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Great job on handling it well! If you are ever in the situation again and you find out that you do have your plug in the boat then the best option is to run your boat with the bow up high with the plug out of the boat to release the water. Glad you didn’t sink!
Greg Preston Have had the same thing happen to my mate and I years ago in Gladstone, Queensland. We were heading out to the reef and realized that neither of us had put the bung in. By the time we got out of the channels and could come up on the plane, we were wondering why it felt so heavy. We soon found out. My mate finally got it up on the plane and all the water eventually drained out, then I leaned over the back while it was up and screwed the bung in.
I’m aware of this too (and have done it once), but I wonder if that little outboard on Lawson’s boat could plane out the rig with thousands of extra pounds of water in it. Easy to do with a 250, maybe not a 60 or whatever it is
To find the leak on the trailer, put the plugs in and fill the bilge with fresh water from the hose. Then get under the boat and look for the leak. It’s safer than launching again and it will help rinse the salt out. I found a hair line crank in the weld on a Crestliner that way.
Exciting video the watch, Thanks Lawson! I've had similar things happen twice. Once I forgot to put the plug in, another time the fiberglass developed a big crack. A couple things to think about. #1, Unless the foam floatation is waterlogged AF, boats are built with enough buoyancy to prevent sinking. #2, Your bilge pump was probably clogged with something, maybe a plastic bag. Once you clear the clog you'll know to keep an eye on stuff that might block it in the future. #3, Batteries will keep working even when flooded. It will almost certainly reduce their capacity any you will need to replace them if submerged. #4 There is little if any risk of getting shocked by a submerged 12 volt battery (even if you have 2 batteries wired for 24 volts.) Good luck sorting the problem out!
Dude don't put it in the water. Put the plug in it, get a hose, fill it with some water and look underneath to see if any is coming out anywhere. Unless you want to sink again...
When you show your son, I feel like your gonna be the Roland Martin of salt water some day. Love that your content is back to “normal” feels more like the old Lawson videos. Keep ‘em comin.
Check your hoses for your pumps and drains. They'll crack overtime and fill your boat full of water. Make sure you use the proper hose for below water applications if that is the case, even if it's not, may be worth changing then anyway for peace of mind, because it will happen at some point.
You don’t need to go to the ramp. Just fill the bilge with a garden hose and see where the water leaks. It will rinse of some of the salt. If that fails just fit the hose to the livewell intake and fill the well. See if it leaks in the bilge. Also, sticking your hand in the water with the battery is safe. No danger there. Replace bilge pump anyway. Submerged battery is not a big deal. Better to avoid it but it will work still. Leaks are usually either a broken weld or a hose connected to the livewell. Usually the later. Take it from a tracker boat dealer.
Man this brings back some memories. The first time I took my nitro out I was fishing for hours noticed water seeping up like yours and freaked! I did the same thing just hustled back to the ramp. Ended up making it. My love well Hose cracked at the pump and blew out so water was just pumping in. Glad you made it back be safe!
This same thing happened to me and my buddy on his dad's boat while we were offshore. He noticed the bilge pump was constantly pumping out water and opened up the inside and there was a bunch of water. The livewell PVC connector had cracked and so the pump was just pumping water right into the hull... scary stuff
Same thing happened to me. The livewell pump motor cracked off the housing it sits on. I was running and gunning and it filled my boat up fast. Luckily I was able to beach the boat.
It’s very nice to see everyone supporting. I also want to say next time don’t worry about sticking your hand in the battery department 12 volts won’t hurt that much lol or if anything just switch them off.
Voltage doesn't kill but amperage does. You can weld with 12 volt batteries. But you are correct that it won't hurt much as everything will cease to hurt. The likelihood of getting shocked is low there though I believe as you would need to become part of the circuit and the salt water is likely to dead short across the poles first.
Dude I don’t know what other fishing CZcamsrs have gone through but what life has thrown at YOU and the fact that you’re still kicking is amazing bro! Keep on rockin God is with you! You’re the goat dude 😂😂😂
Good thing you’ve been fishing from boats most of your life. Good thing you were close to where you put in. Good thing you were able to beach the boat to gather your perspective and make a wise decision. Good thing that life preserver worked so well to bring your attention to what could have been a MUCH different situation. Lawson, have you thought about giving the makers of that preserver some acknowledgment about how it worked so well when exposed to water it helped you save yourself, all your gear, and your boat? Just a thought from one of your subscribers. Glad you’re okay and safe at home. I appreciate the reality. PS - very smart not to put your hand in water where any form of electricity is operating.
