I marshalled a pro tournament earlier this year, spending a day on the water with 2 different pro anglers. Both were 60+ years old, been fishing pro for many years, and done well in the business. On day 1, we were boat 50 or so out of 200, the angler said he wasn't going to chase everyone to the first spot, and we took a short ride to a nearby cove and fished there for the first hour. On the second day, we were boat 70-something, and my angler was going full blast behind 70 other boat wakes, on a 15 minute 70+ mph ride to the first canal, where thankfully it was idle only. I've been on a lot of scary boat rides, but this one topped them all. Co-anglers don't have a wheel to grab, and you literally have put your life in the hands of someone you met less than an hour ago! I survived both days, had a good time on the water, and learned a lot, but I think the most important lesson was to think about the guy beside me and what must be going through his head. Slow down and live another day!
@@billwhite7099 BASS opens are free, I think.... MLF Tackle Warehouse series are 100 per event, you get a fishing shirt and an opportunity to meet some great people. The "judging" part is about as exciting as getting to your favorite spot and finding out that your rods are still in the garage, but it's still a great day on the water.
Outstanding! My buddy and I are both retired and 70ish. He thinks he needs to go full speed all the time. The constant slamming down in high waves is killing my back and taking the fun out of fishing.
Yes, I don’t like hot foot either. Back in the day when I got my bass boat the dealer said, OK we’re going to put a hot foot on it and I said no, they were shocked that I said no.I said no I don’t like them! I was on a tournament and I was windy as hell! I was the co-angler. My boat driver went ball to the walls and he would not slow down or trimmed down on the waves, it was so rough that I broke a pole and I lost all my tackle. All my tackle flew out of the boat and I didn’t even know it till we stopped ! Then I could even walk afterwards because my legs are so sore from trying to hold on!! I was so upset with him.You’re exactly right Randy!
I’m so glad that in retirement I’ve learned to slow down, even while boating and fishing . As always Randy, spot on. I was hoping you could do a video on how to approach and fish old building foundations. I haven’t seen a video on this by anyone. This time of year with high water, there are many lakes with old foundations that are usually on shore but now submerged but also those that are always in the water. Thanks Randy……. Oh, btw, it’s still May here at my place. 🤣
I didn’t need a video to tell me that! And some ‘pros’ are just as bad! About 2 months ago a friend of mine who is a professional guide here on Headwaters Reservoir in Florida was just about run over by Roland martin who took a blind 90 deg turn going about 40 mph! Roland even had 2 customers on board as he is guiding every day now here … he barely slowed down and didn’t even apologize!
Very sound advice. Here in Japan for any boat over 11ft and 2 h.p or more you have to have a boat license. It consist of of a paper test and an on the water safety driving test. As far as rough weather, I don't understand why Tournament Directors allow the boats out there in those bad conditions In the first place.
Greatly appreciate this video. Just got off the water at my lake. The pleasure boaters are out now. My biggest challenge is Wave Runners and ski boats. They turn so fast and the ski boaters are always looking backwards at the skier. This was satisfying because it looks like I am already using your advice. Hot Foot is the only thing I know as a bass boater. For me, I do feel safer with two hands on the wheel so it is easier for me to control speed while driving but that's just my preference. Certainly respect your viewpoint.
I always used a hot foot until bout a year back you talked about the benefits of not using it so I didn’t put one in my new ranger and i agree there is a lot I can do with out the hot foot .
Correct....trim and speed..... Use both to your advantage. I've been in a boat for 30 years.... never had a hotfoot...never had an accident. Great video RB. Be safe guys 👍
Randy, thanks for taking on a very important subject that so many boaters ignore! Where I fish there are many crazy jet skiers and pleasure boaters that just don't care about others. I don't even know what a "hot foot" is so am pretty safe there.
My new boat to me came with a hotfoot on a 200 HP Yamaha VMAX there is a learning curve involved. I believe I prefer hand throttle as well also get to know your boat. They are tricky.
Wow.. this is a great video... i never knew about how the front of the boat can lock up into a wave and cause boat to flip unexpectedly on a high speed. Thanks ! 20years a driver but never thought to know this
Thank you for covering this about trim and tilt. Perhaps, you should have a video solely about the purpose and mechanics of this aspect of fishing. It is wildly misunderstood I believe. Even when loading the boat on the trailer, that trim button can either make or break you. I see people all the time struggling with loading boats on the trailer due to trailer depth or having their motor trimmed too far down when trying to load it causing them issues that could be easily corrected.
Really love your videos, Randy! i do have to disagree with the hotfoot argument though. I ran without a hot foot on my old champion for 20 yrs, but my new phoenix I just picked up has one. Took a little bit to get used to, but now i feel so much more in control and safer being able to keep both hands on the wheel if i need to. Also, if for some reason you screw up and forget to attatch your killswitch like a lot of people do, at least the hot foot will back off the throttle so the boat isnt stuck wide open if you fly out....
I fished an Open at Mead years back. It was worst conditions I’ve seen with waves hitting at different directions. My boater took it slow and easy and I heard a loud noise and looked over about 100 yds out and a boat was hauling ass and was hitting the waves and getting totally airborne…motor out of the water and hitting so hard I figured he was going to destroy his boat. I was pissed for the coangler in that boat! Thank god it wasn’t me in that boat jeopardizing my safety by acting like an idiot! If you were a coangler in that situation, how would you have handled that? I’ve seen a lot of people that are reckless on the water. I totally hear what your saying Randy!!!
