River Hunting

[LODI QUACKER]

Hell I go out there all the time I just run with the tows till I want to cut in and hunt. WHats the issue??

[butla25]

Riverhunter,


yes, one of my buddies is familar with the river.

[torch]

Fog was so thick a couple of Sunday's ago, Outlaw was easing ahead and I had my arm out slapping willow branches, when I did not slap a willow branch he would cut in towards the bank. You could not see 3 to 5 feet. That stuff hung in until way after lunch.

[LODI QUACKER]

What no gps and radar????



I think I would have tied up, got in the cabin cooked some lunch, fixed a drank,, hell maybe even took a nap!!!!!!!!!!

Always carry a heater and PLENTY of grub!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TODO]

What no gps and radar????



I think I would have tied up, got in the cabin cooked some lunch, fixed a drank,, hell maybe even took a nap!!!!!!!!!!

Always carry a heater and PLENTY of grub!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn Right! Get in the fog and you'll want to drink heavily. . . i drove out in it for about 100 yards, cut the motor, and could hear the waves slapping across a barge, but couldnt see it. I'd sleep in the boat for i F with the fog.

Another quick story . . .
My neighbor at camp hunts this island i mentioned earlier religiously. He puts all the buoys on gps so if it does get foggy he can get out. Well, it got foggy earlier in the year, he got about half way back, and gps ran out of batteries. Of course he didnt have any spares. He ended up driving in circles for a while and finally ran into the bank at about 15 mph. Fog cleard a couple hours after dark and he eventually made it in. Only problem with the gps is you still cant see the damn towboats in fog. Cuttin the motor every so often and listening just aint for me.

[Mississippi20]

Fog does suck. Cut out last weekend and hadn't gone a couple hundred yards and hit a log. Luckily, not too big and didn't mess anything up. A 15 minute boat ride took about an hour. That's a long time idling up river trying to hug the bank and dodge debris with the river rising. You couldn't even see the bow of the boat. Also, does anybody else on here hate barges like i do. Summer, Winter whenever.... They always suck!!!! Had one throw his spotlight on me for atleast ten minutes last year. Don't they know you can't see with a 10000000000000 million candlepower spotlight in your eyes!

[MSDawg870]

Also, does anybody else on here hate barges like i do. Summer, Winter whenever.... They always suck!!!! Had one throw his spotlight on me for atleast ten minutes last year. Don't they know you can't see with a 10000000000000 million candlepower spotlight in your eyes!

He might've been trying to help you out seeing or was just keeping tabs on where you were??? I know it helps with loading and launching a boat when the tug drivers throw that light on the ramp.

[Faithful Retrievers]

Been hunting it for a long time and there are very few times when I am not happy to see the truck coming back in. One thing also to look at is what the wind is doing that day. I got out the other morning wind got up to 30 blowing from the SW on the ride back and it wasn't fun. Knew it was going to be 10 to 15 and thats too bad. Just a point that factors come about while your out that you need to be prepared for. I am to the point now if its not atleast 18' I am not getting in it during the winter. Like mentioned you go in and its over, thats no joke. I pulled a guy out three years ago that was in a 15', boat chunked him in and he had went in shock by the time I got to him. He had waders on filled with water. Never saw him, but saw the boat doing circles with no one in it. Once I got close I could see two arms sticking out the water, if I wouldn't have had a guy with me I couldn't have got him in the boat by myself. He wasn't in the channel or it would have been adios nothing anyone coulld have done.

[DanP]

Worst time I've ever been on the river was with a strong north wind and we hit a wide east west bend when the 6' swells started. Not much fun at all, hats off to that 17' Lynn boat!

Another bad trip was when the ski boat slung a rod on the way to the sandbar, dead in the water and current pushing us towards the middle of the channel with a barge coming downstream and a river bridge approaching downstream and two rednecks paddling with water skis waiting on or buddy's to come haul us back into port.

I will say the clamest I've ever seen it was during the spring flood, made numerous trips across it hauling stuff out of camp and it was smooth as glass.

But, like everyone else has said, it can kill you in the blink of an eye, you can never be to cautious.

[Mississippi20]

Have to agree on the wind comment. You definitely need to look at the wind forecast. North winds can blow and it's not bad. But, a south wind can cause some swells. It only takes a second for it to turn into the Gulf of Mexico out there. I would reccomend learning it in the summer and daylight before trying to run it with a Q-beam at 30 degrees. It is definitely not a place to play. You gotta take her seriously!!

[River Hunter]

One thing also to look at is what the wind is doing that day. I got out the other morning wind got up to 30 blowing from the SW on the ride back and it wasn't fun. .

Try that in a 17ft bass tracker with a wind out of the S blowing 15 to 30 talk about a scare. We were soaking wet it was miserable.

[Buckwabit]

I'll say again..


DON'T DIE

[one more pass]

Hey riverhunter we are ready for it this year though! I think we should have a dry ride!

[Double R 2]

Everyone's an expert until everything in the boat starts floating. My daddy told me the same thing goosebruce's daddy said, and then made me swear I'd never hunt it in a south wind.

[River Hunter]

Hey riverhunter we are ready for it this year though! I think we should have a dry ride!

I'm ready going to Jack a vest somewhere today may have to drive to slidell