The nuisance of a boat weathervaning in the wind

[livemusic]

I don't fish much if it's real windy but when I do, this is a problem if I am in my 1997 Tracker Pro Team 17 boat with 40hp Tracker motor. And that is, weathervaning while using the troll motor. The bow of the boat is pushed left or right depending on where the wind gust comes from. Hmmm... more often than not, I have the big motor in the cruise/down position when using my troll motor. That might be serving as somewhat of an anchor and making it easier for the bow to be turned. I need to raise the motor up next time I am in wind and see what happens. I sometimes drift fish, just hitting the troll motor button to keep the boat oriented in the same direction and I figured the main motor being down helps slow the drift but I don't know that for sure. Other than maybe raising the big motor, do you know of anything that helps? More weight in the bow? If that's important, I have been tempted to convert my much-too-light stock troll motor (Motor Guide 37 lb thrust) to a 24v troll motor and I could put trolling motor batteries in a front storage locker. Anyone ever notice this problem on a boat? I also have a heavy boat, a 19 ft ProGator with 150hp Merc and I don't think it does this weathervaning much but it's a heavy boat for sure!

[livemusic]

I don't see a way to edit my post or I would.

I just recalled something apropos to this! I was trying to put it together in my mind as to this distant memory of some kind of home-made keel or something you could stick down in the water. And then it came back to me that this was an idea for the same weathervaning problem I have had in my pond-jumper Pelican Bassraider 10e, a 10ft plastic boat. The idea was to affix a sort of keel on the troll motor shaft so that the front of the little boat would not weathervane as bad. This is what I recall anyway, lol. I don't know if "keel" is the proper word. Might be "stabilizer" or something, not sure of the boat term for this.

I guess my 17 ft Tracker boat is light enough, especially in the bow, to cause this problem. It's worse in the little Pelican pond jumper! And weight in the front doesn't seem to matter because I sit in the front, plenty of weight there!

[Centurion]

I crappie fish in a 1775 Lund deep V. I know all about Oklahoma wind and the boat being a sail. Spot lock and Talons for me dependent on how deep the fish are.

[TreednNC]

I'm in a 1448 Tracker Grizzly and was longlining yesterday and had 6 rods out. Was fishing the back section of an area we call "the narrows" Had just caught a crappie, wind kicked into high gear, and gets amplified coming through the narrows. I was trying to get turned to make another pass, to go back down across this point WITH the wind. Rod doubled over, small hybrid (wiper/bodie bass), then 3 more went over with spotted bass. I looked down and in the mayhem my poor trolling motor is pointing the right way, but the back end of the boat is trying to pass the front, and we were being blown sideways at 1.7mph. I understand your struggles lol. I've got a drift sock. Yesterday is the last day that it WONT get used.

[ezgoing]

Try fishing in a pontoon on a windy day! And on Joe Pool the only wind you can get shelter from is a South wind. The past month has been mostly slip fishing for me as the wind has been from every direction except South and too strong to ignore.

[livemusic]

I'm in a 1448 Tracker Grizzly and was longlining yesterday and had 6 rods out. Was fishing the back section of an area we call "the narrows" Had just caught a crappie, wind kicked into high gear, and gets amplified coming through the narrows. I was trying to get turned to make another pass, to go back down across this point WITH the wind. Rod doubled over, small hybrid (wiper/bodie bass), then 3 more went over with spotted bass. I looked down and in the mayhem my poor trolling motor is pointing the right way, but the back end of the boat is trying to pass the front, and we were being blown sideways at 1.7mph. I understand your struggles lol. I've got a drift sock. Yesterday is the last day that it WONT get used.

Oh yeah, I forgot about a drift sock! Problem is the snags in my waters. I'd probably tear one of those up first day.

[dave the wave]

use a 5 gallon bucket with some holes drilled in it, or you can't pull it in hardly

[livemusic]

Good idea about the 5 gal bucket. I read a mention to drill some 1/2 in. holes in bottom and three 1 in. holes spaced equidistant around the top and tie a rope. I suppose you tie through those three holes. Route the rope through the holes so it comes out from the inside of the bucket. One guy said he uses two, one on each side of bow.

[Kevin22]

Bow into the wind, otherwise you will get blown all over the place. Raising the rear motor will just cause less drag on the transom area and the back end will spin even worse in the wind.

Drift socks will help slow you down if there is a bad cross wind from how you want to fish, but ultimately you'll need to keep your boat into the wind and under power if you want to keep it straight.

[FIN]

I have a stick steer pan fish special. I never raise my outboard. I have 2 batteries in the back. Putting weight in the front will create other problems. I added a bullnose clamp on rudder which improved boat management a great deal. I should have done that sooner.