long (which usually run
thing we want to do is make sure that alloff of your main battery), not realizing this
passengers on board are wearing life jackets,at the time I go to start my boat up and
especially the driver of the boat making surethere isn’t enough juice in the
that his or her life jacket is connected tobattery to turn my main gas motor over to
the safety cord that fastens to the killstart. Believe me! it happens to many
switch. Next, make sure that everything isanglers..........
secured to the boat deck (boxes, rods, baits,
etc.) or they are put securely inTip-2... Always let someone know where you
compartments to keep them from flying backare going and an approximate time for your
and hitting anyone in the boat while inreturn. Situations in the past that I have
motion.encountered were anglers that didn’t
know how to handle their boats in rough
Before we get started for a rough trip backwater, or they broke down (stranded without
to where we launched out of, I would stronglycommunication), or for what ever the reason
recommend two very important items you shoulddidn’t make it back to where they
have  on  your  boat  which  are:launched out of at their designated time. Try
to carry a 2-way radio, cell phone, flares,
1. A electric trim (or tilt) switch for theand emergency flag in your boat and always
outboard gas motor (which usually comesexpect the unexpected!



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