Where not to ride.
#1
02-04-2005, 02:15 PM
Where not to ride.
I picked this off of the big fish tackle forum. This guy is lucky to be alive. FG is Flamming Gorge in NE Utah.
My friend and I rode back out to FG over the weekend on a whim and we worked the old river channel and quick drops (for the most part) for a few miles between Halfway Bay and south Confluence point area. The Mac bite was slow to say the least but I managed to ice a couple like last trip but zero monsters this go-round. Infact, I only seen perhaps 10 small dogs caught the entire weekend and by far Lost Dog was the most popular spot to fish if a person wanted company.. The Bow bite was hotter than the Mac by a long shot and in depths from 6' - 14' so late Sunday afternoon we tinkered with Bows before coming home. But the weather was nice all weekend. Highs about 30, lots of sunny with very little W on both Saturday and Saturday. In fact, Saturday I had to get rid of most of my warm wear by noon because I was baking in it! Friday it was a bit breezy at times and Sunday it was cloudy but the big W's left us alone. Other than a little around the shorelines its pretty much open water from Current Creek bay and south.
The "Big Slash" took place just after sun down Saturday evening over a water depth of about 40'.
All day Friday and Saturday we'd drove my wheeler back and forth several times over a pressure ridge that had broken then re-frozen sometime in the past. The ice at the plessure fracture was cloudy on the south side but it was easy to see it was 10" thick due to the small crack lines but the north side it was covered in about an inch of snow. Just as the sun was about to set Saturday my friend returned from the Blacks Fork Arm to a spot we'd fished early Saturday off the Confluence we're we mark a few earlier and I decided we do a little night fishing instead of heading in. We had every thing we needed with us including the Coldfooters Hilton set up and ready to go, but, we'd didnt have the lanterns,, (DAH!)... Well just as the sun was about to set I decided to run back on the wheeler to the pickup parked south of Confluence Point and grab the lanterns and fire up the pickup to make sure all was good,, (it was supposed to dip down around -3) and I didnt want to have problems when it was time to head for the motel room. However, due to the fact it was getting dark and I was running without my headlight turned on I couldnt tell the pressure ridge had re-broken suddenly I drove straight into the water! My heart dumped straight up my throat as the bike and I started downwards and a large blanket of water came over me from the front tire! Before entering the water I couldnt tell it was again water on the far side of the ridge and NO way to stop in time because I was traveling at 15-20mph when I entered the water. But lady luck was on my side this time because there were still two large slabs of ice under the water forming a V at the bottom witch held me and the wheeler up long enough for me to power my way up back up the second slab of ice and out of the water on to the hard deck again (a distance of about 30'). All I can say is,, I feel very lucky and Thank God I had tire chains on the old wheelers tires. I dont think I would have came up hill without them! The wheeler actually dropped down to wear the tires were completely under water before it started back up hill. Needless to say I got soaked, lol! We do carry 2way hand helds so I radio my friend and said I'd be back in about an hour (about the amout of time it would take me to load the wheeler, drive out from where the pickup and atv trailer was parked at that point, up the highway, and back in to where my friend was. On the ice its probably about a 1/2 mile trip from where we'd parked the pickup to where my friend was. But by a snowy dirt road, then the highway, and another longer dirt snowy road, its probably 20 mile trip.
So I trailer the bike, shed the soaken wet outter layer, and off I went. Once the rode trip was over to Lost Dog and I was again at the shore line and I tossed on dry outter wear and tried to fire up the bike to ride out to my friend was waiting (who was still fishing outside of the Hilton just north of Confluence point by way of the portable sun). I had to thaw out the ignition and choke switches on the wheeler because it had also gotten soaked in the big splash and had frozen solid after be pulled an hour or so on the the trailer. But when all was said and done a lantern hanging from the handle bars under the switches and draped with a shop towel did the trick to thaw the switches in a few minutes and I slipped back onto the hard top at about 7pm. and to the Hilton. We then fished all toasty in the C-Hilton until about 10.30pm without a single taker, LOL!!
Needless to say I feel extremely lucky to be able to pass on this report of the past weekends events. I blame the Saturday evening ordeal completely on my lack of caution and not paying attention. Those of you that have known me for awhile and on this board know that I live for Ice fishing and have for 40+ years. I wouldnt normally end up in such a situation as I didnt Saturday evening but being in a hurry to get set up for night fishing I tossed caution out the window and blew across the ice to get light and that was a mistake that I knew better than to do. Have I learned form it? No doubt! And I hope its taught you old timers to the ice as well as new comers to ice fishing something also..
