4/18 report and (near) disaster- long read

[startingover]

Figured with folks locked in I'd give a report and story to keep you entertained for a few minutes...

Put in at the public ramp near the bridge about 2:30pm.

Water there was ~62-63 stained viz probably 2-3'  VERY windy.

Went up to Stoney. Main channel had less viz. Creek color got better as I went further back, but still only about 3' viz. Water temp was less than bridge-~60-61 in Stoney

Caught a SM and decent LM. Both on Rapala, SM off rip rap bank, LM off front of dock.

Tried C-rig watermelon lizard, natural jig, Firetiger fat free shad (dingy water), several others on the points near creek channel but no luck. Was there a couple hours fighting the wind.

Moved up to Indian. Viz on main channel got worse as I went up. Started on that 1st point on the right going in with Rapala, C-rig, and jig, fished most of the point.

Then the (near) disaster. I'd fished that point about 10 minutes and turned around to grab a different rod and when I looked toward the back, I was taking on water. There was already 2-3 inches in the floor at the drivers seat!!! I was sinking and seemed to be sinking fast in 40' of water. I knew I hadn't hit anything but was in a lot of brush backing up to retrieve errant lures fishing in the wind before I left Stoney, maybe the plug pulled out. The only thing I could think of was hit the bilge pump and try to get it on plane. Lifted the t-motor, fired up big motor, trimmed all the way down and hammered down. There was SO much water in the boat the nose just stood straight up. Even with a 300hp Johnson, it was struggling and couldn't get the nose down. I was just praying it didn't stall. After about a quarter mile running like that with the bilge on and at least moving (plowing), it slowly started to rev up and the nose was barely coming down, but at least it WAS coming down. Little by little it was gaining speed and trying to level off. About that time I saw I hadn't pulled the trolling motor all the way up and it wasn't locked. I was afraid it would come down on plane so I slowed the boat to run up and bring it all the way up and lock it, still nearly on plane. Too late, that slow down was just enough to let it drop in the water, and fold under the nose . Managed to bend it up enough to get it out of the water and back to getting planed out, which it finally did...After running a while on plane and with the bilge running, the water was finally out enough for water to stop coming out of the bilge. So I'm headed back toward the bridge, trying to figure out what to do next, can't stay on plane forever, will run out of fuel eventually, if I set it down, it will sink...I decided to head back to the ramp, try to get it on the ramp backwards where I could get to the plug without swimming, and if I failed at least it would be in shallow water. Took off my coveralls, sweatshirt, and shirt on the way back figuring at some point I'm going to HAVE to get wet. Came in to the ramp hot (sorry about the no wake zone), drove up the ramp and turned as much as I could with the big motor, and was going to spin it with the trolling motor *^&%IT, no trolling motor!! Was sideways on the ramp and decided it was time to get wet before it filled back up. . Jumped in (that 60 degree water was quite a shock, glad I could touch bottom) and got it turned around, raised the big motor, and pulled the boat as far as I could up the ramp and sat the back of the boat on the ramp. At least it wasn't going to sink past there. Found the spare plug in the boat and jumped back in, got down in the water but too dirty to see so I felt my way around and put it in. Got the truck and backed the trailer as close to the back of the boat as I could get it and then pushed the boat back out, spun it around and tied it off. Backed the trailer in, jumped back in the boat and ran it up on the trailer, it was still taking on water fast as I trailered it, and I couldn't figure out why with the spare plug in, but I was home free! It wasn't going to sink far sitting on the trailer:) When I pulled it out with water spewing out the bilge I looked and realized my dumb &$$ had put the spare plug in the livewell drain hole under water.

I was SOOO lucky I didn't sink her. In 40+ years I've never had anything like this happen before. Most intense 40 minutes I've had in MANY years. All the possible ways it was going to end up on the bottom...If I hadn't noticed for 10 more minutes, if I didn't have a 300hp engine to push it up on plane, if it had stalled while getting on plane, if I'd run out of fuel getting back to the ramp...Needless to say I didn't sleep much Sat night thinking of all those options and how I will make sure that NEVER happens again!!

Time to go play the lottery, or maybe I used up all my luck Saturday!!

Good luck and BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! Amazing how fast things can happen.

[mwardncsu]

Dang - glad that worked out alright - smart thinking and glad you caught it when you did

[31Airborne]

woof - good on ya for working thru this, dood. that was close. glad everything worked out OK.

[coheasion]

Man - sorry to hear about those troubles but very thankful it didnt turn out worse!

[bigun3]

 
  When I first started fishing SML years ago, it was in a sparkly boat. Did the same thing. (minus the trolling motor.) Scared the crap out of me. Found a decal that said  "is the plug in".  stuck it just above the key switch.    Glad it worked out safe and sound for you!!!

  How many on here will admit, I left the plug out?   
I'll go first.

  Me    

[startingover]

Well Bigun, I'll have to 2nd that... I was going to fish a BASS tx about 25-30 years ago. Was one of my first so I was all excited and forgot to put it in. I noticed we were getting low before we even took off. Fortunately it was a summer tx so I didn't mind going for a swim. Pretty embarrassing with all those folks sitting around waiting to take off. I'm sure they all knew what I did. That's the last time (so far) I did that.

In this case I know I put it in and had been on the water for several hours. Someone (before I bought it) had put a little chain on it to keep from losing it. I never thought about it before but I'm guessing it was that little chain that got caught on something and yanked the plug out. My transducer was also kicked up about 30 degrees so I knew I backed into something...

