|
|
Posts: 21
| That was my mind set since I have fished for muskies over 20 years. We are fortunate in WV that we can chase them all year. Well today was an excellent day to be out in my jon boat . Water temperature in mid 30s. As I was making a cast to a promising looking log a gust of wind moved the boat , bumping into a log and sending me into the river. Of course , no life jacket on. I was blessed that I got the boat to shore and got in to head for the landing. So many other things could have happened. I am not getting any younger and not as spry as I once was. A life jacket will be worn by this old man from now on. Please believe it can happen, so be prepared. Thanks and tight lines. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1670
| Glad you made it safely to shore. Crap happens and when it does it happens faster and faster as we get older. Life jackets are a must and another thing I need to concentrate more on is hooking up my tether cord.
Glad you are ok. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 21
| Thanks Brian. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2279
Location: Chisholm, MN | The wife and I dumped the canoe while duck hunting this fall. We were wedged next to shore and shot at some incoming ducks and the canoe just flipped right over. Never happened to me from the 1000s of shots I’ve taken from that thing in the past. There was skim ice on the water so definitely pretty cold. We both got pretty wet, lost a bunch of ammo over the side but it was shallow enough we didn’t lose our guns. In the process I dislocated my shoulder and couldn’t get up either. Somehow it popped back in and I was able to flip us back over. Scary. We packed up and went home immediately. Never thought it would happen to me. Of course not life jackets because we were shooting. They were worn on the way in and out though. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20180
Location: oswego, il | Thanks for sharing. It is a point I have made several times here. You cannot predict a set of circumstances. They happen in an instant. I fell out of a boat once when the seat pedestal popped out on my little boat. Took a second for me to be upside down in the water. I was lucky, water was warm. Best thing to do in a river is get to shore if the water is cold it is a conversation we have when fishing a river. Don't fight current. Glad you are ok. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 117
Location: Roscoe IL | ive been thinking about getting one of the automatic life belts. my worry is, falling out of the boat and smacking my head and not being concious to pull the ripcord on a manual. I want a belt because i feel like ill be more likely to wear it more. anyone have any pro's/cons to this sort of set up? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 33
| I've been thinking the same thing, I'm sure I'd wear a full vest at first, but as soon as it gets hot I'm pretty sure I would ditch it, The belt type I'd be comfortable with year round. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1670
| You need one that keeps your head out of the water. These vest styles are so lightweight and small you forget you have them on. They will be the best money you ever spend if you go overboard. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3779
| Something I posted a few years ago.......
If you fish alone please wear a good life jacket from put in till take out. I had the experience of getting hooked up with a green mid-30's fish, we shared a Poe's Giant Jackpot for a few minutes. A hook entered in the back of my hand and the point was sticking out of my index finger. I cut the fish off but the lure was still hanging off my hand. On the way back to the landing I passed out while underway. I woke up hanging over the side of the boat, my head and one arm dragging in the water. Very lucky I didn't fall all the way out of the boat. In hindsight my judgement was shot starting when I became hooked and the fish was thrashing next to the boat. Putting a life jacket on was a million miles from my mind and I didn't think of it immediately afterward, either. Point is, if you get hurt you need to already be wearing the jacket. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 21
| I just ordered a vest from cabelas. It automatically inflates if it is submerged. It can also be inflated manually. Both of best worlds. Yes I was asked what would have happened if I hit a log with head. I will be wearing it from now on. Thanks |
|
| |
|
Posts: 38
Location: Lakeville, MN | Please always check that the cartridge is charged. I had an inflatable where you had to open the Velcro to see if the cartridge was still charged. I also always made sure the manual blow tube was sticking out in case I needed to manually blow it up. I used this fishing by myself for years, including 33F water in big waves on Lake Michigan.
After 5 years, I finally opened the Velcro last fall to check out the cartridge - it was as dead as a doornail. Who knows how long it was worthless. On top of that, I learned that the cartridge is supposed to blow up so much that the Velcro comes undone - meaning that me blowing air manually in the freezing water probably wouldn’t have done much and I would have slowly sank. You would have to manually rip open the Velcro too, while you’re blowing it up manually in freezing water.
I now have a better inflatable that you can see through clear plastic whether it’s charged. Maybe they’re all that way now. But when I’m fishing by myself in freezing waters, I think I’ll just wear a regular life jacket. Or a Striker Ice floating suit.
Edited by pnkocher 2/12/2020 7:06 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1220
| Posted about this in the past, but way, way back in the days of the WMT, at a fall championship on Nameakagon, an older guy fell out of his boat on Friday just before the Saturday event. It was windy with rain and his partner in the front of the boat never heard him go in. It’s hard, even now, to recall the police, fire, and dive boats searching the entire tournament weekend while the guys family gathered at the resort. They found the body as we were pulling boats out of the water Sunday afternoon. Naturally, the old guy didn’t have a PFD on.