Yep, I feel pretty Lucky and it sure made my old backside pucker but I didnt see my life pass before my eyes, just ice cold water, so now its back to the business of ice shishin' FG again soon. I'm sure glad I had tire chains on the old wheeler though!
Don,, the old IceSkrat.
There are NO ugly Catfish, only ugly Cat fishermen. So for better or worse,, I'm gone fishin'! Here, Kittie, Kittie, Kittie!!!!
Post #2 of 12 (442 views)
That could of been bad! Pucker factor from 1-10 equals 500! Man, you are one luck jose!
BearLakeMack
The above information may be speculative, based on misinformation, contain inaccurate data, or could be entirely tongue-in-cheek depending on how litigious the reader may be, how much liquor I've consumed, or the degree of gullibility exhibited by any poster/reader I may respond to. Your mileage may vary.
TubeDude
/ Moderator
Jan 17, 2005, 10:45 AM
Post #3 of 12 (426 views)
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Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about getting my boots full of water at Pelican. At least I was in shallow water.
We silly fisherpersons sure do some strange things for fun.
Crazy golfers, anyway.
Glad you made it back to share the story Don.
T-I-O (The Infamous One)
Founder, President and first member of Tubaholics Anonymous. (That's where you go float tube fishing and nobody knows who you are.)
Out4Trout
Jan 17, 2005, 11:57 AM
Post #4 of 12 (377 views)
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Wow! What an adventure, Don! Good thing you had those chains on! You seem to always have a wild story to tell when you return from that lake!
Pack it in? PACK IT OUT!!!!!
PETA-People for the Eating of Tasty Animals
kokeking
Jan 17, 2005, 12:27 PM
Post #5 of 12 (366 views)
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Re: [Out4Trout] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
glad you made it back safe and sound ,i can relate to falling thru the ice at the gorge.
fishing really is the best therapy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Theekillerbee
Jan 17, 2005, 12:53 PM
Post #6 of 12 (349 views)
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Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
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Thanks for the report, and I'm glad you made it out of that very precarious situation alive! Man that is crazy! Just goes to show, you never know when or where you might bite the bullet!
polokid
Jan 17, 2005, 3:45 PM
Post #7 of 12 (305 views)
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man I am glad you are ok!!! That is scary.
Ute Football: Unbeatable
Ute Basketball: Coming on strong!!!
kentofnsl
Jan 17, 2005, 4:06 PM
Post #8 of 12 (296 views)
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Wow Don, you are fortunate that when you were offered the choice of good luck or good looks you went for the good luck! Sounds like you may have used most of your good luck on one trip -- glad you lived to tell the story.
Kent
So many places I want to fish, so many people I want to go fishing with -- SO LITTLE TIME!
taximan
Jan 17, 2005, 4:29 PM
Post #9 of 12 (288 views)
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Glad your safe! Had a couple of friends put there sled thru the ice at Buckboard. They had a second to jump free and scramble only got some sprained knees and shoulders. Lost the machine in 60' of water. Went back w/chainsaw, sonar, lots of rope. They hooked & pulled it all the way to shore.
Hellsangler69
Jan 17, 2005, 7:44 PM
Post #10 of 12 (236 views)
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Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
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You lucky IceSkrat . Good to hear all is well . I usually don't get a chance to read the longer reports but your keep me in my seat on this one . I've heard about those ridges and I just steer clear of them .
STRAWBERRY TEMP
PINEVIEW TEMP
fish4fish
Jan 17, 2005, 9:04 PM
Post #11 of 12 (204 views)
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Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
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Holy smokes you are a lucky one there 'footer, the ice fishing gods must want you around for a few more years. sounds like you may have to stick to FL for a while. Im sure glad that you are able to realte the story to us.
What are the bananas dancing about? They can get a free 17" LCD computer monitor, you can to just follow the link: http://www.FreeFlatScreens.com/?r=14238250
Coldfooter
Jan 18, 2005, 11:13 AM
Post #12 of 12 (116 views)
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Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
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All I can say is I must taste bad or something because as fast as FG tried to swallow me down it spit me right back up. Maybe my fingers spelled to much like big M's or sucker meat, Ha!
Seriously tho,, its great ta still be kickin'! Thanks all..
Don,, the old IceSkrat.
