C'mon ice

[jagermeister]

Happens every year!!!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/t...d-on-lake-erie-ice-floe/ar-BBUzxRk?li=BBnbcA1

But see, it DOESN'T happen every year. The last large rescue operation was back in like 2008 or 2009. The past two years, the ice fishing on Lake Erie was really short-lived, but in 2014 and 2015 we had incredible ice conditions, and I don't recall any major rescues taking place. Sure, there are isolated incidents that occur... Those occur everywhere... But things like what happened yesterday are NOT common. The media just likes to blow it all out of proportion (just like it does with everything else), which does nothing but give ice fishermen a bad reputation that they don't deserve. Ice fishing is a huge stimulus to an otherwise stagnant economy during the dead-of-winter months, especially in areas like Port Clinton and the Lake Erie islands. That rescue yesterday really wasn't that big of a deal. A handful of people drifted away on a floating chunk of ice and got themselves a few airboat rides back to shore.

 

[Gern186]

Well said Jim!

 

[jagermeister]

Sorry I posted it.

No need to be sorry, Jeff. And if I came off as pissy, I apologise... That wasn't my intention. I just felt the need to clear the air. As an avid hard water fisherman, I just get a little sensitive when it comes to news stories painting a bad picture for us ice guys. We're all sportsmen on the same team and these stories don't do any of us any good.

 

[Riverdude]

Its all good.

 

[OhioWhiteTails]

They rolled the dice yesterday and got snake eyes. It happens. Most of those guys certainly knew the risks involved. Everybody got off safely and a little ice education. Nothing to see here.

 

[GoetsTalon]

Now it's C'mon ice get the fuck out of here lol! The jigging is going to be killer this year! Going to be one of those years we talk about for a long time. I feel very fortunate to live as close to the lake as I do!

 

["J"]

They had a rescue on mosquito lake yesterday.... 2 guys in a shanty, I’ve broke off and drifted a couple hundred yards from shore....

 

[bonemonger]

As you know J, I have a front row seat of the stupidity of some ice fisherman. They are always willing to risk their lives and the people who have to rescue them. I have to drive away from them when they go out on unsafe ice because they want to be the first and last people fishing. The state needs to either levy a big fine on these morons or take their fishing license for a number of years. Just my opinion from a guy that gets to watch it every day at work

 

["J"]

As you know J, I have a front row seat of the stupidity of some ice fisherman. They are always willing to risk their lives and the people who have to rescue them. I have to drive away from them when they go out on unsafe ice because they want to be the first and last people fishing. The state needs to either levy a big fine on these morons or take their fishing license for a number of years. Just my opinion from a guy that gets to watch it every day at work

Was wondering if you had a front row seat for that....

 

[jagermeister]

As you know J, I have a front row seat of the stupidity of some ice fisherman. They are always willing to risk their lives and the people who have to rescue them. I have to drive away from them when they go out on unsafe ice because they want to be the first and last people fishing. The state needs to either levy a big fine on these morons or take their fishing license for a number of years. Just my opinion from a guy that gets to watch it every day at work

Just curious, is there a huge fine or license revocation for the crab fishermen on the Bearing Sea? Those guys get rescued far more often and put more lives at risk than four dozen ice fishermen once every decade.

 

[5Cent]

Or what about every hunter that falls from a stand that needs help, or gets lost and needs rescued?

Outdoor sports, not just hunting and fishing, involve risks and it is unfair for ice fisherman to be singled out.

 

[bonemonger]

There is a world of difference, one is going out to do a job in dangerous conditions, another is purposely going out on unsafe ice conditions for recreation

 

[bonemonger]

If you can't find the difference from a accident and purposely going out on questionable ice I guess you don't have a clue

 

[jagermeister]

There is a world of difference, one is going out to do a job in dangerous conditions, another is purposely going out on unsafe ice conditions for recreation

I can't agree more that Saturdays ice conditions (moreso the wind conditions) were unfavorable and a lot of people out there did not use good judgement. However I don't think an uncommon incident like this is any reason to throw a bunch of good intentioned outdoorsmen under the bus. Especially coming from someone who lives in the area and should be well aware of the economic stimulus these folks bring to the area when things are generally pretty slow. I didn't venture out there that day because I used good judgement... But I'm not going to condemn those that did and call them morons. We all do dumb shit sometimes in one form or another. It doesn't necessarily mean we're morons.

 

[jagermeister]

If you can't find the difference from a accident and purposely going out on questionable ice I guess you don't have a clue

An accident is an accident. No one walked out there with intentions to get an airboat ride back to shore.

 

[bonemonger]

I'm not calling every ice fisherman a moron, I have plenty of friends that ice fish and they take plenty of caution and error on the safe side. I've seen numerous occasions where I just can't understand risking your life to catch a fish. Seen a whole family fall through the ice and this last incident where poor judgement by a couple of selfish people put other people's lives in danger

 

[GoetsTalon]

Gives the rescue personal a great time to test out all that gear that they spent thousands of dollars for. Those air boats need ran every now and then. Can't be too dangerous as with the big flow a few years back and the one Saturday had zero injury's! That's pretty good for a few hundred people.

 

[Carpn]

I can't defend the folks that went out Saturday . My whole weekend was planned by Saturday weather . I chose to go to Saginaw because I did not like how things looked . Some of the people should have known better . The rest didn't know better and were lured by bad advice and pictures of giant walleye on social media .
In the end people made mistakes and used bad judgement which resulted in first responders using their equipment and training to bring them to safety . They were prepared for this . Unlike those who needed recovery.
Hopefully it's another decade before another large scale ice rescue takes place . The last one was in 2009 and once again the first responders stepped up to rescue the 150 souls who went out unprepared . That day tho 500 plus made it off by running 10 miles east and crossing the crack at it's pivot .

My family got to enjoy some walleye tonight that came thru a 8" hole this weekend . It is a addiction . It can't be explained to those who have not done it .
If the devil showed up at my doorstep tonight and I had to decide between 4 month of ice fishing or 8 months of open water boat fishing I know I'd choose ice within seconds .

 

[jagermeister]

Well said, Jake. And that looks freaking delicious. And easy!

 

[giles]

That gave me goosebumps...I haven’t gone ice fishing the last couple of years or even own gear anymore. BUT, there’s plenty of recovering crack heads with my same problem. Only mine is with that hard water. Alaska just might of ruined me for this.