Boat Safety---WINDS

Yesterday, the winds got pretty rough on Sardis with 3 foot swells coming straight down the lake. Most called it a day and headed in. Ramp was full of boats leaving. When I got to the bank there was a 15 foot Jon boat very small outboard. I figured they had came in like most everyone else and waiting to trailer. Went to get my truck and made my way back down and man and lady had loaded that boat with 3 small kids. Headed out the channel to the main lake---passing other BIG boats that were coming in. Two of those kids were sitting in the front of the boat. The smallest was being held by the mom in the middle. It did appear all had life vest on.

There were several folks that watched them load up and leave. I got back down to my boat I told several nearby that I couldn't believe he took them out like that. They all said, yeah, we can't either.

Maybe its just me, but sometimes I think its "OK" to say something to someone, especially if kids are involved. If I would have been down there, I would have done all I could to talk him out of heading out. All I"m thinking is a wave over the boat, or hits a stump and the kids go flying. Water level like it is is dangerous enough, much less 3-4 waves.

Some people just don't know the dangers. Others I caulk up for just being stupid. Either or, kids depend on adults. I trust they made it back in. I've seen a lot of crazy things at Holiday Lodge in the last 35 years! That just bothered me though.

I was there also saw the guy with trolling motor on both ends of 14' jon. We're leaving before he took out from ramp. I was hopeful he was going to fish along the Dam he had cat fishing gear.

How did y'all do fishing.

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Originally Posted by sharphook

How did y'all do fishing.

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caught a few single pole...I don't do the trolling thing. Hate it.

Lakes have been rough lately for sure and you can't fix stupid.

Scares me to think about it.

There was one of the members here who saw the same kind of thing a couple years back. Small boat loaded down with people and gear leaving out of Engineers Point when the lake was in an angry mood. They made it about a quarter way down the dam and took a wave over the bow that sunk the boat in a blink. The Crappie.com member and a few other boats raced out to them and pulled everyone out of the water safely. Only the nose of the jon boat was sticking out of the water when they got to the people. It can happen in the blink of an eye

I hate to admit it but my very first time on Sardis and maybe second or third time taking out my boat at all(first boat I've ever owned) I had no idea what I was doing and got myself into a bad situation. My brother in law was down there camping with some friends and the wife and I decided to make a day trip down there that Saturday to meet up and hang out on the lake. I had never even been to Sardis before, my family used to camp at Enid when I was a kid to stay away from the crowds at Sardis. The only ramp I had directions to was Engineers point but they were hanging out way up the lake near Holliday Lodge. My brother in law met us in his boat at the ramp and we followed him back to the cove where they had tied up the other boats and were hanging out. The spot where they had tied up was too deep for my daughter to be able to touch so after a while we left the group and found a beach to pull up on so she could play and swim. We played in the sand and water all day and by the time we started packing up to head in, some weather had started rolling in. By the time we got the boat loaded and started heading back across the lake it was right on top of us. I think this had been a holiday weekend so there had been a ton of boats churning up the water all day and then once the weather rolled in and the wind picked up it got very rough. It was me, my wife, and my 6 year old daughter in an 16 foot aluminum boat trying to make it from a beach near Holiday Lodge all the way back to engineers point all the way at the other end and other side of the lake. We just stayed as close as we could to the bank and chugged along slowly. I tried to speed up just enough to get us on plane a couple times to try to smooth out the ride but every time I did it seemed we would hit a big wave that scared the crap out of me and I would slow it back down. Probably took me an hour and a half to get back to the ramp. I said I would never let myself get into a situation like that on the water again and so far I haven't. I'll never forget how scared I was trying to make it across that lake with my little girl in the boat. Funny thing is, she was so tired from the day on the lake that she slept in my wife's arms the whole time, didn't wake up when we would hit big waves, didn't wake up when the rain started, only woke up when we were getting her out of the boat once we made it to the ramp.

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Originally Posted by BigKyd

I hate to admit it but my very first time on Sardis and maybe second or third time taking out my boat at all(first boat I've ever owned) I had no idea what I was doing and got myself into a bad situation. My brother in law was down there camping with some friends and the wife and I decided to make a day trip down there that Saturday to meet up and hang out on the lake. I had never even been to Sardis before, my family used to camp at Enid when I was a kid to stay away from the crowds at Sardis. The only ramp I had directions to was Engineers point but they were hanging out way up the lake near Holliday Lodge. My brother in law met us in his boat at the ramp and we followed him back to the cove where they had tied up the other boats and were hanging out. The spot where they had tied up was too deep for my daughter to be able to touch so after a while we left the group and found a beach to pull up on so she could play and swim. We played in the sand and water all day and by the time we started packing up to head in, some weather had started rolling in. By the time we got the boat loaded and started heading back across the lake it was right on top of us. I think this had been a holiday weekend so there had been a ton of boats churning up the water all day and then once the weather rolled in and the wind picked up it got very rough. It was me, my wife, and my 6 year old daughter in an 16 foot aluminum boat trying to make it from a beach near Holiday Lodge all the way back to engineers point all the way at the other end and other side of the lake. We just stayed as close as we could to the bank and chugged along slowly. I tried to speed up just enough to get us on plane a couple times to try to smooth out the ride but every time I did it seemed we would hit a big wave that scared the crap out of me and I would slow it back down. Probably took me an hour and a half to get back to the ramp. I said I would never let myself get into a situation like that on the water again and so far I haven't. I'll never forget how scared I was trying to make it across that lake with my little girl in the boat. Funny thing is, she was so tired from the day on the lake that she slept in my wife's arms the whole time, didn't wake up when we would hit big waves, didn't wake up when the rain started, only woke up when we were getting her out of the boat once we made it to the ramp.

