Boat Paddle away from 911 call!!!

Wife and i sent to regional park in Pine Bluff today to try a lil crappie fishin. we we were trollin around. caught 1 lil white bass. then the shad showed up!!!!i cant tell u how many. 100,000 of thousands really not kiddin.they were all 3-4 inches long. got net out and caught few dozen for bait. we decided to move out of area because soooo much bait there. Cori had never been in the main river so we went out and ran up river. water was much faster than i suspected it to be. after a couple miles i saw a place i wanted to check out.and BAM hit something, sheer pin snapped and just like that there we were. big motor down. i deployed trolling motor we were briefly caught in a huge eddie couldn't move. finally trolling motor on full blast broke free. figured... troll out to middle of river and drift back to harbor. moments later my power button stuck on trolling motor and then guess what...... foot peddle broke in half!!! we started spinning toward moored barges. we put on life jackets (i know i know). Cori grabbed my trusty paddle. headed at high rate of speed and spinning in current toward 3 barges. one had a flat bow other 2 had angled bows guess they would be in lead of barge. we had to hit the flat one or think we would have been in trouble. water was moving very fast. using paddle and pulsing the power on and off on trolling motor we managed to hit the flat one...we were pined there a moment and finally pushing and kickin we slipped around barge. paddled and drifted rest of the way to harbor. found help right a way and he dragged our broke and scared ass in!!! LIL 3 FOOT PADDLE SAVED OUR BUTTS!!!

Cori said she would never go on river again!!!!!

think i will go mix a drink and watch football now.
Fetmo:eek:

PS the very first thing that hot my mind as this was unfolding was...glad lil Toni Mae was with Nana and Papa!!!!!!!!!!

Treacherous water for sure when the AR river is up. I have a good friend (a commercial fisherman) who lost his wife a few years ago running trotlines/nets on the Mississippi when their boat overturned. He was able to hang onto a limb for several hours but she was washed downriver. I know I am as guilty as everyone else sometimes but we have to try to be ready for the unexpected when on the water....take nothing for granted. I'm sure that was a wakeup call for you any many others who read your post. We're just glad everything worked out ok this time and you and your wife are alright.

Glad everything worked out for you. Sure could have turned out bad.

God was watching over you folks

I can't say as I blame Cori for feeling that way!! What a day!!

glad u made it...i had a wake up call about 5 years ago when i hit a stump in my jon boat...fell out the back...wasn't wearing my kill switch and the boat circled and ran over me...i barely got of the way of the prop...very scary...i didn't fish for a year after that...shook me up so bad...needless to say, i'm very cautious now...hope u will be too

That river is a BEAST, especially after all the rain we've had. It's nowhere near flood stage down there and there are are no small craft warnings out but that river is a dangerous place to be, as you found out.

I am SO glad you two made it out alive. I hope you realize that you are very BLESSED (not lucky) because the good Lord was surely looking out for you.

More blessings to you and yours,

aj

BTW, whatEVER brand that trolling motor is...I would NEVER buy that brand again...EVER.

glad you guys made it out ok. Here is a link for you for the future. It is a daily graph of the river. they always put out an advisory when the flow is over 70,000 cfs.

http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/river.php?w...+River+Page%21

wow, I'm so glad you guys are ok.
so ..stupid question here.. are we supposed to wear our float vests all the time?

Praise The LORD you all are O.K.. I ALWAYS PRAY BEFORE I LEAVE THE HOUSE TO GO FISHING. I believe it helps.

:D you can also depend on a wife to get you out of trouble but I'd like to have seen the look on her face when you handed her a 3 foot paddle on the Arkansas river:confused:.
Glad ya'll made it back safe.....

after this experience i may wear mine even in the swimming pool...lol..but seriously i will allways wear mine on the river.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pomoxis

wow, I'm so glad you guys are ok.
so ..stupid question here.. are we supposed to wear our float vests all the time?

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be careful on the river heres another web site you can look at before you plan a trip.Water Management, Little Rock District, Corps of Engineers

Since you were going up river from the harbor, a couple of mile up river, I am guessing you were just below the 79 bridge on the left bank, correct? There is some nice fishing in that little back water there, but there is also an unmarked dike (or something) at that bak water. I used to live in PB a few years ago, and hit it 2 times untill I decided NOT to fish it unless I was in the canoe and just launched from the road. I also know of a couple guys that did the same thing, without the trolling motor issues.

No mess of crappie is worth going out on the river for right now. Too swift and too dangerous.

By law children are required to wear life jackets in boats until I think age 13, after that you are suppose to have one within arms reach of each person in the boat, or something like that. You can look up the regulations in your game and fish book or on their website at Arkansas wildlife ? Arkansas outdoors ? Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. It is a good idea to wear em while motoring although I'm guilty of not doing that always.


P.S. glad you guys were o.k. the river is scarry.

Totally messed up my reply, was trying to respond to Pomoxis's question about life vests.