Passingbye Loc: Reidsville NC

One fine afternoon I jumped into my Basstracker to check my baited juglines and try some tight line fishing in a super deep channel a few feet from shore, it was dead calm, but I know better even on a lake not to keep an eye towards the sky. I saw a blue haze towards the north approaching the area. It was hot July day in Texas, the cold front had just hit the bank and shot across the water like a jet, bringing 4 to 6 foot waves, I yanked in my rod and floored the motor trying to reach my dock. I didn't make it and wind and waves pushed me onto the bank, I looked around and saw a dozen other boats had joined me on the shoreline. The fiberglass boat's were busted up pretty bad, but my Tracker aluminum foam filled saved my hide. There was boat barns and other boat's that were in trouble, another fisherman joined me in searching and rescuing people stuck in trouble, while the game officials were starting to show up to help. Thank God for Bass Tracker boat's on this crazy day!

troyfrd1 Loc: Hampstead,NC

Been there but I was in the ocean about a 1/2 mile from the ICW wind blew up strong. I could see the boat slip but the wind was pushing me back no matter how hard I tried to make it. My neighbor saw me and ran out toss me a rope and I tied off so he could pull me in closer. I was able to reach his ramp and tie down. Left boat no damage went back the next morning and brought my boat in. Even if it mentions rain or wind now no way. I had never been in that situation but it’s scary. The guy that was with me was no help. He just buckled down and held on until we got the ropes. He hasn’t been out on a boat again. Sadly to say but I learned he couldn’t swim.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

I've posted about this before, but it was a beauty. Flat calm on Delaware Bay, black wall od clouds started in. Nothing on the the weather station. Turned out the link between NWS and the broadcast station broke diwn. No warning, went from no wind to 50 to 60, blackout rain and 10 foot seas. Got caught about 200 yards from shelter, turn my bow into the wind and just enough throttle to hold it steady. Lost two men and 20+ boats that day. Cost me a 140hp outboard. Pushed salt water into the fuel tanks through the outboard vents. Got into the engine and scored the cylinders.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

Well sounds like Y'all got close to not being on stage. Puzzles me how people don't realize how bad a river can get. I've been caught on the river a few times. Worse was youghegeny river lake. A severe storm jumped the mountains n dropped into the valley n came down the river faster than anyone could react. I heard some distance thunder n then a roar. Turned around to see a solid wall of rain. Before I could get t-motor up we got hammered. I was only a couple hundred yrs from ramp. Made it there n got boat out off water. Mother nature doesn't always bark before she bites boys n girls be safe 👍👍

Passingbye Loc: Reidsville NC

Fishing on uncle's large farm pond between Wichita mountains it was super hot, when I saw cows flying, sheet metal roofing across the lake straight towards me. No one was home and I ran inside an old milking barn, covered my head with my arm's and prayed. Took the roofs off and dumped it down on top of me. Probably an F1 tornado. The weather service don't even record these out in nowhereville

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Had to cross a river on one of my ventures a few years back to just get home after a good day of catching my limit.

The day started with a ripple, perfect for doing some drift fishing and predictions of 15 - 20 mph winds for the afternoon. ( Weather guy is never wrong, right )

So around 10 am the river is producing 1 - 1 1/2 waves and getting slightly cumbersome to maneuver the yak against the waves. Work my way into a cove and all is well with the river at my back knowing that i am up stream from home and the current will give me a surf board ride home when i am ready.

Talked to the fishies for awhile and by now it's noon, temps are up and a little breeze in the cove. Paddle my way to the mouth and that Oh S*** moment is upon my lips.

So i tighten the PFD straps, secure the gear and put the nose of the yak into the rivers wake and hello 2 1/2 to 3 foot waves to my stern and trying with all i got to keep the white caps from entering my port side.

Made my way diagonally across the river and to some 2 1/2 - 3 foot waves are nothing, but when you are eye level with the top of a 3' wave sitting in a yak, things kind of pucker up.

Got to my dock which was in another cove and looked back and said how did i get here safely? Saw on the weather report that the winds picked up speed and had reached 35mph steady.

Yep, got to get me a weather man job.

Randyhartford Loc: Lawrence, Kansas

Clinton Lake (reservoir) was built in 1975 and, for the most part, is a fairly shallow lake, other than where the Wakarusa River runs through it, from the southwest corner of the lake, to the dam on the east side. It was in the very early years of its existence, sometime in May, when my dad, younger teenaged brother, and I were out in my first boat, a ‘67 Sea Sprite ski boat, fishing for crappie. It was a beautiful, calm day with a few fluffy clouds drifting over. We were tied loosely to a couple of standing trees that had been along the bank of the Wakarusa, but were now a part of the lake where the river enters on the opposite side of the boat ramp.
The crappie bite was so hot, there was seldom more than a few minutes go by that one of us was not bringing in a fish. I guess we were so busy, we hadn’t noticed the dark clouds that had rolled in until the wind started coming up; and come up it did!!
Within a minute or two, even being protected somewhat by the trees around us and the distant southern bank, we began to blow around in my little boat.
One quick look, and we knew from the size of the whitecaps, we would never make it all the way across the lake to the boat ramp, so we just shortened up the ropes we had tied to the trees and hoped for the best. No sooner than we finished re-tying the ropes, the hail cut loose! We were being pounded by marble-sized hail, driven by winds we would have never considered fishing in. As soon as the hail started, my little brother disappeared up into the bow, with only his feet and ankles sticking out. Dad and I just covered our heads up with the boat cushions we had, as we bent over with the hail beating our hands as we held tight to our makeshift “helmets”!
As quickly as the storm rolled in, it was over. The hail stopped and within a minute, the wind died completely.
I looked around, expecting to see Jesus in the boat with us! LOL
(At least one, and possibly all three of us were praying) All I saw though, was three fishing lines, completely tangled together in a huge mess!! In all the excitement, none of us had even thought about bringing our line in!
We started untangling our lines and to our surprise, two of us had a fish on! We all started laughing and were able to forget about the pain
inflicted on our hands
(Dad and I) and on my brother’s ankles, from the hail.
By now the blue sky had returned and we just continued fishing.
This is one of the most memorable days of fishing ever!!

