When your Stuck on a Sandbar in a River??

[Missourivette]

What do some of you do when this happens to you? Especially Now on the Missouri River. I used to always carry a long oar to push off bar. Some guys Simply jump in the river and push boat off. EXTREMELY dangerous on the Missouri. Can't see the bottom. Frickin cold water. Lots of current ready to sweep you downstream. Better have a ladder to get back in the boat. The water depth can go from 2 icnhes to over your head real quick. Sandbars pop up anywhere. In the middle of the river is common. The last time we got stuck, I was in a 16 ft Alumacraft tiller we had to rock her back and forth for about 15 minutes while gunning the motor, for and back, and finally broke her out.
I have some ideas of making a long pipe with a flat end to push off the bottom/sandbar.
Any ideas appreciated.
DG

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Originally Posted by Missourivette

What do some of you do when this happens to you? Especially Now on the Missouri River. I used to always carry a long oar to push off bar. Some guys Simply jump in the river and push boat off. EXTREMELY dangerous on the Missouri. Can't see the bottom. Frickin cold water. Lots of current ready to sweep you downstream. Better have a ladder to get back in the boat. The water depth can go from 2 icnhes to over your head real quick. Sandbars pop up anywhere. In the middle of the river is common. The last time we got stuck, I was in a 16 ft Alumacraft tiller we had to rock her back and forth for about 15 minutes while gunning the motor, for and back, and finally broke her out.
I have some ideas of making a long pipe with a flat end to push off the bottom/sandbar.
Any ideas appreciated.
DG

That's a tough one. In a 16' tiller is one thing. I can't imagine what you would do in a 20' glass deep-V. In Florida there was an on-water tow service. Perhaps that's a need in your area.

Know your water I guess.

[Hawker]

I think if I was going to knowingly to be in that scenario, I'd have something in/on the boat specifically designed for moving a boat in shallow water! Either a buddy in another boat and a long rope, or a push pole like they use on flats boats, for example: (http://www.thesuperstick.com/store.html)

[fetchwillie]

It only happened to me once. Got lucky lifted up the stern drive got out and pushed it out with a life jacket on. That was on sand and was on Lewis and Clark by Yankton, SD

Years later we where on the Missouri river 15 miles South of chamberlain, SD. We noticed a boat caught up on a mud bank I raised up the stern drive a headed toward them REAL slow. I started hitting bottom and stopped a hundred yards from them and told them that I could not get any closer and that anyone needing a ride would need to come to me, at that time I had a 1950 Tyee with and I/O and an empty fuel tank. They yelled back and said they had help on the way. The next day we heard that someone went out and put a tractor tire under the boat and inflated it to get it off the mud bank. We heard the total bill was 1800.00 but ya never know about fishing stories. All I know is that where drunk and STUCK. !!! They must have been going fast, on plane to get that far in before hitting bottom.

[Ristorapper]

I know a lot of guys that carry waders in the boat. I don't own a pair so I have several oars in the boat. Was always gonna look for a push pole to put in the boat also but haven't yet.

Use caution and of course it is a little safer to work upstream rather than downstream if you think there are a lot of sandbars out there and you are unfamiliar with the area.

Be very cautious if you are involved in someone towing you/someone else off a sandbar. I jumped in the water to help a couple guys one day. Had buddies waders on and helped out only to get injured from a flying cleat that someone thought was strong enough to hook up to the tow boat with. Thing came at me like a missle. Punched a hole through the waders, my jeans and dug into my leg. And I volunteered to help complete strangers. Next time???? not so sure.....

[locomoto]

I fish the Wisconsin River a fair amount with a guy who lives on the river. He's been navigating the river by boat or canoe for about 35 years. In a sandy river with lots of current the bottom is always changing so you can't go by previous location of shallow water. What you can do is learn how to read the water. It is a skill that is learned over many hours on the water. Taking it slower is a good option also. Unfortunately none of these things help get you off of a sandbar.


Good luck.

[Missourivette]

Every year the sandbars change their location, size, etc. Trying to read the surface of the water is telling at times, but not always.
Hawker Thanks for the link. That superstick is similar to what I was thinking of. I think any point will only sink and get stuck into these sanbars, but is worth a try.
DG

[REW]

Here is a push stick that extends with a duck bill on the end to keep from digging into the sand bars.

http://www.thesuperstick.com/

REW

[dutchboy]

I have about a 7' chunk of conduit in the boat. I would guess it's 1/4". Anyway where I fish it's 90% rock bottom so I just push off. The nice thing is it lays right along the bottom of the storage compartment on the floor of the boat and it's almost impossible to step on.

[ameoba]

Can't say it's ever happened to me, but with a motor on the stern (main engine and/or kicker) and one on the front (troller), I would imagine that one of them could be deployed to help push/pull you off the bar too. If the water was warm(ish), I'd probably jump in and push. If it wasn't, I'd try to flag down another boater and see if the could give me a little pull with one of the longer lines I've got in the boat...