Make sure you check all of your hoses and the connections to them. A good friend of mine had one of his hoses disconnect and his boat filled with water. You can also wait for the boat to be fully dry and fill the boat from the drain in the floorboard and see if any water runs or leaks. My strong suggestion would be the first check your keel which is running down the center of your boat and it stops about 2/3 of the way down. I had crack in my keel which I had repaired professionally and then put a keel shield over my boat. I have a 2008 175TXW tracker coastal series
I was stressing a little bit watching that. Whew! Good job on handling the situation. **While your boat is on the trailer, hook a garden hose to your neighbors hose bib and fill your boat back up with nice clean fresh water and then look for the leak. BOOM! You're welcome! ;-)
It's definitely something to do with your live well because when you pulled it out water wasn't coming from anywhere noticable plus you would have noticed it sooner if it was anything but because I'm betting it started filling up once you put bait in your well. Should be a quick easy fix. My guess is the recirculation line.
Looks like a fun day on the water! The Tracker will never actually sink (or it shouldn't) it's completely full of foam. I would put the plug back in on land, throw the hose in it and start filling it up. It was already mentioned, but I'll second it: If you get no leaks there, then you know its something with a cracking/broken intake hose which would be bringing water in from the outside. I'm a Pro Team 185 owner myself and think the Trackers are a great value.
I thought I was paranoid for keeping a spare drain plug with me! Definitely don't feel paranoid now! EDIT: You handled it well! You kept calm and stayed rational. Props! 🍻
I know the feeling me and my brother n law was so excited to get on Lake Palestine Tx 2 weeks ago after only a few minutes of being on the water maybe 100 yards from the docks I hooked something trolling. While reeling in I happened to look down and saw water coming through the vent it was my first time on a boat since 20yrs ago. So I ask is this supposed to be happening 🙄...He said "Oh Sh!t" in my mind I was like oh sh!t what...To make a long story short we forgot to put the plug in 🤷🏿♂️ Funny thing is while driving there he said the most important thing is to put the plug in...good thing he kept a spare...sheesh
Put the plug in. Take the batteries out. Fill the boat with fresh water, look for any leaks. If no leak drain it, plus the fresh water will help flush your boat out when it drains. I had the same thing happen with the same model boat, but it was the plug came out. Now with my gheenoe I bring 4 plugs just in case. Tight lines
Scary stuff. You can put the plugs in and fill with fresh water on the trailer and see if any leaks out before putting it back in the water. Also i change my bilge pump annually and keep the spare with alligator clamps and hose to create a pump i can drop in if the one on the boat isn't working. Keep up the great work. Take care of that assistant.
No need to worry about getting zapped by 24 volts..glad you got it back home..me and my friend got air lifted after his whaler decided to rip in half. Boating is dangerous when in doubt beach it 👍
I too have an aluminum boat. And it wound up leaking on me as bad as yours did. Turned out that the bottom of the boat was scuffed on bottom from hitting rocks and other debris. That caused the paint to wear off the bottom and exposed the metal. Found out that the chemicals they use to treat the bunk boards has a chemical reaction when mixed with salt water and it started to pit the aluminum. They were the tiniest of holes that let a lot of water in. Way I found out that that's where it was leaking from was I filled the inside of the boat and watched where the water would leak out from. Maybe something youight want to look into. Best of luck to you.
Check to make sure you don’t have crack somewhere in the hull. The trackers are kind of known for it in some years. Also it could be a leak in the livewell hose. I would start by putting the livewell plug in the back of the boat and fill it with water and see if water starts coming out of the hoses. I would also put plug in the boat itself and fill it up some with water and check for leaks in the hull. It could be leaking around the thru hull fitting itself. Good luck man and hopefully you get it sorted out.
Glad you made it back home and everything is fine the boat can always be fixed glad you "d on time are also what have been a different scenario can't wait to see what the problem is
We used to have an aluminum boat that had a sweet crack in the bow lol. We would fish for a while and when our feet started getting wet someone would drive full speed while the other pulled the plug and let it drain out the back. Once it was dry again we would get back to fishing
Keep a hand pump on the boat. I like to plug the boat from the inside. Good idea running up onto the beach. I might install a second bilge pump in my boat now. Things can go real bad fast. Glad you saved the boat. Goodluck diagnosing. Interested to hear what caused it.
