# poling platform mishaps



## Devilray (Jun 26, 2006)

Just wondering how many of you have fallen off the platform.
It has happend to me twice in the last 5-6 years.

The first time, about 3 years ago, a small cloud covered up the sun. I decided to look straight up to see how long till we would have sunshine. At that very moment my brother was at the bow and shifted his wieght, and off I went to the starboard side. I landed in a seated position in a foot of water. I was actually an easy landing & we both had a good laugh.

The next time was last summer. I had the wife and kids with me. I wanted to cross a sandbar into gut at a location a had where I had performed this feat many time. However, I misjudged the tide by an inch, the "magic inch". My wife kept telling me I couldn't make it across, but I was insistant that we could cross. After I firmly stuck the bow in the sandbar I kept at it. I firmly planted the pole put all my wieght into the pole for one final push. By this time my wife is about ready to get out and push because I am too stubborn to admit we are stuck. All of a sudden to my suprise the push pole slips, and I am fallen back over the stern. I had just enough time to push off the platform to clear the motor then slide down the pole in a fireman style. After the events unfolded I looked up to see my wife with this you dumb ***** expresion on her face.

I am hopeful there are other stories out there, and that I am not the only one to go off the platform.

This video was the inspireation for this post.


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## Bruce J (Jun 27, 2004)

I haven't "launched" yet, but it's only a matter of time. On my very first day on my Maverick, I was trying to pole across a 20+mph wind. I briefly got the pole stuck under the platform lip on the downwind side. The pole took a deep bend and I briefly imagined it slinging me into the next county. I hopped off to the deck just a nanosecond before the launch and freed the pole.

The worst story I've heard is from Capt. Curtiss Cash who fell barefooted onto an oyster bed and was in serious medical distress from blood loss. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt! After hearing that story I make sure my shoes are on and laced up when I'm on the platform.


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## bartfromcorpus (Oct 29, 2008)

i went barefoot on oyster - not recommended


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## flywader (Jul 5, 2009)

Bruce J said:


> The worst story I've heard is from Capt. Curtiss Cash who fell barefooted onto an oyster bed and was in serious medical distress from blood loss.


Bad things are sure to happen when a jetty fisherman climbs up on a poling platform.


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## Bruce J (Jun 27, 2004)

Sure, nice post. Good thing it couldn't happen to you.


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## flywader (Jul 5, 2009)

You got that right.


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## essayons75 (May 15, 2006)

On the back high poling platform in POC a couple of years ago, pushing my buddy in his Pathfinder towards a tailing red and he is focused on a good fly cast, I started messing with a huge blue crab on the botton close to my push pole. That big blue crab became so irrate that I dropped the pole. My buddy looked at me like I was crazy. I told him that that crab was so mad that I thought he was going to climp the pole. My buddy said, "If you had been tried to be eaten by redfish all morning, you would be mad too!"


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Have come real close when we first went out on the Beavertail. My buddy on the bow stepped to one side real quick and fortunately I had just stuck the pole on that same side and was able to lean on the pole to keep me from swimming the hard way. Good thing to, it was November. I have however fallen off the boat stepping from the boat to the dock.


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## NIN (Sep 19, 2005)

I've seen two guys hit the prop, on the way down. I'm glad you didn't get hurt.


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## Backcast (Jul 22, 2005)

Only two mishaps so far! I was getting down. had sat down and was putting my feet on the rear seat. Only one foot and it slipped backward. I went tumbling into the floor only to land on my Danforth anchor and got punched in the ribs by the anchor bars. 5'6" and 215#. I was sore for a month.

Second time , nice 20 mph tailing wind. I was poling and wind pushing when the bow of the boat went aground. I decided to jump into the boat as was going that way anyway. Perfect landing I might add. Fellow up front what the hay.

All this on a Mitzi 15. Fat 61 year old adult that thinks he is 18 at heart.

