Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: anthropisces on December 19, 2020, 05:02:40 PM
-
I live at about the Snohomish/Skagit border and I've bought a boat this year and have started using it to pursue ducks. Its an 18' Gregor with a 40hp motor and sponsons welded onto the transom. Its basically a large row-boat shape.
I'm hesitant to say "I have a lot of boating experience" because pride goeth before a fall. I have been boating for 40 years and most of that was in Florida in larger boats.
Here where I live, I'm launching in some local rivers to access duck hunting grounds.
I'm looking at both tides and river conditions (which are also strongly a function of tides where I hunt). Right now, I see that the river height is comparatively high, and the water flow is comparatively great.
How do you respond to high river flow conditions? Do you avoid them or accept them as part and parcel of hunting out here? They are a direct function of precipitation and we get a lot of it. I am doubting that folks wait for flow rates to decrease because some of the best duck hunting occurs when it is raining.
Given the amount and size of driftwood that I see in the bays, and through talking with other hunters, I understand that some big logs can be in the current.
A hunter must pilot their boat in these conditions, often with rain coming down, and in early morning or evening darkness.
So please comment on these things.
-
I use caution when in the salt. I use 50x caution when I am in the river.
In the salt, you pretty much have 360 degrees you can go at any moment, in the river with a smaller boat, you often may have 45 degrees or less to avoid hitting a bank or taking water over the side or going into another bad spot or situation.
Current is something to respect, if you look at how many boats have sunk at the mouth of the Columbia vs offshore, it's really eye opening. On top of that, the smaller the river, the fewer options for navigation and avoidance.
High water covers all kinds of hazards as does darkness. There are some waters I will cautiously run in the dark, but I have been on them for years, know where the likely problems are and realize there is a decent chance I'm going to hit something. I wouldn't run in the dark where hitting something would result in water on the wrong side of the keel.
-
For me, high water means I can get anywhere i want. Thats assuming you have a jet drive also. I'm not worried about dead heads because I'll skip right over them. I don't hunt rivers, but I fish the hell out of them. I'm definitely more worried about running the skykomish in August than I am now!! Hope that helps.
-
Has anyone here ever hit a large, free-floating log in a river?
-
You are wise to be thinking these things through and inquiring.
I mostly run the Skagit for ducks in winter in a much less seaworthy boat - 15' Lowe modified V hull with prop. The key issues I've experienced are wind opposing the tides and river flows - especially during king tides like we're having right now. Sucks to come back in in serious standing waves you didn't anticipate and taking them over the bow. Additionally, barometric pressure changes can have an effect on water levels that is difficult to predict.
Best advice I can give is know your routes and all the cut pilings, snags, etc and have a sense for what tide levels they are a hazard to prop. Additionally, check national weather service marine forecast - particularly hourly wind forecast. I personally don't go when it predicts waves greater than 4 feet in the zone I plan to be in.
-
I like to find new spots on rivers or tidal areas in the daylight at low tide, so I can mentally note whether I would want to run it in the dark and where to generally position the boat. Saw a brand new boat out last weekend that would have been totally stranded had the tides not been as favorable (assuming they planned to spend all day hunting). When I had a jet, I didn’t worry as much but now that I have gone back to a prop... think I’m due for my second prop in 5 years. Current one isn’t too bad (just a small crack) but the last one got a decent sized hole in one of the blades. It’s only a matter of time when you run the rivers. Also, my experience is that it’s better to run no lights in the dark. I’ve run big led light bars, but it doesn’t seem to help and blinds anyone else you come in contact with.
-
Has anyone here ever hit a large, free-floating log in a river?
Yeah, in a river and in the salt. They aren't fun, but less dangerous than fixed objects for sure.
-
Pnwrider, your comment about lights is just what I was about to ask next. I've been looking for a big light bar because I thought I'd better light up the whole place.
Stupid question but how do you see? Do you just use maybe a small headlamp or flashlight?
I haven't encountered standing waves out here yet. I'm easing myself into this. I have dealt with them many times though-huge ones while piloting larger (but still very vulnerable) ocean boats. I have no way to trim my current motor up and also the sponsons prevent the bow from going up very high. This is a a benefit and a disadvantage. The transom is resistant to sinking but it would also not be possible to stick the bow in the air like I used to do coming in through large standing waves when departing to or returning from the open sea.