There are NO ugly Catfish, only ugly Cat fishermen. So for better or worse,, I'm gone fishin'! Here, Kittie, Kittie
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
My friend and I rode back out to FG over the weekend on a whim and we worked the old river channel and quick drops (for the most part) for a few miles between Halfway Bay and south Confluence point area. The Mac bite was slow to say the least but I managed to ice a couple like last trip but zero monsters this go-round. Infact, I only seen perhaps 10 small dogs caught the entire weekend and by far Lost Dog was the most popular spot to fish if a person wanted company.. The Bow bite was hotter than the Mac by a long shot and in depths from 6' - 14' so late Sunday afternoon we tinkered with Bows before coming home. But the weather was nice all weekend. Highs about 30, lots of sunny with very little W on both Saturday and Saturday. In fact, Saturday I had to get rid of most of my warm wear by noon because I was baking in it! Friday it was a bit breezy at times and Sunday it was cloudy but the big W's left us alone. Other than a little around the shorelines its pretty much open water from Current Creek bay and south.
The "Big Slash" took place just after sun down Saturday evening over a water depth of about 40'.
All day Friday and Saturday we'd drove my wheeler back and forth several times over a pressure ridge that had broken then re-frozen sometime in the past. The ice at the plessure fracture was cloudy on the south side but it was easy to see it was 10" thick due to the small crack lines but the north side it was covered in about an inch of snow. Just as the sun was about to set Saturday my friend returned from the Blacks Fork Arm to a spot we'd fished early Saturday off the Confluence we're we mark a few earlier and I decided we do a little night fishing instead of heading in. We had every thing we needed with us including the Coldfooters Hilton set up and ready to go, but, we'd didnt have the lanterns,, (DAH!)... Well just as the sun was about to set I decided to run back on the wheeler to the pickup parked south of Confluence Point and grab the lanterns and fire up the pickup to make sure all was good,, (it was supposed to dip down around -3) and I didnt want to have problems when it was time to head for the motel room. However, due to the fact it was getting dark and I was running without my headlight turned on I couldnt tell the pressure ridge had re-broken suddenly I drove straight into the water! My heart dumped straight up my throat as the bike and I started downwards and a large blanket of water came over me from the front tire! Before entering the water I couldnt tell it was again water on the far side of the ridge and NO way to stop in time because I was traveling at 15-20mph when I entered the water. But lady luck was on my side this time because there were still two large slabs of ice under the water forming a V at the bottom witch held me and the wheeler up long enough for me to power my way up back up the second slab of ice and out of the water on to the hard deck again (a distance of about 30'). All I can say is,, I feel very lucky and Thank God I had tire chains on the old wheelers tires. I dont think I would have came up hill without them! The wheeler actually dropped down to wear the tires were completely under water before it started back up hill. Needless to say I got soaked, lol! We do carry 2way hand helds so I radio my friend and said I'd be back in about an hour (about the amout of time it would take me to load the wheeler, drive out from where the pickup and atv trailer was parked at that point, up the highway, and back in to where my friend was. On the ice its probably about a 1/2 mile trip from where we'd parked the pickup to where my friend was. But by a snowy dirt road, then the highway, and another longer dirt snowy road, its probably 20 mile trip.
So I trailer the bike, shed the soaken wet outter layer, and off I went. Once the rode trip was over to Lost Dog and I was again at the shore line and I tossed on dry outter wear and tried to fire up the bike to ride out to my friend was waiting (who was still fishing outside of the Hilton just north of Confluence point by way of the portable sun). I had to thaw out the ignition and choke switches on the wheeler because it had also gotten soaked in the big splash and had frozen solid after be pulled an hour or so on the the trailer. But when all was said and done a lantern hanging from the handle bars under the switches and draped with a shop towel did the trick to thaw the switches in a few minutes and I slipped back onto the hard top at about 7pm. and to the Hilton. We then fished all toasty in the C-Hilton until about 10.30pm without a single taker, LOL!!
Needless to say I feel extremely lucky to be able to pass on this report of the past weekends events. I blame the Saturday evening ordeal completely on my lack of caution and not paying attention. Those of you that have known me for awhile and on this board know that I live for Ice fishing and have for 40+ years. I wouldnt normally end up in such a situation as I didnt Saturday evening but being in a hurry to get set up for night fishing I tossed caution out the window and blew across the ice to get light and that was a mistake that I knew better than to do. Have I learned form it? No doubt! And I hope its taught you old timers to the ice as well as new comers to ice fishing something also..
