You Always Reap What You Sow!!!

[Meat on the Table]

This morning about 10am, I was spider rigging a stump field in about 10 foot of water, approximatley 100yrds. off of the channel. I was catching plenty dinks, with a good one thrown in from time to time and a channel cat every now and then. Ended up with 10 good crappie ranging from 10-15 inches long, and 8 channel cats between 2-4 lbs. I hear a sound that sounds like the marauding forces of Ghengis KHan, look up to see a large speed boat about 24' long with it sounds like a tricked up 454 in it, and he is cutting a small 10' or 12' jon within 10'. Knowing how a person with genitalia for a head will do, I got ready. Sure enough he starts across this stump field flat, and I am sure he knows nothing about this hump covered with stumps up ahead, and one of those stumps was a hundred years old when it was cut and lake flooded(Per Grandpa). Well, here he comes like an avenging angel, he cuts me by 10'-15', being the sort of fellow I am I pointed him in the right direction with my middle finger. LIke a arrow to a target, or a nail to a magnet, or a green fly to (never mind),he hits that hump with those big ole stumps and tears the whole rear end out of his boat. Being a kindly soul, I eased on up there to survey the damage. The drunken sailor piloting that vessel asked me to tow him and his two drunken mates to dock. Well, the price of gas as it is, I told him I could do that, but it would cost him a 100 spot, he declined and I left him there beggin me to come back. Normally I am a much better person about helping those in need, but I thought by the time he paddled the three miles to dock, he may of understood the error of his ways. All in all a good day, caught a mess of fish and saw someone get what they deserved.

[fiddlefarter]

:D

[slabbandit]

Mrs.Slabbandit and I were fishing a brushpile today with an older couple anchored about 75 yards away. Here comes this guy in an aluminum rig with a 90 hp.running wide open down the river channel. He has to come between us as it's very shallow on either side of the channel.

Well I know that he thought he was being courtious...curtious...being very nice when he slowed down and passed us with his bow raised so high that he probably couldn't see out the front!

He waved as he passed not realizing that his wake was going to wash us right off our fishing spot. I used to get upset at the big bass boats coming by so close wide open until I realized that they knew exactly what they were doing. By them keeping their boats up on plane they hardly would ripple the water as they came by!

[KARL]

....poor fella.... :D :D :rolleyes:


Meat on the Table
Slabmaster Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: On Lake Barkley in the great state of Kentucky
Posts: 75

You Always Reap What You Sow!!!

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This morning about 10am, I was spider rigging a stump field in about 10 foot of water, approximatley 100yrds. off of the channel. I was catching plenty dinks, with a good one thrown in from time to time and a channel cat every now and then. Ended up with 10 good crappie ranging from 10-15 inches long, and 8 channel cats between 2-4 lbs. I hear a sound that sounds like the marauding forces of Ghengis KHan, look up to see a large speed boat about 24' long with it sounds like a tricked up 454 in it, and he is cutting a small 10' or 12' jon within 10'. Knowing how a person with genitalia for a head will do, I got ready. Sure enough he starts across this stump field flat, and I am sure he knows nothing about this hump covered with stumps up ahead, and one of those stumps was a hundred years old when it was cut and lake flooded(Per Grandpa). Well, here he comes like an avenging angel, he cuts me by 10'-15', being the sort of fellow I am I pointed him in the right direction with my middle finger. LIke a arrow to a target, or a nail to a magnet, or a green fly to (never mind),he hits that hump with those big ole stumps and tears the whole rear end out of his boat. Being a kindly soul, I eased on up there to survey the damage. The drunken sailor piloting that vessel asked me to tow him and his two drunken mates to dock. Well, the price of gas as it is, I told him I could do that, but it would cost him a 100 spot, he declined and I left him there beggin me to come back. Normally I am a much better person about helping those in need, but I thought by the time he paddled the three miles to dock, he may of understood the error of his ways. All in all a good day, caught a mess of fish and saw someone get what they deserved.

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Last edited by Meat on the Table : Today at 04:34 PM.