-
Lights on boats aren't like lights on cars, roads are flat and the car doesn't generally bounce up and down and you aren't trying to see stuff just below the road surface.
I have tried big lights, small lights, headlamps and handheld. The best I have done is with a bright headlamp with as little side throw as possible, you want as close to a laser as possible. If there is any moon, natural night vision with no lights is best. If there is fog, well, it's not good. Either way, leave early and go slow. Chart plotters help to keep you on a known path so you can rule out some variables and just look for floaters and dead heads.
If you have a flood light or light not mounted on the bow, there will be way too much reflection and ruin your night vision. Even if it is bow mounted and perfect, you don't see as much as you would think or like.
Depending on where you hunt, it may not even be important to be out at daylight. Try running it in good conditions several times and see if you even need to be running in the dark and get used to the conditions and obstacles.
-
That's great advice Stein. I need to move away from focusing on scoring ducks and instead spend my time learning how to navigate during full daylight. Then I can be better prepared to head out in darkness. I've only been out with the boat four times out here.
-
One of my favorite parts of bay hunting is that you don't have to be at the parking lot at 2 am to get a spot. Wait until the Seahawks game starts, sleep in and get a good breakfast and have the place to yourself when the tides and schedule is right.
Lift jacket and kill cord thing are obviously a good idea as is a cell phone and a buddy.
-
One of my favorite parts of bay hunting is that you don't have to be at the parking lot at 2 am to get a spot. Wait until the Seahawks game starts, sleep in and get a good breakfast and have the place to yourself when the tides and schedule is right.
Lift jacket and kill cord thing are obviously a good idea as is a cell phone and a buddy.
:yeah:
-
I run a short section of river in the dark that I know extremely well. I've been through this section no less than 1000 times in my life. A few years ago in a buddies sled with my young nephew on board we hit a stump that I knew was there, just couldn't see it because of fog on the rivers surface. Got broadside and almost swamped. Quick action got us off but it was an eye opener. Even in water you know intimately accidents can happen. Know it as well as you can, move slow, and be ready for the worst.
I don't mind high water, the only down side is it moves faster. I don't like anything nearing flood stage as the wood really starts moving. That is what spooks me.
-
Handheld light works well. Easy to turn on and off , fog and light bars don't mix well. If in the dark, go slow,like 5mph, you can see logs at slow speeds. Daylight exploration is good to familiarize with area, I used to go in a 12ft, after 20 yrs, moved up to a 14ft. I always have my mustang camo coat on.
-
Has anyone here ever hit a large, free-floating log in a river?
Yes
-
So, being a river fisherman and duck hunter I'm going to add a few things. High water is a prop boaters friend, that said make sure you have enough power for the high water. I've seen guys hunting in smallish underpowered boats struggling against currents. Since we live in what used to be logging country every rain event changes the rivers, some small changes and some can be quite significant. LEARN to read water flows and current patterns, this can save your life literally. Because of logging, bank erosion etc there's always something floating down the rivers some can be large and mostly underwater some can be just under the surface. I've hit them, it isn't fun. I hate running in the dark period, but I hate the guys with these super bright light bars even more. Most think that they can see so they go like hell and blind the crap out of everyone else on the water. Besides that most of them are illegal. My only other thing I'd say is that in "fast water" boats with a v bottom exaggerate small motion so keep that in mind.
Use decent common sense, go as fast as you need to to get to where you're going. Wear a life jacket, and keep your cell phone in a zip lock bag.
-
Stein pretty much covered it. I too have tried it all. I run with my nav lights on only and hope for some good moon light. Fog sucks both to hunt in and drive a boat in. I try to avoid it, but if I can’t, I go slow and know it’s gonna take 3 times longer to drive in.
-
I went down to the Stillaguamish with the boat today and ended up just dipping the transom in so I could run the motor for a bit. It poured last night and the river was just a few feet from cresting the banks. The current was running so hard that it was making suction sounds around the snags sticking out of the water and whirlpools were forming, breaking loose and spinning down river for a while before fizzling out.
I very nearly went out it in, just to get the hang of running in those conditions.
The graphic below is the discharge rate for today, from the nearest USGS station on the river. Do you folks use this sort of data to determine whether you'll head out?
