I've found tons of material about how to handle rough water and large wake when making a run in a bass boat. However, I'm wondering how to handle it when you're using the trolling motor.

 

For example, last weekend I was fishing a main lake weed bed along the shore and had a large wake boat fly down the main channel causing a wake of about 3 feet that would have easily swamped my boat. Luckily, I was able to tuck myself in behind a small island between the shore and the main channel.

 

Without having that island as an option, what should I have done to avoid damaging my boat, myself or anyone else?

Point the nose into the waves and just let them hit ya.  We have triple decker ocean yachts, I can handle them just fine in canoe, kayak, or 14 foot jon boat . 
 

my buddy has a touring kayak just barely wider than his hips. He chases down wake surf boats and ramps their waves with his kayak 

quarter into it and make sure the bilge pumps are on auto.  I get wakeboats on the big pond here (that I'm fishing tonight) and I'm in a kayak.  If I'm motoring with the electric motor I quarter into them and expect to take one over the nose.  if you go to direct into them you will take every other one of them over the nose.  If you're parallel with them you'll rock side to side a lot.  Its enough that it might just roll me on a big one.  I have to make sure my scupper plugs are pulled ahead of time if there are WB around.  If I'm fishing and one comes through I can usually ride it out nose to quarter on without taking on water.  If the waves are coming from behind you then you shouldn't have too much problem- they should lift up your back end enough to not swamp, but again with the auto bilge.  One coming from behind me might turn me sideways and the next will get me so I usually turn into them if I know in time.

I have a 21ft boat so it doesn’t matter.?. But generally to keep the pitching to a minimum, I will turn the nose to face the wake.  

54 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

But generally to keep the pitching to a minimum, I will turn the nose to face the wake.  

Do you ever have any concerns about the bracket on the trolling motor? I've heard plenty of stories of guys brackets being completely ripped off because of some nasty waves.

3 hours ago, Kellss said:

Do you ever have any concerns about the bracket on the trolling motor? I've heard plenty of stories of guys brackets being completely ripped off because of some nasty waves.

Only time is running.  Not normally when fishing although I could see it happening if you were really shallow.  I managed to break a prop and lockdown pin on Lake Champlain in some nasty weather.  Fishing in 12 feet of water in an area called the City Ledge when a wave so big it sucked all the water out from under my boat and sat me down on the rocks smashing my trolling motor.  We had no business being out that day.  

When I see them coming, I do the same as previously mentioned. I turn to boat so I take them head on.

 

I have had them hit me sideways and from behind without knowing they were coming and I took the waves over the gunnel and transom. Not cool. I hate those wake boats with a passion. They just don’t give a rip about the damage they are causing.

5 hours ago, Kellss said:

Do you ever have any concerns about the bracket on the trolling motor? I've heard plenty of stories of guys brackets being completely ripped off because of some nasty waves.

I broke a troller bracket years ago when I hit a rock, it’s cast metal crap 

in a boat?

 

my buddy just kills the trolling motor so the prop doesnt come out of the water.    usually, it isnt even a blip on the radar.   what are we worried about?  sorry, i am not a boat person. 

23 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

in a boat?

 

my buddy just kills the trolling motor so the prop doesnt come out of the water.    usually, it isnt even a blip on the radar.   what are we worried about?  sorry, i am not a boat person. 

Normal wakes are not a problem.  It’s the wakeboarding and wake surfing boats that throw tug boat size wakes that if you are in shallow enough water will drop you down on the bottom.  I don’t normally have that problem since I only take my boat that shallow to retrieve a lure.  But….even if you are deep, they will break over your bow or whatever part of your boat is facing them.  Can swamp smaller boats, canoes and kayaks.

12 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Normal wakes are not a problem.  It’s the wakeboarding and wake surfing boats that throw tug boat size wakes that if you are in shallow enough water will drop you down on the bottom.  I don’t normally have that problem since I only take my boat that shallow to retrieve a lure.  But….even if you are deep, they will break over your bow or whatever part of your boat is facing them.  Can swamp smaller boats, canoes and kayaks.

Ahhhh.  
 

makes total sense.  Bottom contact.