When I am flathead fishing on the MN river during high water and floating logs, I never anchor sideways. If one does and your fishing at night a good sized log could roll the boat.
I anchor into the current and I also keep a knife up front just incase a tree hits the rope.
More times than I care to share, I have noticed people sitting sideays in the current close to dark.
In the dark, things can really happen fast.
You’re missing the point. I’m not saying that I need to learn all of this stuff personally, but boaters in general. I’m sure the stuff I’m talking about doesn’t apply to most people reading these forums or that spend a lot of time on the river, but its all the same. I’m sure that unless you’re a licensed guide with coast guard certifications or a commercial fisherman or something, there is probably something we could _all_ learn in a certification process. It’s just like Minnesota Conceal and Carry, when I was going through my class a few years ago I already knew how to handle my weapon, take it down, clean it, general safety concerns, yadda yadda, but I still learned a ton in that class that I am very grateful for and I feel like a much more responsible, informed, and educated gun owner and licensed permit to carry holder.
I’m sure a lot of people don’t even know what they don’t know, and having a license requirement would make sure that they did. It would prevent a lot of boating accidents and make the waters a safer place in general I’m sure.
Do you think people shouldn’t have to have a drivers license to drive on the road? I for one wouldn’t want to be on the highway with a bunch of teenage kids that can barely drive even if they have a license, and couldn’t imagine how dangerous it would be for me, themselves, and others, if they didn’t. Why is the water any different?
I know in some cases it doesn’t matter, even if they have it they’re still idiots, but theres nothing you can do to save those types..
Quote:
Quote:
Herb I think you’re oversimplifying it a bit here.. theres more to just knowing how to run your motor and steer your boat. How about navigation, buoys, daymarkers, barge safety, lock operation, wing dams, closing dams, dams, VHF/marine radio operation (which channels to use, which ones to stay off of!), understanding hazard signs, how far to stay away from tailwater and headwaters of dams, and so on. I guarantee that the majority of the people on the river don’t know about half of this stuff nor do they give a sh*t.. It’s not the people like you and I that spend a lot of time on the water that we have to worry about, it’s the rest of the idiots..
Quote:
Give me a break man!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mandatory training, exams, and licensing to operate a simple boat and motor. If you’re that scared of the river, all the precautions you can think of are not going to save your azzzzz. If the river wants you and the Lord decides it time for you to go, you’re going. But please don’t try to push laws onto others simply because of your fears.
Yes, sometimes humans and water don’t mix well. Stuff happens. Leave it be at that.
There’s no reason for a special license. Just get familiar with the river and learn what the bouys mean on your own. If you are unsure of the river, get out with folks that know it. If you don’t know anyone, post here. If that doesn’t work, hire a guide. You will learn a ton from either River Dan or Turk.
A driver’s license doesn’t make for a safe driver. Driver’s education is only a requirement to get that license, but does not make you a safe driver. Only experience/time on the road, and the desire to watch out for yourself and or others makes you a safe driver. Same for the river.
Most every state I know of has reading material for safe and legal boating along with what the Coast Guard puts out. There are safe boating classes offered every year. There are a lot of laws pertaining to boating but it’s up to the individual to learn and use them and Law Enforcement to enforce them.
Most of the boating complaints I read here and on other sites are tied to Law Enforcement not being everywhere all the time. In the same token, I’ve seen water patrol pull some pretty stupid stuff that I’d kick my kid’s butts for if I saw them doing the same.
So who’s teaching who?
My question for you guys on the river is what anchor are you using? I have one of those real light hook anchors made out of aluminum where the blade can pivot in either direction. In addition, the rope attaches to a ring that can slide freely up and down. I probably only hook in 50% of the time which makes me a little nervous when the river is flying. My boat is a 17 foot aluminum Mirrocraft fish/ski, about 1500 pounds.
I use a Richtor and a Digger anchor. One of the keys to holding well in the current is too use 2.5 times the water depth in lenght of rope.
I have 150ft of good rope on each anchor.
On the richtor anchor I also added 3ft of chain between the anchor and the rope tag end. Sure helps the anchor lay flat.
My Digger anchor is the best I have ever owned.
One can decide the weight of the anchor by the length of the boat and the anchor should state what size to use. If anything, go a bit heavier on the anchor and never lighter.
I also have a rope type bungee cord that hooks to the boat and then the anchor rope so when it is windy, the bungee cord will take the bouncing of the boat and not try to pull the anchor loose. I forget the company name but I believe I got it from the Digger anchor company.
Drop N Stay…Tom 
I agree with you, Training and licensing being required, especially for the larger boats and high horsepower motors. I am a old Navy Dog (drove the ship) and have been boating for 40 years, It is all to common to see ignorant people doing stupid things while in a boat. They jepordize not only themselves and their passengers but other boaters on the water. Sure you can’t elminate all the bad boaters but I am sure some would be safer with a little extra knowledge. Most boaters don’t even know how to pass (overtake) another boat properly. A little education can go a long ways to making our waters safer for all. We will always have some that will be unsafe and they should be reported if possible, when some money comes out of their pocket for being stupid it seems to increase the learning curve. 
