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Location: Eastern Ontario | Besides lurking around this joint I haunt Spoon Pullers a Canadian Lake Ontario salmon board. In the last 3 days 2 Pullers have ended up in the water. One when they were run down by a large boat running on auto pilot at about 35 mph while the clown in charge worked on tackle. The other a friend was knocked out of his boat in high waves while trying to give assistance to a disabled charter boat. I have worn a inflatable PFD when on the water for the last 3 years or a survival suit in cold weather. I was a good swimmer when I was young but at 75 I know I can't swim 10 miles back to shore. I hope to get out on Saturday with a new rule in my boat You wear a PFD if you don't like it stay on the dock.
Most of my muskie fishing lately is on Big Water |
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Posts: 8719
| Smarter than me...
Most of the fishing we do is within 50 - 100 ft from shore or something you can stand up on, and I rarely fish alone, so I've always figured I could make it back to the boat, to the shore, shallow water, etc. Someone can toss me a cushion if I get in trouble...
Now, alone, on big water, late in the fall/cold water/in all your cold weather gear? Yep. You're not swimming in boots and bibs and a parka. We've got the Stearns inflatables, which are only mildly uncomfortable. Really contemplating a survival suit. Crazy expensive, but broke is better than dead.
Speaking of survival suits... Has anybody here ever gone overboard with a Mustang or somesuch? How well do they work?
Edited by esoxaddict 8/2/2018 3:21 PM
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| If I am by myself, I always wear a self inflating pfd. No matter how good a swimmer you are, you can't swim if you bump your head going over the side. I am a good swimmer, swimming on my lunch hour for several decades but bought the vest after an incident while releasing a nice musky while fishing by myself. Beautiful summer evening but when I bent over to put the fish in the water, I stepped on something. First I almost went over the side and when I jerked my head back I hit the gunnel hard. Took me a couple seconds to get my bearings and a few minutes to really see straight. I thought I had the deck clear, try and always be safety minded but darn near went over and rapped my melon pretty good in the process.
Last summer a middle aged guy went out of his boat here in northern WI and while the boat was found the next morning against shore, his body was not found for almost a week. Even if you have a heart attack or a stroke, you want your body to be recovered for the sake of your family. That poor guy's family was in limbo for a week.
I should add that after having to aid a fisherman who got tossed from a moving boat this summer and was hanging on as the boat spun round and round under power, I have not moved my boat without attaching the kill switch lanyard to my belt, something I had not done before. Put an oversized carabiner on that flimsy clip to make it easier to get on and off. Now I have to make it as ingrained a habit as putting on the self inflating pfd. The few times I have started the motor up without it on, it feels like I forgot to put on my shirt or pants. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | You will float but not sure how far you will swim. I wear it because it is warm and I will float but I hope someone finds me quickly. worst case my wife will have a body to bury . Mine is a Mustang Atlantic Class |
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