P.S. Many tournament anglers volunteered to aid the search boats but were asked to stay clear of the area. |
|
| |
|
| Started wearing an auto inflate number of years ago and two years ago after rescuing 2 guys that got flipped out of their small fishing boat that kept going in circles with one of them desperately clinging to the side if the boat, made another change for safety. I have a 90hp tile and I added a quality carabiner to the kill switch. I let the boat down from the lift, put my pdf on, start the motor and the attach the kill switch to a d ring on the pfd before putting motor in gear. It has become part of my fishing routine.
A grim but real issue is that if you have s fatal heart attack or stroke while fishing and go over the side, at least your family will have your remains. Several years ago a musky fisherman left a resort in Vilas county to get in some evening fishing. They found his boat the next day, but did not find his body for over a week. Man in his 40s, body so deteriorated they could not determine cause of death. His family had the anguish of waiting for all that while. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1192
| 30th sept 2003 northern Minnesota cold party cloudy day every time a cloud would pass over the sun it would spit snow, and of course my dad had a follow, I jumped down off the back casting deck picked up a rod rigged with a Bulldawg jumped back up lost my footing and feel out wallet first into 53 degree water. A third guy in the boat was so rattled he was going to jump in after me be I was already hanging off the transom (after I set the record for the 3 meter swim) my dad yelled at him "we don't need two guys in the water" We went back to the cabin for a hot shower and a change of chothes and some coffee.
After this short delay we got back on the water and went off to the far side of the lake but we throw out our lines for troll and did not get 50 feet and my dad catches 47.5 and two days later I caught the fish that followed 41.5.
The funny thing my jeans were soaked and of course my shoes. When I took my jacket off I was completely dry except for ring water around my neck. (my head never under the water.) Both guys I was with are dead now and I have to fish by myself.) And yes I wear a life jacket even in summer. That day I took it off to cast. |
|
| |
|
Location: Athens, Ohio | I wear a vest all the time I'm in the boat. I look at it like a seat belt in a car: once you know you need it, it's likely too late to put it on. m |
|
| |
|
Posts: 596
Location: Duluth | North of 8 - 2/13/2020 7:17 AM
Started wearing an auto inflate number of years ago and two years ago after rescuing 2 guys that got flipped out of their small fishing boat that kept going in circles with one of them desperately clinging to the side if the boat, made another change for safety. I have a 90hp tile and I added a quality carabiner to the kill switch. I let the boat down from the lift, put my pdf on, start the motor and the attach the kill switch to a d ring on the pfd before putting motor in gear. It has become part of my fishing routine.
A grim but real issue is that if you have s fatal heart attack or stroke while fishing and go over the side, at least your family will have your remains. Several years ago a musky fisherman left a resort in Vilas county to get in some evening fishing. They found his boat the next day, but did not find his body for over a week. Man in his 40s, body so deteriorated they could not determine cause of death. His family had the anguish of waiting for all that while.
I've thought about wiring my ignition on my jet boat with a proximity based key, seems like a good idea. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 267
| At least your cell phone wasn't in your pocket! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 36
Location: Central Illinois | Several years ago I bought one of the Mustang HIT vests - triggers off hydrostatic pressure. I had a Cabela''s auto inflate vest but I didn't like the way it fit around my neck and I was always tempted to take it off. The Mustang fits me better - and after I got use to it I forget I have it on wearing it. Lesson - it's wise to invest in a good vest but try several on before the purchase. I still have the Cabela's and carry it in the boat for my guest. |
|
| |
|
| Thought of this thread when reading a story this morning about an artistic swimmer from the USA who lost consciousness during world championships in Budapest yesterday. As she sank to the bottom, her coach saw no one was reacting so she dove in and pulled her to the surface. Swimmer will be ok but here is an Olympic athlete, who spends hours every day in the water, and she would have drowned had her coach not pulled her off the bottom. Even with an almost immediate reaction from the coach, swimmer had water in her lungs.