The boat I have right now doesn’t have a hot foot and I tried your, one knee, method in rough water and I like it. In Idaho we can go from dead calm to 3’ waves in the blink of an eye. True what you say about getting killed fishing. It happened to one of my bass club members years ago. They took a wave over the side and it flooded their electric capability. The boat was dead in the water. They took another wave over the side and that one swamped the boat. One guy died, on scene, the other was rushed to the hospital and survived. This happened at Clear Lake in California. I had run up into a slough because I knew it was going to be rough and opted to use an alternative boat ramp. My plan, due to the forecast, was to stay in the protected shore line out of the wind because 4’ waves were forecast. Take out on time and drive around the lake to the weigh in. However the tournament cancelled after the accident. One thing I can say about most of these pro bass fisherman, is they do have a real handle on the weather usually. How they chose to apply the knowledge is hit and miss.
Agreecwith most everything you said Randy. I started learningvto operate a bass boat in the mid 70's with my dad teaching me in an old Challenger bass boat, later in a Skeeter SF150. Now in a Nitro Z19. Having learned without a Hotfoot, trying to get used to one was/is an interesting bit. I love it in water with just a small chop. In rougher water i find my foot bouncing a lot and causing the boat to do wierd thing when dealing with bigger waves. Also, i notice a lot of folks dont seem to understand thrre comes a point of diminishing return when trimming the motor up when running higher speeds. Giant rooster tails may look cool but, youre wasting power.
Please consider doing a video on running in boat lanes: passing, approaching and especially when exiting the lane: Look behind you when exiting. There’s no turn signals on a boat. Slower boats can’t hear a boat about to pass them when they decide to turn off into a cove. Disaster can happen quick.
Randy, can you do a video showing your rough water driving stance? With your knee on the seat and one on the ground. I think I understand what you mean but a visual would be very helpful. You don’t even need to launch the boat just show it trailered. If you could show how you absorb the impact that would be helpful as well. Thanks Randy l.
I followed kvd on lake Murray several years ago and ish came by us in 30 mph winds and he was actually coming out of the water. I cracked my transom on my commanchee that day trying to keep up. And me and my buddy didn't work for the next few days.
Thanks so much for sharing this...I only hope the majority who here this heed the advice. Sure, I run a 70+ mph boat like so many of you, but you have to be smart about it and know when/where it's o.k. to let the ponies run. Virtually every boating accident video I've seen posted on social media can be attributed to operator error in the form of poor decision making and/or a complete lack of situational awareness. The bad thing is, when you try to have a conversation about it, even without finger-pointing, you get shouted down.
The picnic table I have out in my backyard now I towed back to the boat ramp on the Potomac river. I slowed to put away a sweat shit and happened to see it gowing by on outgoing tide. One leg of a national park picnic table would be easy to miss a full speed....
I’ve had it both ways, in a bass boat a hot foot is the way to go, much safer at any speed over 20 mph. Randy’s reasons for not having a hot foot were under 20 mph.
A word about not swamping smaller boats with your wake would have been nice. It seems a lot of power boaters revel in spoiling other’s days, as though taking out big loans on expensive boats gives them a right to disrupt the little guy’s peace and safety.
I remember when the bass masters came here to bayou segnette and Robert Wagley a Louisiana pro hit the stumps right after he left the launch going out he got to close to the left bank hit a stump and I think he had to be air lifted , I , they say he lost control but I fish there and I know there is a ton of stumps off that bank way out , I’m pretty sure David Fritz won this one in Lake Boef , but the next one here Ike won in Venice , La .
Since moving to Florida we have to run canals we didn’t have in Missouri. Guys think they have to run “balls to the wall” not knowing who or what is around the next 90° corner. One reason I don’t fish weekends if I can prevent it
I can relate to Bass Man's Wolf river experience. I fish it during the spring walleye run and there's all kinds of crap coming downstream yet there's plenty of bozos flyin' up and down without a care in the world. That and there's literally wall to wall boats anchored up on the sides trying to fish. don't get me wrong, I can shake 65 out of my Stratos with a 135 and during that time I'm full time slo-no or slightly better. As far as "if you're not first you're last", I learned long ago, fishing out of a 35mph boat (on a good day) it ain't whos first to a spot (necessarily) but what you do once you get there. I've caught plenty of fish coming in behind other anglers. That said, prudent speed buys me a few more minutes of fishing time during the day between spots. We stretched our time so far once we whistled in with 45 seconds of tournament time left and went from tying for 31st place with all the other boats that caught no fish to a 6th place finish and big fish of the day. Fishing muskies, not bass but this all applies. Thanks for your common sense words of wisdom Randy!
Stepped on apparently a set of maybe 15 private docks and a fella lost his mind toward me. Responded with kindness and suggested placement of some private dock signs…guy was ridiculous. Have any stories on dock nut cases?
I agree with everything except the hot foot. If you use a hot foot or not, it's solely a comfort issue, not a safe boating issue. Anyone that drives a vehicle of any kind on a road, has to agree the first sign of any trouble, your first reaction is to lift your foot off the gas pedal. To me, driving without a hot foot, would be like driving your pickup on the interstate at 70 mph with a John Deere tractor throttle on the dash.
