# Big waves!



## hplayer13 (Nov 3, 2008)

Give some of your best stories about on the lakes dealing with the weather, or other bad situations..... Looking forward to hearing your stories.


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## UNREEL (Jun 8, 2007)

I'd rather not.....

Should have fished north of Harbor Beach today, you could have had all the stories you wanted...


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## Fishous (Aug 24, 2005)

It seems the more I fish on Lake Michigan, the more I lower my "acceptable weather conditions" level. I guess wisdom sometimes comes with experience. I'm extremely safety conscience now.

When I think back at the conditions I sometimes fished in I realize just how dumb I was.

Once we were out in a 16' Aluminum boat trolling. We had checked the weather radar prior to going out, it was clear all the way across the lake.

About 9am I start to see one charter boat after another zooming by, going in. At first I thought it was just the end of a 4 hour charter.

Then a boat comes by, the guy had his arm in the air, making a circle. I said "I think he's trying to tell us something". Not more than a few minutes later I see lighting on the horizon. Time to get outa here!

We had a 15 hp motor, so we went about 10 mph tops. It was a mile to the pier, and a mile more to the launch. We just made it in before one of the most extreme wind, rain, and lightning storms I have seen hit. 

Apparently the Coast Guard came on the radio and told everyone there was a surprise storm and the get off the lake. Lesson Learned: Use the radio.


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

Last year May out of Port Sheldon. Forecast was 4-6 subsiding to 2-4. Went out in 4-5's and waited 1.5 hours for it to go down but it just built to 6-8. Saw that things weren't getting any better and headed in. 

Well the NW waves were doing a number on the pierheads causing a washing machine bouncing off the arms with a mish mash of 6-10 footers. My crew and I looked at it, buckled down, hammered it and found a hole in the nasty stuff. Actually ended up being relatively uneventful but staring at that gauntlet was the first time I was ever scared in a boat


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## Tad Pole (Aug 22, 2006)

I remember that Tom it was a little scary the waves washing over the top of your cooler on the swim platform was a little unsettling too.
Randy


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## Fishous (Aug 24, 2005)

tgafish said:


> Last year May out of Port Sheldon. Forecast was 4-6 subsiding to 2-4. Went out in 4-5's and waited 1.5 hours for it to go down but it just built to 6-8. Saw that things weren't getting any better and headed in.
> 
> Well the NW waves were doing a number on the pierheads causing a washing machine bouncing off the arms with a mish mash of 6-10 footers. My crew and I looked at it, buckled down, hammered it and found a hole in the nasty stuff. Actually ended up being relatively uneventful but staring at that gauntlet was the first time I was ever scared in a boat


That's one of the first things I tell new guys: "The channel is often much more rough than the lake if the wind is right."

It really sucks when you are in a boat with a very low transom!


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## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

UNREEL said:


> I'd rather not.....
> 
> Should have fished north of Harbor Beach today, you could have had all the stories you wanted...


Why was it rough? Ha ha


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## Getaway (Jan 17, 2001)

CaptainNorthwood said:


> Why was it rough? Ha ha


Small chop.

4-6+ fters is good fishing weather for us Islander guys.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Not on our lakes, but I fished out of Cabo San Lucas a few years ago, and once we rounded the point, there were waves which were 12 feet from crest to trough, with 4-5 foot cross waves. We fished in a 26 foot boat, and in between the rollers, our boat was actually lower than the crests! To make matters worse, we trolled at 9 - 10 mph the entire time - against the waves, sideways, and with the waves. But we caught Mahi Mahi, and had some Marlin spotted, which we couldn't get to bite. :rant:
My wife got so sick that she broke blood vessels in one of her eyes - but she landed 4 of the Mahis. I would do it again, but my wife wouldn't.


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## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

Getaway said:


> Small chop.
> 
> 4-6+ fters is good fishing weather for us Islander guys.


I couldn't agree more..........loved every second of it. Ya know when the sun popped out for a few seconds I said "well thats a nice, maybe the weather is gonna turn out ok afterall" Then the really nice weather showed up.


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## j1musser (Sep 2, 2007)

Back when i was a freshmen in HS we fished the hot ponds behind the power plant in bay city. Nice blue sky day. This was back when there were cuts in the hot ponds that were open. Musta been 15 boats there that day. We fished in the back of one for a few hours and when we came out no more boats. The bay had kicked up to 5-6 footers and we were in a 15' aluminum boat and had to get to Kawkawlin River.:yikes: We had to get home and just stuck the nose of the boat out and a wave came over the front. We spun around and sat in the hot ponds for a few more hours. Whitecaps died to rollers and we went across in 4-5' rollers. Prob not our best decision but we made it. 

Worst on Lk Michigan was last fall in 1' or less waves with a strong east wind. We started heading out in my 16' as there was sm waves. Started heading out and the waves were spaced so close together that it was lifting the back of boat on a crest and driving the nose down into the next crest. Most scared i have ever been in a boat. Have been in 7-8' (not in my boat)and felt alot better than that day in 1' or less. Now im very leary about an east wind.


