As the weather cools some of us heat up and hit the waters for the best muskie fishing of the year. I had an opportunity to live for a couple years where late season muskie fishing included not just cold, but wind chills that hit the low teens or less, breaking ice with the boat, whiteouts where I stopped to shovel a couple inches of snow out of the bottom of the boat, pulled my boat out of iced/snow-covered boat ramps, etc. Most folks involved with this site are about 200 miles south of such concerns, but still, safety is always worth discussion. I'll offer my list of must-haves and I ask you to please comment and/or add to it…
*Somebody knows where I am and when I should be back and what to do if I don't check in.
*A Kayaker-design life jacket that I'll wear day and night. Because the design allows me to do figure 8s unhindered and allows body sweat to evaporate.
* Wool everything underneath a high quality Gortex shell: fishing bibbs and hooded coat, plus high quality boots and a waterproof insulated, earflapper hat. Chopper mittens w/ handwarmers as needed and a set of waterproof insulated gloves for driving the boat. Hip boots in the truck 'cause I'll need them later to get the boat back out. Complete set of dry clothers and a coat in the truck.
* Water to last two days. Food is nice but not necessary.
* Ability to start a fire in dire weather.
* Lake map, and compass first, cell phone and GPS close seconds.
* 40# of sand for the iced-up landing. Also, ALWAYS, a full-sized metal grain shovel to move snow so I can move the truck to get the boat out. Plus, I use the shovel to throw sand/gravel from the lake bottom onto the landing. The full-size grain shovel design, made of metal, is best to meet needs described above.
* If fishing alone, a realistic plan to get back in the boat if you happen to get tossed out. Some folks drag a 50' rope behind the boat and plan to use the motor's rear power trim button to ride the motor shaft up and out of the water. Me, I have a little boat, no power trim, and doubt I could get back in my boat if tossed in the real cold drink.
* A good set of tools in the truck, including a heafty tow strap.
Ok, I'll stop here and let's see what you guys think about safety must-haves in colder weather. 4WD and good tires are obviously required. I stress that the first step is to dress yourself as if you might have to stay out on the ice overnight with no other shelter. I recognize that most of us fish waters not as remote as described above, but still, what would you change or add?
Thanks!
Excellent post! The one thing none of us ever plan on doing is falling out of the boat. However, I did, about 20 years ago, and was fortunate all turned out well. Getting back into the boat is a difficult task, especially if you're older. I helped a man three years ago get back into his boat on Muskegon Lake. He had a rope ladder, which he thought he could climb, but couldn't, and was just hanging on the side of the boat. It was in October and he was in a part of the lake that didn't have a lot of boat traffic. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't come by.
Again, these tips are great food for thought. Thanks for posting.
Charlie
I would think you could add a boarding ladder to the transom on just about any boat, good idea for sure. Might be easier than grabbing the motor and trimming it up to get in with heavy boots. Anyone remember seeing ol Iconelli kick his boarding ladder a couple years ago during a big tourney, cause he lost a fish due to it and was kicked out, if not you should see it.
This is a great post and it’s something that I really put some thought into a few years ago shortly after the birth of our first child. While breaking ice in an attempt to get my boat out to open water, the true reality of the likely outcome if I went overboard while fishing alone in these conditions set in. In addition to many of the great safety devices/procedures that all of you have mentioned, I still felt like there had to be something else that would greatly increase my chances of survival. I began researching the wide variety of survival suits on the market, but what I found is that most of the recreation level suits in the $300 to $500 range primarily provide flotation and hypothermia protection. Flotation and hypothermia protection are very important, but if you do more in-depth research you will quickly learn that these suits are not going to save your life unless you’re rescued or able to get out of the water in a relatively short amount of time. This is when I came across a suit made by Mustang, it’s a Breathable Immersion Work Suit – Special Operations :: MSD900 SO <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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This suit provides an estimated 6 hours of survival time in 32°F water, which for me I’m fairly confident that for most open water and ice fishing situations will provide enough time for a successful rescue. I know that for most people this seems a bit extreme, but I guess the way I looked at is can I afford to not own/wear it when fishing alone in extreme conditions. I was able to purchase mine New off from ebay during the off season for substantially less than retail. If this is something that you’re interested in hearing more about please let me know. It’s actually very comfortable to wear all day while casting, trolling, sitting in a shanty, and pulling your ice fishing gear a mile across the lake!
Be Safe this Fall and Winter
Mike
Great suggestions. My wifes uncle has a cabin on the St.Mary's river. He is 6'7" and 350 lbs. Well he fell out of his 19' Lund and managed to hold on to the side with the help of his mother and wife.
They made it to and island where he could get back in. That water is so cold he said he gave up a couple of times and tried to let go, but his wife held on to him.
You need a plan that can hold up for a big fella as well.
There are a few that Ranger pointed out that I have overlooked in my boat.
THANKS
No, not near as hard core as many others who live up north. Just made it sound that way. 😉
As Will pointed out, I really didn't have a solid plan for getting back in the boat. And the more I think about it, well, the dumber it sounds to not have a proven, workable plan.
That Mustang suit sounds great. The price tag becomes much more reasonable when the other option is to drown in icy water.
I've only jumped in water that cold once… And it's a feeling that you'll never forget. My brother-in-law and I were at Payne Lake (by Gun Lake) and we decided to just be a little crazy. There was still ice all in the middle of the lake. We ran to the end of the dock (which was left in all winter) and leapt out as far as we could. For only the 5 seconds we were in there, it was pretty tough to climb back onto the dock. We instantly ran back to his car and cranked the heat. Oh…. to be a teenager again!
I will be diving on Whitmore Lake Thursday. I make sure my regulator is in my mouth before I step off of the Pontoon, because as soon as you hit that cold water, the first thing you do is take a DEEP breath when you hit the water.
That unstoppable kneejerk reaction right then, dooms most people who fall in cold water. ( I will be looking to restock some of my ice fishing supplies from the smorgasboard on the bottom of the lake, and clean it a little at the same time.) [smilie=2thumbsup.gif]
Along the lines of re-boarding in an emergency, I've just mounted one of these on my transom:
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Just put my 100' pier in the other day, about 15 days after ice-out. freaking freezing cold, man
Last fall and the fall before that I spent a ton of hours by myself trolling for muskies and walleye in November and after dark. No such thing as bad weather in those weeks, right? I fished so many hours in the wind and cold rain that I was switching off from one or another of my two sets of Gortex rainsuits. Used up a lot of hand-warmers. Fish 10 hours, come home to eat and change clothes, go right back out on the water for another 10 hours. Do it again.
Weather don't matter, except big wind and lightening, those two must be repspected. Hands down, the most risky thing for me fishing marathons becomes fatigue.
And never did I have a realistic plan to get back in the boat. Still don't.
Even if you have a plan to get back in the boat you need to be able to reach the boat if you go into the water.
– If you're alone and trolling with your outboard use your kill switch lanyard. If it's too short to allow movement add some length.
– If you're alone and casting or trolling using your electric do NOT use the continuous mode use
Experts above, good advice.
If you have never been in cold water…..maybe..
The water right now is, what, about 40? Dress up to fish and head to the local lake. Get a buddy to hold a rope tied around your waist as you walk down the ramp and swim out over your head. Bob around a bit.
Again, all tips above are valid. It would take a real strong and fast wet guy to pull himself over the side of and back into a boat.* The rest of us would likely drown.
*story – midwinter on the Mighty Miss near St. Louis. A guy, let's call him "buddy", dressed for cold weather is walking down a ramp to the docks when he slips on some ice and rolls into the water next to his boat. Mid-winter nobody around. The slips all hold 20-40' boats and everyting is under cover, lots and lots of what is essentially welded rebar frames holding huge pieces of stryofoam and plasitc barrels. Anyway, lots of stuff to grab on to, like ladders everywhere. But can my 50y/o+ overweight buddy climb out? No. So he starts yelling and about when he's about to give up a kid from the marina comes screaming around the slips in a pick-up to help.
Mu buddy is spent and the kid can't lift him out of the water. After promising to hold on for 2 more minutes my buddy is passing out as the kid drives the truck like a madman back to get more guys.
The young dude was right back with lots of help. It took 3 guys to haul my buddy up on the deck of the dock, about 3' from the surface of the water.
My buddy said he expected to not live thru this
ordeal. The last he recalls is the face of some kid yelling at him to hold on. And he felt it was ok to slip away, he was "just so tired, you know?".
Like I said, I went into the water the other day, man. My nards went so far north that I'm still waiting for lefty to drop back to the jewel sack.
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