I agree with the hotfoot...My new ranger came with one ..the first I've used...I miss the.. on one knee in rough conditions...and fast idle having to hold the hotfoot in instead of setting the throttle..I got to say no shortage of bad boat driving mindlessly inconsiderate people on the water.. but I think most bass fisherman these days are fairly courteous.. and not as reckless as days gone by....all those tip are good ones...
I personally don't like boating faster than 40mph. To me that's plenty fast to run across the lake and fish the other side. I probably spend more time idling around staring at my graphs anyways. And I like my hot foot lol.
Haha....I thought I was the only one spending most of my time just watching graphs to see what's on the bottom, since the advent of side scan I think I fish about 50% less on the water!
I have a hard time figuring out how people don’t know to sway right when coming head on. So many times I’ve had to change direction multiple times bc the head coming boat doesn’t know that.
Hot foot is super nice , Phoenix 921 elite I can do 60 mph in any conditions with a fairly nice and very safe ride, and if conditions let you full throttle . If I’m not fishing the local club tournament I cruise at 50 mph most of time , I hardly ever see any boats out of control an6 more , they have just improved the ride and handling so much
I agree with what you say, but I've never run with my knee on the seat and I can't imagine how you are doing it. Can you post a picture of what your body looks like when you run like that?
The only thing I disagree with is the hot foot. I have more control of the throttle with my hot foot for me than a shift throttle. I also don't fish big lakes that have huge waves either though
Yeah I don’t get the hotfoot argument either, especially in rough water. I would THINK having a hotfoot in this situation, even more so than any other, would be a pro for the hotfoot rather than a con so you could keep both hands on the wheel, thus having more control over steering and the trim blinker while maintaining control of throttle. To each their own I suppose.
Anglers share the water with all user groups safety is part of tournament Directors influence pre tournament blast offs.thanks For taking time.to be safe.
I suck at driving basically anything but that's why I stick to my comfort and don't try to go ballz out. I don't use my own boat but I regularly pilot my buddies cuz they think I'm just so good at fishing lol I'm not, they just suck really bad 😂
Another great video another point might be with the gas prices rising and will probably continue to do so that’s enough for me to ease up plus its lower speeds you can see so much more you might see wildlife you might see schooling fish that you wouldn’t have been able to see at 70 miles an hour easier on your body easier on your wallet
Newer fisherman here but buddy with a Nitro Z6 would always get water on back of boat coming off plane when that wake catches up. He started goosing the throttle a little when you see that wake coming and the nose of the boat starts to fall and level out. Like a quick burst of 1/4-1/2 throttle. Has worked for us.
Drop off plane gradually when ever possible and you will get less wake slapping the transom. Nearly ever boat design I’m aware of has drains to get that water out quickly.
When driving a car, do you jam on the brakes when slowing or stopping? The water is your boat’s brakes. Cutting the boat’s motor suddenly is like jamming on the car’s brakes.
I totally agree on the slow-down part. There is nothing worse than some idiot doing 70 mph in a winding creek and you are sitting right in a blind spot. Besides, with the current price of gas, backing off to half throttle is a heck of a lot more efficient. Maybe I don't get there in 15 minutes and it takes me 17 minutes.....probably save $5 though. And if your game plan on the water consisted of only a single spot you had to beat everyone else to, then you are likely in trouble anyway.
👏👏👏hear-hear, Randy! I ran the GLs for 30yrs and wouldn't have a hot-foot. I have the same boat I got in '87, fished some rough weather tournaments in it, for sure. That driving technique has helped me immensely, helped me get back to weigh-in many times. I had the privilege to go out with a few 'Old Hands' before I purchased my Ranger and they taught me to slow down, use your head for more than a hatrack and be courteous or, at least, cautious.
One thing that drives me crazy is people running on plane in fog because they have GPS. Sure, they can follow the lake but they cannot see or hear other boats out there. It's stupid and dangerous.
I have an 18ft boat and if I don't have my motor trimmed up all the way in rough water I'll spear waves. I have to trim it up to get the bow up. Am I wrong?
It has to do with the shape of your hull and the size of the waves. If the waves are up to 2’, I can easily push the trim down and run over the top of them at cruising speed. But if they get big enough I’ll trim it up a bit and come off of plane. Do that on plane in big waves would be pretty dangerous because so little of your hull is in the water and you’ll be repeatedly losing contact with the water. It can also depend on how far apart the waves are and what angle you are having to cross them at. Play with it and make sure you stay in control.
Instead of a twist throttle (tiller motor) or a mounted console throttle lever a hotfoot is on the floor and works just like the gas pedal on a vehicle.
I've seen bass boats with 200 hp outboards. I fail to see the need for that. I run a Suzi fuel injected 9.9. Super efficient, super quiet, super reliable. The speed suits me. These high speed boats coming at me going 60-70 knots scare me. I've seen the aftermath of collisions.
You've probably got more miles in a boat than I have in a car Randy. I fish the wolf river in Wisconsin frequently and I cringe when I see these tournament guys in their 100k dollar bass boats, running 70mph up the river, throwing an 80ft roost behind them. I know the section of river well enough to know that there are deadheads at ALL levels of river depth . The right one will stop a boat dead.
@@TheDruxlol no one ever? I'm glad you've stayed safe, I WATCHED a guy sink his boat in front of the cabin near hortonville 10-12 yrs ago during the spring walleye run while came poling. So no, not everyone has had your luck. Nice fancy unit too, watching that giant motor leave the boat with a piece of transom and watching the two guys riding in it bail gave me a good lesson in respecting the river.
