Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Ever haft to paddle the boat back?

Me, more than once.

My boat has a 90" beam, I would hate to have to paddle it back.

Every damned time I take this one out.

I have to paddle mine back almost every time I go out.
Of course canoes are like that unless one floats downstream to a takeout.

A friend ALWAYS said Always ALWAYS go upstream, one time he violated his rule and took his brother downstream from the launch point.
Luckily there were two paddles for them to use to get back upstream when they ran out of gas.

Fished a tournament for bass long ago and the fella I was paired with's motor died in the middle of the lake. Couldn't flag down any of the other contestants so I jumped in (water was about 4' deep) and started towing the boat back. After quite a long way someone noticed me towing the boat and finally came and offered a hand. Was one of those days!!!!

Always take the drift boat down stream.



Interesting reading books on the early Canadian exploration days. Those guys would spend months paddling/polling canoes upstream and burn up 3 or 4 days returning in the fall.

Been fortunate, unless its the canoe no paddling

When I was a teenager I was trapping below the boat ramp on a river. Motor quit 3 miles downstream. No one was on the river so I had to paddle upstream to the truck. 14 foot jon boat can be paddled but I had to paddle hard to make progress. When I made it to the boat ramp I was down to my T shirt sweating profusely and the temp was in the low 30s. Sounds tough until I think about the Lewis and Clark Expedition dragging boats and equipment upstream from MO over the Rockies.

Wife and I were fishing for pike in Canada, in a small, maybe 12' aluminum boat with a small outboard. We were so busy catching pike that we didn't realize we had drifted a long way from the shore where we had started. Time to leave, but the motor wouldn't start, so I ended up paddling all the way back. Good exercise!

Like life boats on the Titanic my boat has oars, trolling motor and gas motor. Even when they are declared unsinkable "Sh-t Happens".

Was out in the bay one day with brother and my son. Motor died. We were drifting farther out. Oar was missing.

Was to the point where I seriously considered swimming to shore to call for help. I knew better, I still know better but it was our best choice at the time. Good 1/2 mile swim in May temps on the Great Lakes - would have probably ended up bad all the way around but we were getting desperate as we were moving in the other direction. Shore wasn't getting closer.

Lucky someone came by and towed us in. Pure luck. I was kicking off my shoes and tying knots in the ends of my pant legs.

Hell we've had to carry them back more than once.

I have! That’s why I have a bow mounted trolling motor on a 24v system, a main outboard, kicker, and an extra battery and a set of tools in the boat.

I tried paddling back but the waves were too much. I was lucky and someone towed me in. We were going to wash up on a bunch of rocks and would have been there all night.but got lucky. Now days , I have a 5 horse kicker that should keep me out of trouble. I fish the northern part of Green Bay in Upper Michigan. You need be ready cause you will end up dead. " Always be prepared for the elements of surprise"" Fred Bear.