Joe


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## let's go (Nov 14, 2005)

Joe, you still have that Mitzi?


Y'all know the other name for a poling platform is a diving board?

For several years I danced all along the edge of falling off, but maintained my position. Then I had a 350lb+ customer up front who felt the need to step to the right side of the boat for a better look at the red I had just called at 3 o'clock. I was intently staring at the barely visible redfish when the boat tilted at a ridiculous angle. My cat-like reflexes kicked in and I adjusted for the steep grade, just as Mr 350+ thinks he's going to fall in and bounces back to the far left. It was about like being the stone in a catapult as I went shooting off the platform. I did however stick the landing and should have received a perfect 10 from the judges.


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## Golden (Aug 1, 2006)

Never heard that story about Capt'n CC...you might be thinking of his good friend Capt'n EK. He took a bad fall off the front platform while poling from there. I was approximately ten miles away when I received the distress call. By the time I got there he had lost a pint or so but insisted on driving his boat back to the marina once I got it off the oysters. His knee had a bone deep 4" smile in it. The new HB was covered in red wine too! We cleaned the cut out as best we could and then it was off to the hospital. He's too tough for vibrio!!!!!!!!!! By the way he has other worse stories too!


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

*congrats Ish*



flywader said:


> Bad things are sure to happen when a jetty fisherman climbs up on a poling platform.


*Congrats Ish, you brought me out of 2Cool retirement!*

Those oysters on "heavenly flat" are terrible, lost allot of blood before making a tourniquet out of a stringer. They filleted the bottom of my right foot, lots of stitches and shell removed. Three months later I still had shards emerging from my heel. First and last time I've ever been up top without some kind of shoe.

Eric tore up his knee in the same area, he had shoes on though- unprotected skin vs. oysters not a good outcome.

Oh and by the way Flywader, I was probably sight-casting fish and poling boats before you got off the ninny. As far as being a jetty fisherman, I won't lie- I'm good at catching fish wherever my clients want to go and whatever style angling they would like. Come on down and see me Flywader, I'll be polite and teach you a few things


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## yourmom (Mar 13, 2010)

looks like somebody struck a nerve.


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## Levi (Mar 6, 2006)

Capt. Lowtide said:


> *Congrats Ish, you brought me out of 2Cool retirement!*
> 
> Those oysters on "heavenly flat" are terrible, lost allot of blood before making a tourniquet out of a stringer. They filleted the bottom of my right foot, lots of stitches and shell removed. Three months later I still had shards emerging from my heel. First and last time I've ever been up top without some kind of shoe.
> 
> ...


Someone just got owned..lol:brew2::brew2:


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## steelrain202 (Jul 2, 2008)

Devilray said:


> Just wondering how many of you have fallen off the platform.
> It has happend to me twice in the last 5-6 years.
> 
> The first time, about 3 years ago, a small cloud covered up the sun. I decided to look straight up to see how long till we would have sunshine. At that very moment my brother was at the bow and shifted his wieght, and off I went to the starboard side. I landed in a seated position in a foot of water. I was actually an easy landing & we both had a good laugh.
> ...


 I know that guide, LOL! He's one helluva good guide and a freaking awesome fisherman


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## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

Still waiting on my first time amazingly enough. Of course I haven't logged as much time up there as some.

It will probably happen the first time I forget to take of my cell phone before climbing up there.


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## gray gost (Jul 8, 2010)

20' aluminum boat with casting platform over motor. watching reds boated drifted into crab trap boat stopped I did not landed on side of boat. leg black and blue 3 weeks entire thigh


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## callsignsleepy (Apr 3, 2007)

essayons75 said:


> ... That big blue crab became so irrate that I dropped the pole. My buddy looked at me like I was crazy. I told him that that crab was so mad that I thought he was going to climp the pole...


HAHA


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## ol' salt (Jun 11, 2006)

There are 2 kinds of poling platform people. The ones who have fallen off, and the ones who are going to fall off.


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