Thanks for all the support:)

Amazing how things get put in perspective. I have to replace a trolling motor and somehow that just doesn't bother me all that much!!

[greg]

Apr 20, 2020 14:04:28 GMT -5 bigun3 said:

 
 

  How many on here will admit, I left the plug out?   

I was at Carvins Cove with my first glass boat many years ago, before all the restrictions they have now, and had my first (and only) "forgot the plug" moment. Dropped the boat in the water and tied it to the dock, parked my truck and trailer in the lot, and went into the store to talk to my buddies grandparents who ran the place. Finally decide to go fishing and headed across the lot, stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my boat half submerged at the ramp. Luckily it was warm as I waded and put the plug in, turned on the bilge and waited for it to pump out the water. That's the one and hopefully only time I'll ever make that mistake. 

[greg]

Apr 20, 2020 14:27:05 GMT -5 startingover said:

In this case I know I put it in and had been on the water for several hours. Someone (before I bought it) had put a little chain on it to keep from losing it. I never thought about it before but I'm guessing it was that little chain that got caught on something and yanked the plug out. My transducer was also kicked up about 30 degrees so I knew I backed into something...

What type of plug was it, the flip over or screw to tighten kind?

[startingover]

Flip over...Ordered stainless screw in type yesterday

and the little chain was attached to the hole through the flip part. In hind sight, surprised it didn't happen sooner.

[31Airborne]

+1 on fessing up to forgetting the plug. fortunately my boat was built for the occasional case of dummazz (lots of flotation foam in it). couldn't understand why I wasn't coming up out of the hole. someone shouted, "did you forget your plug?" I waited until the field had blasted off before I jumped in and put in the plug. I cited safety reasons at the weigh-in. i'm sticking to that story.

[johnr]

Done it twice. Used a cork bobber once.

The other time was late January at 4am going duck hunting. Water over my boots before we realized the issue. Like you, no getting it on plane. Rode several miles back to that same ramp trying to drain it. It drained. Had to let it fill back up while I got the truck. Almost sunk tied to the dock. Barely got on the trailer. Let it drain a while, found the plug, had a good hunt.

Also put the plug in the live well hole in my current boat. Backed it in, had a premonition and pulled it back out. Sure enough, wrong hole.

[cmstower]

Well i done it several times once this year always in a hurry this time at hardy but just went around the corner marked some bait reaching for the net seen water coming in. I know everyone at the ramp was getting a laugh, now i keep a extra in the boat it was 35 degrees that morning so cold arm but i know everyone has done it once.

[greywalls]

Oh, it hasn't been too long ago for me... LOL.

Brand spanking new sparkly Nitro... Second time out with it, I think. Unload at the State Park without issue. Park my truck and hustle back down to the dock to join my father and son in the boat. Hop aboard and take my time stowing the bow rope and bumpers, as the boat gently floats away from the dock. The big motor catches the instant I turn the key, and we spend a couple minutes regaling about how smooth and quiet the 4-stroke is... I power up the new Lowrance on the console I'd just installed and start punching through functions -- we're all glued to the screen as we idle past the buoys, never noticing that the rear end of the boat has started to sag towards the waterline. I go ahead and punch the throttle forward, but something's not right -- why are we so sluggish? And, then the "Oh, C-R-A-P!" moment of realization hits, which is reinforced by the solid stream of water spewing from the bilge pump outlet once I think to flip it on... Fortunately, the water was only "brisk" that day, and no one seemed to notice me hastily undressing and jumping off the stern to flail around under the boat, eventually threading the plastic plug where it should have been when I'd launched. Good lesson learned!!!

[R22]

I had a similar experience a few years ago during a very cold spring Mafia Tournament. The evening before we caught bait and we did a little crappie fishing. We decided to place the crappie in a seldom used live well. We had to turn the valve to allow water to pass through. Heading back to the house house I noticed the boat began to lope. I didn't think much of it as we put the boat on the lift. The following morning as we headed up river the boat began to lope again. It was cold and windy (like all Mafia tournament days) so I trimmed it down a bit and went to my first spot. After arriving at my destination and getting things ready for lines in, I noticed that the boat was sitting in the water at an angle.
I turned on the light to the rear deck to find water running out of my rear compartment and exiting the boat over the stern. We immediately went into a panic (it doesn't help). The first thought was the plug. I have always feared that someone would come by my dock and remove the plug in one of my boats just to be a punk. We started the boat and tried to get it on plane but that was not happening. After realizing that the water was running over the stern, I finally recognized that we were not likely going to sink. I raised the lid to the rear compartment and went in with one arm. The water was so cold that I may have lasted 45 seconds. I could feel the water rushing in but I could not locate the source. My buddy took a turn and found the pump to the live well had come off the top of the through hull pipe. This must have happened the night before. It took a few more tries but we were finally able to close the valve an stop the water from coming in. I have two bilge pumps, a 500 and a 350.
They pumped for 45 minutes before pumping out all of the water.

My boat is filled with foam. I have moaned and groaned about that foam on numerous occasions but not anymore.

[Yam]

Same thing happened to me last year on a very cold day. I got all the way to Campers with my trailer being left at Hardy. Stuffed a rag in the hole, pumped her out, caught bait, went fishing, stayed overnight at hotel, caught bait, went fishing, passed Hardy ramp, fished some more, went home.