Worst Day On the Water?

[Captain Ahab]

This video was a sobering reminder of what can happen when you head out to enjoy the water. Wondering what others would consider their worst day? I will add mine when I have more time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-y4UCiGsyQ&autoplay=0&hd=1&fs=1

 

[deleted___account]

90 degree+ day with the wind dying off. No breeze, no beer, and eventually no lower unit. She flew apart by snake creek pumping plant area, Lake Sakakawea East End. It was warm, a bit, and sucked a bunch. It was the last day the tank ever seen the water. About 5 years ago.

 

[Jigaman]

some scary stories on that video. My worst day was probably hitting a rock with my lower unit on LOW.

 

[bigcatpike]

Any day I don’t get a limit:;: anytime you take someone fishing for the first time and the fish won’t cooperate for seemingly no reason and the person thinks that you’re full of shit

 

[SDMF]

Nothing anywhere near most of the folks on the video.

Worst day on the ice: Red Lake, ice-roads had melted and re-froze earlier in the week. Dropped the front of the pickup into a slush-pocket. Dug a bit, got yanked out finally, broke the connector between the upper and lower control arms on the passenger-side front. It was inconvenient, but not really dangerous.

Worst day in the boat: 1st day actually fishing in my brand new (at the time) 1850 Crestliner Fish Hawk. While putting in the electronics myself, I'd pulled the rear deck up. When I was finished and re-installed the rear deck, I ran the hydraulic steering line on the wrong side of a brace and then for good measure, ran one of the decking screws right through it. At least twice that day I had the boat take a full-lock turn at nearly full speed because there was no pressure on one side of the pump/ram. Nobody got hurt, but it's probably the most potentially dangerous thing that's ever happened to me in a boat.

The least pleasurable day in the boat was probably memorial day weekend in either '04 or '05, it snowed in Devils Lake and we fished anyway. It was cold, windy, miserable, and we didn't catch any fish but I didn't ever feel like we were in any danger.

The strangest, and also possibly dangerous day was in March of 2012. Put in @ Hazelton and ran south until we hit a fog bank. Shut down, used the trolling motor to keep us in the depth I wanted. However, the fog was so thick that neither GPS would acquire a signal, and eventually we were in the fog long enough that nobody could tell which way we were drifting, nor which direction shore was. Came out of the fog just above the Ft. Rice ramp. Very lucky that nobody decided to be a knot-head and rocket through the fog. But again, didn't ever really feel like we were in any real danger, it was just strange.

 

[Fishmission]

I’ve had a few things like main motor going out 12 miles from the ramp out of Indian hills. Happened during the week late afternoon and didn’t see a boat on the slow ride back Using my Minnesota 12v trolling motor the 12 miles to the ramp. I was really lucky it was a light wind out of the East that helped push me back. Battery was completely dead by the time I got it to the dock.
Some of these guides have stories. I know a guy that is a longtime guide on Sak could tell you a bunch of not so fun stuff that’s happend to him. One of them was one of his client’s (older gent) had heart conditions and died while they were fishing. He called it in on the radio and I think by the time they arrived at the ramp the ambulance was there.

 

[zoops]

Probably in 2000 when still in high school, myself and a few buddies went to Lake Laretta by Michigan, ND. Had been a decent perch bite there the past couple winters, none of us really ice fished at the time we were just kids looking for something to do. Had been there earlier in the winter and at least a couple hundred houses were out there. Well it was late February now and upon getting to the lake there's hardly a soul there. Driving my parents minivan, we get to the access and it's pretty well plugged. Not to be stopped we gun it and of course get buried. We spend a good hour digging out and go fish for a few hours, no bites. Buddy also cuts his ankle with the auger and didn't realize it was cut pretty good until we got back and his boot was full of blood; he had to go in for stitches. Upon coming off the lake, we hit the access going about 50 mph and make it up the hill, but the road is glare ice and my buddy who is following us goes into the ditch right after getting off the lake - another hour at least to dig him out. Serpentine belt also came off the van probably due to all the snow jammed up in the engine - had to get that taken care of too. Dad chewed my rear when we told him. Fun day! I don't think I ice fished again for a few years.

 

[guywhofishes]

this topic is icky

 

[deleted member]

worst day... put my dad's chevy blazer through the ice to the bottom of pelican lake. early days of cell phones. just by chance, we had one with that belonged to my girlfriend at the time. middle of nowhere. soaking wet. could have been much worse. that blazer was awesome to fish out of. passenger seat removed. hole in the floor. sleeve to drop down to the ice. had the propane heater mounted on the floor next to the hole. the tank in the back end. long story. but, that is the short version.

most dangerous day... stepped off a bridge embankment into a snow drift expecting ice to be under the snow. there wasn't. up to my armpits holding myself up on the snow. the minnows had flocked to that little spot for the oxygen. when i came out i had minnows in every pocket. i was lucky to have a buddy with that day. not sure i would have gotten out without him.