@@bassman6211 obviously some people have messed up. You don't need to be cringing at us running it though, those fancy boats can see every tree from one side to the other as we drive through and we know the river well enough to be confident
many idiots on the water. especially jet skiers that want to jump your wake. i watched a guy and his girl land in the woods doing exactly what you said. passing me between my rig and the bank. was not pretty. louisiana
I fished a night tournament once and was blown away by the number of people running full throttle in the dark. My boat will run 70, but at night, I run as slow as it'll plane. It's just not worth it.
I constantly see people driving boats around the lake incorrectly. They don’t follow the counter clockwise rule. They blast off around a blind corner going the wrong way. California is making us get a boaters license by 2023 I believe.
@@ricksonora6656 that actually makes sense. And yea the people wanting to rent boats are gonna be pissed when they can’t because they don’t have a license
I too marshaled and thought the guy was going to get us killed. He had two speeds to his boat, balls to the wall or engine off. I braved the tournament but if I had to do it again? I wouldn't ask him to slow down because I wouldn't want to "slow his groove", but I would request to be taken back to the takeoff.
... Co-angler- "Slow the F DOWN!!!! " Boat driver- "But they are going to catch, "MY FISH" that I found!!" Co-angler- "This is the last time I will ever ride with youuuu.... WHOAAAAA!!!! LOOK OUT!!!!!" Boat driver- "HOLD ON!!!!!! . Taking a shortcut ... ua-cam.com/video/4l7HtI84dWw/v-deo.html Right turn Claude ... ua-cam.com/video/1AkgjPkCQXc/v-deo.html Skip to 1:40 ... ua-cam.com/video/c2kJ30gVU3w/v-deo.html Swamped ... ua-cam.com/video/xWfohG5FCEA/v-deo.html Don't have to be going fast ... ua-cam.com/video/Q7l0KS1CYhs/v-deo.html .
Randy, you are wrong about the hotfoot! People need to learn how to use one, more pros than cons, in my opinion. I agree with you on tilting the motor. I have fished in very rough water, tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay, and sounds along the North Carolina coast for bass, and they can and do get nasty at times. Those large bodies of water would swallow the lakes in the Ozarks. Those Noreasters we have there are tough to deal with in a bass boat. I have been there and done that!
Most of the guys you are talking about WILL NOT learn their lesson until they stuff the bow at 70+mph one day. I guarantee you that WILL get their attention.
I remember when B.A.S.S. lifted the 150hp rule, but for the life of me I can't recall WHY ! A 150 pushed the old heavy assed 390 Rangers just fine, so WTF?
The state could set a speed limit. Why not require boat operators to have a license. Why not prohibit alcohol from being consumed while on the water. Why not require a boat operator to be a least 18 years of age. I could never get my head wrapped around why you can turn a child lose in a boat with no adult supervision.🤷
I marshalled a pro tournament earlier this year, spending a day on the water with 2 different pro anglers. Both were 60+ years old, been fishing pro for many years, and done well in the business. On day 1, we were boat 50 or so out of 200, the angler said he wasn't going to chase everyone to the first spot, and we took a short ride to a nearby cove and fished there for the first hour. On the second day, we were boat 70-something, and my angler was going full blast behind 70 other boat wakes, on a 15 minute 70+ mph ride to the first canal, where thankfully it was idle only. I've been on a lot of scary boat rides, but this one topped them all. Co-anglers don't have a wheel to grab, and you literally have put your life in the hands of someone you met less than an hour ago!
I survived both days, had a good time on the water, and learned a lot, but I think the most important lesson was to think about the guy beside me and what must be going through his head. Slow down and live another day!
I didn’t know tournaments had ride-along judges. Could I volunteer as a judge without having to pay expensive membership fees?
@@billwhite7099 BASS opens are free, I think.... MLF Tackle Warehouse series are 100 per event, you get a fishing shirt and an opportunity to meet some great people. The "judging" part is about as exciting as getting to your favorite spot and finding out that your rods are still in the garage, but it's still a great day on the water.
@@billwhite7099 I wouldn’t do that to a pro. I’m always followed by skunks. I’m the Joe Btfsplk of fishing.
Great advice Randy, hope a ton of people listen to this and put it into practice out on the water, keep it safe.
Outstanding! My buddy and I are both retired and 70ish. He thinks he needs to go full speed all the time. The constant slamming down in high waves is killing my back and taking the fun out of fishing.
Yes, I don’t like hot foot either. Back in the day when I got my bass boat the dealer said, OK we’re going to put a hot foot on it and I said no, they were shocked that I said no.I said no I don’t like them! I was on a tournament and I was windy as hell! I was the co-angler. My boat driver went ball to the walls and he would not slow down or trimmed down on the waves, it was so rough that I broke a pole and I lost all my tackle. All my tackle flew out of the boat and I didn’t even know it till we stopped ! Then I could even walk afterwards because my legs are so sore from trying to hold on!! I was so upset with him.You’re exactly right Randy!
I’m so glad that in retirement I’ve learned to slow down, even while boating and fishing . As always Randy, spot on.
I was hoping you could do a video on how to approach and fish old building foundations. I haven’t seen a video on this by anyone. This time of year with high water, there are many lakes with old foundations that are usually on shore but now submerged but also those that are always in the water. Thanks Randy……. Oh, btw, it’s still May here at my place. 🤣
I didn’t need a video to tell me that! And some ‘pros’ are just as bad! About 2 months ago a friend of mine who is a professional guide here on Headwaters Reservoir in Florida was just about run over by Roland martin who took a blind 90 deg turn going about 40 mph! Roland even had 2 customers on board as he is guiding every day now here … he barely slowed down and didn’t even apologize!
