BigBendFishing.Net

MudDucker wrote:We need a moderator...someone has hijacked WAM's user name on this system. This is an imposter. I have proof! I took WAM and a couple of other guys off out of Steinhatchee...got about 20 off and an unexpected storm started springing up....radar could not paint the edges...I elected to head in....WAM didn't agree and questioned my manhood. Another gentlemen on the boat who was experienced in offshore fishing like me, agreed with the decision. So, remember, walk it, don't just talk it!

I fished all over these flats with a 16X48 with a 20 hp mercury. Caught a LOT of fish out of that old boat...more than any boat since. I had one rule...the ocean ain't no lady and when she is moody, it is best to dismount and wait on another day. Contained within this rule was, if in doubt, don't!

With all my precautions, I know I could still get caught in it, so I don't leave home without a radio and a gps or a sister ship.

I did not know you had manhood to question! We were not in a jon boat. How big was that Boston Whaler Walkaround with a hardtop anyway?

What a mess wrote:

MudDucker wrote:We need a moderator...someone has hijacked WAM's user name on this system. This is an imposter. I have proof! I took WAM and a couple of other guys off out of Steinhatchee...got about 20 off and an unexpected storm started springing up....radar could not paint the edges...I elected to head in....WAM didn't agree and questioned my manhood. Another gentlemen on the boat who was experienced in offshore fishing like me, agreed with the decision. So, remember, walk it, don't just talk it!

I fished all over these flats with a 16X48 with a 20 hp mercury. Caught a LOT of fish out of that old boat...more than any boat since. I had one rule...the ocean ain't no lady and when she is moody, it is best to dismount and wait on another day. Contained within this rule was, if in doubt, don't!

With all my precautions, I know I could still get caught in it, so I don't leave home without a radio and a gps or a sister ship.

I did not know you had manhood to question! We were not in a jon boat. How big was that Boston Whaler Walkaround with a hardtop anyway?

Showing your ignorance as to manhood and boat size. In either category, its size don't matter, what matters is the size of the place where you intend to put it. I'll leave one explanation alone, cuz I am pretty sure with all you are compensating for, you know how that one works, but as to boats, a 24 foot whaler ain't no big thing in a big storm.

In this case, your foot fit nizely into your mouth

I tried ta stay outta this one cause everyone thinks I'm crazy as a bat anyhow BUT, here I go. IMO, you can fish a 14 footer on up offshore, much less inshore but you have to have the proper safety equipment "radio, flares, compass, sound making device "I have an air horn, whistle and a 1 million watt beam spot light to attract attention"! You need to check weather and weather buoys offshore "even if your fishing inshore", check radar on the wide scan and in motion so that you know how the pattern is moving. AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, HAVE A GREAT RESPECT FOR WHAT MOTHER NATURE CAN DO IN JUST A FEW MINUTES!!!! Your greatest safety feature on any boat is experience and the only way to get it is to go out there and learn "some times the hard way" try it, you may not like it and want a different boat for it, you may feel uncomfortable but want to see how things play out over a few trips, the only person who can Gage your experience and comfort level is you just use common sense and a hint of inquisitiveness and you will soon learn your comfort level on the big pond

Finally took the time to read this entire thread....

I think I can sum up all the good advice...

Be prepared & don't be stupid.

Don't just take what the FWC tells you you have to have- take what you need to be safe.
Handheld Radio, Cell Phone, PFDs, horn---
Get off the water before it looks too bad.
Dont go out if the forecast says its going to be bad.

Another idea is find safe places to fish...
There are lots of places that would be safer in a jon boat.
Oyster Bay, Spring Creek, St Marks flats near the lighthouse, St Joe Bay, Alligator Harbor.

All of them can be unsafe in bad weather- but all of them are very fishable in a small jon boat.

You can do it- just be careful...

wevans wrote:I tried ta stay outta this one cause everyone thinks I'm crazy as a bat anyhow BUT, here I go. IMO, you can fish a 14 footer on up offshore, much less inshore but you have to have the proper safety equipment "radio, flares, compass, sound making device "I have an air horn, whistle and a 1 million watt beam spot light to attract attention"! You need to check weather and weather buoys offshore "even if your fishing inshore", check radar on the wide scan and in motion so that you know how the pattern is moving. AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, HAVE A GREAT RESPECT FOR WHAT MOTHER NATURE CAN DO IN JUST A FEW MINUTES!!!! Your greatest safety feature on any boat is experience and the only way to get it is to go out there and learn "some times the hard way" try it, you may not like it and want a different boat for it, you may feel uncomfortable but want to see how things play out over a few trips, the only person who can Gage your experience and comfort level is you just use common sense and a hint of inquisitiveness and you will soon learn your comfort level on the big pond

14' offshore I guess size does matter cause yours must be the size of Grapefruit.

Can, sure, I guess you could go offshore sitting on a raft of Clorox bottles or a fifty gallon drum if you wanted to what about a belly boat that would be cool!

