A new view of the Snake River

[Reel Geezer]

When I made a post a few minutes ago about public use of this message forum, I signed "now residing on the Snake River". I was tempted to elaborate a bit there, but decided to start another subject thread. Yesterday, I resided IN the Snake River for a few minutes. To explain a good lesson learned.

Almost every morning for the past 6 weeks or so, I have been taking my jet boat down to the Snake and fishing for smallmouth. I have also done this several times in January, February or March. During those early months I have worn a life jacket at all times for fear that I might fall in. I'm not sure that I would live long enough to enjoy bobbing around in the 40 degree weather, but it was a bit comforting. During the summer I do not wear my life jacket, but do hook up the motor's kill switch in case I fly out of the boat while running some of the shallows.

Yesterday my drag anchor rope wrapped around my trolling motor shaft. I was bent down leaning over the bow trying to untangle the rope, when I leaned too far and realized I was about to take a header into the river. I grabbed the motor shaft and ended up going in feet first. I was near shore, but couldn't stand up. I worked my way down the side of the boat and latched on to the grab bars around the center console. After a couple of tries I heaved myself over the side and was able to get in the boat. You should have seen the look on Bert's face when all this was going on.

The good points: It was summer and the water temp was 68 degrees. My 74 year old body still had the strength to get back into the boat. I might have learned the lesson that I won't fish alone during the winter. It was already 60+ degrees out and the sun was coming up so I drifted back down the four miles I had come upstream and caught several nice smallmouth on topwater, capped off by a battered, one-eyed bruiser that was 18" and put up a great fight.

The bad points: My camera doesn't work, and my AARP card is almost as wrinkled as I am.

But I'm headed back to the river in a few minutes.

[Harvey]

This should be a lesson to all!
I know this sounds stupid but I was never able to learn how to swim. Always being extra careful, I, Like Phil never used to wear a life jacket either. Some years ago, I am fishing over in the Ten Thousand islands by myself. I am in the mouth of the Houston river drifting out, jigging for snapper and redfish. Water is about four feet deep and not paying any attention to where I an standing, I step on a water bottle and lost my balance. Into the drink I go. I am able to stand up but am in chest deep water and the boat is drifting away. Mind you, I have fished these waters for years and somedays, you can go all day and never see more that a couple boats nearby. Well, here I stand and the boat is slowly drifting farther away. I admit, I am very worried. Maybe fifteen minutes later, as luck would have it, a boat comes around an island and is heading my way. I start waving and yelling to attract their attention. It worked as they came over to me and picked me up and returned me to my boat.
Lesson learned! First thing I do when I get home is go to Boater's World and by me a infalatable life jacket. Next, I take a piece of 3/8" nylon rope and fix a snap on each end. From that day on, when boating by myself, I always wore a jacket and use the rope to attach myself to the boat by snapping one end to a cleat and the other end to a "D" ring on my jacket. I was smart enough to hook the kill switch lynard to my self when I was running as others should be.
Just remember, The life you save my be your own so you can't be too careful out on the water. It is good to hear that Phil's little experence ended up for the best but everyone should take this as a lesson learned. THINK AHEAD
"H".

[john elder]

I still remember Uncle Joe's "Swimming Boots"...and how close this came to not being a family joke.

My Uncle Joe and Aunt Rose were real outdoors people and liked to try lots of different fishing venues. We decided that we would set up trot lines and drop lines at this lake on which we had a cabin and see if we could get some big catfish. Plan A was to get the lines set up in the afternoon and then run them every two hours into the night. About 9 PM, we had made a run in the dark and got back to the dock. I was carrying a bunch of stuff up the hill when I heard this tremendous splash...Uncle Joe...all 250 lbs or so, had lost his balance and fallen into about 10 feet of water. He could swim, so that wasn't the problem...he was wearing knee boots...they filled with water and made a fantastic pair of sinkers...the godfather couldn't have done much better using cement. Of course, i was standing on the hill, laughing my arse off as my aunt was trying to get him up, not realizing the gravity (so to speak) of the situation. Fortunately, he was able to grab the side of the boat and get to shore. I've been leery about wearing boots around the water ever since.

