Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Pardon me if you saw this back in 2020, or so. I felt there were enough new members who probably missed this article I posted long ago, but this is a valuable bit of knowledge. It could prevent you from being stranded and having to be marooned in your boat until the tide either allowed you to escape, or someone came along to tow you into deeper water.

I happened to think about this article after I posted the one about chasing a school of fish who have forced shrimp, or shad, any food to the surface and this action is moving with the wind. If there are fishermen in boats, they will be following the action, and may not be paying attention to the depth of the water where they are going.

If in any case, you discover you are stranded in shallow water and the skag of your motor is in the mud or sand and you aren’t able to get back on the plane so you can leave, what do you do? Well, I have heard of men spending the night unable to get their boat freed up enough to get on the plane. Either that or begin pulling your boat a half mile or further to reach deeper water.

The magic is by accelerating in a tight circle, you create a wake of deeper water. When you had gone at least 360 degrees, you then change from the circle to a sharp left, and with this sharper turn in the opposite direction your boat then will climb up on your own wake, giving you enough to stay on the plane and escape the trap!
Be sure to carry extra water and some food in case it does not work. Go to U Tube and look for subject entitled Shallow Water Boating, there are several that may help. Of course now with cell phones, you could call for help.

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SHALLOW WATER TAKE-OFFS?
Apr 16, 2020 01:13:42
Robert J Samples (topic starter rank #7) (online) Joined: Dec 29, 2019 Posts: 13235 Loc: Round Rock, Texas

How many of you bay fishermen ever found yourselves trapped in such shallow water you cannot get your boat up on plane again?

This is a trick I learned from my father-in-law, Ike Walker, a partner in Bomber Bait co.

Sometimes in the shallow bays in Laguna Madre, or Galveston Bay, fishermen will spot a bunch of seagulls working over a school of trout who have pushed shrimp to the surface. The fishermen will pull in usually upwind and shut their engine and drift into the school and start casting.

Well, when the action is over, they are then in such shallow water their boat will not be able to get back up on plane. What to do? Wade a mile or more pulling the boat? No, not if you can master this technique.

Begin by increasing power and steering in a very tight circle, having raised or tilted your engine so your boat will have created enough of a wake, steer quickly back onto this bank of water which should put your boat on plane, then you can leave. Doesn't always work, but worth a try.

Just sayin...RJS
Robert J Samples

Apr 16, 2020 07:08:31 #
Doug Lemmon (a regular here) Joined: Aug 23, 2019 Posts: 3537 Loc: Rochester Mills, PA

Robert J Samples wrote:
How many of you bay fishermen ever found yourselve... (show quote)


RJS, Part of that trick that makes it work is you cause a deep-vee hull to lay over onto one surface which causes the hull to act like a jon-boat.. YES! This works!
https://www.facebook.com/Reel-Dreams-Fishing-112234026828322/

Apr 16, 2020, 09:40:49 #
Fish Dancer Joined: Aug 4, 2019 Posts: 8047 Loc: Guntersville, Alabama

Robert J Samples wrote:
How many of you bay fishermen ever found yourselve... (show quote)

I’d like to see a video of that.

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Apr 16, 2020 17:24:31 #
Robert J Samples (topic starter rank #7) (online) Joined: Dec 29, 2019 Posts: 13235 Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Doug Lemmon: Well, a deep V is harder to accomplish this in my opinion and even a boat with less of a V sometimes it takes more than one try. But glad you confirmed my story. Just Sayin...RJS


pr 17, 2020 17:19:22 #
Arizona Joined: Nov 13, 2019 Posts: 107 Loc: Roy, Washington

Yes, it works. Found out the hard way on the same body of water back in the 70's.
Arizona

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Apr 17, 2020 20:07:08 #
Robert J Samples (topic starter rank #7) (online) Joined: Dec 29, 2019 Posts: 13235 Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Fish Dancer: I went on YouTube and found at least one video of where a boater was stuck and then went into the steep circleing to get back on plane. The bigger the boat, and more the Deep V, the more difficult this trick is to perform successfully. Here with so many shallow bays and oyster reefs, fishermen usually stick to bay rigs that are very flat bottomed and shallow-running boats.

There have been fishermen who have been stuck and had to spend the night in their boat until the tide rose enough for them to get out. If someone has a big, heavy, Vtype hull, they best be extra cautious about getting into skinny water. No fun. Just Sayin...RJS



Apr 17, 2020 21:38:16 #
Cubsfan Joined: Mar 26, 2020 Posts: 868 Loc: Destin Florida

That’s a good trick
God Bless America

Apr 18, 2020 00:57:26 #
Robert J Samples (topic starter rank #7) (online) Joined: Dec 29, 2019 Posts: 13235 Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Yep, sometimes you have to skin a skunk! No fun, but it has to be done. Just Sayin...RJS

Bigmark Loc: Lower Alabama

RJS, I have had to do that alot here in the Mobile Delta. I guess I took it for granted that every fisher/boater should know that trick. Great idea to get the word out. The only time it don't work is if your motor don't have enough
cahonies.

Bibmark

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Bibmark: Yes, I have had to do that a few times, and am glad I knew the trick. When you are chasing a school of trout who have forced a school of shrimp to the surface,often the last thing you are thinking about is how to get out of 'skinny' water. Just Sayin....RJS