Thread: Actual fishing story, with moral

Daytona weekend 2003 I was fishing Lake Beulah, temp was 16 that morning and had warmed up to 22. I was fishing 22 ft in the 1st blue hole. I decided to move to another blue hole to get out of the wind. I fired my boat up and hammered down, when I started to turn the steering cable had froze to the pulley at the wheel. It snapped and ejected me from boat. Now a cold Sunday, in the winter ain't no body on the lake, but here is the moral......I HAD ON A LIFE JACKET AND THE KILL SWITCH. Guys I remember the water felt like 10,000 needles going in my skin, i could not catch my breath. I made it the rear of the boat and threw my coat sleeves on the deck, they froze and I thought at least they will find me. I pulled my self in and dropped the TM in and went as fast as I could. The guy at the boat ramp had been trying to un thaw his water and saw what had happened. I ran boat into the bank and went to truck and stripped to my underwear. He loaded my boat for me.


Every year I tell this story and hopefully it make you stop and think.....SAFETY! USE YOUR KILL SWITCH AND WEAR A LIFE JACKET!!!!!

Glad you are OK ...........
I too fell in just sitting in the boat.......had my life jacket on
went down about 20 feet........they claim I surfaced like a bobber.

Never will you catch me out in the water without a jacket

I fell in duck hunting and it was 15 degrees out that morning. I know exactly what you mean when you say you couldn't catch your breath. I had to tell myself to calm down and breath. It was some kinda cold and imobilizing experience.

Good point there Torch. For a guy in tip top, world class, physical shape, if you go into water below 50 degrees, you've got about 8 minutes, 10 max before you've got serious problems. And I'm not talking 10 minutes in the water, I'm talking about 20 seconds in the water plus the time to get back in the boat (if you can at all) and the ride to the ramp to get out of the clothes and get the truck going to warm you.

The kicker is 50 degrees doesn't sound all that cold. Hypothermia can be a problem with water at 80 as well, it just takes longer to load you on the long black train.

Let folks know where you'll be

Have a plan to get back in the boat

Wear your PFD (especially in cold water)

Wannabe...

Originally Posted by Wannabe...

Good point there Torch. For a guy in tip top, world class, physical shape, if you go into water below 50 degrees, you've got about 8 minutes, 10 max before you've got serious problems. And I'm not talking 10 minutes in the water, I'm talking about 20 seconds in the water plus the time to get back in the boat (if you can at all) and the ride to the ramp to get out of the clothes and get the truck going to warm you.

The kicker is 50 degrees doesn't sound all that cold. Hypothermia can be a problem with water at 80 as well, it just takes longer to load you on the long black train.

Let folks know where you'll be

Have a plan to get back in the boat

Wear your PFD (especially in cold water)

Wannabe...

And carry a extra set of clothes, something I learned from my duck hunting days when I went n a time or 2

In 2001 while fishin at Lake of the Ozarks, I went in. Air temp was 47, and I went in off the back of our Ranger boat. My buddy said that, with the possible exception of The Good Lord Himself, he's never seen or heard of anyone comin that close to actually walkin on water. He's a rodeo guy, and he said it took me less time to get back in the boat than it takes him to get throwd from a bull. I was in and out so quick I didn't even get my billfold wet. BUT, like was said here, I had a change of clothes in the boat and that saved me. From that day on, I've always carried clothes and a can of sterno in the boat.

Just tried to make that point this past weekend to someone. The new inflatables are like they are not even there, so comfort shouldn't be an issue. I need to get me a new lanyard for my kill switch. The clip is one of those old metal ones and it is difficult to get on and off. Thanks for posting.

torch, how did you get thrown out? hit something?

I had something like that happen on bend in the river once, just for an instant. Steering hung and right before I run up into the woods, it came loose and was fine. Never did figure out for sure what it was.

I think Torch said that his steering cable froze and then snapped on him.

Wow, you guys are all lucky. I fell in once in duck hunting weather on the MO river. Went off the front deck while picking up decoys when a big ice "cake" hit the boat just as I was stretched as far as I could trying to get a decoy. We had a heated shack on the boat which is what kept me from freezing as I didn't have extra clothes and we were 25+ miles upstream from the truck. I always carry extra set of clothes/boots now.