Matt, glad to hear that you made it back safe and sound.
Aint that the truth, I've been fishing Isabella since 1979 and seen more than 1 boat sink. Thats the biggest reason I love my Champion boat because I know when it does get nasty real quick I may get a little wet but I know that I will get back to the launch ramp.Originally Posted by Voice-of-Reason
funny you say that. wanna know something that will trip you out? after probably 15 minutes of a beating from the east, i looked west and saw sun. 15 minutes of gnarly wind, hail and rain and i see sun in the direction the storm was travelling? makes no sense AT ALL! if i were to follow the course of the sunlight it set up at a perfect angle to ride the waves at a 45 toward bathroom cove. that was all i needed to get back. once i cut that angle it took me out of the main lake and allowed me to tack at another 45 back to the ramp. if i had cut that angle earlier, there's no doubt i would have had waves coming over the motor. weird how the little things if given a chance change the outcome.
learned a lot of lessons of weather, safety and survival with this one. looking back i would have probably ditched out in a cove, beached the boat and got as low as i could get. i wouldnt have tried to make the effort to get across the lake. im always going to have a life jacket, rain gear, fresh change of clothes and something to signal with. basic stuff we all know better to have in the boat with us but rarely care about.
by the way, thanks guys for the comments.
So glad you are ok Matt! Funny how we can all afford the latest fishing lures and decent gear but we cheap out on the safety side of fishing. This year I committed to wearing my life jacket if I go out alone and had to get an auto inflatable - the others are just too uncomfortable to be worn long. Damn things are not cheap but they are worth it just for piece of mind. Over July 4th I was on Mead with my wife in my center console and hit a wave sideways. In an instant I was hanging over the side going close to 40 MPG with her sitting up front without a clue. Had my inflatable on BUT NOT the kill switch lanyard! Dumb A$&! It was a real quick recovery (she never even knew how close I was to being thrown overboard). All I could think of was that if I went over she would have hit the shore at that speed before she knew anything was wrong.
I may be just a bit dramatic but it seriously scared the crap outta me. No more. I wear the life vest AND. The kill switch lanyard now and I suggest everyone else do the same. Imagine falling overboard and watching your boat disappear into the distance guys. Be safe first!
not cool of the situation but very cool for pointing that out. kill switch! there's a reason why they were invented!
great advice to allways were the kill switch
Last edited by Hometown; 08-17-2012 at 10:48 PM.
Champion makes one fine boat. Can't argue with that.
You mean MADE one fine boat. Reading this thread makes me happy I purchased the last 210 Elite available. Even with a 21ft. Fiberglass rig, every safety precaution needs to be taken. Last year a squal hit Mead with winds so strong it blew car glass in at Temple Bar.
Matt, thanks for posting (with video) to show everyone what can happen on any body of water at any time. I'm a little surprised you weren't thrown off the lake!! I fished a tournament on DVL last spring when that one severe winter storm hit and we were all told to get off the water immediately. It ended up blowing about 30mph. Nothing compared to what you just experienced! Thanks again...
Yes, technically made. Been a couple of years since bankrupt, right?
I copied the following from another forum, it was posted by Rick Grover, owner of Anglers Marine. Looks like Champion's are back.
New 2013 Champions!
by Rick G » Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:36 am
Just wanted to let all the die hard Champion folks out there that the dream is still alive. We have been working with the factory to produce Westcoast Edition Champions here for Anglers Marine. Here is a picture of our 1st one so far. All Champion decals, trailer, seats you name it just like the old ones but built even better from the best boat factory on the planet in Flippin. This is a 210 Elite with a 300Pro XS opti and it will be rigged with the works. Let us know if your interested. They are available again here at Anglers Marine.
Last edited by Bassnman Mike; 08-20-2012 at 06:12 PM. Reason: Add Pictures
Wow! Glad you are safe!
Been in a lot of weather and waves boating/fishing over the years and always felt safe, never really scared, until this year. We were fishing Clearlake and started out on the north end in very calm conditions. The morning bite was done there and we decided to make a run about halfway down the lake. The trip down we were commenting how the lake was "glass". Get to the spot and notice a pretty brisk wind out of the north. Ok, start fishing, wind keeps blowing. Harder and harder until the spot becomes pretty much difficult to fish. We move around a bit looking for better water and never really find it, decide it's time to get back. We start heading north and probably have 10 miles or so to go. Now I've been in big conditions on Clearlake (my home lake) many times, but this time was really bad! I decide to peel off in a creek to get some shelter and wait it out. Fished for a bit in a covered area, wind was still howling just outside the mouth. Finally decided it was time to go. Man, we got into those troughs and started taking water over the bow! First time ever I jammed to the locker and grabbed our life vests! Threw one to my wife and told her to put it on as I put mine on. We had to trudge for a while and finally made it to a different ramp less than half way back. Had my BIL come pick me up and give me a ride to get the trailer. Was seriously freaked and it tooked me a while to calm down. Definitely keep those life jackets on board or even better if you can wear them full time. That experience gave me a new respect for weather on the water!
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