I have had a number of guys say, 'well, I am a good swimmer ,if I go in I will make it back to the boat'. I swam for years, 3 to 5 days a week and still do when it is too dang cold to walk or snowshoe outside. But, I wear that jacket any time I am in the boat. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 489
Location: NW WI | Was going to make a similar post myself, except I didn't have a phone anymore until today. Last week, whichever day that was NW WI had that wicked hot day, Mon or Tuesday I think. I had the pleasure of running a propane torch inside a home without AC for most of the day. Just pouring sweat all day, drank a whole gallon of water over the course of the day. Half of the exterior workers left before noon. Day came to end and I figured the heat snap would've either turned the fish way on or shut em right down at a nearby river. Most of my Kayak equipment still in the truck I left straight from work. Fished hard till dusk and had a follow from a tiny pike... yeah it was rough. Typically when I see this pattern, I know the bass and muskies will turn on after sundown. Feeling burned out, not enjoying being out anymore but too stubborn to head out; I traded my sunglasses for my headlamp, buried myself into a slot in between bogg heads and leaned back to nap waiting for night to come. Woke up in the dark to a thud and my arms already extended as I flipped sideways. Not sure how long i was asleep for but i drifted out of my slot,floated downriver,banged into a submerged log and flipped. My PFD always on kept me from slamming head first into 1.5'ft of water and 2ft of wild rice muck. It was night now and my headlamp was still attached thankfully or I would've been in much more trouble. Only thing important I lost was my phone, the 1 day I decided to pocket it because I left my case with clip at home.
Learned a few things that day. 1 Trespass and sleep on someone's land next time. 2 I need to get a small waterproof flashlight to clip onto my PFD, because when you go over, you and whats secured to you is all you have. 3 Cockiness can also kill cats.
Edited by 7.62xJay 6/24/2022 1:35 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 20180
Location: oswego, il | 7.62xJay - 6/24/2022 1:30 AM
Was going to make a similar post myself, except I didn't have a phone anymore until today. Last week, whichever day that was NW WI had that wicked hot day, Mon or Tuesday I think. I had the pleasure of running a propane torch inside a home without AC for most of the day. Just pouring sweat all day, drank a whole gallon of water over the course of the day. Half of the exterior workers left before noon. Day came to end and I figured the heat snap would've either turned the fish way on or shut em right down at a nearby river. Most of my Kayak equipment still in the truck I left straight from work. Fished hard till dusk and had a follow from a tiny pike... yeah it was rough. Typically when I see this pattern, I know the bass and muskies will turn on after sundown. Feeling burned out, not enjoying being out anymore but too stubborn to head out; I traded my sunglasses for my headlamp, buried myself into a slot in between bogg heads and leaned back to nap waiting for night to come. Woke up in the dark to a thud and my arms already extended as I flipped sideways. Not sure how long i was asleep for but i drifted out of my slot,floated downriver,banged into a submerged log and flipped. My PFD always on kept me from slamming head first into 1.5'ft of water and 2ft of wild rice muck. It was night now and my headlamp was still attached thankfully or I would've been in much more trouble. Only thing important I lost was my phone, the 1 day I decided to pocket it because I left my case with clip at home.
Learned a few things that day. 1 Trespass and sleep on someone's land next time. 2 I need to get a small waterproof flashlight to clip onto my PFD, because when you go over, you and whats secured to you is all you have. 3 Cockiness can also kill cats.
A window weight anchor would help too. It would have also sounded an alarm as you drifted. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 489
Location: NW WI | Yeah I have a folding grapple for it. Quit using it because it's 1 more item that clutters a small space and it can become an obstacle when pulling in a fish. Plus I'm paranoid of getting myself wrapped in the rope if I ever were to tip and it's not deployed, unlikely to happen with just 7ft of rope, but still scares me. BTW the way Todd I tried ur chatter blade idea on the spoon, I'm really liking the way it looks in the water, especially when it falls on the pause. Also Tried chatter blading to a 12/0 unweighted Owner Beast swimbait hook with a 7" hollow body swimbait on, that's pretty sweet too. |
|
| |
|
| 7.62xJay - 6/24/2022 9:07 AM
Yeah I have a folding grapple for it. Quit using it because it's 1 more item that clutters a small space and it can become an obstacle when pulling in a fish. Plus I'm paranoid of getting myself wrapped in the rope if I ever were to tip and it's not deployed, unlikely to happen with just 7ft of rope, but still scares me. BTW the way Todd I tried ur chatter blade idea on the spoon, I'm really liking the way it looks in the water, especially when it falls on the pause. Also Tried chatter blading to a 12/0 unweighted Owner Beast swimbait hook with a 7" hollow body swimbait on, that's pretty sweet too.
I worried about the anchor rope as well, and at 71 I am not as agile as I once was. But, I have a grapple type anchor for my kayak. I have big "cup holder" in front of me, so I wrap the rope around the anchor and it is a snug fit in the cup holder. I can pull it out, drop and tie off to a cleat I put on the side of my sit inside fishing kayak. Keeps the anchor rope away from my feet, etc. and is easy to get at and to store. |
|
| |