Install a bilge pump. Place one down there onto the stern and firewall. Make this one automatic and install one into the hill. Make this one Manual. Then add a 270 CCA motor cycle battery for back up power. And carry a manual pump. The mistake you made was you didn’t tighten the plug before you launched.
I left the drainplug out of my boat one time. It was an older 17 Mako and luckily I noticed it only 30 yards from the boat ramp. Put it back on the trailer and let the water out, lesson learned!
Regardless of the leak location I would use a different type of plug as the kind u push in and tighten not the flip up type. We had a old metal boat back years ago it leaked a bit and we would get on plane (30 mph) and take out the plug to drain the water as that boat had a flip up plug that went in on inside was a pain to reach under and grab it or put it back in.
If you ever find yourself missing a plug. Stuff the hole with a soft plastic bag. A plastic shopping bag like ones from the supermarket. Some times referred to a tee shirt bag. Works on hull cracks by jamming the bag in the crack with a knife or flat head screwdriver. Only one thing worse then taking on water…….that not knowing where its coming from!!!!
If it's not the live well pump/hose; best way is to fill the boat with water on the trailer {chock the tires} and the compromise will show by where it leaks out
You did the right thing! Def need to get the boat moving and get to the shore if you can't make the ramp. Nice job handling a super scary situation! In order to find the leak, you can fill the boat with water while at home and crawl underneath to see if you can find any drips. If its not the hull, then start running water through all your hoses. Judging by your bilge pumps poor performance, I wonder if water was getting in through there?
My man! You're a champ for filming it! I once forgot to put in my plug when launching..... ONCE!! Pulled it out, drained it, installed the plug, and relaunched. The "drive of shame" they call it. $hit happens bro, way to hold your head up! Love your channel btw. Been a sub for Years!
Been there Laweson… scary shit! Took my boat to 4 different shops and they didn’t solve the problem. 🤬 …sold the boat. Glad you’re ok. Hope you solve the problem!
Disconnect your batteries and fill the hull up with fresh water and some food dye, should be pretty obvious where the leak in the aluminium is once the water is coloured.
Jsut saying but I carry a manual Bible pump with me all the time and it's helped me in a situation like this too. Not much but it definitely helped me from going under. You handled it great tho man. Keep it up.
Nice save Lawson.. lol. been there. I have a thought on where the water may be coming from. Check your rivets/seams on that boat. Could be leaking in somewhere from a seam. If you need help fixing lmk, i have a aircraft rivet gun that I restored my aluminum boat with. 🤙🏼
I think it’s time to go through your boat and fix everything that needs to be fixed.I had the same thing happen to me but the good thing is that I was still at the dock. I went cast netting for live bait for about half a hour,when I got back I noticed that the motor was lower in the water than normal I had hell getting it on the trailer…I forgot to put the plug in,ruined my fishing trip.
Sorry about your boat. Hope you figure it out. Oh the joys of owning a boat. A suggestion : ditch the flip style plugs and go to the screw in type. Glad you stayed calm and safe.
If you get your boat up on plain the drain is out of the water and it'll drain. This is the main reason I have two pumps in mine. They seem to fail randomly. ✌️
The best way to diagnose this problem is by water testing the boat. First start with the hull. Get a garden hose and fill the hull up to your water line. Look for any water around the running surface or below the water line. If you don’t see any, release the drain plug. Now goto the live well. Fill the live well and release the drain plug. If their is a leak, you’ll see it in the plug. If no water, then goto your hoses & pumps. Get a male slip connector or hose that has the outside diameter of the thru-hulls inside diameter. Goto the other end and plug the outlet end of the hose. Cut the hose on just long enough to where you hear pressure build, but DO NOT LEAVE IT ON” because you will create a leak then. Check each hose and pump for leaks. None of these work, then buy a new boat LOL. Basically saying that you will find the problem with your boat this way. If you need help or got any questions, just shoot me a text or call. I’ve done countless builds on boats from bare hulls up & I’ve yet to use a mechanic or boat service place in my life. I’d be happy to share any knowledge or drop by to help if I’m near by. Better yet I have a friend that builds out Jon boats and bass trackers with factory-like decks. Him and I have collaborated and have done some good work together. You can always just let us take the boat and redo everything on it. Just a thought. If your interested let me know. (757) 544-2213
Great jack! Such fun fish to catch. I think you played that as well as anyone could have. My only suggestion is to put the truck in 4 wheel drive when pulling out your boat lol. That f150 has the transfer case that can be but in 4x4 under load with no issues. Glad you made it out safe man! Miss you on twitch!
