Log strikes with outboard motors
- Thread starter FLTENNHUNTER1
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FLTENNHUNTER1
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FLTENNHUNTER1
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FLTENNHUNTER1
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JCDEERMAN
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I've never heard of that happening either other than the posts on this the last week or so. And I grew up on the lake bass fishing tournaments with my dad - decades. I wonder if it has something to do with the newer stuff? That's terrifying
Newer equipment, lack of work ethics when installing motor to transom, could be a number of things related to modern times.
I have heard of it happening multiple times to people while duck hunting.
Almost happened to my son and I a few years ago.
Luckily the motor stayed on... by literally 1/4 of an inch.
m_allison71
Well-Known Member
That's a long read. Seems that there has been a lot of attention given to this issue for years.
DeerWhisperer
Well-Known Member
In reviewing the "Leash" and after seeing the photo above of how it is attached. The question I have is how to you trim the motor up and down while the leash is attached.?
Is there enough flexibility in it that allows for trimming but at the same time prevent the motor from flipping if hitting an object?
Is there enough flexibility in it that allows for trimming but at the same time prevent the motor from flipping if hitting an object?
JCDEERMAN
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That's what I equated it to
Canyonfish
Well-Known Member
Another thought, transoms used to be fiberglass over wood, now only fiberglass. They don't rot, but wondering now if they are as strong? Plus motor sizes have steadily grown from 150's to 250's making them heavier.
Never seen this either. Heard of a few instances when fishing shallow Florida lakes, where someone would hit a gator, maybe manatee they would guess running wide open, and would destroy the lower unit or stress the transom.
FLTENNHUNTER1 Thanks for finding this and sharing for our safety considerations!
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On my first "fast" boat the older gentleman that fished with me all the time warned of this. Like @RUGER mentioned, it happened a good bit for duck hunters especially if running wide open in timber. I've never had my motor come off and into the boat but I've had it hit me so hard on my side that I thought I broke ribs. I'm surprised at the amount of people that have never heard of this kind of happening.
UCStandSitter
Well-Known Member
Never heard of this in all my years but I primarily fish Dale Hollow where there isn't a lot of junk so would be very uncommon. Center Hill on the other hand is a trashy lake. Partly why I hate fishing it. Too many waterfalls so there is junk everywhere.
I saw this for the first time when I worked at a boat dealership in Hermitage in the late 80's/early 90's. It was on a fish/ski (Nitro or Astro?), they had hit a submerged object and it ripped the transom out of the back of the boat, motor was laying on the passenger seat.
FLTENNHUNTER1
Well-Known Member
According to this it has been going on for decades with very few solutions. Check out the video from the 50's:
https://www.propellersafety.com/4608/test-propeller-guards/log-strike-test-historical-mercury-video/
One of my fishing buddies and his dad had the motor flip off or jump up off in the White River on one of our trips over there. He hit the gravel bottom and the motor jumped off the transom. I don't remember the size of the motor but it took three of us pulling on the battery cables to get it back up into the boat after they went into deep water. Probably 25-40 hp.
Got it up and water poured out and then back on. Started up and made the rest of the trip. It is wise to not run too fast sometimes unless you are really familiar with the area. I used to know a lot of those rocks by name.
Got it up and water poured out and then back on. Started up and made the rest of the trip. It is wise to not run too fast sometimes unless you are really familiar with the area. I used to know a lot of those rocks by name.
Back in the mid 80's, my Dad and I were crappie fishing the logs and stumps in the mouth of the Duck River where it enters the Tennessee. We were fishing in 1.5 to 2 foot of water when we heard a bass boat running at high speed getting closer to us.
This fiberglass bass boat came running off the river and headed toward the flat about 300 yards from us when they hit whatever it was they hit. The outboard flew over the boat and the whole transom went with it.
When they stopped, the two guys got out of the boat and were standing in about a foot of water.
They seemed to be unhurt, slogging through the mud and Dad said " We should probably go help them, but they are so stupid, I really don't want to deal with them"
We kept on fishing...
This fiberglass bass boat came running off the river and headed toward the flat about 300 yards from us when they hit whatever it was they hit. The outboard flew over the boat and the whole transom went with it.
When they stopped, the two guys got out of the boat and were standing in about a foot of water.
They seemed to be unhurt, slogging through the mud and Dad said " We should probably go help them, but they are so stupid, I really don't want to deal with them"
We kept on fishing...
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Question....
I've got a 1548 G3, with a 25hp Yamaha 4 stroke. It has a lever that you can either lock the motor in the down position, or leave unlocked so it can tilt up. Is either position better for preventing this from happening?
I've got a 1548 G3, with a 25hp Yamaha 4 stroke. It has a lever that you can either lock the motor in the down position, or leave unlocked so it can tilt up. Is either position better for preventing this from happening?
Sardis is entertaining when the river barely gets out of the banks around Wyatts/Hurricane. Seen many big rigs flying down the river only to miss a turn and come to a dead stop in about 1 ft of water
Unlocked, just watch if you have a reverse gear.
I had a 25hp Merc that would be locked down if it was in neutral and when shifted into gear would be able to raise up when it hit something. Had a thing called a rock hopper that would bolt on in really low river water to the cavitation plate and cover the skeg. Going decently slow this allowed it to slide right over rocks. Used it in the gulf for oyster beds also.
This reminds me of a boss I had one time that fished a bunch of tournaments, some with the big boys. He used to put on a motorcycle helmet and had one for his partner when they would run in low light conditions especially. I figured he was usually running wide open wherever. I know he basically blew up several of the big motors, 250s or bigger.
FLTENNHUNTER1
Well-Known Member
These guys had balls!
Crow's rule on the water...don't go faster than what you are willing to hit something. I'll get there when I get there.
FLTENNHUNTER1
Well-Known Member
LOL…don't tell me your 115 4 stroke isn't WOT every chance you get!!
Seriously though, with the wind we are having today I expect floating objects in the water will be a real concern for the next few days. And after researching this subject after never hearing about it it definitively changed my way of thinking.
You might be surprised! Any maybe even let down. I drive like an old man. Most of the time I'm within sight of the boat ramps and drive about 4-5 mph because I'm scanning with the sonar units. The rest of the time I'm on the trolling motor. I learned when I was kayak fishing, there's no need to go far to catch fish and got into the habit of just driving to the ramps closest to where I want to fish instead of doing it all by boat. My dad was the one who had to see what the boat could do WOT. Haha. I've had it 2 years and if you were to hook up to it for data, I bet it's only been above 4500 RPM maybe 3 times. I know I did have it wide open once when trying to beat a storm to the ramp
I was wishing it had a 400R on the back of it that day.
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This may have already been posted.
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-new...ity-impacted-by-old-hickory-boating-accident/
I fish the clinch river in Clinton in the spring and hunt from it in the winter. I go slow when it's down and when running 2 or more generators. It'll really make you pucker when you're running 20 or 30mph and catch a glimpse of a tree trunk a few inches below the water as you pass by it.
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-new...ity-impacted-by-old-hickory-boating-accident/
I fish the clinch river in Clinton in the spring and hunt from it in the winter. I go slow when it's down and when running 2 or more generators. It'll really make you pucker when you're running 20 or 30mph and catch a glimpse of a tree trunk a few inches below the water as you pass by it.
TRIGGER
Well-Known Member
I have had a few close calls over the years especially at night running around but the one that scared me the most I was running around 60 when all of the sudden I see a huge log laying sideways in front of me on the river (Cumberland). I braced for impact but nothing. It was a finger of light the slipped between some trees that discolored the water. Scared the snot out of me. Had to stop and regain my composure. Thought we were a goner.