[Crappie Reaper]

I know the feeling. It is exactly why I traded my 14' alum off for something a bit more stable. My alum was nice and deep, but, most rigs wake would just knock me off an anchored spot. I too used to get ticked at people who had no respect for smaller craft and no idea that by them slowing down to a non plane state, they were creating 3 times the wake.
Now I go wide when running wide open. If it is a narrow area, I slow to no wake until I have passed them, then open it back up.
I would have laughed my azz off watching a smartalec that didn't know the lake, and was buzzing past ANY craft, rip out his transom. It was probably his "Daddys" boat and fully insured. Most people that have the real expensive boats, have no respect for anyone else on the water. Thanks for sharing the story! All of us who have fished out of smaller boats agree that he got what he deserved.

[chef]

It Seems Like The Bigger The Boat, The Less Respect For Other Boaters.
I Truly Believe What Goes Around Comes Around, And It Came Around For
That Guy.

Chef

[1weezer]

Your a pretty generous person Meat On The Table. I would have charged him twice that amount. LOL

[Meat on the Table]

If a boat is sitting still I slow to a no wake speed every time regarless of size of boat, whether pleasure or fishing. It is the way I was taught, and is the way I shall do. I have no problem if I am in the channel or near it and a boat comes by on plane and even appreciate it more if he gives me all the room he can when he passes. But, an A-hole that cuts me within 20' with plenty room for more and will go 100 yards out the channel to get to me on purpose. Well he deserves what he gets, without any sympathy or help from me. The only way I will help a person like this is if he has women and kids aboard, and after that he is on his own.

[crappieseeker]

I agree that wide open doesnt throw much wake, but I still think it is not polite. I pretty much idle very slow and speak or wave to my fellow fishermen, just a courtious thing to do and I leave no wake. Although yesterday a big bass boat was sitting sideways in a very narrow channel and I had to get out of the channel to idle around him. I'm glad I was going slow, because I hit a stump. When I loaded up my boat I noticed that my prop was bent and cracked. I was ticked off, but there wasn't much of anything I could do about it. Now for a question. It didnt seem to throw the speed or handling of the boat off any, would it be dangerous to run the motor in this condition? That may be a dumb question I know, but it is only about a half inch crack. Could it be welded or do I need to replace it when money is available. What I cant figure out though is that I have hit stumps before a little harder than that, and they didnt leave any marks, although they jarred me a little. This time it didnt seem as if I hit it hard, but there were no other marks and the prop was bent and cracked.

[CrappiePappy]

I've "dog earred" a few alum props, in my days. Best solution is to have them sent off to a prop mending shop ... they can be fixed, but usually only once (per prop ear) - since the "mending" process involves heating the alum, which can make it a little weaker/softer (or so I've been told).
This is why I went to a SS prop for my 70hp Yamaha. If I hit something at 5200-5500rpm (WOT) ... it wouldn't matter what the prop was made of, there would be damage. But, for idle speeds, the SS prop will take a good "hit" and not sustain much damage. I've "yanged up" about 3 alum props, on previous motors, to the point of having to replace them. Since switching to a SS prop, there were a few "minor dings" on the blade edges, but nothing that interferred with the performance.
And, yes, SS props are more expensive ... to buy, and to repair ... but, they are much more durable than an alum prop. When I recently sold my boat - the alum prop & SS prop went with it. The alum prop was practically brand new ... the SS prop only had minor ding damage - even after 10yrs of use.

Performance, from a bent or cracked or chipped alum prop, isn't the issue - vibration is. And it may damage itself, more, or possibly contribute to lower unit damage. It would be best to have a "good" prop, fixed & tuned, for your safety & the safety and performance of the motor. Also - shear pins used to be the "safety" aspect ... but, nowadays, some motors have a "slip clutch" thingy. You might want to find out if your motor has one ... and have a mechanic check it. Gear & gear teeth damage can occur, when you hit something with the prop. I always used to check the old, lower unit oil for "metal filings" ... when I changed the lower unit's oil. I never found any ... so I assumed that the "slip clutch" had done its job.

I'm no mechanic ... so I may be off base on some of this ... but, this is just what I've been told & what I've experienced. .... luck2ya ...cp