I Woulda Been W-a-a-a-y Past Messin' in My Skivvies

I've never been brave, especially when I'm out on the water. That's why I always duck and run for shelter anytime I see a storm heading my way, or if I meet up with one of those "big boys" pushing a lot bigger "wall of water" than I'm comfortable with. And even at that, there have been a fair number of times over the years I've still had the bejesus scared out of me. Those instances, however, would pale dramatically in comparison to the predicament a couple of anglers from Roanoke, VA, found themselves in one July day.

As explained in the article I read, a bass fisherman and his partner, a physician, made it to an open tournament on Lake Erie. Before the practice-day launch, another competitor offered them one of his water socks, saying, "It'll slow the boat in case it gets caught in the wind." The launch was no problem, and the two Roanoke fellas headed into Lake Erie--for the first time ever.

Once on the lake, the swells soon climbed to 4 feet, but the two anglers weren't having much problem with them, despite the fact they never had fished such waters before. Like everyone else practicing in the same area, they bobbed and weaved.

But then, with no warning, no increase in the wind, no storms, no nothing, they looked up and saw water above and all around them. In the blink of an eye, those 4-foot swells had swollen to 8 feet. At this point, in case you haven't already figured it out, is where a pair of messed up skivvies would have been the least of my worries.

Water came crashing over the transom, flooding the engine compartment and the console area. The two anglers held on as a second wave soon followed. Quickly, one of the men grabbed a 5-gallon bucket that happened to be on the boat and started bailing, because they knew the bilge pump wasn't powerful enough to deal with this much water.

In the meantime, a third wave crashed aboard, ripping the seats from the Champion bass boat and causing the transom to go under. The outboard by now had cut off, so the boat owner grabbed the water sock and his three Steez rod-and-reel setups (valued at $3,000), and both guys climbed out of the boat and held onto the sides. The bow of the Champion didn't totally sink, thanks to all the foam in it, coupled with the fact the forward compartments all were closed.

Fortunately, other bass boaters in the area saw what was happening and made a distress call to local authorities who contacted the rescue boat for assistance. When it arrived, both anglers still were holding onto the side of the Champion and bouncing in what now was 4-foot waves again. The 8-footers had disappeared as fast as they had arrived.

The Champion bass boat and two first-time Erie fishermen subsequently were towed back to the ramp without further incident.

Several different theories were offered as to what happened. The tow-boat captain suggested the problem may have been big storms somewhere else on the lake, causing waves to build as they slapped across the lake. "Guys who fish this lake," said the captain, "know to turn their boats into these big waves. Once you get hit in the stern, there is very little you can do but hope for the best."

The captain also went on to explain that pros who fish Lake Erie always have two or three bilge pumps on their boats.

The Champion and its 225-hp Mercury motor turned out to be a total loss, despite the fact it never sank. The owner also lost $1,500 in tackle, plus two Lowrance side-scan units and his MinnKota trolling motor.

The most important aspect here, though, is that no one was injured or killed. I also see one very important "lesson learned" for all to consider: Do your homework BEFORE fishing unfamiliar water. Know exactly what you're getting yourself into and plan accordingly.