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Glad it worked out. I've had my share of not so fun trips on the lake. The wind and storms can come in so fast its dangerous. I'm always checking my phone for weather on the lake.

I passed that boat in the outlet channel as we we're coming in and shook my head....Yes they all had life vests on but dang!! I'd had enough and was in a 20/72 boat. It wouldn't matter if you had signs up, some people just shouldn't be turned loose ....
Watched another boat fighting waves crashing over the front trying to push into the wind. Out of towners of course. Just another day on the Atlantic ocean

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My biggest takeaway was plan ahead, know weather forecast and what part of the lake you plan on being on whether you are fishing or pleasure boating or whatever and find and use the ramp closest to that area to reduce the risk of being caught in bad weather or stranded miles from the ramp.

The knuckleheads at the ramp are generally more dangerous then any windy day on Sardis IMHO

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Originally Posted by BigKyd

My biggest takeaway was plan ahead, know weather forecast and what part of the lake you plan on being on whether you are fishing or pleasure boating or whatever and find and use the ramp closest to that area to reduce the risk of being caught in bad weather or stranded miles from the ramp.

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Easier said than done this time so far, low water gives it very little options.

Guys a few years ago some duck hunters came by me in a 20 ft cab boat with 8 hunters. I said to a buddy of mine that boat has to be over loaded. It was rough and wind blowing about 20 About an hour later I got 05word 3 had drowned on the boat. They were under power and let off real fast when they saw some ducks. Water went over back and the three in the cab didn't get out. That boat sunk in less than 20 seconds


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We are lucky to have smart phones with instant radar and weather alerts. Back in the 80's we had no warning except dark clouds. I got caught in a July thunderstorm that produced a tornado. I was 10 miles up The Tennessee River right at dark headed back to JP COLEMAN. I was in my fiberglass bass boat back then. Storm came out of nowhere and hit us on the main river right at the mouth of bear creek. Waves were so high they were coming over the front and out the back. Had The bilge pump going but water was filling the floor. A buddy of mine noticed an ice bag had covered the drain in the floor. It got so dark we couldn't see the bank except when the lightning would strike. By the time we found a protective Cove we were about a mile and a half back the way we had come from and didn't even know it. Wish I had a GPS back then with a lake map! Needless to say I keep up with the Weather pretty regular now days. Scary times!


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I was on Sardis I think it was 2013 when straight line winds came thru. Reported 100 MPH in Memphis. Had it not been for a cell phone and my mom calling to warn me, I might not be here today. I've never seen wind go from calm to near hurricane force winds in a matter of minutes. All I could do is hit the bank full speed at hurricane and jump out. No way I would have made it without a phone call. Those crappie were going crazy ahead of that wind. And there wasn't any lightening or indications to speak of before it hit. It just hit. Usually, I'm looking west and can see it coming and time to get safely back.

Be prepared to pull onto the bank in a cove and wait it out. It will calm down sooner or later.

While working at Enid we were helping get boats off the water at Pleasant ridge and some were putting in at Longbranch . You can not tell them not to go out ,only advise . Did my heart good to go pick them up an hour later . Nothing but a bow light showing . JADA !

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Originally Posted by 27458

I was on Sardis I think it was 2013 when straight line winds came thru. Reported 100 MPH in Memphis. Had it not been for a cell phone and my mom calling to warn me, I might not be here today. I've never seen wind go from calm to near hurricane force winds in a matter of minutes. All I could do is hit the bank full speed at hurricane and jump out. No way I would have made it without a phone call. Those crappie were going crazy ahead of that wind. And there wasn't any lightening or indications to speak of before it hit. It just hit. Usually, I'm looking west and can see it coming and time to get safely back.

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Is that the same one that tore the marina down? If so, I was there. I won't ever forget the sound it was making as it got closer. It was calm and I was fishing out of a narrow 14 ft Jon boat. I was nosed way back in some buck brush and I heard that whistling sound from a distance. By the time it got up on me I was worried I wouldn't be able to get that little boat turned around because I had to back into those waves to get my boat out of the thicket. What a relief when I finally got turned around. I didn't have enough time to make it off the lake though. I pulled into a protected pocket and sat on the bank and watched the firework show. I got off the lake at 10 that night. U gotta respect it.

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Originally Posted by bird down

Is that the same one that tore the marina down? If so, I was there. I won't ever forget the sound it was making as it got closer. It was calm and I was fishing out of a narrow 14 ft Jon boat. I was nosed way back in some buck brush and I heard that whistling sound from a distance. By the time it got up on me I was worried I wouldn't be able to get that little boat turned around because I had to back into those waves to get my boat out of the thicket. What a relief when I finally got turned around. I didn't have enough time to make it off the lake though. I pulled into a protected pocket and sat on the bank and watched the firework show. I got off the lake at 10 that night. U gotta respect it.

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Probably so. That was a very unique storm.

Sardis earned my respect a few years back. I overheard some folks talking about if it blows straight down the lake you don't wanna be fishing at the dam... well I had been catching a lot of fish in the wrong place. I figured it couldn't get rougher that Barnett in a SW 35 mph wind... right???
WRONG. I was longlining and I swear out of nowhere a wave come over the trolling motor.. shortly followed by a few more..enough that the bilge pumps can on before I could get the trolling motor up. I grabbed poles and threw them in the boat.. didn't roll up nothing. Will (son) was about 5 then (he's 8 now) and he was the only one that thought it was "cool".
That was the quickest I have ever seen a lake get that rough.. it got my full attention/respect that day.

Boat sunk yesterday. I watched them get it out at holiday lodge. Not sure what happened. It was upside down. They finally got it to the bank and winched it over. Looked like the motor was way to big for the boat to me.