02-18-2009, 03:26 AM
There are a few guys either brave or dumb enough (depending on your prospective ) that are getting their last lick in on the bay by taking the hazardous trek from shore for some last chance ice fishing as the season begins to wind down .
Some of the risk takers themselves question whether the unstable shore line dash to "fishable ice" is worth taking .
Fifty to one hundred yards of nerve shattering steps are being reported from the
eastern side of the bay and with that huge crack along the western shore line finding a safe way out is near impossible .
Some guys are still going .
Me , I'm siding on taking the cautionary approach , after all I am well versed in taking a few unexpected polar dips when it was least expected and lucky enough to be able to be around to tell about it .
There was no time to run , there was no time to jump away You go under and that is it . At the sound of ice breaking you are already at chest level with the surface and your going down , your body is already going into shock from the frigid water temperature . As you submerge like an old black and white T.V. set from the fifties turning off , so goes your vision . There is no sound , just a great black void before your survival senses kick in . If , and I say if you are lucky enough to bob up out of the same hole you went in you begin to flail your arms towards anything that you can grasp to pull yourself up and out Your fingers barley work , your bodes center of gravity is well below the surface of the ice and clawing your way out is almost impossible .
This is where you have to concentrate on thinking your way out , overcoming your natural instinctive mode and using your brain . you get your ice spikes out and try to stab at a solid spot in the ice If your lucky it doesn't break off into a chunk that hampers your escape as you try to pull yourself up .
Now you have your grip and you try to sling one leg out of the water and onto the ice and then roll yourself to safer ice .
Sounds pretty easy , doesn't it ?
Far from it . I compare it to hanging off the edge of a tall building by your finger tips and trying to pull yourself up , it isn't an easy task .
I made it this far , My first thought is to head back to my car , thats O.K. if your the only one out there but your safest bet is to head to anyone that can help you , time is now short . Your body is shutting down , your blood thickend from the cold shock of the water and the freezing air , minutes count . and you need help . Get it !!
My clothes froze solid within ten minutes making it diffilcult to take steps I actually had to pivot my body to gain a forward motion . Taking your clothing off is what most safety programs teach you , get that ice off you .
Me I was two miles out on Lake Erie by myself , wind and wind chill would have killed me quicker .
I was in great shape back then , I made it to my car it seemed like weeks before I fully recovered from that ordeal and in all honesty I don't think I could survive the same experience today .
Is last ice worth the risk ?
I guess it's a personal choice for some guys , not for me . When you put yourself at risk there is someone that might be called upon to unselfishly put themselves at the same risk to save your life . Could you live with that ?
I'll contently watch the fishing shows , eagerly awaiting the rivers and lakes to open up and live to fish another day , see my kids grow and spend my time getting old with my bride .
Yea , last ice is tempting for some guys but the rewards aren't worth the things I could loose if things went ugly .
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Some of the risk takers themselves question whether the unstable shore line dash to "fishable ice" is worth taking .
Fifty to one hundred yards of nerve shattering steps are being reported from the
eastern side of the bay and with that huge crack along the western shore line finding a safe way out is near impossible .
Some guys are still going .
Me , I'm siding on taking the cautionary approach , after all I am well versed in taking a few unexpected polar dips when it was least expected and lucky enough to be able to be around to tell about it .
There was no time to run , there was no time to jump away You go under and that is it . At the sound of ice breaking you are already at chest level with the surface and your going down , your body is already going into shock from the frigid water temperature . As you submerge like an old black and white T.V. set from the fifties turning off , so goes your vision . There is no sound , just a great black void before your survival senses kick in . If , and I say if you are lucky enough to bob up out of the same hole you went in you begin to flail your arms towards anything that you can grasp to pull yourself up and out Your fingers barley work , your bodes center of gravity is well below the surface of the ice and clawing your way out is almost impossible .
This is where you have to concentrate on thinking your way out , overcoming your natural instinctive mode and using your brain . you get your ice spikes out and try to stab at a solid spot in the ice If your lucky it doesn't break off into a chunk that hampers your escape as you try to pull yourself up .
Now you have your grip and you try to sling one leg out of the water and onto the ice and then roll yourself to safer ice .
Sounds pretty easy , doesn't it ?
Far from it . I compare it to hanging off the edge of a tall building by your finger tips and trying to pull yourself up , it isn't an easy task .
I made it this far , My first thought is to head back to my car , thats O.K. if your the only one out there but your safest bet is to head to anyone that can help you , time is now short . Your body is shutting down , your blood thickend from the cold shock of the water and the freezing air , minutes count . and you need help . Get it !!
My clothes froze solid within ten minutes making it diffilcult to take steps I actually had to pivot my body to gain a forward motion . Taking your clothing off is what most safety programs teach you , get that ice off you .
Me I was two miles out on Lake Erie by myself , wind and wind chill would have killed me quicker .
I was in great shape back then , I made it to my car it seemed like weeks before I fully recovered from that ordeal and in all honesty I don't think I could survive the same experience today .
Is last ice worth the risk ?
I guess it's a personal choice for some guys , not for me . When you put yourself at risk there is someone that might be called upon to unselfishly put themselves at the same risk to save your life . Could you live with that ?
I'll contently watch the fishing shows , eagerly awaiting the rivers and lakes to open up and live to fish another day , see my kids grow and spend my time getting old with my bride .
Yea , last ice is tempting for some guys but the rewards aren't worth the things I could loose if things went ugly .
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