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What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat #10824382 05/07/15 02:40 AM
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djones03 Offline OP
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Right now I am in a 17 ft aluminum and I don't dare try to take on wakes from ski and wakeboard boats on plane. I am going to be moving up to a larger fiberglass bass boat. Do they handle these wakes better or it is best to still try to avoid them. I know there a lot of variables like how soon you hit the wake, angle, and how rough the water is already. I just read about bryon velvick cracking a vertebrae due to running up on a rogue wake, and other horror stories like the boat in arlington that had the motor snap off the mounts. I'm just new to boating and trying to get some info on safely handling these situations. Any help would be great.

Moritz Chevrolet - 9101 Camp Bowie W Blvd, Fort Worth, TX - Monte Coon (817) 696-2003
Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824424 05/07/15 02:51 AM
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brandon f. Offline
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While I don't have much experience in aluminum boats, I think you will find a sizable fiberglass boat will be much heavier and will handle much better than your current set up. That being said, big boats will still put out a big wake and you should use caution when crossing their wake.

I did watch Byrons videos that he posted (I think I saw them on wired2fish but not sure...) and I think I remember that he indicated he was traveling around 68mph and that boat was a huge party type/sight seeing boat that was 200 feet long and 4 levels tall. Now that's a big [censored] boat. I know I have not encountered a boat that was actively operating that size on any lake.

I was with a partner in a college tourney when we speared a barge wake on the Red River. That was not fun at all...

Just use caution when/if you are crossing wakes or waves and use good judgment and you should be okay most of the time.

Last edited by brandon f.; 05/07/15 02:54 AM. Reason: Correction: it was Bass24x7
Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824444 05/07/15 02:59 AM
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Tjhook Offline
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i have a 17'6' charger i ran in wave braking over myh bow at idol on fork...hammered that baby down and rode it out. no worries.....


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Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824517 05/07/15 03:27 AM
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Rickmb Offline
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No worries, if you're in a <insert brand> you will never feel it. smile
Actually it depends on the wake height, spacing, trim angle, angle to the wake and the boat length (and probably other factors.)
Longer boats will ride a big wake better generally.
Trimming down to lower the nose will help.
Too much speed and you will be airborne.

Twice I have hit a wake going well over 60 with my boat coming completely out of the water. Neither time was intentional. Both times the boat causing the wake was long gone and there was no churned up water to alert you. Just a big wave. It is quite alarming to hit one that big.
Both times my nose slammed down, I kept the gas on and powered out of it. If you are up on plane and let off on the gas too quickly the nose will drop and dig in. If you are off angle the boat will jerk sideways and you could be thrown out.
Now on big wakes I slow a bit, lower trim, and approach at an angle to roll over the wake.

Last edited by Rickmb; 05/07/15 03:29 AM.

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Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824538 05/07/15 03:38 AM
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Kevin D. Offline
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A lot of you guys are being quiet because you don't want to sound like a know-it-all. I am new to this myself, and I need all the info I can get. You'd be surprised how much your experienced comments actually help. Now speak up. Please.


Kevin D.

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Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824561 05/07/15 03:48 AM
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Slow down, just because you're in a fiberglass or bigger boat doesn't mean things wont happen. Try and pay attention to your surrounding as much as possible and remember speed is the most imprtant factor if you ask me cheers

Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824655 05/07/15 04:35 AM
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Ok, I am speaking from experience here "not a good thing". The only way I learned was by doing it because I did not have any one to teach me differently and I did not reach out like you are doing, I should have. My experience is..... Wave frequency and speed of vessel are the most critical. For example I have been out in the Gulf in a 17' bass boat with 7' - 8' swells. The longer wave frequency out there with a shorter boat enables you to ride up and down a wave, let your boat level out before the next one comes along. I kept it around 20 - 30 mph. Was not that bad.... Yet I have been on Rayburn with wind blown swells of the same magnitude "need my head examined, I knew the wind was going to be bad" with a lot shorter wave frequency in a 21' bass boat. Did not work out so well...... Wave frequency was so short and the wave height varied from wave to wave. I was wishing I had a shorter boat so I could fit between the swells. Every time the bottom of the boat hit a wake my teeth chartered. Tried idling and plowing but waves keep coming over the bow and side of the boat. Long story short, I made it, but barley....... I have torpedoed a wake coming off of a tug boat pushing a ship up the Neches river. All because I was to impatient. I have jumped a wake coming from a wake boarding boat that apparently had its ballasts full at 65 mph, that was not pretty but thank God I made it. And that is just a sample of bad decisions I made in my youth. Here is what I learned.
1) On a larger body of water wind always plays a huge factor, especially a North wind (in my experience). Rayburn and Toledo are bad, Fork can get rough. Do not go fishing in North wind above forecast-ed wind of 10 - 15 mph, if you are experienced. Less if your not. Rule of thumb, add 10 mph to forecast when on the water.
2) Anytime you are on a body of water or around a time frame where skiers and wake boarders are out and about "SLOW DOWN!!!". Dito for areas with larger vessels. I personally do not do more than 40 mph any time in those situations. Not that bad things can not happen at 40 mph, it just gives you more time to react to them.
3) Wear a life vest and attach your kill switch.
Most importantly do not go out there in any size vessel with the attitude of invisibility. life has a way of showing you differently. Take your time to learn and gain some experience in your boat. Seek out some one with more experience and go out with them to see first hand how to do it. It is the experience you gain on the water that actually tells you what to do and when to do it.

Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824676 05/07/15 05:15 AM
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Not all waves cap.... Look for swells and try to approach dead on (the waves coming to you) slow down keep the nose up and split them slowly. Let the boat do the work, the v that is. Doing this you probably won't get wet. Some guys approach are hit them fast one get over them but you sacrifice loosing control and stress cracks. Once the boat goes into a speed wobble like skateboard and that's never good. All boats come off plane pretty fast. Also a hot foot is good because one you realize your in a bad spot your brain will let off the gas like a vehicle. Avoid all waves if possible, I will change my route if need be, but wake board boats these days make wakes that are 4.5 ft easy. Just be careful bud


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Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824680 05/07/15 05:22 AM
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With the nose up the motor will push through the wave without the back of the boat under water. I'm talking almost like coming off plane but never plane out. Keep the nose up high enough not to get capsized. Also tun the bilge on prior to getting in a bind because you will forget when your adrenaline is pumping.


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Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824682 05/07/15 05:24 AM
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djones03 Offline OP
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Thanks for all the advice guys, I plan on taking it easy and staying as safe as possible, not trying to injure myself, my passengers, others or my boat over club bass fishing..

Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824691 05/07/15 05:30 AM
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Hahaha there ya go bud, there's a video of some speed boat with a few passengers that eat it pretty dang hard.... Watch it! It's all over YouTube. There a difference in sinking a boat and wrecking keep that in mind. Beside winter if you have a life jacket on you'll be ok! Maybe out a little money but it's only money


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Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824700 05/07/15 05:45 AM
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I know from my short experience and few incidents that I learned REAL quick to respect the water and those on it.
Yesterday I hit a huge roller going 60 and trimmed up a good bit and it scared me a lot, I thought it was going to snap my boat in half (18ft Ranger fiberglass). In my opinion the length of the boat doesn't have much effect in the lengths of 18ft-21ft. I use to run a 20.5ft Charger fiberglass and hit rollers like I have in my ranger and they scared me the same amount. I think that any time you're trimmed up and hit a roller it will scare ya!
But also keep in mind that there are others around you, Im a highschool'er and I love to go fast in my boat but when I see a smaller boat, I like to slow down and be courteous so that they're not the ones eating my wake. That's just me though. I've seen MANY adults that pay no respect to their surrounding boats and I have also seen a fair share of some that do not obey the no wake zones. Its not just us young folks that you think run around careless and wild.

Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10824905 05/07/15 12:47 PM
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Not super experienced only got into the 70+ mph boats recently but I started out in the bays and offshore rigs up in the north east. Hull design will play a huge role in how you can approach wakes, more V in the hull like a Champ or Charger and you can trim down and knife through or kind of ride the side and turn through it at an angle at higher speeds than something more flat like some Rangers and Skeeters. Flatter boats are more stable on calm water and at rest but you kind of have to take it on the cheeks in rough stuff so something to consider there. Take a ride in old tri hull and you'll figure it out quick lol.

Also I notice alot of freshwater guys vastly over estimate the size of wakes/rollers. When you hear a guy say his bassboat runs awesome in 3-4' rollers he's likely talking 1-2. Go look up 4 foot seas on YouTube and compare to your local lake when it's rough.

Last edited by FMJshooter; 05/07/15 12:53 PM.
Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: FMJshooter] #10824938 05/07/15 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted By: FMJshooter

Also I notice alot of freshwater guys vastly over estimate the size of wakes/rollers. When you hear a guy say his bassboat runs awesome in 3-4' rollers he's likely talking 1-2. Go look up 4 foot seas on YouTube and compare to your local lake when it's rough.


^^^This... No 17' bass boat has ever survived 7-8' swell in the gulf unless there was a 60 second period, LOL.

To the OP. Keep your nose up and a bigger glass hull will take a lot more than your aluminum hull. Some due to weight, some due to length, and some due to hull shape.


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George S. Patton Jr


Re: What wakes to try to avoid in a bass boat [Re: djones03] #10825055 05/07/15 01:42 PM
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The biggest help for me was to remember that it's not a race. Also, remember that the guys you see on TV, the pro's, hauling [censored] and catching air are pro's. They have way more seat time than I will ever have so I'm not out there trying to emulate them.

Also, after I watched this video, I always think about it when things get rough or there's a bunch of boat traffic.




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