Yep, I feel pretty Lucky and it sure made my old backside pucker but I didnt see my life pass before my eyes, just ice cold water, so now its back to the business of ice shishin' FG again soon. I'm sure glad I had tire chains on the old wheeler though!
Don,, the old IceSkrat.
There are NO ugly Catfish, only ugly Cat fishermen. So for better or worse,, I'm gone fishin'! Here, Kittie, Kittie, Kittie!!!!
Post #2 of 12 (442 views)
That could of been bad! Pucker factor from 1-10 equals 500! Man, you are one luck jose!
BearLakeMack
The above information may be speculative, based on misinformation, contain inaccurate data, or could be entirely tongue-in-cheek depending on how litigious the reader may be, how much liquor I've consumed, or the degree of gullibility exhibited by any poster/reader I may respond to. Your mileage may vary.
TubeDude
/ Moderator
Jan 17, 2005, 10:45 AM
Post #3 of 12 (426 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about getting my boots full of water at Pelican. At least I was in shallow water.
We silly fisherpersons sure do some strange things for fun.
Crazy golfers, anyway.
Glad you made it back to share the story Don.
T-I-O (The Infamous One)
Founder, President and first member of Tubaholics Anonymous. (That's where you go float tube fishing and nobody knows who you are.)
Out4Trout
Jan 17, 2005, 11:57 AM
Post #4 of 12 (377 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
Wow! What an adventure, Don! Good thing you had those chains on! You seem to always have a wild story to tell when you return from that lake!
Pack it in? PACK IT OUT!!!!!
PETA-People for the Eating of Tasty Animals
kokeking
Jan 17, 2005, 12:27 PM
Post #5 of 12 (366 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Out4Trout] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
glad you made it back safe and sound ,i can relate to falling thru the ice at the gorge.
fishing really is the best therapy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Theekillerbee
Jan 17, 2005, 12:53 PM
Post #6 of 12 (349 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
Thanks for the report, and I'm glad you made it out of that very precarious situation alive! Man that is crazy! Just goes to show, you never know when or where you might bite the bullet!
polokid
Jan 17, 2005, 3:45 PM
Post #7 of 12 (305 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
man I am glad you are ok!!! That is scary.
Ute Football: Unbeatable
Ute Basketball: Coming on strong!!!
kentofnsl
Jan 17, 2005, 4:06 PM
Post #8 of 12 (296 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
Wow Don, you are fortunate that when you were offered the choice of good luck or good looks you went for the good luck! Sounds like you may have used most of your good luck on one trip -- glad you lived to tell the story.
Kent
So many places I want to fish, so many people I want to go fishing with -- SO LITTLE TIME!
taximan
Jan 17, 2005, 4:29 PM
Post #9 of 12 (288 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
Glad your safe! Had a couple of friends put there sled thru the ice at Buckboard. They had a second to jump free and scramble only got some sprained knees and shoulders. Lost the machine in 60' of water. Went back w/chainsaw, sonar, lots of rope. They hooked & pulled it all the way to shore.
Hellsangler69
Jan 17, 2005, 7:44 PM
Post #10 of 12 (236 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
You lucky IceSkrat . Good to hear all is well . I usually don't get a chance to read the longer reports but your keep me in my seat on this one . I've heard about those ridges and I just steer clear of them .
STRAWBERRY TEMP
PINEVIEW TEMP
fish4fish
Jan 17, 2005, 9:04 PM
Post #11 of 12 (204 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
Holy smokes you are a lucky one there 'footer, the ice fishing gods must want you around for a few more years. sounds like you may have to stick to FL for a while. Im sure glad that you are able to realte the story to us.
What are the bananas dancing about? They can get a free 17" LCD computer monitor, you can to just follow the link: http://www.FreeFlatScreens.com/?r=14238250
Coldfooter
Jan 18, 2005, 11:13 AM
Post #12 of 12 (116 views)
Copy Shortcut
Re: [Coldfooter] Flaming Gorge report & the Big Splash!
[In reply to] Can't Post
All I can say is I must taste bad or something because as fast as FG tried to swallow me down it spit me right back up. Maybe my fingers spelled to much like big M's or sucker meat, Ha!
Seriously tho,, its great ta still be kickin'! Thanks all..
Don,, the old IceSkrat.
There are NO ugly Catfish, only ugly Cat fishermen. So for better or worse,, I'm gone fishin'! Here, Kittie, Kittie
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
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