Quote:
having a float tied to the end of it in case u do need to ditch your anchor for whatever reason, you can retrieve it later.. I think you can buy rope that already have these floats on em, mine didn’t and I just bought one at gander..
I’ve got an 8″ section of foam “noodle” on the ends of my anchor ropes. They’re cheap!
BE PREPARED:
I have an older boat. These situations are exactly why I put in backups to everything.
I installed a kicker, one that uses the same fuel and fittings as my main engine. I have two fuel tanks with all same fittings. I have 3 batteries on board with Lazarus system and common ground. Batteries are isolated with 70 amp switches. My main engine and trolling motor then have access to all batteries.
Along with things already mentioned…I strongly recommend a set of jumper cables! Many boats running lights, radios, sonars and GPS off starting batteries can find them going dead at times. A quick jump off your 12 or 24 volt trolling batteries can save the day! (Or night! 
)
Quote:
Along with things already mentioned…I strongly recommend a set of jumper cables!
I need to pick up a set for the boat. I haven’t needed them myself yet, but I came across a dead boat last summer and ended up unhooking my TM battery so I could hand it over to them to get theirs cranked over. Would have been much easier with jumpers!
This one isn’t a close call, it’s a “it happened to me” story. Luckily, it wasn’t on a huge river and it wasn’t fatal.
I was duck hunting on a smaller river in southern MN. Our little jonboat was too small for the unseasonably high water, but we decided to put in and float the river for woodies anyway. To compound the problem, my buddy insisted on bringing his rambunctions, undisciplined 80-lb lab.
There were some hangups with log jams and such, but most of the trip went fine aside from the dog bounding up and down, back and forth across the boat for the duration of the trip, often tipping the edge of the boat just enough to have the gunwale kiss the passing water. I was getting pretty upset that my friend couldn’t control his dog, but we got a few birds and made it to the point where we had to pull the boat out of the water.
I strapped up my waders and moved to the bow, ready to hop out and tow us to shore once we could get ourselves out of the main current. No sooner had I gotten to the bow than the dog lept up beside me and flipped the boat, sending us 
over tea kettle into the rushing river.
My waders filled up instantly and despite undoing the shoulder straps, they were like a suction cup and they weren’t coming off. Luckily, I’m a strong swimmer and was able to tread water with my waders full long enough to decide what to do.
I looked around and the nearest PFD was already 20 yards downstream. We were in the middle of the river and the bank was probably 20 yards to either side. My best option was to try and stay in one place/swim upstream to reach the capsized boat. Somehow, I was able to get to the boat and throw an arm over the upside-down bow and collect my thoughts and form a plan as we floated merrily down the stream.
It was while I was hanging onto the boat and trying to determine my next action that the dog swam up to me and used me as a ladder to climb atop the the boat! Once up there, the same dog who’d nearly killed me a minute earlier was clawing at my arm, trying to push me off the boat and finish the job! 
I soon determined that my only chance was to try and make a swim for it at the upcoming bridge. Luckily I made it. The other guy made it as well as the dog. The funny thing is that I didn’t realize just how close I came to dying until I walked up the bank and sat down onto the road to try and pry my waders off. It was a very sobering thought to know you were in the grasp of the grim reaper but got away. I guess if I had panicked, I’d be dead.
We were able to recover the boat a mile or so downstream when it got caught in a log jam, but the guns and ammo bags still lie somewhere in the murky depths of the Le Seuer River.
Quote:
Along with things already mentioned…I strongly recommend a set of jumper cables! Many boats running lights, radios, sonars and GPS off starting batteries can find them going dead at times. A quick jump off your 12 or 24 volt trolling batteries can save the day! (Or night!
Got them in mine. Saved a boater last summer that was down in the same location I ran out of gas.
Quote:
Along with things already mentioned…I strongly recommend a set of jumper cables! Many boats running lights, radios, sonars and GPS off starting batteries can find them going dead at times. A quick jump off your 12 or 24 volt trolling batteries can save the day! (Or night!
Quote:
my requirements on the river – always have a small tool set, or a multi-tool; food/drink; working bilge pump; jumper cables; spare plug; marine band radio; extra flashlight and the knowledge to be out in these types of conditions.
that has already been covered there tuck…. 
one thing to remember to have are sunglasses as you don’t want to be blinded by the bathing beauties out there on those nice summer days…. 
Quote:
that has already been covered there tuck….
My bad! 
Quote:
one thing to remember to have are sunglasses as you don’t want to be blinded by the bathing beauties out there on those nice summer days….
Yes, sunglasses are important, but it’s not so much the blinding from bathing beauties that they protect against. It’s the poke in the eye your wife will give you if she catches you oogling too long that they protect against.
Guess there’s been a few close calls on the Le Sueur. I grew up in that area and had a couple close ones duck hunting there. The muck plus the quick rise and fall can make that small river dangerous.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