happened to me the exact same thing crack livewell pump an a broken bilge pump on my pathfinder and we where about 6 miles offshore. we literally use plastic drinking cups to bail water out
I’m so sorry this happened bro. Really glad your okay! This happened on a smaller scale to my flats boat also. The live well pump connected to the back of the boat had a crack in it and throughout the day it would let in tons of water. Noticed one day after I took the plugs out to leave and it was draining for ever. Easy fix though hopefully that’s what it is
I almost sunk like 14 miles offshore one time. I was like man the boat is handling weird. Two livewells full of bait and in like 2-4 foot seas. Motor just shut off while I was on plane. I was like that's odd. Boat was sitting really low in the rear. Opened the hatch and it was almost full of water. I look down and see that crappy Johnson livewell pump is spraying water everywhere as the housing had cracked. Thank God I had a hand pump. Pumped that thing out for like 30 minutes as fast as I could to keep the rough seas from swamping the low floating boat. The main harness for the motor shorted out and I found out later some animals had chewed through the casing. Which is why I couldn't just pull the plug and run! I respect the ocean a lot more now lol.
I can vouch for the fact that a Seaark Stealth will float with no plug in it lol had some work done and the dealer left the plug out and didn’t tell me, I never take it out so didn’t check. I lucked out and had my dad with me, I dropped him at the dock and he backed my truck down and I was able to get it on the trailer and pulled out in time
Great job on handling it well! If you are ever in the situation again and you find out that you do have your plug in the boat then the best option is to run your boat with the bow up high with the plug out of the boat to release the water. Glad you didn’t sink!
This needs to be at the top, knowing this saved me and my father last year!
Greg Preston
Have had the same thing happen to my mate and I years ago in Gladstone, Queensland. We were heading out to the reef and realized that neither of us had put the bung in. By the time we got out of the channels and could come up on the plane, we were wondering why it felt so heavy. We soon found out. My mate finally got it up on the plane and all the water eventually drained out, then I leaned over the back while it was up and screwed the bung in.
I thought this was common knowledge. Is 'round here.
I guess not everywhere
I’m aware of this too (and have done it once), but I wonder if that little outboard on Lawson’s boat could plane out the rig with thousands of extra pounds of water in it. Easy to do with a 250, maybe not a 60 or whatever it is
Put all your plugs in the boat and fill it up on the trailer and seen if you can see it leaking out. Ive done it before that way
this is good advice as he needs to rinse the salt out anyway.
I'm glad the Captain didn't go down with the ship, good luck on getting her fixed up quick. Maybe some jetty and surf fishing time
Surf fishing vids I really enjoy!
I don’t have a boat so I enjoy watching land fishing myself.
To find the leak on the trailer, put the plugs in and fill the bilge with fresh water from the hose. Then get under the boat and look for the leak. It’s safer than launching again and it will help rinse the salt out. I found a hair line crank in the weld on a Crestliner that way.
Exciting video the watch, Thanks Lawson! I've had similar things happen twice. Once I forgot to put the plug in, another time the fiberglass developed a big crack. A couple things to think about. #1, Unless the foam floatation is waterlogged AF, boats are built with enough buoyancy to prevent sinking. #2, Your bilge pump was probably clogged with something, maybe a plastic bag. Once you clear the clog you'll know to keep an eye on stuff that might block it in the future. #3, Batteries will keep working even when flooded. It will almost certainly reduce their capacity any you will need to replace them if submerged. #4 There is little if any risk of getting shocked by a submerged 12 volt battery (even if you have 2 batteries wired for 24 volts.) Good luck sorting the problem out!
Pull your plug while your running and the water will rush out the drain hole.
That’s exactly how we drain rain water out of our boat up north after a big rain storm fills her up at the dock.
Dude don't put it in the water. Put the plug in it, get a hose, fill it with some water and look underneath to see if any is coming out anywhere. Unless you want to sink again...
this is good if its the hull but if the leak is in the livewell pump system this method won't show it.