A couple years ago, I bought a float tube and thought about trying it in the Sierras...looked like great fun. but the water is snow melt and you need something to protect you. I found that most were wearing chest waders for this purpose, so bought a pair...but then I started thinking about Uncle Joe's swimming boots...haven't been out of the box yet! I'd like to hear from other float tubers about this issue...guess maybe a wetsuit would be the way to go.

[Brian F.]

Things seem to happen when they seem most unlikely and when you are most relaxed. I've had some close calls but my story is about heading out by myself on a very beautiful day hiking along the lava cliffs, when the sea was as flat as a Columbia Lakes. Since most of it is trekking over pretty rugged terrain, I chose to wear running shoes for comfort - mistake number one.

Spent the first two hours casting out lures and hooking a few things, having a great time not having to dodge the usual crashing open ocean swells. Mistake number two was stepping down onto a ledge without looking carefully at what I was planting on, as I had learned and reminded my guests hundreds of times. Amazing how slippery something can be when it looks absolutely dry. Next thing I knew, I was treading water and looking back up at the cliff. Fortunately, the drop was only 5 feet and I was really lucky not to have bounced on anything or scraped up myself on the way in. I felt more embarrassed than anything and that was good since it meant things were under control. The silly thing is that the treble hooks on my lure got stuck on my back pack (which is normally pretty light anyway) and I had a heck of a time getting back up with the rod.

Boots and waders around the ocean horrify me but we do wear form fitted booties with spikes, nylon fuzz or other gripping surfaces, depending on the terrain. People rarely ever wear a life jacket in spite of the rugged types of coastline and the pounding surf around here but I bought one recently. Problem is that I probably will not wear it on those bright, sunny days

Glad you're ok Phil!

[Reel Geezer]

John: I started fishing out of a float tube back in the 1960s when they weren't anywhere near as advanced as they are today. I always used waders and never have had a spill. However, there are so many float tubers in Idaho now that each winter the Boise Recreation Department conducts classes in escaping float tubes. Fear of slipping while wading some of our freestone rivers here is part of why I rarely fish for trout anymore.

And Harvey: Your line from your jacket to the boat is a pretty sound idea. I'll have to work on that. I didn't let go of the boat for fear it would get away. The river was fairly fast where I fell in and I could just see Bert floating away with the boat and all my tackle.

And finally, I didn't fall out of the boat this morning. The fishing was quite good, and Bert, the smallmouth and I all had a good time. (the smallmouth had a good time because most of them seemed able to throw the hook before I got them into the boat). Then they swam around and r*bass*ed me. As you can see, I have a personal relationship with many of those fish.

[Harvey]

Phil,
I used maybe 25 feet of rope. I would do the old figure eight thing around my thumb and little finger to take up half the slack then tuck the extra into my back pocket. That way it is always behind you and never in your way. When you need more slack, it just unreels from your pocket. After some guys that I used to fish with saw what I had done, I noticed quite a few doing the same. Try it, you will like it, as Mikie says!
"H"

[RAM]

Always figured fishing out of a boat was an act of desperation. The creeks I fish (was on one today) are gin clear. You can always see the bottom when you wade. Never wade over three foot deep water. That is where the SM are.

Boats! Most are too big, clumsy to deal with, difficult to load and unload, use gasoline, become filled with unnecessary junk, make ungodly noise, are dangerous to other people in and on the water, take up too much space on a river-and some small lakes, people fall out of them (the clumsy ones at least),are hell on wheels being towed on the highway in a high wind, require constant upkeep, take up too much space in the garage or carport, encourage the wife to better your foolish outlay of cash by going to the mall on a frequent basis (some are so expensive you could better afford a fishing cabin), ruin friendships when two people use one at the same time and aren't careful in several ways-shall I go on?

