2 anglers flying out of boat at 75!

[fishinwrench]

28 minutes ago, STLbassbuster said:

My guess is they were clipping along at a good speed, approached some boat wakes, and as they began to go through them chopped the throttle back which the nose drops any they bow hooked.

Hydraulic steering increases the likelihood of bow hooking during deceleration. 

With cable steering you feel the stiffness (one side or the other) and can adjust trim angle to the degree that steering torque is lessened......which makes deceleration off the pad SAFER.  

With hydraulic steering you don't notice the pull.   So when you come off the pad the seemingly slight steering adjustment isn't immediately obvious.   The hull is pointed one way.....and the gear case (because of clockwise prop walk) is pointed as much as 15° to the left.    All it takes is contacting the crest of the chop on the water......and you're probably not fast enough to correct for that.     Your boat shifts rapidly, your butt comes off the seat, and now (without your butt firmly in the seat)....your control of the HOTFOOT is completely lost.      From that point on YOU'RE TOAST !   

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Hydraulic steering increases the likelihood of bow hooking during deceleration. 

With cable steering you feel the stiffness (one side or the other) and can adjust trim angle to the degree that steering torque is lessened......which makes deceleration off the pad SAFER.  

With hydraulic steering you don't notice the pull.   So when you come off the pad the seemingly slight steering adjustment isn't immediately obvious.   The hull is pointed one way.....and the gear case (because of clockwise prop walk) is pointed as much as 15° to the left.    All it takes is contacting the crest of the chop on the water......and you're probably not fast enough to correct for that.     Your boat shifts rapidly, your butt comes off the seat, and now (without your butt firmly in the seat)....your control of the HOTFOOT is completely lost.      From that point on YOU'RE TOAST !   

This is why I've ordered two boats without a hot foot. Learned that lesson a long time ago.

[1farmer]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Hydraulic steering increases the likelihood of bow hooking during deceleration. 

With cable steering you feel the stiffness (one side or the other) and can adjust trim angle to the degree that steering torque is lessened......which makes deceleration off the pad SAFER.  

With hydraulic steering you don't notice the pull.   So when you come off the pad the seemingly slight steering adjustment isn't immediately obvious.   The hull is pointed one way.....and the gear case (because of clockwise prop walk) is pointed as much as 15° to the left.    All it takes is contacting the crest of the chop on the water......and you're probably not fast enough to correct for that.     Your boat shifts rapidly, your butt comes off the seat, and now (without your butt firmly in the seat)....your control of the HOTFOOT is completely lost.      From that point on YOU'RE TOAST !   

 

[1farmer]

Bow hook, been there ,done that, twice. Have no desire to ever do it again. First time was no fault of my own. Hung a water soaked log on the skeg, which stopped water from getting to prop. Wind waves where only about 1 to 1.5 ft, bow dropped and we were headed the direction we came from.Partner wasn't even holding onto anything. Somehow he ended up in my lap as if he was sitting there driving the boat. Second time was my fault. I was making a right hand turn going to put its on the trailer to go home. When I saw everyone loading their boats, I decided to fish a while longer. A pontoon hand just came by and when I turned back to the left the bow hook happened. Others have asked me if I was scared when it happened. My answer to them was no it's over before you know it happened. Luckily I wasn't thrown from the boat or anyone else either time. I tell all that ask me about driving a boat in rough water, just think of it a rough road full of potholes.It's a smoother ride at 45 mph than it is at 25 mph. At 45 mph if you hit one of those potholes wrong in the ditch you go, at 25 mph there's a good chance you can stay out of the ditch.Out on the water there's a lot more potholes and bigger ditches. They usually understand that I'm saying to slow down.

[1farmer]

39 minutes ago, dtrs5kprs said:

This is why I've ordered two boats without a hot foot. Learned that lesson a long time ago.

I feel differently about a hotfoot. I don't think any bass boat capable of running 50+mph should be with out one. I know that having one kept me from spearing a houseboat wake a few years back. Teresa and I were running down the river around 55 mph, I'm looking at the riverbank as we're going along it's not rough at all, when all of a sudden I look forward and see a wall of water. This thing had to be at least 4 ft. or more I let off just before we hit it, boat goes airborne when we land all I could see was water above the front of the boat, somehow I was able to pop the nose up when I mashed the hot foot. We landed landed on the side and then back in the air again, this time we landed flat. I know that I couldn't have done this without a hotfoot. Most likely if I had of pulled back on a hand throttle that fast ,I would have put it in neutral which probably would have been more than we wanted. As we got a little further down the river we were able to see what was happening. They were making circles with the houseboat to make the waves come together for another boat that was pulling a tube. When they would hit where the waves came together the tube would bounce and go airborne and not land in the water for at least 15 ft. I don't know how the kids were staying on it.

[Ketchup]

6 hours ago, 1farmer said:

I feel differently about a hotfoot. I don't think any bass boat capable of running 50+mph should be with out one. I know that having one kept me from spearing a houseboat wake a few years back. Teresa and I were running down the river around 55 mph, I'm looking at the riverbank as we're going along it's not rough at all, when all of a sudden I look forward and see a wall of water. This thing had to be at least 4 ft. or more I let off just before we hit it, boat goes airborne when we land all I could see was water above the front of the boat, somehow I was able to pop the nose up when I mashed the hot foot. We landed landed on the side and then back in the air again, this time we landed flat. I know that I couldn't have done this without a hotfoot. Most likely if I had of pulled back on a hand throttle that fast ,I would have put it in neutral which probably would have been more than we wanted. As we got a little further down the river we were able to see what was happening. They were making circles with the houseboat to make the waves come together for another boat that was pulling a tube. When they would hit where the waves came together the tube would bounce and go airborne and not land in the water for at least 15 ft. I don't know how the kids were staying on it.

Yep, way more advantageous to having a hot foot than not. Wouldn’t own a glass boat without. 

[Lvn2Fish]

I’m team no hot foot. Been driving a bass boat since I was about 15 . And I’ve never owned a hotfoot . I always thought the constant mashing of the pedal would blow a motor up . With the throttle I can ease in it and off of it . Feels far more safe than all or nothing . Also here’s a Camas photo shoot lol 

[Ketchup]

27 minutes ago, Lvn2Fish said:

I’m team no hot foot. Been driving a bass boat since I was about 15 . And I’ve never owned a hotfoot . I always thought the constant mashing of the pedal would blow a motor up . With the throttle I can ease in it and off of it . Feels far more safe than all or nothing . Also here’s a Camas photo shoot lol 

So how are you “team no hot foot” when you have no experience? 💁

[Lvn2Fish]

34 minutes ago, Ketchup said:

So how are you “team no hot foot” when you have no experience? 💁

I’ve driven boats with a hot foot . I’ve ridden in a ton of boats with hot foot . That’s how …🤯

[Ketchup]

10 minutes ago, Lvn2Fish said:

I’ve driven boats with a hot foot . I’ve ridden in a ton of boats with hot foot . That’s how …🤯

Drove/Ridden in? And you have an honest opinion? I’ve ridden in a 2022 Vet last week. My buddy never went faster than 55. So my opinion is, is that the vets are slow. Buy a Prius. 

I have owned several boats with them, and more without. I have had them on some of the biggest bodies of inland water in this country, including Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. Fished Erie weekly for years with and without one. Never, ever have i been in a situation operating a boat where i would have been better off without a hot foot, than with. Never.  I can tell you stories about a few trips on Kentucky, Erie, Lake Powell where without it life would have been a lot more interesting. 
 

February my tournament fishing partner “who always backs the truck down as i load” said he would load the boat on as i had to run up and take a leak before my pants got soaked. Short story is after his 3rd attempt “yes 15mph cross wind on Stockton” he grabbed the dock and said “i have never owned a boat with a hot foot, nor driven with one, and now i see why. This is the dumbest invention ever. Drive this thing before i go crazy”. His exact words. 
 

I jump in the seat and BAM, it’s on the trailer. We watched 3 other boats without jamb that hand control back and forth trying to load theirs. No thanks. 
 

At the end of our Tournament on Pomme a few weeks back, as we got close to the ramp, he said “let me try loading this boat again”. I looks sideways at him, as he reassured me he was not going to go crazy. I backed the trailer in, and with a 10mph wind he hit it on first lick. Afterwards his words were “hey bud, sorry about the last time. I just thought those things were worthless. I went out with a buddy a few times since then in his boat, and he let me drive between spot, and load it, and man was i wrong. Now I’m going to be putting one on my Ranger” This was from a guy that had never owned one, nor driven with one, who had no clue of the benefits. They REALLY shine when things get crosseyed out there.