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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | On Saturday two fishermen lost their lives when their boat got pulled into the back current toward the open gates at DuBay Dam on the WI River North of Stevens point. One body was recovered the other has yet to be.
https://waow.com/news/2018/10/06/breaking-several-crews-conducting-s...
Please take precautions and be safe. Many of us have pushed the limits in big wind, in the dark, etc...you know it if you’ve done it. I know a lot of guys fish dams, and for good reason. However, if it feels unsafe, it probably is. To have died doing what you love makes no sense and is of no consolation.
This might be a good time to share some safety tips:
*Wear your life vests, especially during cold water season.
*Keep a sharp knife handy if you are anchoring near a dam so you can quickly cut the rope.
*Don’t rely on spot lock near dams and strong current; if your boat spins around a couple times the curly power cable will wrap around the shaft of your trolling motor and lift the shaft right up off the motorized hub that turns the motor leaving you with no way to steer. The back current will quickly pull you toward the dam (yes this happened to me and my boat was being pulled under the steel cable near the turbines—believe me panic sets in quickly—luckily my big motor started right up)
*consider hanging a trailing rope off the back that you can grab onto if you go in.
*Don’t use your trolling motor on Auto....if you go into the cold water you will watch your boat leave you behind.
*keep a towel and a change of dry clothes—wet clothes in cold air=big problem
I’m sure there’s more and would welcome hearing them.... |
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Posts: 255
| They have both been identified. 60 and mid 50 for age. Don’t widow anyone and don’t leave grandkids too early. My grandpa drown from capsized boat in October in 1997; not a great phone call at 1:30 am with divers looking for him. worst thought you could have is it won’t happen to me. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Hot or cold, rain or sun, I always wear a life vest.
I see it like a car's seat belt: by the time you need it it's prolly too late to put it on. m |
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| Was out last night, dark and rainy evening and did put a trail rope in for the first time, but also realized that I should not use continuous mode on trolling motor in those conditions when fishing by myself (I am a slow learner). Other suggestion is to make sure you hook up the kill switch to your person when under power. Helped a couple boaters this summer who got tossed from their boat (tiller) and one was clinging to the side as the motor took the boat in death spiral. I bought a good sized carabiner clip for both my 90 hp tiller and for the kicker. The kicker won't toss me over board, but I do use it for trolling and I could get excited or clumsy when catching a fish and go over the side. My self inflating life jacket has a plastic d-ring that works great for attaching the kill switch to.
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Location: Eastern Ontario | https://www.spoonpullers.com/forums/index.php/topic,32411.45.html
Kevin as well as his You Tube videos will be missed (Big Fish Small Camera) |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | Even though dams hold a lot of fish, this is exactly why I don't like fishing below them and approach with extreme caution. Lots of rain this fall, water levels abnormally high and currents are swift. Too bad. |
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Location: 31 | Just the other day came about as close as ever to falling out of the boat with it in motion, most times it's something out of the ordinary that causes things of this nature, and such was the case here.
We were trolling and had a pike to release which I normally pop off while the boat is still in motion, but this one got hung up in the swim ladder so I went to reach over with my gloved hand/hook outs and (not thinking) put my weight on the top of the folded up swim ladder with my opposite hand. When the swim ladder deployed I lost but regained my balance in an instant… it was closer than I'd like to a head first into the cold water and trolled lines.
Always wear a life jacket!!! |
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