@@yota4004 process of elimination
When you show your son, I feel like your gonna be the Roland Martin of salt water some day. Love that your content is back to “normal” feels more like the old Lawson videos. Keep ‘em comin.
Oh u mean the guy that hooks a fish someone else caught and pretends he caught it for TV?
Check for cracks in the hull. Usually around where it rides on the bunks.
Check your hoses for your pumps and drains. They'll crack overtime and fill your boat full of water. Make sure you use the proper hose for below water applications if that is the case, even if it's not, may be worth changing then anyway for peace of mind, because it will happen at some point.
Put all your plugs in the boat and throw a hose into the bottom and let it fill and it’ll show where the water came in from pretty quick. Good luck
You don’t need to go to the ramp. Just fill the bilge with a garden hose and see where the water leaks. It will rinse of some of the salt. If that fails just fit the hose to the livewell intake and fill the well. See if it leaks in the bilge. Also, sticking your hand in the water with the battery is safe. No danger there. Replace bilge pump anyway. Submerged battery is not a big deal. Better to avoid it but it will work still.
Leaks are usually either a broken weld or a hose connected to the livewell. Usually the later. Take it from a tracker boat dealer.
Man this brings back some memories.
The first time I took my nitro out I was fishing for hours noticed water seeping up like yours and freaked! I did the same thing just hustled back to the ramp. Ended up making it. My love well Hose cracked at the pump and blew out so water was just pumping in. Glad you made it back be safe!
This same thing happened to me and my buddy on his dad's boat while we were offshore. He noticed the bilge pump was constantly pumping out water and opened up the inside and there was a bunch of water. The livewell PVC connector had cracked and so the pump was just pumping water right into the hull... scary stuff
Same thing happened to me. The livewell pump motor cracked off the housing it sits on. I was running and gunning and it filled my boat up fast. Luckily I was able to beach the boat.
It’s very nice to see everyone supporting. I also want to say next time don’t worry about sticking your hand in the battery department 12 volts won’t hurt that much lol or if anything just switch them off.
Voltage doesn't kill but amperage does. You can weld with 12 volt batteries. But you are correct that it won't hurt much as everything will cease to hurt. The likelihood of getting shocked is low there though I believe as you would need to become part of the circuit and the salt water is likely to dead short across the poles first.
The best part about this is when he said “ooooo paddle tail” 😂
Dude I don’t know what other fishing CZcamsrs have gone through but what life has thrown at YOU and the fact that you’re still kicking is amazing bro! Keep on rockin God is with you! You’re the goat dude 😂😂😂
He's awesome! Lake Fork has been thru some trying times as well.
Good thing you’ve been fishing from boats most of your life. Good thing you were close to where you put in. Good thing you were able to beach the boat to gather your perspective and make a wise decision. Good thing that life preserver worked so well to bring your attention to what could have been a MUCH different situation. Lawson, have you thought about giving the makers of that preserver some acknowledgment about how it worked so well when exposed to water it helped you save yourself, all your gear, and your boat? Just a thought from one of your subscribers. Glad you’re okay and safe at home. I appreciate the reality. PS - very smart not to put your hand in water where any form of electricity is operating.
Make sure you check all of your hoses and the connections to them. A good friend of mine had one of his hoses disconnect and his boat filled with water. You can also wait for the boat to be fully dry and fill the boat from the drain in the floorboard and see if any water runs or leaks. My strong suggestion would be the first check your keel which is running down the center of your boat and it stops about 2/3 of the way down. I had crack in my keel which I had repaired professionally and then put a keel shield over my boat. I have a 2008 175TXW tracker coastal series
Same here. Live well pump popped out of housing, which didn't have a stopcock/valve between it and Davy Jones's locker. I felt this video in my bones.
You handled that better than I would have. Hopefully it is a quick fix.
I was stressing a little bit watching that. Whew! Good job on handling the situation. **While your boat is on the trailer, hook a garden hose to your neighbors hose bib and fill your boat back up with nice clean fresh water and then look for the leak. BOOM! You're welcome! ;-)
Try putting a garden hose in your bilge and see where the water exits the boat 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 before trying to go out again. Hopefully this helps
the adventures of boating...man that was close...sink or swim..glad u made it !!
I really enjoy how you show all aspects of fishing good and bad. A bad day fishing is better than a good day working.
