early spring fishing report

Huntindave McCann

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Took my boat out onto the local river this last weekend. The water temp is 35.7 degrees so the walleyes are not real active yet. Saturday the river water was still very clear, so I brought my underwater camera along hoping to check out a few wintering holes. I lowered the camera head down in several different locations but never saw any fish of any species. I was however, able to confirm what I already knew about the bottom content.


I went back out on Sunday too but the river had come up 6 inches and turned brown and cloudy with quite a bit of debris and leaves flowing in the water. Too muddy to use the camera. I ended up pitching a jig in a creek that emptied into the main river. I was hoping I might find a Walleye or Northern Pike back in there.


What I did find, was a fishing lure dangling from a tree limb overhanging the water. The wind was blowing briskly and the blade on the lure was flashing in the sun. I maneuvered my boat over to and under the lure. After several attempts I was finally able to pull the limb down with an oar, just enough to grab the lure with my other hand.
Unfortunately, doing so caused me to lose my balance while perched on the deck of my boat. I came crashing down onto the deck and bounced/rolled off into the 35.7-degree water. It took me about 2/3 seconds to regain my composure. At which time I thought to myself, “This would be a good time to jump back into the boat” duh!


I was wearing enough layers of clothes that I actually did not get soaked thru to the skin, except my sleeve and where the water drained into my boots. My gloves were soaked, so during the ten minute boat run back to the ramp, my bare hand got quite cold indeed.


I would like to say that the only damage was to my pride, but alas, tis not true. At the time of losing my balance and bouncing on the deck, I landed on my fishing poles, breaking two of them in the melee. I think I would have been better off leaving that fishing lure in the tree where another angler lost it.
Come to think of it, I now have an excuse to buy another fishing pole. :>) :>)
 
At least you are thinking on the positive side lol.

I'm getting antsy about getting back in the water but nothing is open and there are no fish around. Also no one else is crazy enough to join me when there are ice bergs floating by.

When I was younger I used to go for my first swim of the year March first. People have bubblers off their docks so we could always find open water.

Bring on Spring!!!
 
Your day was still better than mine. We had better than 2 feet of snow with winds of 20 to 50 miles per hour.
Fishing sounds better to me.
I am jealous.
 
I bet someone purposely put that jig up just low enough to reach but high enough to make it a challenge to do so. Same person was probably hiding in the weeds somewhere videotaping your adventure. Video will be on the net in no time. Probably get 1,000,000 hits and become rich off of you.


When I was younger, we used to take baggies and fill them with ditch weed and take them to the State Fair. We could spend hours throwing these bags onto the walking areas and watch kids think someone dropped a bag of Mary Jane on the ground. Watching these kids scheme and what not on how to pick up that bag inconspicuously was a hoot. We actually got a crowd of people joining us in the watching. Wish there was such as thing as a person video camera back them.


Someone probably doing the same with the lure Dave.


Mark
 
Dave, your fishing reports are always great. I am still rooting for you to catch something at some point in the future.
 
I'm bummed...I submitted a reply via my iphone and it never made it....oh well. It kinda went like....stepping over dollars to pick up a dime....sorry, that's just the way it came out. There is a lesson in this though and that is situational awareness. Dave is here today to still post to this forum however this situation could have ended very differently. Had Dave hit his head and gotten knocked out a bit when falling, he may have ended up in the drink and have a boat float away and that would be that. Dave is lucky is was a couple of replaceable fishing rods and a bit of temporary restraint of his pride gettine his clothes wet but these scenarios should always be assessed when we take to the water by ourselves....How can I get hurt,...How can I keep from getting hurt,...and how will I react to change....It's from work safety but the mentality could still apply to us all. Glad you made it off the water Dave.
 
First.... I am very glad that you didn't die....As Ron pointed out, it could have gone bad quickly.

Second... I saw where this story was going as soon as you said there was a lure in a tree....

Third.... I can't stop laughing!!!!!!
 
Ron,


You do bring up some good points.


(A) My gut was telling me this was a bad idea.
(B) when I realized just how far out of reach the lure was,,,,,,,,,,, my gut was yelling at me; this is a bad idea.
(C) the more I worked at it, the more determined I became. (yes I did in fact end up with the lure in my possession)
(D) I was NOT wearing a PFD at the time. Yes the water was shallow, I was able touch bottom. However, as you pointed out, I could have injured myself in the fall and been unable to right myself in the water.




All in all, a bad idea which I am bound to repeat sometime in the future. (Purely for Tod's benefit.) I hope I don't forget the camera. ;>)
 
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