30 years of running a dredge and I just figured out my swing was off

I was out on the Ohio River near Paducah a few weeks back, working a stretch I've dredged maybe 50 times. My neighbor Frank was on the bank watching, and after about 20 minutes he just walked over and said "you're pulling too early on the downswing, see how the bucket skips?" I've been running a 12-yard clamshell since 1988, and nobody ever told me that. Turns out I was wasting fuel and stirring up extra sediment because I was rushing the bite. Has anyone else had a basic move pointed out to them after years of doing it wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanec6112d ago

Never too late to learn a better way to swing

wade_kelly7712d ago

Wait, what swing are you talking about?

danielm8012d ago

Man, that's a good point, but here's the thing - how do you even know when you've found a "better way" that's actually better for you and not just some fad? I've watched guys chase every new swing tip on YouTube, from the Mike Austin stuff to all that rotary swing nonsense, and half the time they end up worse than when they started. What's your filter for separating the real improvements from the stuff that sounds good on paper but falls apart under pressure?