Here in NJ its 100%. And dont forget the guys who decide to prep there boat on the ramp.
I too am so glad I have slowed down as I'm in my late 50's. Thanks Randy
Thanks Randy, It's about time somebody spoke the truth on proper etiquette and driving a boat.
Hey man, the cable on my hot foot is braid to flouro
Very sound advice. Here in Japan for any boat over 11ft and 2 h.p or more you have to have a boat license. It consist of of a paper test and an on the water safety driving test.
As far as rough weather, I don't understand why Tournament Directors allow the boats out there in those bad conditions In the first place.
Greatly appreciate this video. Just got off the water at my lake. The pleasure boaters are out now. My biggest challenge is Wave Runners and ski boats. They turn so fast and the ski boaters are always looking backwards at the skier. This was satisfying because it looks like I am already using your advice. Hot Foot is the only thing I know as a bass boater. For me, I do feel safer with two hands on the wheel so it is easier for me to control speed while driving but that's just my preference. Certainly respect your viewpoint.
Totally agree with everything except the Hot Foot. 30 yrs on Toledo Bend running without, and then with. Will never, ever be without again.
I only regret that there’s not a bigger like button for this one.
If everyone knew and followed "veer right" it would prevent about 60% of the problem boat interactions I encounter, especially recreational boaters.
I always used a hot foot until bout a year back you talked about the benefits of not using it so I didn’t put one in my new ranger and i agree there is a lot I can do with out the hot foot .
Correct....trim and speed..... Use both to your advantage. I've been in a boat for 30 years.... never had a hotfoot...never had an accident. Great video RB. Be safe guys 👍
Randy, I enjoy your content. 100% agreement on the Hot Foot.
Randy, thanks for taking on a very important subject that so many boaters ignore! Where I fish there are many crazy jet skiers and pleasure boaters that just don't care about others. I don't even know what a "hot foot" is so am pretty safe there.
A trim video on rough water would be cool.
My new boat to me came with a hotfoot on a 200 HP Yamaha VMAX there is a learning curve involved. I believe I prefer hand throttle as well also get to know your boat. They are tricky.
Wow.. this is a great video... i never knew about how the front of the boat can lock up into a wave and cause boat to flip unexpectedly on a high speed. Thanks ! 20years a driver but never thought to know this
Thank you for covering this about trim and tilt. Perhaps, you should have a video solely about the purpose and mechanics of this aspect of fishing. It is wildly misunderstood I believe. Even when loading the boat on the trailer, that trim button can either make or break you. I see people all the time struggling with loading boats on the trailer due to trailer depth or having their motor trimmed too far down when trying to load it causing them issues that could be easily corrected.
The lakes are getting crazy. Good timing on this video
Really love your videos, Randy! i do have to disagree with the hotfoot argument though.
I ran without a hot foot on my old champion for 20 yrs, but my new phoenix I just picked up has one. Took a little bit to get used to, but now i feel so much more in control and safer being able to keep both hands on the wheel if i need to. Also, if for some reason you screw up and forget to attatch your killswitch like a lot of people do, at least the hot foot will back off the throttle so the boat isnt stuck wide open if you fly out....
Up here in the Mississippi River, coming out of a Lock in a tournament is wow. Hang on. Nice video Randy.
Good advice. I would add take the Coast Guard course. In PA it’s required to get a boat operator license
I fished an Open at Mead years back. It was worst conditions I’ve seen with waves hitting at different directions. My boater took it slow and easy and I heard a loud noise and looked over about 100 yds out and a boat was hauling ass and was hitting the waves and getting totally airborne…motor out of the water and hitting so hard I figured he was going to destroy his boat. I was pissed for the coangler in that boat! Thank god it wasn’t me in that boat jeopardizing my safety by acting like an idiot! If you were a coangler in that situation, how would you have handled that? I’ve seen a lot of people that are reckless on the water. I totally hear what your saying Randy!!!
The boat I have right now doesn’t have a hot foot and I tried your, one knee, method in rough water and I like it. In Idaho we can go from dead calm to 3’ waves in the blink of an eye. True what you say about getting killed fishing. It happened to one of my bass club members years ago. They took a wave over the side and it flooded their electric capability. The boat was dead in the water. They took another wave over the side and that one swamped the boat. One guy died, on scene, the other was rushed to the hospital and survived. This happened at Clear Lake in California. I had run up into a slough because I knew it was going to be rough and opted to use an alternative boat ramp. My plan, due to the forecast, was to stay in the protected shore line out of the wind because 4’ waves were forecast. Take out on time and drive around the lake to the weigh in. However the tournament cancelled after the accident. One thing I can say about most of these pro bass fisherman, is they do have a real handle on the weather usually. How they chose to apply the knowledge is hit and miss.
Agreecwith most everything you said Randy. I started learningvto operate a bass boat in the mid 70's with my dad teaching me in an old Challenger bass boat, later in a Skeeter SF150. Now in a Nitro Z19. Having learned without a Hotfoot, trying to get used to one was/is an interesting bit. I love it in water with just a small chop. In rougher water i find my foot bouncing a lot and causing the boat to do wierd thing when dealing with bigger waves. Also, i notice a lot of folks dont seem to understand thrre comes a point of diminishing return when trimming the motor up when running higher speeds. Giant rooster tails may look cool but, youre wasting power.