-
Head up to Haller Park, you can jump on the Centennial Trail and get on the bridge over the Stilly. The North and South Fork converge right there, it's pretty crazy to see the currents sometimes and can give you an idea if you want to run in those conditions or not.
Flow can give you some idea of what to expect if you have been out in that level but as others have stated, rivers change every day. The flood levels can absolutely give you a ton of info on where will flood if you are looking for staying on land.
If it were me, I would let it settle a bit, we're going to get a bunch of rain tomorrow and it will be ripping for sure. Check out the bridge, it's cool to see the force of a small river when it's up. The Stilly goes from nothing to flood at the drop of a hat, I usually see it almost daily and am still amazed at how quickly it can become a different river.
I moved to WA from MT in 98, ran all kinds of rivers back home in every sort of craft including a cooler once without thinking about it. I was never at the mouth though obviously. Way, way different story out here with the tides and all the upstream land pouring water and debris in. We never had logs or flash flood like conditions.
My #1 lesson was you pick your time and day and don't be afraid to stay home or turn around. Luckily I had small cheap boats when I learned most of my lessons.
You might want to try to find some people that have more experience to tag along with, I don't run the river this time of year or I would, I'm only on it fishing but someone might take you out a few times if you look around. I've been lucky to have people on this forum teach me more in a day than I would have learned in a season by myself.
-
I read the USGS data almost every day, mostly for the fishing. It is very helpful. Although a high river looks intimidating, it is usually flattened out with an even current. The debris is biggest obstacle. Run it, smartly.
-
I've never had two motors on a boat and that goes for this little 18' Gregor. The (1984 suzuki DT40) motor on the boat seems reliable but I've only had it for six months and used it a handful of times. Two motors can be a backup plan, towing a kayak can be a backup plan.
When I see a river doing what the Stilly looked like a few days ago, the idea of what I'd do in the event of an engine failure occurs to me.
There was a pretty impressive safety net in Florida where I boated for many years. In general you could have a tow boat on the scene within an hour and sometimes faster. We all carried towing insurance for $150 a year and I used it several times including getting towed in from the backcountry in the Florida keys. I had an electrical fire on the engine that day.
The coast guard was also a backup in Florida. Marine radios were on just about every boat and if you hailed on channel 16 a lot of folks were going to hear you. I guess there aren't enough people on the water in these backwaters for it to be profitable to maintain the fleet of hovercrafts that would be required to cover all the possibilities here.
Out in these back bays there's nothing like that so far as I know.
-
When I think of snohomish -skagit border, I am thinking north of smokey point, if you are duck hunting with that big of a boat, you are limited to where you can go but my mind is thinking that you are launching from mill slough for south bay, milltown for north bay or headquarters or blakes resort for north bay, haller park is many miles away. A good backup plan is oars, if the boat is too large for oars, you will have a tough time in the mud flats, but the oars would help to navigate a little, not sure if you have been to the bayfronts as you have not said or I missed it, I have not seen waves so big in 40mph wind that I could not make it back in, stay near the channels and stumps. Hope this helps a little bit. :dunno:
-
Has anyone here ever hit a large, free-floating log in a river?
As said. Free floating debris has more give and can be more visible than fixed debris. I have hit most everything you can in the river. My outboard isn't locked down so it can kick up freely. I have had friends run aground on full step, one broke his hip. My dad gored his leg on a cleat. None of this was high water related, just being to bold on an unfamiliar river.
High river isn't a huge deal if you know the river. I would go out at low tide and lower flow and scout it out. Best bet is to fish a bunch next summer. I can run the south fork of the Skagit with my eyes closed thanks to my little friend the cutthroat trout.
-
I hit a submerged log or stump or something today. I saw the water swirling right before I hit it. I was in the process of violating the cardinal sin of boating, which was that I was not looking in front of me. Instead I took my eyes off the water for ten seconds to look at some tidal data on my phone.
But I wasn't going fast and the motor has a skeg/prop protector so it just kicked up and went over it. It was no big deal.
Here's a photo of a small log floating past the transom a few minutes later, when I had beached the boat.
-
I use a macs skeg protector best $ spent. Lots of guys eat props on the river including ke before i started using rhe skeg protector. Lots of learni g needed to run the river. Especially low tide low light.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk