Thread: Done for the season

Hi Everyone.
Well, it's just too cold for my fishing partner (dad), so I'll be seeing you all in the spring. It's his boat and I don't like being the only one on board. If I fell overboard, in this cold, I don't think I could get back into the boat.
I'll still keep an eye on this site in the mean time.
Thanks for all of the advice and such.
Floater

I understand. If I fell out of the boat heavily dressed I probably could not get back in either, But I take my chances and try to be a bit more careful in the cold. The winter time produces good crappie and very few fisherman. I like it!!!

I agree with you last year I bought one of those automatic lifejackets so if I fell in it will open, but I would just have to swim to the shore because the is no way I would get back into the boat.

back in the day when I was a youngin about 9 or 10 years old I was fishin with dad on thanksgiving weekend on shelbyville and water temps were already in 40's and i bent over to get a buoy and fell right in haha! I couldnt get back in by myself and dad had a hard time pulling me in because of my coverals and layers underneath all soaked! I had to ride all the way home in my whity tighties and when I walked in the house i looked at mom and said dont even ask and went to my room and pouted!

I think you should make a video of yourself falling into the water, then you could show how to save yourself. Videos are the new thing, Birdy...come on now!

You know a guy never thinks that this could happen to him. Probably would not take long for that cold water to take over.

I have thought that before,that i wouldn't fall in,but it happened to me a month ago.I know the water was warmer then,but i had a sweat shirt on,pair of jeans,and my heavy steel toed boots,and i went in.Had the boat tied to the dock,and when i went to get in it,the cleet i was tied to snapped and the boat tipped over,and down i went.I was able to kick and paddle for a few seconds,then i went under.

Lucky for me,a buddy was with me and was able to reach me.He grabbed me,then some how lost his grip,then grabbed me again.Next thing i know, i woke up in the lake patrol office at lake decatur.I was pretty scared after i came too,and owe my buddy my life.It definitely woke me up.I always have known there was a risk,but again,ya never think it'll happen to you,because usually a man takes precautions,but once in a great while something gets missed.

Seems now,while i'm in my boat,i am more aware of being safe then enjoying the fishin.I can't seem to shake that experience away,it's still got ahold of me.I seen my family flash in front of me,before i lost consiousness,really,really scary.I hope and pray no one ever has to go through that,ever.

Ive been out of the boat twice...both at Crab. The first time was around 1992...i was rounding the corner heading from the west into the carterville boat and yacht club neck. I hit a floater with my 9.9 and it threw me out. Now god saved me here....i had a a faulty gas bulb on my gas line...so i had to pump it all the time to keep gas in the motor. When I went out the boat circled around and ran out of gas and came right back to me. No life jacket...and i got myself back in. Today i would be in trouble..because i would not have a bad gas bulb for more than 1 day....and im too old to get my butt back in. The second time i went in i was bass fishing in the campground neck and slipped off the gunwhale while flipping a jig. I was right up next to some rocks in 2 feet of water...and i scarred my shin up bad on the rocks. It can happen. And at some point it will. Neither time I was ready....and I got lucky. Now i am much more careful.