Please consider doing a video on running in boat lanes: passing, approaching and especially when exiting the lane: Look behind you when exiting. There’s no turn signals on a boat. Slower boats can’t hear a boat about to pass them when they decide to turn off into a cove. Disaster can happen quick.
Randy, can you do a video showing your rough water driving stance? With your knee on the seat and one on the ground. I think I understand what you mean but a visual would be very helpful. You don’t even need to launch the boat just show it trailered. If you could show how you absorb the impact that would be helpful as well. Thanks Randy l.
I second that, was thinking the same thing while watching
I followed kvd on lake Murray several years ago and ish came by us in 30 mph winds and he was actually coming out of the water. I cracked my transom on my commanchee that day trying to keep up. And me and my buddy didn't work for the next few days.
Thanks so much for sharing this...I only hope the majority who here this heed the advice. Sure, I run a 70+ mph boat like so many of you, but you have to be smart about it and know when/where it's o.k. to let the ponies run. Virtually every boating accident video I've seen posted on social media can be attributed to operator error in the form of poor decision making and/or a complete lack of situational awareness.
The bad thing is, when you try to have a conversation about it, even without finger-pointing, you get shouted down.
The picnic table I have out in my backyard now I towed back to the boat ramp on the Potomac river. I slowed to put away a sweat shit and happened to see it gowing by on outgoing tide. One leg of a national park picnic table would be easy to miss a full speed....
I love my hot foot, drove both ways in big waves, hot foot is better, fished in 8 footers on Erie lake number of times.
Well, I was meaning to get a hot foot....guess I'll check that off the list now. Thanks Randy, you saved me a couple hundred bucks!
I’ve had it both ways, in a bass boat a hot foot is the way to go, much safer at any speed over 20 mph. Randy’s reasons for not having a hot foot were under 20 mph.
June morning?
A word about not swamping smaller boats with your wake would have been nice. It seems a lot of power boaters revel in spoiling other’s days, as though taking out big loans on expensive boats gives them a right to disrupt the little guy’s peace and safety.
I remember when the bass masters came here to bayou segnette and Robert Wagley a Louisiana pro hit the stumps right after he left the launch going out he got to close to the left bank hit a stump and I think he had to be air lifted , I , they say he lost control but I fish there and I know there is a ton of stumps off that bank way out , I’m pretty sure David Fritz won this one in Lake Boef , but the next one here Ike won in Venice , La .
Since moving to Florida we have to run canals we didn’t have in Missouri. Guys think they have to run “balls to the wall” not knowing who or what is around the next 90° corner. One reason I don’t fish weekends if I can prevent it
Let’s see.
Slow down
Slow down
SLOW DOWN
SLOW THE F$&K DOWN!!!!!!
Solid advice
I can relate to Bass Man's Wolf river experience. I fish it during the spring walleye run and there's all kinds of crap coming downstream yet there's plenty of bozos flyin' up and down without a care in the world. That and there's literally wall to wall boats anchored up on the sides trying to fish. don't get me wrong, I can shake 65 out of my Stratos with a 135 and during that time I'm full time slo-no or slightly better.
As far as "if you're not first you're last", I learned long ago, fishing out of a 35mph boat (on a good day) it ain't whos first to a spot (necessarily) but what you do once you get there. I've caught plenty of fish coming in behind other anglers.
That said, prudent speed buys me a few more minutes of fishing time during the day between spots. We stretched our time so far once we whistled in with 45 seconds of tournament time left and went from tying for 31st place with all the other boats that caught no fish to a 6th place finish and big fish of the day. Fishing muskies, not bass but this all applies.
Thanks for your common sense words of wisdom Randy!
Stepped on apparently a set of maybe 15 private docks and a fella lost his mind toward me. Responded with kindness and suggested placement of some private dock signs…guy was ridiculous. Have any stories on dock nut cases?
And 90% of the people cant drive a car correctly
No doubt
and the other 10% are the ones who think they do
Where i live the boat ramp is blocked by assholes that think their the only ones that are gonna use it
@@randyblaukatintuitive you literally drive down the road with your cell phone in your face making videos you god damn hypocrite.....jesus.
SO well said !!!!!!
I agree with everything except the hot foot. If you use a hot foot or not, it's solely a comfort issue, not a safe boating issue. Anyone that drives a vehicle of any kind on a road, has to agree the first sign of any trouble, your first reaction is to lift your foot off the gas pedal. To me, driving without a hot foot, would be like driving your pickup on the interstate at 70 mph with a John Deere tractor throttle on the dash.
No weekends & No holidays on Lanier, since Covid its Crazzzzy!
I agree with the hotfoot...My new ranger came with one ..the first I've used...I miss the.. on one knee in rough conditions...and fast idle having to hold the hotfoot in instead of setting the throttle..I got to say no shortage of bad boat driving mindlessly inconsiderate people on the water.. but I think most bass fisherman these days are fairly courteous.. and not as reckless as days gone by....all those tip are good ones...
I personally don't like boating faster than 40mph. To me that's plenty fast to run across the lake and fish the other side. I probably spend more time idling around staring at my graphs anyways.
And I like my hot foot lol.
Haha....I thought I was the only one spending most of my time just watching graphs to see what's on the bottom, since the advent of side scan I think I fish about 50% less on the water!
