Plugs

[ebbtide176]

Re: Plugs

going for a swim. <br /><br />i once was fishing the swamps with some old high school buds. me in a canoe, those two in a canoe (except the boats were called ghenoe i think- squared off on the back, for a motor)<br /><br />in south GA its hot in the summer, so i told them it'd be best after dark. it was sweet, crickets chirping, gators grumbling, bream popping the water like a rifle shot in the distance... <br /><br />we were zipping buzzbaits across the 'open' section, nothing but moonlight, scarce grasstops, lilypad & 'dollar bonnets' - and the "V" wake of the lure- beautiful memories....<br /><br />then KA......PLLLOOOOOOSSSSSHHHH! sounded like a Moody AFB jet lost a dummy load bomb or something! i hear yelling/cussing over in the direction of my buds, but in the moonlight, i couldn't make it out, other than lots of waves @ 50yds away. i put the ole 4' paddle in overdrive, and by the time i got there, wally hurdled over the side of their boat like loneranger on steroids. he turned to look for the 20' gator he was sure would be right behind him...<br /><br />well, he kept hold on the baitcaster, and all was back to almost normal, after we moved, and laughed our a$$es off for a good 30mins. <br /><br />it was especially sweet to me, when i reminded him that the cutoff tshirt and ragged jeans i was wearing cause less friction when doing the dogpaddle, than his eddie bauer 3 pc camo outfit with jungle boots & safari hat...

 

[KenOhki]

Re: Plugs

Twice now I have put my boat in the water without a plug, Both times I just installed the plug, reved up the motor and ran the water out of the boat by removing the plug again after reaching full forward speed. However, I got a swimmin story for ya. Years ago,, when I was about 10, A friend and I were out in a marsh just screwing off. This marsh was off the chesapeak Bay and was frequented by very large snapping turtles and more then a couple coperhead snakes ( poisinous ) Anyway, we were out there using 2x4's for paddles. We got into a bit of a argument over what direction we were gonna go, he wanted into shore, I wanted to go further into the marsh. So he got this wonderfull Idea ( at least to him ) he pulls the plugg and throws it in the direction of the shore. This was like a 12 foot flat bottomed aluminume boat. It starts sinking slowly and we paddle off to shore like he wanted, But I got him,, after reaching shore I took the so called paddles and pushed him right back out to sink with the boat. By the time the boat actualy sinks ( well as sunk as it was gonna be with floatation in the seats) he was about 40 feet from shore at the mouth of the actual marsh weeds. He starts screaming his head off that there is a snapping turtle in the boat. Naturaly, I didnt believe him. He jumps out of the boat and swims just like in cartoons, I swear he never actualy touched the water as he panic swim to shore. Neither him or I want to go into the water to rescue the boat. We ended up using a trolling rod and a treble hook to retrieve the boat. Took forever to get it into shore. After we got it beached, we notice the snapping turtle was still in the Boat, He wasnt kidding. It was about 2 feet long accros the shell. We ended up using one of the 2x4's to get him to Bite, then used the other to kinda leaver it out of the boat. After getting it out of the boat we then got the bright idea to take it to Kurts house.(( Kurt was a adult friend who figured out if he befriended us young troublemakers, his property was safe from our shinanigins, Unlike most other houses in the area)) Anyway, after conciderable manuvering,, we got it into a heavey net, strung it between our bikes and walked it in. That Snapper made a excelent stew in the presure cooker.. <br />So there is my gone swimming story, Hope you found it humorouse.<br /> we never recovered the plug, we just carved a new one from a branch the next day.

 

[buttonhook]

Re: Plugs

ok I got one for you,<br />My father , myself(12), my cousin (6)at the time, and my great grandfather(85) all went out fishing in lake locksahachie(sp)in florida. We were on vacation and vistiting my grandfather who had just bought himself and brand new bass boat. before he could get it in the water he got sick with cancer and hadn't felt like going out so he told the four of us to take it out. At this launch you have to park the truck and trailer some distance away from the launch like(3/4 mile!) well we launched it and left my cousin and my great grandfather at the boat holding the rope. My dad and myself went to park the truck and pay to launch, get the bait, ect. And since it was a very busy day there was a line to pay. we were there in line about 30 min when my cousin comes running in (of course at about the same time we finally got to the front of the line). and he pulling at my dad's arm. Of course my father is trying to pay and get some information from the guy at the counter. so he ignores my cousin. But my cousin is VERY persitent(sp) and finally my dad just say "WHAT"????<br />"the boat is sinking!!!!!!" you have never seen people run that fast in your life!! when we get there there my great grandfather holding one end of the rope and the other end just disapears into the black water and nothing but an oil slick of platic worm floating on the surface. If you knew my dad, you would know how afaid of snakes he is it legendary!! but that day he was more afaid of my grandfather because he dove in and put the plug in the internal hull (see he remember top plug)and turned the bilge pump on all while under the snake and gator infested water. Slowly the boat surfaced full of lilly pads, fish, snakes and frogs. never did get all of the frog out. Spent the rest of the day having the boat fixed. Didn't tell my my grandfather about it until we were safe it tennessee.<br />that was the last time the plug was ever forgoten by my father.

 

[Snailman]

Re: Plugs

The first time I ever launched my boat by myself I forgot the plug.<br /><br />I launched it using my WAY TOO SMALL pickup truck. I knew I'd never get the boat back up the ramp with it but getting it into the water wasn't a problem. I was going to have the bigger truck available later.<br /><br />I got the stern in the water and the bilge pumps kicked in immediately. I tried pulling her back out but my little truck wouldn't budge and the added weight of the water didn't help.<br /><br />I eventually just got in the water... dunked myself under the outdrive and held my breath while putting the plug in. Nobody seemed to notice or perhaps they were just too polite to laugh in my face. I still thank God I didn't drop the plug while trying to get it in. (I didn't have a spare.)<br /><br />I've never done it again but I'll also never launch using the little truck again either!

 

[Juancho]

Re: Plugs

I have never forgoten the plug! By the way, did I mention that I am a pathelogical liar?

 

[magster65]

Re: Plugs

Guilty x 2.

 

[gemstone]

Re: Plugs

I just recently bought my second boat, the first was way back in 84. Much older Glasspar 17' - I never forgot the plug (only had it on the water twice) - The fist time was short test to make sure it ran ok - the second was to be an all day fishing trip on the Delaware Bay. That trip included wife, mother and all four youngsters. We got to a good fishin' spot and anchored up, fished for a while, then decided to move since nothing was biting. When I stood up and moved to start motor, the boat just heeled over and water started gushing up through the floorboard. Tried to start motor - guess what? Won't start. Pulled in anchors - detached one - grabbed rope, jumped in and started walking to shore, about a half mile away. The bay is pretty shallow and we were only in 5 feet of water, anchored just off the ship channel. Pretty uneventful walk except when I sterpped off into the channel. Had to swim back to the shallows. You ever pulled aboat full of people and water a half mile? We got a tow in froom where I beached her to the marina and pulled her out. Pulled the plug and got a gusher that just wouldn't stop. Found out we had a long crack in the fiberglass. It's taken me this long to get my wife out on the water in anything larger than the canoe. This time though we bought a metal hull, and made sure the bilge pump worked.

 

[n0ukf]

Re: Plugs

I haven't forgotten the plug yet, but I'm fairly new to boating on my own. I remember at least once though that Dad had one of us kids pull the plugs (main and under the floor) to let the water out while on plane (or ploughing, the bow is much higher). He forgot the plugs were out when he slowed and water started coming in. We had to get back on plane to drain water again and then plug it.