Good luck man! I had a tracker for a long time, they are good little boats. I hope you figure it out soon!
Jack Crevale throw down!!!!! Especially the big ones.
It's definitely something to do with your live well because when you pulled it out water wasn't coming from anywhere noticable plus you would have noticed it sooner if it was anything but because I'm betting it started filling up once you put bait in your well. Should be a quick easy fix. My guess is the recirculation line.
You're the fuckin' MAN. This channel is a MILLION times better than it was... you are KILLING THIS, Lawson!!!
Looks like a fun day on the water! The Tracker will never actually sink (or it shouldn't) it's completely full of foam. I would put the plug back in on land, throw the hose in it and start filling it up. It was already mentioned, but I'll second it: If you get no leaks there, then you know its something with a cracking/broken intake hose which would be bringing water in from the outside. I'm a Pro Team 185 owner myself and think the Trackers are a great value.
I thought I was paranoid for keeping a spare drain plug with me! Definitely don't feel paranoid now!
EDIT: You handled it well! You kept calm and stayed rational. Props! 🍻
I always keep a spare plug in the boat maybe a couple of them
I know the feeling me and my brother n law was so excited to get on Lake Palestine Tx 2 weeks ago after only a few minutes of being on the water maybe 100 yards from the docks I hooked something trolling. While reeling in I happened to look down and saw water coming through the vent it was my first time on a boat since 20yrs ago. So I ask is this supposed to be happening 🙄...He said "Oh Sh!t" in my mind I was like oh sh!t what...To make a long story short we forgot to put the plug in 🤷🏿♂️ Funny thing is while driving there he said the most important thing is to put the plug in...good thing he kept a spare...sheesh
Put the plug in. Take the batteries out. Fill the boat with fresh water, look for any leaks. If no leak drain it, plus the fresh water will help flush your boat out when it drains. I had the same thing happen with the same model boat, but it was the plug came out. Now with my gheenoe I bring 4 plugs just in case. Tight lines
You did the right thing. I've sunk and then salvaged my boat once before. Not advisable in far northern Australia 😬
Scary stuff. You can put the plugs in and fill with fresh water on the trailer and see if any leaks out before putting it back in the water. Also i change my bilge pump annually and keep the spare with alligator clamps and hose to create a pump i can drop in if the one on the boat isn't working.
Keep up the great work. Take care of that assistant.
You got lucky! Well Played! I think is livewell related. Whatever it is, its big. That was a lot of water.
Intense, thankful the boat didn't sink. Yep issue somewhere.
Glad you and boat are ok.
No need to worry about getting zapped by 24 volts..glad you got it back home..me and my friend got air lifted after his whaler decided to rip in half. Boating is dangerous when in doubt beach it 👍
As a boat owner it is all good info for later problems. Thanks
"don't worry we're still flying half a ship" obi wan Kenobi
Those trailer tires, lol
Need to get some sponsors back and get a good boat lol
Quite the adventure. Good luck on the fix!
I might fix the issue with the current bilge pump and maybe add a back up bilge before testing. Glad you made it back safe.
Absolutely!!!! You handled the situation very well!!
So crazy! glad you made it back with your boat. Hope you can get it repaired at little expense Lawson.
Fill the boat with fresh water and see where it leaks out. Jon boat life
I too have an aluminum boat. And it wound up leaking on me as bad as yours did. Turned out that the bottom of the boat was scuffed on bottom from hitting rocks and other debris. That caused the paint to wear off the bottom and exposed the metal. Found out that the chemicals they use to treat the bunk boards has a chemical reaction when mixed with salt water and it started to pit the aluminum. They were the tiniest of holes that let a lot of water in. Way I found out that that's where it was leaking from was I filled the inside of the boat and watched where the water would leak out from. Maybe something youight want to look into. Best of luck to you.
Check to make sure you don’t have crack somewhere in the hull. The trackers are kind of known for it in some years. Also it could be a leak in the livewell hose. I would start by putting the livewell plug in the back of the boat and fill it with water and see if water starts coming out of the hoses. I would also put plug in the boat itself and fill it up some with water and check for leaks in the hull. It could be leaking around the thru hull fitting itself. Good luck man and hopefully you get it sorted out.