@t 0:15. A beautiful June morning?? It’s the 15th of May here in Europe
Lol
It’s May here in Texas too! Weird!
Our may identified as June so we just roll with it.
@@unbalancedredneck5778 We have to respect Randy’s truth.
Rule number 1, never forget to put your drain plug back in before you back your boat down the ramp into the water!
Making a turn too , you have to slow down and trim down
I have a hard time figuring out how people don’t know to sway right when coming head on. So many times I’ve had to change direction multiple times bc the head coming boat doesn’t know that.
I knew there is a time difference but wow not a different month..lol.. it's May here... and you say its a nice June morning
Hot foot is super nice , Phoenix 921 elite I can do 60 mph in any conditions with a fairly nice and very safe ride, and if conditions let you full throttle . If I’m not fishing the local club tournament I cruise at 50 mph most of time , I hardly ever see any boats out of control an6 more , they have just improved the ride and handling so much
I agree with what you say, but I've never run with my knee on the seat and I can't imagine how you are doing it. Can you post a picture of what your body looks like when you run like that?
The only thing I disagree with is the hot foot. I have more control of the throttle with my hot foot for me than a shift throttle. I also don't fish big lakes that have huge waves either though
I still prefer the hot foot on big lakes because of the control to easily vary throttle between wakes and waves
Yeah I don’t get the hotfoot argument either, especially in rough water. I would THINK having a hotfoot in this situation, even more so than any other, would be a pro for the hotfoot rather than a con so you could keep both hands on the wheel, thus having more control over steering and the trim blinker while maintaining control of throttle. To each their own I suppose.
Anglers share the water with all user groups safety is part of tournament Directors influence pre tournament blast offs.thanks For taking time.to be safe.
Dang fist bumpin boat owners lol, keep em comin
I suck at driving basically anything but that's why I stick to my comfort and don't try to go ballz out. I don't use my own boat but I regularly pilot my buddies cuz they think I'm just so good at fishing lol I'm not, they just suck really bad 😂
Another great video another point might be with the gas prices rising and will probably continue to do so that’s enough for me to ease up plus its lower speeds you can see so much more you might see wildlife you might see schooling fish that you wouldn’t have been able to see at 70 miles an hour easier on your body easier on your wallet
I'm a new bass boat owner and have trouble dumping water over the transom when coming off plane
Newer fisherman here but buddy with a Nitro Z6 would always get water on back of boat coming off plane when that wake catches up. He started goosing the throttle a little when you see that wake coming and the nose of the boat starts to fall and level out. Like a quick burst of 1/4-1/2 throttle. Has worked for us.
Just give it a little throttle as the boat settles off plane. You’ll get used to it and it will become second nature in no time.
Drop off plane gradually when ever possible and you will get less wake slapping the transom. Nearly ever boat design I’m aware of has drains to get that water out quickly.
Trim the motor down when coming to a stop then a little throttle to out run the wave coming in.
When driving a car, do you jam on the brakes when slowing or stopping? The water is your boat’s brakes. Cutting the boat’s motor suddenly is like jamming on the car’s brakes.
Any pro event I’ve ever watched, I never see them slow down around bridges with idle only??..
I totally agree on the slow-down part. There is nothing worse than some idiot doing 70 mph in a winding creek and you are sitting right in a blind spot. Besides, with the current price of gas, backing off to half throttle is a heck of a lot more efficient. Maybe I don't get there in 15 minutes and it takes me 17 minutes.....probably save $5 though. And if your game plan on the water consisted of only a single spot you had to beat everyone else to, then you are likely in trouble anyway.
👏👏👏hear-hear, Randy! I ran the GLs for 30yrs and wouldn't have a hot-foot. I have the same boat I got in '87, fished some rough weather tournaments in it, for sure. That driving technique has helped me immensely, helped me get back to weigh-in many times. I had the privilege to go out with a few 'Old Hands' before I purchased my Ranger and they taught me to slow down, use your head for more than a hatrack and be courteous or, at least, cautious.
One thing that drives me crazy is people running on plane in fog because they have GPS. Sure, they can follow the lake but they cannot see or hear other boats out there. It's stupid and dangerous.
I have an 18ft boat and if I don't have my motor trimmed up all the way in rough water I'll spear waves. I have to trim it up to get the bow up. Am I wrong?
It has to do with the shape of your hull and the size of the waves. If the waves are up to 2’, I can easily push the trim down and run over the top of them at cruising speed. But if they get big enough I’ll trim it up a bit and come off of plane. Do that on plane in big waves would be pretty dangerous because so little of your hull is in the water and you’ll be repeatedly losing contact with the water. It can also depend on how far apart the waves are and what angle you are having to cross them at. Play with it and make sure you stay in control.
Knee on the seat and foot on the floor = personal aquatic shock absorber system
Yep
Caught my first on your old school jig yesterday went 1.78 lbs
Nice!
A beautiful June morning? Have I gone back to the future?
I feel like this helped me even though I understand how all this works 👍
As a bank angler, I can’t wait to find out what a hotfoot is.
Instead of a twist throttle (tiller motor) or a mounted console throttle lever a hotfoot is on the floor and works just like the gas pedal on a vehicle.
@@michaelotto8696 Thanks!
I've seen bass boats with 200 hp outboards. I fail to see the need for that.
I run a Suzi fuel injected 9.9. Super efficient, super quiet, super reliable.
The speed suits me.
