Windy and Waves on Waco

I'm looking for some advice here folks.

I have a Basscat Cougar with a 225 hp motor.
I bought it in June of last year. It's been a learning experience
but I feel like I'm grasping it pretty good.

So Thursday evening fishing on Lake Waco, we had 20-25 mph winds and some pretty good size waves.
I was crossing the lake with my fishing buddy, the wind was out of the south/ behind me.
I was running the boat at around 30 mph, had the bow trimmed up pretty good, I'm riding perpendicular to the waves.
All the stuff I have learned and videos watched.
About 1/2 way across we come off the top of one wave and hit in the valley of the next wave, when we do the next wave crashes over the bow, completely soaking us.
We get to about 2/3 across and same thing happens only this time it's a HUGE amount of water.
I have the bilge pump on and it's pumping like crazy.

So I am seeking knowledge on what I could have done different to avoid those waves crashing over the bow ???

Or is that something that comes with fishing on rough water ???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SFKBsFO2Vw
or get a ranger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqj7cpsSg28

Yup, that's my favorite video, watched it a bunch.

Those waves on Waco were a lot higher then in his video.

If the waves were higher than the second video I woulda liked to seen that

It should not be that hard. I fished Waco on slightly worse conditions from a 16ft Nitro and never got wet. I wanted a seat belt on my front deck, but stayed dry enough to catch a few giants.

Running with the waves to your back is the #1 way to take some over the bow. If you need to run that way, at the least you need to run at least a 45 angle to the waves.

No, not in comparison to the second video.

I have no idea what i am doing, new boat owner also, but the only way i have been able to smooth the boat out in rough water is going faster. Mine smooths out the waves where you really cant feel them at 45 to 50, faster the smoother until about 75 lol.

you need to be careful. That is how people get killed in a bass boat. Just sayin.

I know, by myself just trying things out, life jacket on. Not going to lie though, it did scare the stars out of me at 75, especially when I let off the throttle too fast! Lesson was learned won't happen again.

This is how I do it if at all possible. Some lakes with a lot of timber and/or boat lanes makes it more difficult or even impossible to run the troughs. These days when it's blowing 20-30 I keep my old a$$ at home or play golf.

throttle down the wave to lift the bow, lose some throttle on the way up each wave... just enough throttle up and on the wave to stay with it or just behind it a while. Ive never speared a wave and been in waves many times that I would completely lose sight of land in the low between them. i think its easier with a hand throttle vs the pedal i have now but still doable. my old boat was 17 footer and I have been on berryessa with 6 to 8 foot waves. granted i didnt go far and turned around which was seriously dangerous, but more throttler almost always saves ya.. it wont flip if its moving.

was going through that at Roberts this week. If I feel my bow falling i hammer the throttle to push me to the next crest.

I got my first bass boat last year (2017 Legend V20 with a 250 sho) and at first I was terrible and knew absolutely nothing. I've slowly learned how to be a better driver. I watched a lot of videos, but mostly it's just experience. Going with the wind is the absolute worst and you need to avoid it if you can. It's all about the trim. If there's heavy wind and waves that are making the ride really rough, i'll trim down and slow down until it's comfortable.

I basically trim up as much as I can to stay on top of the waves, but if the waves are too much trim down and slow down. It's a balancing act.

I've noticed other drivers are a bit more reckless. They will go WOT at all costs. I would rather find that sweet spot. If it means I'm going 60 instead of 70 that's fine with me.

I would never go out in those conditions. The only time I have faced those conditions is when the weather turned on me while I was out there. Off the top of my head it happened twice on Cedar Creek, Palestine, Tawakoni and Grapevine. Each time I was in a different boat ranging from 14' to 21'. What always worked was quartering the waves and working the throttle to maintain control. Speed will kill you in those situations so maintain a safe speed.

Can't imagine 6-8 foot waves on a lake, only saw it once on the coast and the guide refuse to take his 30 something foot Mako out.

Sounds like, for me under those conditions, going out on pad wouldn't be an option.
A lot of guys will say they have years of experience boating and they know how to handle it, but the truth is the faster you go, the less you can handle it. Bass boats really just aren't built for cutting waves that well.
Going fast is not worth somebodies life, a sunk boat or even beating the [censored] out of your equipment.

Be safe.

Agree