Glad you made it back home and everything is fine the boat can always be fixed glad you "d on time are also what have been a different scenario can't wait to see what the problem is
Wow! You got so lucky you were close to the dock. Nice to see you kept a level head and were able to save your boat. Good job buddy!🍻🤙
Yeah look at your thru hull fittings. My running livewell pickup was leaking. I plugged it from underneath. My standing still pickup still works fine.
We used to have an aluminum boat that had a sweet crack in the bow lol. We would fish for a while and when our feet started getting wet someone would drive full speed while the other pulled the plug and let it drain out the back. Once it was dry again we would get back to fishing
Glad you made it back safe sorry to see that man
Keep a hand pump on the boat. I like to plug the boat from the inside. Good idea running up onto the beach. I might install a second bilge pump in my boat now. Things can go real bad fast. Glad you saved the boat. Goodluck diagnosing. Interested to hear what caused it.
Install a bilge pump. Place one down there onto the stern and firewall. Make this one automatic and install one into the hill. Make this one Manual. Then add a 270 CCA motor cycle battery for back up power. And carry a manual pump. The mistake you made was you didn’t tighten the plug before you launched.
Check the welds in the hull and clean that bildge pump.
A fire is the worst nightmare for a fisherman, then taking on water
I left the drainplug out of my boat one time. It was an older 17 Mako and luckily I noticed it only 30 yards from the boat ramp. Put it back on the trailer and let the water out, lesson learned!
I always keep a popping bobber to use as a spare plug. It has saved the day multiple times!
Regardless of the leak location I would use a different type of plug as the kind u push in and tighten not the flip up type. We had a old metal boat back years ago it leaked a bit and we would get on plane (30 mph) and take out the plug to drain the water as that boat had a flip up plug that went in on inside was a pain to reach under and grab it or put it back in.
Sorry man but that was GREAT TELEVISION. Kudos to you for instinctively making it an amazing story.
If you ever find yourself missing a plug. Stuff the hole with a soft plastic bag. A plastic shopping bag like ones from the supermarket. Some times referred to a tee shirt bag. Works on hull cracks by jamming the bag in the crack with a knife or flat head screwdriver. Only one thing worse then taking on water…….that not knowing where its coming from!!!!
Get some float pods on the back of that thing lol
I have the same Dakota lithiums good to see they did not blow up or catch fire when they got wet 😎
If it's not the live well pump/hose; best way is to fill the boat with water on the trailer {chock the tires} and the compromise will show by where it leaks out
You did the right thing! Def need to get the boat moving and get to the shore if you can't make the ramp. Nice job handling a super scary situation!
In order to find the leak, you can fill the boat with water while at home and crawl underneath to see if you can find any drips. If its not the hull, then start running water through all your hoses. Judging by your bilge pumps poor performance, I wonder if water was getting in through there?
you did good buddy 👍👍👍...check for any cracks on the bottom of boat.
My man! You're a champ for filming it! I once forgot to put in my plug when launching..... ONCE!! Pulled it out, drained it, installed the plug, and relaunched. The "drive of shame" they call it. $hit happens bro, way to hold your head up! Love your channel btw. Been a sub for Years!
A minute 58 in and I'm PUMPED LAWS IS FKN BACK.
Get it !
check the hose running to your live well pumps they bring water from outside the boat one could have rotted or broke off from the pump attachment
Been there Laweson… scary shit! Took my boat to 4 different shops and they didn’t solve the problem. 🤬 …sold the boat. Glad you’re ok. Hope you solve the problem!
Disconnect your batteries and fill the hull up with fresh water and some food dye, should be pretty obvious where the leak in the aluminium is once the water is coloured.
Lol you said good way to start our day literally right before the boat started sinking
Glad you made it back safe
Good save Lawson !
You handle that way better then i would have an glad to know the she didn’t go down good luck with fixing her
Jsut saying but I carry a manual Bible pump with me all the time and it's helped me in a situation like this too. Not much but it definitely helped me from going under. You handled it great tho man. Keep it up.
Glad u made it back to dry land!! Best of luck, and keep up the BEST content!!
Nice save Lawson.. lol. been there. I have a thought on where the water may be coming from. Check your rivets/seams on that boat. Could be leaking in somewhere from a seam. If you need help fixing lmk, i have a aircraft rivet gun that I restored my aluminum boat with. 🤙🏼
I think it’s time to go through your boat and fix everything that needs to be fixed.I had the same thing happen to me but the good thing is that I was still at the dock. I went cast netting for live bait for about half a hour,when I got back I noticed that the motor was lower in the water than normal I had hell getting it on the trailer…I forgot to put the plug in,ruined my fishing trip.