funniest day... wife who is a good fishing woman when she pays attention was messing on her phone for an hour straight. trolling bbs. rod in the holder. pointing straight back for some reason. rod goes flying in the water. i set my brand new $150 rod with $100 reel right by her and say "take this". first nice rod & reel i had ever bought. first day on the water with it. after i set it down, i dive in after her rod. about 4 feet down, i get it. all proud, i surface with the rod in my hand look towards the boat raise it above my head in triumph and say "got it". only to see my boat trolling away from me with nobody in it. two seconds later, my wife surfaces next to me. i am like "WTF are you doing?!" she says "your rod ended up going in too so i dove after it". so... "did you get it?" her: "nope". me: "fuck". hand her her $50 combo and swim after the boat. lucky we were only doing bout 0.8 mph and it was turning slightly cause it kind of circled back to me. what a damn fiasco and never got my new rod back.

most worried... camped on shore for a few days. storm and wind came up the morning we were to leave. and it never switched directions like expected. so 30+mph coming right in on us with rain. we had to spend the night/early morning in a nearby semi abandoned quonset cause the tent was pretty much blowing away with us in it. by sun up, my mr. pike was swamped and full of water. got the bilge on and got it emptied after about 30 minutes of pumping and bailing. then got it off shore. biggest waves i have ever been in. wife (then girlfriend) was with. half way back, gas runs out. first time i had ever ran out in that boat. so, i think i can just switch hoses to new tank. hoses don't match tanks. drop the trolling motor. tell her to keep it "pointed that way". now i am dumping gas from one 6 gallon tank to another in 4 or 5 foot rollers. of the 6 gallons, i bet 1 got in. life jackets buried under tent, clothes, stove, gear etc... get boat started up. after 30 minutes of white knuckles, we eventually make shore. hit the dock. practically end up on top of it. throw the girlfriend the rope and say "don't lose it" as i run to get the truck. somehow got it on perfect first try. waves pretty much just threw it on the trailer. i pull away, stop and get out to go give her a hug. she looks at me soaking wet ( not that kind of wet) looking like a cat you just threw in the bathtub. she doesn't hug me. she walks right by and gives me the dirtiest look ever. walks right to her car (she had met me there that thursday night), gets in and heads back to fargo didn't even grab her backpack with her clothes! i wasn't sure i would ever see her again. but, she got over it and eventually married me.

 

[KDM]

Chartered a 45 ft vessel for a day with my wife, daughter, sister in law, niece, and nephew as none of them had ever been deep sea fishing. Cost me 1800 bucks to get the whole boat, but it was a special treat. The wind was such that the exhaust from the engines kept swirling back into the fishing deck which after a while made everyone but me sick as a dog. Additionally, my SIL, niece, and nephew all got seasick as well. In essence what happened is I paid 1800 bucks to watch my ENTIRE FAMILY PUKE!!!! Yes, I caught some fish, but who cares when the rest of the boat is green and throwing up all day. SUCKED TO THE MAX!!!!!

 

[guywhofishes]

I've never had a bad day on the water. Except for working on the water.

 

[ND 41 Hunter]

Worst was ice fishing Lake Sak in 1989. Hoped in a truck with two guys to go night fishing in a spot i had never been. We were driving across the ice at about 20 mph when i yelled at the driver to stop- in the headlights was a 20' to 30' chuck of open water. We never even fished that night and when i got home i didn't sleep very much either. Nobody knew where we were going- they never would have found us.

 

[AaronJ]

Nothing anywhere near most of the folks on the video.

Worst day on the ice: Red Lake, ice-roads had melted and re-froze earlier in the week. Dropped the front of the pickup into a slush-pocket. Dug a bit, got yanked out finally, broke the connector between the upper and lower control arms on the passenger-side front. It was inconvenient, but not really dangerous.

Worst day in the boat: 1st day actually fishing in my brand new (at the time) 1850 Crestliner Fish Hawk. While putting in the electronics myself, I'd pulled the rear deck up. When I was finished and re-installed the rear deck, I ran the hydraulic steering line on the wrong side of a brace and then for good measure, ran one of the decking screws right through it. At least twice that day I had the boat take a full-lock turn at nearly full speed because there was no pressure on one side of the pump/ram. Nobody got hurt, but it's probably the most potentially dangerous thing that's ever happened to me in a boat.

The least pleasurable day in the boat was probably memorial day weekend in either '04 or '05, it snowed in Devils Lake and we fished anyway. It was cold, windy, miserable, and we didn't catch any fish but I didn't ever feel like we were in any danger.

The strangest, and also possibly dangerous day was in March of 2012. Put in @ Hazelton and ran south until we hit a fog bank. Shut down, used the trolling motor to keep us in the depth I wanted. However, the fog was so thick that neither GPS would acquire a signal, and eventually we were in the fog long enough that nobody could tell which way we were drifting, nor which direction shore was. Came out of the fog just above the Ft. Rice ramp. Very lucky that nobody decided to be a knot-head and rocket through the fog. But again, didn't ever really feel like we were in any real danger, it was just strange.

Ya, that whole weekend sucked.

