sat and sunday...

[empty hooks]

went to c can sat morning got 85 . went out sunday with wakina got 55 ... started fishing around 3 and class was in session , wakina had half a dozen fish in the boat before i got a keeper . had a good time even with the rain and the wind . stopped fishing about 515 rough ride back to the dock.

[wakina]

It was a real pleasure to have empty hooks aboard on Sunday afternoon, he is a true sportsman, fisherman and gentleman. He caught on to my way of perching really fast and caught not only the largest perch but also most of the larger fish. Empty Hooks is welcome aboard my boat anytime! As he stated it was a bumpy ride back in to the dock with one incident that will not be soon forgotten.
We were just off of crib reef when we both saw a small boat that looked like a bass boat and probably not over 16 to 17 ft. so with the weather the way it was (steady 3 footers and close together with the wind blowing the tops off of them) I decided to check to make sure they were ok, as we got closer a youngster in the stern (there were 2 youngsters and 2 adults aboard) started waving his/her arms as if they were in distress. I slowed down as much as possible and still maintain control and proceeded to close in on them. When we were a few yards from the boat empty hooks ask if they were ok and they answered in positive. Meanwhile I as the operator failed to watch the GPS and sonar, we found crib reef with the outdrive. We continued in to port with out any sort of problems from the outdrive but when I was docking there is definately some internal damage as it clunks when shifting into and out of gear. Tried to do the right thing and this had to happen, this was a newly purchased boat and I am just sick about it, I have owned her less than a month.

[Eyezcrazy]

Wakina, sorry to hear of your misfortune. It was 1988 and my very first trip to lake Erie with my brand new boat when I was passing the point at the North East corner of South Bass Island well off shore at 40 mph when I hit the rock ledge. Bang, what was that? I raised my lower unit to see 1 blade remaining and my lower unit fin sheared and cracked. I was a rookie in 1988 and lets just say I will never forget my first trip to Erie. I guess that's why we pay insurance.

[stubby]

i have ran my trs drive into reefs or objects three times in the last 12 years and it's no fun!!
really have to watch out and hard to trust charts or gps when you know you are in skinny water, best to avoid water less than 6 feet and that's a calm measurement for me.
sorry about your luck, evidentaly you will have to get used to a rig with more draft
the "trailer" button and idle speed are your friends here
my insurance co. paid for the last one because it ruined the housing and the main shaft not to mention the prop at 600 bucks
never had these issues with my inboard lyman!....

[wakina]

This new to me boat actually takes less water to float than my older boat does. I simply failed to compensate for the water depth in the areas between the waves and also failed to follow my own advise and watch the depth of the water with the sonar. Been on this lake since 1955 and have been unlucky twice in those years. Had I not thought or cared that the small boat might be in trouble this would not have happened. I had left water 15 to 18 ft deep and veered my course at least 60 degrees to port to offer possible assistance to a fellow boater. The water was sloppy enough that moving the out drive to higher position or slowing down more would have caused me to possibly lose control of my boat.

[stubby]

This new to me boat actually takes less water to float than my older boat does. I simply failed to compensate for the water depth in the areas between the waves and also failed to follow my own advise and watch the depth of the water with the sonar. Been on this lake since 1955 and have been unlucky twice in those years. Had I not thought or cared that the small boat might be in trouble this would not have happened. I had left water 15 to 18 ft deep and veered my course at least 60 degrees to port to offer possible assistance to a fellow boater. The water was sloppy enough that moving the out drive to higher position or slowing down more would have caused me to possibly lose control of my boat.

oh, believe me when i say i know you did the right thing!...caution always prevails, just too bad the gremlins bit your boat!...

[empty hooks]

The guys and kids we seen on the bass boat ,I don't know what they was thinking .. wakinas boat is 23 ft I think and it was a rough ride in it . I would not want to be on a bass boat that day.
I may have cought the bigger fish but I would have to say that was just luck .