Sorry about your boat. Hope you figure it out. Oh the joys of owning a boat. A suggestion : ditch the flip style plugs and go to the screw in type. Glad you stayed calm and safe.
If you get your boat up on plain the drain is out of the water and it'll drain.
This is the main reason I have two pumps in mine. They seem to fail randomly. ✌️
Idk if it could get up on plain with that much water
@@satellitefishing True but I'd of punched it and tried! No harm in going for it when ur totally F'd anyway. Haha!
Lawson, you can fill the boat while on the trailer and see where water comes out.
Ironically my wife was watching Titanic as I watched this 🤣 You kept your cool. Had to be a bit scary knowing you could lose the boat.
The best way to diagnose this problem is by water testing the boat. First start with the hull. Get a garden hose and fill the hull up to your water line. Look for any water around the running surface or below the water line. If you don’t see any, release the drain plug. Now goto the live well. Fill the live well and release the drain plug. If their is a leak, you’ll see it in the plug. If no water, then goto your hoses & pumps. Get a male slip connector or hose that has the outside diameter of the thru-hulls inside diameter. Goto the other end and plug the outlet end of the hose. Cut the hose on just long enough to where you hear pressure build, but DO NOT LEAVE IT ON” because you will create a leak then. Check each hose and pump for leaks. None of these work, then buy a new boat LOL. Basically saying that you will find the problem with your boat this way. If you need help or got any questions, just shoot me a text or call. I’ve done countless builds on boats from bare hulls up & I’ve yet to use a mechanic or boat service place in my life. I’d be happy to share any knowledge or drop by to help if I’m near by. Better yet I have a friend that builds out Jon boats and bass trackers with factory-like decks. Him and I have collaborated and have done some good work together. You can always just let us take the boat and redo everything on it. Just a thought. If your interested let me know. (757) 544-2213
Always carry a 2nd plug in the glove box of the boat. That has saved me a headache a few times.
Man of action !!
Idk if it’s different with your boat but the bilge pump on ours won’t flush water out unless the water covers a certain point in the back of the boat
That's why I keep 3 or 4 plugs & extra clamps at all times on my boat.
Great jack! Such fun fish to catch. I think you played that as well as anyone could have. My only suggestion is to put the truck in 4 wheel drive when pulling out your boat lol. That f150 has the transfer case that can be but in 4x4 under load with no issues. Glad you made it out safe man! Miss you on twitch!
That was a perfect response there,good one.
Don't feel bad, it happens more than you think I've seen it multiple times, luckily caught it early, I know some people tie their plug to their keys.
happened to me the exact same thing crack livewell pump an a broken bilge pump on my pathfinder and we where about 6 miles offshore. we literally use plastic drinking cups to bail water out
I’m so sorry this happened bro. Really glad your okay! This happened on a smaller scale to my flats boat also. The live well pump connected to the back of the boat had a crack in it and throughout the day it would let in tons of water. Noticed one day after I took the plugs out to leave and it was draining for ever. Easy fix though hopefully that’s what it is
I almost sunk like 14 miles offshore one time. I was like man the boat is handling weird. Two livewells full of bait and in like 2-4 foot seas. Motor just shut off while I was on plane. I was like that's odd. Boat was sitting really low in the rear. Opened the hatch and it was almost full of water. I look down and see that crappy Johnson livewell pump is spraying water everywhere as the housing had cracked. Thank God I had a hand pump. Pumped that thing out for like 30 minutes as fast as I could to keep the rough seas from swamping the low floating boat. The main harness for the motor shorted out and I found out later some animals had chewed through the casing. Which is why I couldn't just pull the plug and run! I respect the ocean a lot more now lol.
Live well discharge hoses under deck. Probably a plastic tee fitting.
Silly Lawson basstracker plugs go on the inside 😂😂🤦🏻♂️
Could be a crack on the live well hose somewhere. Good luck I’m sure you’ll figure it out!
I can vouch for the fact that a Seaark Stealth will float with no plug in it lol had some work done and the dealer left the plug out and didn’t tell me, I never take it out so didn’t check. I lucked out and had my dad with me, I dropped him at the dock and he backed my truck down and I was able to get it on the trailer and pulled out in time