Thread: Winter Fishing: Would you die?

Time to think. Who has a plan. What if? Winter time fishing. Worst case. If you went out of the boat.....what is your plan? You are by yourself on a frigid day. Over you go. How would you live?

Do you wear your life jacket?
Ever practice getting back in your boat?
Know how long you might be conscious in 40° water?
Or have any useable strenght left?
If not in back in the boat, could you make it to shore?
If you could, what would you do on shore?

Interested to hear your thoughts. I fish by myselft quite often. I am very good about wearing my life vest. Promised my son I always would. But, it might only allow someone to find my body.

Whats your plan? I have one, but not gonna post it. Wanna hear yours.

Dayton

My plan, if I come across your bloated floating fly covered body, is to keep going.

I fell in 40 degree water about 10 years ago from a small jonboat in a pond in New Kent. First response is what the heck just happened. Second response was which way is up. After I got orientated under the water I saw the sun and swam to it. Once I got my head above water I tried to get a breath but couldn't. It was almost like my lungs had frozen. Luckily I was only about 50 feet from shore and am a good swimmer. It was warm that day despite the cold water temps and my truck was not far away. If the air temp was lower and my truck had not been accessible I am sure hypothermia would have become an issue.

One thing I try to do now is keep my phone in the boat in a dry place and not on my person.

If you have a motor with power trim, you can use it to help get back in the boat. Stand on the skeg of the motor and raise it up. Normal person can not lift themselves back in a boat with a extra 30 pounds of wet clothes.

See you all Saturday!

You bet. I cant swim, thread water, dogpaddle, or float. If I go overboard I am gonna create a tsunami gittin back to the boat. Then I am gonna remove my 9 mm from my green dry-box, bust a cpl caps into the base of my medulla oblongotta, jump back into the water and hopefully float so as not to have any slab fishermans day messed up with a lake dragging for a body.

Having surfed and worked in cold water down to 40 or so when I was younger I know getting dunked when your not ready can be real dangerous. You only have a few minutes before you can not function. If your fishing alone you better have a plan to get back in the boat and a way to get out of wet clothes quick. One thing to consider is even if you get back in the boat you are still wet and you are going to be real cold real quick. I have a space blanket and packs of hand warmers cause if you hands get cold enough you are not getting out of your wet clothes in time. A spare pair of coveralls to put on quick is the best bet. Allways wear your vest cause wet clothes make you sink real quick.

When water temps start getting this cold I try to wear my life vest all the time. Especially when fishing alone.
Less people on the water this time of year and getting help could be a big problem. Need to be able to fend for yourself !!!!
Always keep an extra pair of dry clothes on board. I have an old set of insulated coveralls that would be easy to throw on.
Regardless of any plan, going overboard this time of year would be a terrible situation.

I still gotta opt for braining myself with the paddle and throwing myself in the water as far away from the boat as I can launch myself. This may seem chikkin**** to most of ya but that is saving lives on board The Onion. I think at the very last minute I might renigg and not only drown 1-2-3 good friends in my panic but imagine the post-mortem guilt involved with scuttling yur own ship in the process. No sir, I wanna feel my lungs fill up with dank murky tannin-laden brackish water and pinch my nose shut with one hand while signaling a final adios with the other. You guys reaarange the story for me if need be. I am skeert my PFD is only about 3/16ths buoyant and I will flounder around a scant 6 inches under the water, in suspended animation, as I suck down my last load of leaves and debris. Disregard any snapping of the fingers or International "please come here, quick" signs. (Ya know, the recurrent come here, come on now, homie, GIT YUR ASS OVER HERE NOW sign made by repeatedly curling yur index finger back toward ya. Best to give me a sharp blow to the upper noggin and try poke me back under till I quit flailing. Please take my undies off and toss em. I still got this phobia about havin on clean underwear in case you git in an accident. Better to have none on if yurn are in the same shape as mine most any time. Might oughta dispose of my jeans too should it be particularly messy.

Maybe the Game Commission could come out one day and teach us to throw the cushion to ourselves!

I keep a dry box in the boat with enough clothes to at least get a dry set on. I plan to ride the cavitation plate on my motor and use the power tilt to get me back in the boat.