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

I think alot of times, waves are like fish, they seem to grow when the strories are told. Try this next time your in some big waves, take a 6' piece of pipe with 1' increments on it. Hang it in the waves as they go by boat. You'll find they're smaller in height than you think they are. Also there's a big difference in 4' whitecaps on the sag. bay v.s. 4' calm rolling waves on the big lake.


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## milledad (Jul 14, 2008)

Ralph Smith said:


> I think alot of times, waves are like fish, they seem to grow when the strories are told. Try this next time your in some big waves, take a 6' piece of pipe with 1' increments on it. Hang it in the waves as they go by boat. You'll find they're smaller in height than you think they are. Also there's a big difference in 4' whitecaps on the sag. bay v.s. 4' calm rolling waves on the big lake.


You are somewhat right, they do always grow like fish stories. However your pipe measuring instrument would only work if you have a massive boat that doesn't go up and down with the waves at all. In the big lake the spacing is usually such that the boat goes up and down with the waves. Measuring 1 foot on your boat could easily be 4 feet with the up and down of the swell.


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

milledad said:


> You are somewhat right, they do always grow like fish stories. However your pipe measuring instrument would only work if you have a massive boat that doesn't go up and down with the waves at all. In the big lake the spacing is usually such that the boat goes up and down with the waves. Measuring 1 foot on your boat could easily be 4 feet with the up and down of the swell.


Guess you'd have to lay down and hang off bow to catch the wave as it hits you.:lol: Basicly I'm talking about the bay and similar waters where waves are alot closer together and are whitecaps instead of the rolling swells.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

In Cabo we were on a 26 foot boat with a straight inboard engine, and a flying bridge for the Captain. And I guarantee you that the waves rose above our boat, when we were in the trough. But they were rollers, which had come all the way across the Pacific, and they were spaced out, so they were navigable. It was those darned 4- 5 foot cross waves that were such a problem, because they banged us all over the place. And the fish didn't really care one bit. The Pangas stayed within a mile of shore, and they are typically about 20' - 23' long. Much lower gunwales than our boat, though; and outboard motors. 

But I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in deep sea fishing give Cabo a try. Maybe the largest marina on the Pacific, and the whole town is geared toward sport fishing. And TONS of fish to catch; some quite large.


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

UNREEL said:


> I'd rather not.....


I'm with you. I really don't want to relive certain things.


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## jacktownhooker (Apr 7, 2007)

ya nothing like calling the loved ones and saying goodbye !!
and telling them where to find my dead cold body !!......done it twice


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

Ralph Smith said:


> I think alot of times, waves are like fish, they seem to grow when the strories are told. Try this next time your in some big waves, take a 6' piece of pipe with 1' increments on it. Hang it in the waves as they go by boat. You'll find they're smaller in height than you think they are. Also there's a big difference in 4' whitecaps on the sag. bay v.s. 4' calm rolling waves on the big lake.


I agree with ya about waves being different in different lakes. But my floor is even with the water line. When I'm eye to eye with the top of next wave I'm pretty sure that equals 6 feet


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## Termie33 (Sep 26, 2002)

A couple years back in august my dad and i took a trip from Port Austin to Port Sanilac. We stayed the night, and fished sanilac in the morning. After the morning fishing we pulled lines and headed back north. Water was flat when we left Sanilac. By the time we got to Harbor beach waves were solid 4-5s. Rough, but manageable in the 29 Tiara. So we charged ahead. As we approach Light House Park waves have grown to solid 6-8 footers. Not many places to go from here, so we keep going. Around Grindstone it has buildt to 8-10 footers. Around this point we hit a hard wave, it launched my dad off the seat, and he hits his head on the hard top. The button on the top of his hat punched a hole in his head. So we stop for a few minutes to assess the situation. Not much more then we could do then keep going.

Finally Made it back to port austin safe and sound. Dads head was a little bloody, but other wise fine. Scary trip, but showed how sea worthy the boat was. Reminded me of the Deadliest Catch with the way the some of the waves rolled on to the side of the boat, and watching the water drain out the transom. 

Id be prefectly fine never having another trip like that again.


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

One time I didn't get too wet, I was fishing spring walleye about 2 miles from port and the wind shifted. I was in 7 or 8 FOW surfing the front side of waves, looking ahead trying not to get swamped, the valley of the waves was exposed bottom (as in sand,rocks, and boulders). Just imagine if I hit bottom in a 14' aluminum with 7 foot waves crashing behind me.


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## BUGBOAT (Oct 25, 2005)

> I agree with ya about waves being different in different lakes. But my floor is even with the water line. When I'm eye to eye with the top of next wave I'm pretty sure that equals 6 feet


I'm 5'7" and if I am looking up at the top of a wave I'm pretty sure its over 6 feet. I've had to net a fish in the middle of a wave. I scooped it about eye level. It was in a tournement and they just wouldnt call it. After pulling 3 guys out of the lake (one didnt make it) I dont like fishing rough water any more.


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