 

[H82bogey]

2 years ago at Langliers. My dad, 4 months removed from a stroke, slipped and fell on the dock while I was getting the boat off the trailer. Lacerated his hand deep and hit his head hard. With all the blood thinners he was on, his hand literally looked like a faucet and was worried about his head. Had to get him in the truck and meet and ambulance at Beaver Bay. Took him to Linton for a head scan and then off to Bismarck, where he stayed over night in the hospital. Hand required 9 stiches and cut so deep he has permanent nerve damage. Fortunately that was the worst of it, but while driving to beaver bay he had a seizure and went unconscious. While driving like a bat outta hell to meet the ambulance, I thought I had lost him. Never made it on the water, but worst day I've ever had fishing.

Never realized how far off the grid you are when you fish south of town like that.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Originally Posted by SDMF Nothing anywhere near most of the folks on the video.

Worst day on the ice: Red Lake, ice-roads had melted and re-froze earlier in the week. Dropped the front of the pickup into a slush-pocket. Dug a bit, got yanked out finally, broke the connector between the upper and lower control arms on the passenger-side front. It was inconvenient, but not really dangerous.

Worst day in the boat: 1st day actually fishing in my brand new (at the time) 1850 Crestliner Fish Hawk. While putting in the electronics myself, I'd pulled the rear deck up. When I was finished and re-installed the rear deck, I ran the hydraulic steering line on the wrong side of a brace and then for good measure, ran one of the decking screws right through it. At least twice that day I had the boat take a full-lock turn at nearly full speed because there was no pressure on one side of the pump/ram. Nobody got hurt, but it's probably the most potentially dangerous thing that's ever happened to me in a boat.

The least pleasurable day in the boat was probably memorial day weekend in either '04 or '05, it snowed in Devils Lake and we fished anyway. It was cold, windy, miserable, and we didn't catch any fish but I didn't ever feel like we were in any danger.

The strangest, and also possibly dangerous day was in March of 2012. Put in @ Hazelton and ran south until we hit a fog bank. Shut down, used the trolling motor to keep us in the depth I wanted. However, the fog was so thick that neither GPS would acquire a signal, and eventually we were in the fog long enough that nobody could tell which way we were drifting, nor which direction shore was. Came out of the fog just above the Ft. Rice ramp. Very lucky that nobody decided to be a knot-head and rocket through the fog. But again, didn't ever really feel like we were in any real danger, it was just strange.

Ya, that whole weekend sucked.

I remember that year as well we fished like crazy all day for one fish and then ran into Wolford bay and squeaked out like a half dozen right at dark. It was one cold, miserable SOB.

 

[Captainbrad]

My uncle and I were on Devils Lake with a friend of his in a bass boat. At 6am when we went across the flats it was flat calm but about 2 pm there was a 40 mph wind from the SW and we had to cross back. Worst boat ride ever, in fact I hitched a ride to the ramp and we winched the boat on over the rocks. Before we turned back however we were out in the flats about a mile from Mauvais and I kid you not while plowing over and through chopping waves there was one eight footer that stood us right up on end.

I was discussing this topic the other day with a client and the day we were coming in on the river and ran into a wall of sideways hail and had to beech and tie up to wait it out. That was an adventure but I would not really call it a bad or worst day.

 

[guywhofishes]

I lied - I now recall that I kinda thought about dieing on big windy in an unforecasted ground blizzard (white out) 5 miles out.

One guy was alone with kids, his belt broke, we weren’t sure where to go find em, he eventually got the spare on (wrong size) and came limping in after dark.

Sucked.

 

[Captain Ahab]

My uncle and I were on Devils Lake with a friend of his in a bass boat. At 6am when we went across the flats it was flat calm but about 2 pm there was a 40 mph wind from the SW and we had to cross back. Worst boat ride ever, in fact I hitched a ride to the ramp and we winched the boat on over the rocks. Before we turned back however we were out in the flats about a mile from Mauvais and I kid you not while plowing over and through chopping waves there was one eight footer that stood us right up on end.

I was discussing this topic the other day with a client and the day we were coming in on the river and ran into a wall of sideways hail and had to beech and tie up to wait it out. That was an adventure but I would not really call it a bad or worst day.

We took a drive that day as we stayed in because of wind. My dad, a buddy and I were the ones that picked you up.

 

[1850reata]

Had one just this winter. Had a good morning on the ice catching limits of eyes. When loading my wheeler in the back of the truck my ramps came out from under me. Luckily my ole man was there that day to catch it before coming back on me. Scary part for me is my 6 yr old and I fish alone a lot together. I bought a trailer the next week.

 

[shorthairsrus]

i dont know if it was the worst --- but you know you lie to get a job (because your under aged) back in the 70s, buy two 6 gallon tanks of gas for the speed boat.

Neighbors (who were 75 pushin 80) have this big blowout party -- anyway a couple women come over and say can you pull us skiing. aaahh -ok ---- these were long time sota resys and probably skied since they were born ----- the first one pops right up --- she was hunched over but she skiied --- next one - that one popped up too -- cept missing a top as it fell off.

Well we all looked at each other and said throttle up --- that was a sight - - i will let you imagine it --- but we did 2 rounds - she was two drunk to know anything and they 75ish guys when we came around were all drinks in the air. It doesnt get any better than that.