Of course, if that is the only way you can get to the fish, no problem! Especially the kind the Geezer catches! PS Teach Bert lifesaving techniques. Bad Bob

[Reel Geezer]

Bob: No spring creeks in my area like you and Ron are fishing. I can drive 8 miles, launch the boat, motor 3-4 miles up the Snake, float back down, never see another fisherman, catch some smallmouth, and be home for lunch. Where I fished today the river is probably 1/4 mile wide or more, with fairly strong currents and eddys, several islands owned by the US F&W Dept, and filled with smallmouth, channel catfish, carp and suckers. Today was 6 fish, all around 15-16" (but I lost a dandy), all on topwater. I had 4-5 others hit the bait but miss. In some areas I drag 3 two-foot long lengths of logging chain to slow down the drift, but I still get only one cast at a good holding spot and then it's gone. Water color is only about 2' visibility.

I couldn't do it without my small 16' jet boat. I showed it in another thread, but this gives a pretty good picture of the boat and the area of the river where I took my dive yesterday. The photo was taken from the tail of one island and the land to the right is another island. There is as much water on the other side of the island.

[Robin Sayler]

John, Get neopreen waders and where a belt then if you fall in your warm and you float.

[Harvey]

My only reply is that where we fish, we use boats to catch fish bigger than bait . That is what a 4lb smallie seemd like to me. That wouldn't even be a snack for fish I like to catch! Plus,it is hard to wade in 25 to 8o feet of water and expect to make a perfect cast.
"H"

[Robin Sayler]

I fish from anywhere i can, sometimes a boat isn't your best option, but i can say a float tube with neoprene waders is very effective in cold water especially on small lakes i wear flippers on the feet of my waders and i can get around very effectivly. however i don't think i'd want my legs dangling around harvey's kind of fish.

[john elder]

Younguy...I have the waders already...maybe I should just get in them, then lay down a big layer of silicon sealer at the top

[Jack Bright]

. . .and more, but have wet them considerably often when wading
always it seems like going too deep rather than playing it safe. That was
in my younger days when I was more aggresive. I do have some dandys
about falling out of boats all alone on lakes, next annual in Dowagiac, if
you`re interested in my humiliation I`ll repeat them.---Jack

[Harvey]

Hey Jack! Why wait? We want to laugh at and with you now!

[Robin Sayler]

Silicone could work make sure to shave the area you're applying it to though unless you want then to be permenent. I've never managed to acually fall out of my boat yet but i have come darn close a couple times and i could see how that could make for some interesting situations. Fell off of shore and docks a couple time though, the latest one i fell right into the warm waters of lake superior.

[Jack Bright]

A small (50 acre) lake only abour 10 minutes from my former residence,
had many nice Largemouth up to almost 6 lbs. ( I know Harv. that`s small
for Fla.) a few days earlier I had hooked one that had to be in the 5 lb. range.
This occured on a warm Sat. at about 10 am, it was raining a steady light
drizzle, being that small a lake in a heavily populated area there was a steady stream of motor boaters pulling skiers ( yuch! ) and of course the pesty 'personal water craft' Jet skies. . .( double yuch ! ), but with the
constant drizzle I thought a good time to get the big one that got away!
Spinning rod and plastic worm in hand I ambled in to my little 10 foot
pram, oars, no motors. To keep dry I had on knee high rubber boots and
a pair of old waders that I had cut the boots off to use as rain pants. And
a parka. Rowed out to my spot, dropped anchor in about 20 ft depth, at
about the third cast, had a pick-up, thought I`m really gonna` set the
hook on this guy! I reared back and struck! A backward somersault right
out of the boat! No one on the lake due to the rain,rod in hand I take up
slack, still on ? No,*D.A.M. reel* it. Hanging on to the side of the boat I then went under to take off the boots. Ever try to lift an anchor treading water ? No leveredge at all, every time you pull up you go under. Being a good swimmer was able to get it in the boat. Now I had to swim the boat back
to the landing. Got all my crap in the car, got home walked in soakin wet.
And wife says " I didn`t think it was raining THAT hard " I have another
that I`ll save.