Heck look at what some of the Cubans cross in, but don't a lot of them drown?

Yes they have caught Tarpon, Tuna, and Sharks out of a Kayaks, I agree you can do it.

I believe if you are taking people you have a responsibility to them for their safe return.

Also are the seas building or declining?

How many times out of a hundred does NOAA GET IT WRONG?

75 or 80?

If yer skerd WAM, just say yer skerd as stated above, each person must learn their limits and their boats limits and experiance is the only way ta learn

My name is Captain Howard and I am a coward!!
So far the injuries on my boat have been limited to me being hooked a couple of time.

Once I did it to myself, another guy getting hooked by a buddy he has enough earrings we thought we might leave the jig in the side of his face for that rock and roll effect.

A few people sunburned and a mild fining or two.

Oh I almost forgot a young guy got some jellyfish slime off his own line and cried like a girl. (no it was not me so piss off)

I am pleased that when the weather turns bad that I turn tail and head to the hill.

The one time I really about screwed up we headed out the fog rolled in and I decided I really knew what I was doing so I fired up and started to haul tail on the compass. I got scared and went back to the tripod I fished around it for 1/2 an hour the rain was headed our way and I wanted off the water but couldn't see so there we sat. The rain cleared out the fog and I realized had I kept on that heading I would have crashed into a pretty big Oyster bar.

The best tool I have on my boat is an unwillingness to allow my ego to get people hurt. Me included!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also took one wave in a fourteen foot jon boat in a little deeper water we would of had some swimming to do as it turned out we were standing in a jon boat that was on the bottom In Reed Bingham State Park.

Some boats are not designed to outrun the storm or be ran in the storm you beach and pray for mercy.

I was just funnin with ya about the skerd stuff any man that says that he aint been skerd on the water, aint spent no time on the water The hope is that a person will learn from what skerd them and try and not find themselves in that situation again or be better prepared for it if they do I fish mostly by myself and therefor take a few more risk than I may would if I had others aboard

wevans wrote:I was just funnin with ya about the skerd stuff any man that says that he aint been skerd on the water, aint spent no time on the water The hope is that a person will learn from what skerd them and try and not find themselves in that situation again or be better prepared for it if they do I fish mostly by myself and therefor take a few more risk than I may would if I had others aboard

Hmmm, I look out for #1 and in so doing, everyone else on the boat is okay. You need to as well....I mean come on...if something happens to you, there will be no one here that can keep JT in check.

Ask me if I've been skerd....yes sir...two really good times and I learned from both

Check this MD.........PPPpppFFFfffTTTttt!!!

CATCH 22 wrote:The best advice is to aviod the weather. Check the forecast,if it calls for even a slight chance for thunderstorms, stay off the water . It can turn nasty very quick. It's hard to outrun a squall bearing down on you moving at 50+ mph

Not for BB!!!!

BAD BEHAVIOR wrote:

CATCH 22 wrote:The best advice is to aviod the weather. Check the forecast,if it calls for even a slight chance for thunderstorms, stay off the water . It can turn nasty very quick. It's hard to outrun a squall bearing down on you moving at 50+ mph

Not for BB!!!!

My bote'll run 50+ also but after 2 back surgeries I aint about to in 3'+ seas I would'nt last long

Well since I have just about seen it all out there,here's my 2 cents,it is not safe in these smaller boats,i have seen it rain so hard that 11 sunk in front of the light house,we pick them up swimming all the time from smaller boats,got 3 from a 14 alumacraft this spring and 4 more from the 16 Cckiff that tryed to help them and that was in the channel by #9 bouy. I don't know how many dummy's from Ga. that go offshore from Keaton and Econfina in bass boats never come home until they float up after a few days if they ever do.

CATCH 22 wrote:The best advice is to aviod the weather. Check the forecast,if it calls for even a slight chance for thunderstorms, stay off the water . It can turn nasty very quick. It's hard to outrun a squall bearing down on you moving at 50+ mph

This is Florida Coastal fishing, 99% of the time there is a chance of thunderstorms.

I'm in aggreement with WAM! My personal feelings is a 14 jon boat is highly dangerous on open flats and plain ludicrous offshore. Pesonally, I have a wife and a little baby girl, and risking my life FISHING is just not in the cards, I owe it to them to be safe and come back safe to them. Its a hobby and any significant risk to my safety persuing a hobby is just not fair to them. The water out their will get hairy quickly, we fish a 22' Bay boat and its gone from smooth to rough for that boat in a hurry. If I had a 14 jon boat I would fish inside the creeks and rivers of the coast only, and even then a slightly bigger boat would be better. When I was in college I fished out of a 16 foot jon with a 25hp motor in the Indian River a lot, felt safe there but even in that river you had to be careful, but atleast I had two directions to go to find land.

Jumptrout51 wrote:Check this MD.........PPPpppFFFfffTTTttt!!!

JT, you need to get that checked....it could be contagious