Has anyone else ever whacked a bouy?

[jimbos43]

Or am I the only fool that's done it twice?

First time was by the free bridge in the Trenton channel. I gave that unlit can a good thumping, and it cost me a trip to the bump shop. First boat they ever worked on, but they did a beautiful job.
Second time was in the St. Clair river, north of Algonac, and it was lit. My buddy and I were into the suds pretty good. This one was just a glancing blow, that left a scratch, which I still have.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Jimbos, let me know when you are on the water, so I can stay clear of you.!!!!LOL

[jimbos43]

Why in the hell would they even put unlit cans out there in the first place? Navigational hazards is all they are.

[Shoeman]

You're not the only fool

Well twice, maybe.
I hit an unlit one outside of Ecorse. It put a 18 X 8 hole right at the waterline. As soon as I came off plane the hull would take on water. I pulled into the Wyandotte Launch at warp speed, only to sink at the dock. lol

One of my most embarrassing moments.

How's it feel to do it twice????????? :o :eek: :confused: :rolleyes:

[jimbos43]

I actually felt stupider hitting the first one. I had passed that spot 75 times and never seen it. The second one, well you know Ralf how it is, when your in need of a good "wheelman"

There sure is a lot of unlit ones downriver in that Ecorse area. If your going punch right through, that's a good spot to do it. AAA Michigan had there boat adjusters located right there, just upstream of that Wyandotte launch.:p

[Shoeman]

I hear ya.

I even saw it coming, but decided not to steer away from it. It was too late. At the speed I was doing, I would have wiped out the entire side, trying to steer clear.

Just a quick, "Hang On" and "Bammmmmmmmmmm," or was it a Clang.

I had 2 chicks on board. Not one of my smoothest nights.

Aaaahhh, my youthful days.

[jimbos43]

Bet they were impressed with the water bed you had in the cuddy.;)

[Hotwired]

I solved that problem by entering all of the bouys from the Ambassador Bridge to Alter Rd. in my GPS as waypoints.

I have run at night and in very thick fog with no problems.

In May of 99 my partner and I were handlining in my 16' Grumman at the Cow Pasture in the rain. I thought we were the only idiots out that morning when along comes a 14' with the canvas still on the front, and nose sticking straight up. As the boat got closer I thought he was going to stop and ask how I was doing. When it got real close I realized he wasn't watching a thing in front of him thinking he was the only one on the river.
At that point I jumped up and started yelling and caught his attention about 20' from my boat before he throttled down and slammed into my side.
Luckily his nose was still up and all I got was a bad dent in the gunnel and not a hole in the side.

All he said was "Sorry, I didn't see you" in broken english and took off.

Go Figure.

[jpollman]

Was it any more embarrassing than sitting on your swim platform rowing with a cooler lid because you trusted your fuel guage ?
:D :D :D :D

Sorry Ralf,

I just had to ask.;)

[The Whale]

Low blow.


Whale ;)

[ESOX]

I have never hit one while the big motor was running, but I have drifted into them while paying attention to the angry critter on the end of my line. Usually I saw it coming, but I've got my priorities. (Besides, I'm one of those aluminum tub kind of guys, no gelcoat to fret over).

[STEINFISHSKI]

I can relate to the cooler lid. One time when my boat was new we trolled for browns early in the spring. We trolled 13 miles one way along the shorline as I noticed we needed gas. My buddy told me there was a marina just around the next point (5 mi) so we went for it and they had not opened yet for the season. Well the gas gauge I found out soon, reads full until half tank, and then starts its desent toward empty. It read 1/4 but we only had 1/8 tank. We headed back and when we got around that point we sputtered and ran out of gas. The wind was in our favor and was blowing us back to port. The canopy and side curtains were our sail and I steered with the motor. It took over 6 hours to blow back to port. As we approached the harbor mouth I fired up the kicker motor as it still had some gas in the line and it got us in the harbor. Still not complete when the kicker died I went to the front of the boat and paddled us in the rest of the way with my trusty cooler lid. Since then I carry a paddle, trolling motor, and spare gas. Talk about learning the hard way.:)

[Shoeman]

Thanks for saving my ass. These guys are much too hard on me.

They make it sound like it was a deliberate act of neglect.

FTG.........

Once again, I must thank Clay for exposing my misfortune and the attempt to make it 50 yards with my cooler lid.

I do have a memory like an elephant. My time will come

Don't screw up in front of me, I keep my camera close at hand

Bubster, I'm watching you...........

[ESOX]

Don't feel too bad, Ralf........I just don't have any wittnesses to my follies. I'll elaborate for a beer per tale.

[Shoeman]

I won't either in the future. :mad:

[STEINFISHSKI]

Gotta check this picture out. Some of you guys might feel better. lol.http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/index.pl?photo=216

[jimbos43]

Oh my god, now that's a major whacking. At least he didn't take his head off like the dude on Grosse Ile about 5 years a go.
Who posted the picture yesterday of the women who hit the boat with her car? That was great, my boys loved it.

[jpollman]

That was me Jimbo.
I got that pic in an email from my wife.

I tried to make a post in the forums but couldn't get it to work so it's just in the members gallery under jpollman

[gregm]

I know this wasn't in Michigan, but when I was 17 and old enough to fish in the Redman tournament trail, I saved some money and entered the first tournament of the year in Indiana (where I grew up). All Redman really ever fishes in Indiana is the Ohio river (AKA open sewer). I entered as a non-boater and was drawn by the defending points champion for Indiana from the previous year. He had just received his new Ranger 492VS from the factory. We took off after our number was called. We ripped out of the take off area at about 70 mph and got about 1 mile up the river and BAM!!!!! the engine tached out and died. Come to find out we hit a hot water heater that was barely under the surface fo the water. If anyone has ever fished the Ohio, you realize the visibility is about 2"!!!. It ripped the lower unit right off the new Mercury motor he had on back. The pro never said a word, he went to the front of the boat put in his trolling motor and we s-l-o-w-l-y cruised back to the ramp. Once we got there, he put his boat on the trailer and left. I kind of just stood there on the ramp, I was out the 75$ entry fee, the travel down and back (3 hours one way) and I slept in my truck (remember, I was in High School, no money for a hotel) and I never even made a cast.

That was the last time I ever went to the Ohio River.