These high speed boats coming at me going 60-70 knots scare me. I've seen the aftermath of collisions.
Thanks for the reminders Randy. I want to fish, not race. Safety is #1.
And take a USCG auxiliary course!
You've probably got more miles in a boat than I have in a car Randy. I fish the wolf river in Wisconsin frequently and I cringe when I see these tournament guys in their 100k dollar bass boats, running 70mph up the river, throwing an 80ft roost behind them. I know the section of river well enough to know that there are deadheads at ALL levels of river depth . The right one will stop a boat dead.
as one of those guys running up the wolf, none of us ever hit anything, that's a very easy river to run.
@@TheDruxlol no one ever? I'm glad you've stayed safe, I WATCHED a guy sink his boat in front of the cabin near hortonville 10-12 yrs ago during the spring walleye run while came poling. So no, not everyone has had your luck. Nice fancy unit too, watching that giant motor leave the boat with a piece of transom and watching the two guys riding in it bail gave me a good lesson in respecting the river.
@@bassman6211 obviously some people have messed up. You don't need to be cringing at us running it though, those fancy boats can see every tree from one side to the other as we drive through and we know the river well enough to be confident
I use a braid to hotfoot connection...
Hahaha
many idiots on the water. especially jet skiers that want to jump your wake. i watched a guy and his girl land in the woods doing exactly what you said. passing me between my rig and the bank. was not pretty. louisiana
I fished a night tournament once and was blown away by the number of people running full throttle in the dark. My boat will run 70, but at night, I run as slow as it'll plane. It's just not worth it.
“Beautiful June morning”?... Was this filmed last year or is Missouri a month ahead of the rest of the country. 😂😂😂
And back in the day 17&18’ boats were the norm
110% correct but also lack of respect for fisherman by people running go fast boats very closed to where fisherman are trolling or anchored.
Stay safe
Is bridgeford spelled wrong on the side of your boat? Or is it actually bridgford?
There is no E in it
I constantly see people driving boats around the lake incorrectly. They don’t follow the counter clockwise rule. They blast off around a blind corner going the wrong way. California is making us get a boaters license by 2023 I believe.
The due date for the license depends on your age. Younger people need it already. This is going to hit the rentals hard.
@@ricksonora6656 that actually makes sense. And yea the people wanting to rent boats are gonna be pissed when they can’t because they don’t have a license
I work in traffic engineering and as long as those same folks drive cars I will always leave a career.
I too marshaled and thought the guy was going to get us killed. He had two speeds to his boat, balls to the wall or engine off. I braved the tournament but if I had to do it again? I wouldn't ask him to slow down because I wouldn't want to "slow his groove", but I would request to be taken back to the takeoff.
My rig doesn't have enough horses for many of these tips to be relevant. And I'm just fine with that, especially when I fill the gas tank.
I agree that the hotfoot is the devil.
... Co-angler- "Slow the F DOWN!!!! "
Boat driver- "But they are going to catch, "MY FISH" that I found!!"
Co-angler- "This is the last time I will ever ride with youuuu.... WHOAAAAA!!!! LOOK OUT!!!!!"
Boat driver- "HOLD ON!!!!!!
.
Taking a shortcut ... ua-cam.com/video/4l7HtI84dWw/v-deo.html
Right turn Claude ... ua-cam.com/video/1AkgjPkCQXc/v-deo.html
Skip to 1:40 ... ua-cam.com/video/c2kJ30gVU3w/v-deo.html
Swamped ... ua-cam.com/video/xWfohG5FCEA/v-deo.html
Don't have to be going fast ... ua-cam.com/video/Q7l0KS1CYhs/v-deo.html
.
When I got my boat (used) it had Hot Foot. I didn't care for it at all. It felt sketchy.
Have you got your ram back?
Yep!
The first thing to do in driving a boat safely is to know what month it is. 😁
Funny I thought the same thing I had to go back and see if this wasn't from a year ago and then saw that he posted it 4 hours ago
🤣🤣
😂
I personally don’t like a HotFoot while in the chop.
Randy, you are wrong about the hotfoot! People need to learn how to use one, more pros than cons, in my opinion. I agree with you on tilting the motor. I have fished in very rough water, tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay, and sounds along the North Carolina coast for bass, and they can and do get nasty at times. Those large bodies of water would swallow the lakes in the Ozarks. Those Noreasters we have there are tough to deal with in a bass boat. I have been there and done that!
I do t have a hotfoot, so I would love to hear the “pros” that outnumber the cons, so I can make an educated decision. Thanks
Well my boat’s a kayak so…
Most of the guys you are talking about WILL NOT learn their lesson until they stuff the bow at 70+mph one day. I guarantee you that WILL get their attention.
That MIGHT get their attention. Most of the folks driven by their ego won’t ever figure it out.
@@Fishing_with_Fincher I'm sure you're right....there is some hard heads out there for sure.
I’m giving this a thumbs up just based off the title. Most boat drivers are idiots and pay attention to nothing.
I remember when B.A.S.S. lifted the 150hp rule, but for the life of me I can't recall WHY !
A 150 pushed the old heavy assed 390 Rangers just fine, so WTF?
It's for the bigger boats
The state could set a speed limit. Why not require boat operators to have a license. Why not prohibit alcohol from being consumed while on the water. Why not require a boat operator to be a least 18 years of age. I could never get my head wrapped around why you can turn a child lose in a boat with no adult supervision.🤷