Ivey Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake

The Tennessee River is a real good place for those type waves. When the dams are generating the current running in one direction and the wind blowing in the other the waves really stack up. I was running up river one day like that and was experienced in running in that type water but a guy and and two boys in a Ranger I ran past didn't. When I went by him I guess he just couldn't stand I'd passed him and he goosed it. As his boat excellarted he ran "Speared" right through two of those big standing waves. When he pulled into the harbor his boat was over half full of water and he and the two boys were soaking wet. If he'd caught just a little more water we would have been fishing them out.

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

That's a felling I've seen play out too many times. The rule of waves is a wave can only be half the height of the water your in . So if you can put the boat shallow. Take a coast guard course. Get your boat inspected buy the coast guard auxiliary in your area. I have done these things or I wouldn't recommend them. I I also have an emergency device by ACR registered by Noah. It has GPS location and starts with raising the antenna and the push of a button. I have a boaters check list start and maintain it. 1 boat motor tune up twice a year 2 trailer inspection, trolling motor tune up 3 batteries test twice a year 4 lights 5 first aide kit 6 fire extinguisher 7 life jacket inspection including throwable 8 anchors and ropes, 9 whistles and horn 10 paddle and push poles 11 fuel and stabilizer 12 cell phone,charger and cb or marine radio. ,eperb

Passingbye Loc: Reidsville NC

This is all very important tasks, but there were no cellular phones and GPS wasn't available then like now. I was a only a 100 yards from my dock when basically a tornado rolled long ways and stayed that way across the shallow Texas lake. I think the good Lord had more of a hand with my safely landing. The ocean is a whole meaner beast and there's no such thing as being too careful and prepared for anything, mother nature can deal you.

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

Things have changed as far as communication. I still stand by wether forecasts and safety equipment but most of all a coast guard auxiliaries course I had a six pack when I guided. It has come in handy more that once. Not pushing the limits of my abilities and common sense came with age we recently had two boats hit head on in a rain storm in Bainbridge Georgia resulted in one dead two in the hospital and one other injured. As fast as boats go now it's worse than an automobile accident. Driving to fast for conditions is easy to have happen adding a bridge support in the mix with rain makes it worse. Each operator was probably ducked down behind the windshield to keep from being pelted by a south Georgia rain storm. The official results will be released after an appropriate investigation. Dangerous weather is always a factor.

Barnacles Loc: Northern California

About 65 years ago, our family was camping on the Colorado river at Blythe. Late one sunny and quiet afternoon, I was fishing from the bank for bluegill while my folks had taken our 12' runabout a couple of miles up the river to fish in a slough there. It was calm and quiet, but then I looked up and the sky had turned a color I'd never seen before. Kind of a hazy brownish yellow, probably dust blown up from the desert by wind that hadn't reached us yet. It really creeped me out. It must have affected my folks the same way, because a few minutes later they came beating it back down the river as fast as that boat would go. Dad beached the boat and tied it with three different ropes to the trees. Usually, he used just one. Only about ten or fifteen minutes after they'd hit the beach, the sky was as black as I've ever seen it - before or since. Ten more minutes, and we were in a storm that was downright BIBLICAL! It rained pitchforks and hammer handles, and showed us lightning like I've never seen since. Nikola Tesla couldn't have put on a show like that, it was an absolute spectacle! Next morning, there were tree branches all over the place. I may have been just a kid and easily impressed, but I've still never seen a big storm come on almost suddenly like that!

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

I know that feeling too well. I've been through over two dozen hurricanes and several northeasters dust storms and even two blizzards. You see I've traveled with my job for the last fourth years grew up in Florida, Georgia , Texas and Alabama. I've worked or hunted and fished in fourty eight of the lower states if God will I'll go to Alaska for the halibut and Hawaiian waters for saltwater fishing. God sends the weather. I've seen a northeaster with six to ten thousand lighting strikes an hour for six hours the Noah wester radio is useful. Reading and learning outdoors survival skills have saved my Bacon. A coast guard course helped me prepare my boat and me. My medical training and reading of survival training has helped. The best thing was a kindly grandfather who was a woodsman. He always kept a bird's-nest in his coat pocket and strike any where matches. His savey made me the sportsman and woodsman I am .

Tommy G Loc: Colonial Beach VA.

Happened to us on the lower Potomac river in VA on a hot summer day!! Looked up and it was black to the east just like that!! If Christopher Columbus thought the world was flat and you could fall off the edge then I saw what he saw on the horizon!!