Lesson Learned

Before you all hear about this second hand I thought I would post the story………

Went fishing out of Shakopee Tuesday night. Everything was looking great on the river. There was very little floating ice. We went upriver a ways until we got to a creek we wanted to fish. The river upstream from the creek was still frozen so we were going to fish for a few minutes and then head back down river…….

Did all of you see my post under the video Darren took about being ready to live with the consequences of shifting ice…????

While we were in the creek (20 minutes), a friend of mine from work was fishing from shore and we were chatting with him. On our way out of the creek my friend on shore asked us how we got there. I said we came from downriver. He pointed to the ice and said “from where???”. I looked out toward the main channel and was quite stunned to see that the main sheet of ice that was upriver of us had shifted down and blocked our path. We made a couple efforts to find a seem but to no avail. The river was blocked both upstream and down!!!!

So we anchored the boat in the creek and secured valuables as best I could and left my boat in the creek hoping the ice would clear by morning. My friend gave us a ride back to the ramp.

Wednesday morning I went to check out the ice. Still there.

Wednesday at lunch went to check the ice. Still there.

Wednesday after work we got the boat out of the creek and made waves by doing doughnuts along the edges of the ice. We did some significant damage but couldn’t get it to break up enough to go up or downriver.

So we anchored the boat in the creek again and went home for the night.

Thursday morning the ice was completely gone. I guess the damage was significant enough…….

As of 10AM it is back on the trailer and there was nothing missing and nothing vandalized.

Now that the situation is resolved, I can laugh about it.

So I just have to chalk it up as a lesson learned and hope others can learn something as well. We were lucky that we had the creek there to provide shelter for the boat. We were lucky that the creek was within walking distance of civilization.

Basically I was lucky I didn’t lose my boat!!

HOLY CHIT!! Glad your baby is home where it belongs now.

Very lucky.

OK… but you never told us the important thing….

Did you catch any fish?

Glad to hear that things worked out for you and your boat. I’m sure you felt that you were on candid camera at times.

Sounds like you were “up sheet creek” Glad it worked out OK.

big G

I bet there were some sleepless nights

Glad to hear a happy ending

Man – it would be hard to sleep knowing your boat was just sitting there! Glad it all worked out!

Any fish caught?

Wow! WWG, you got outta that one. Glad to hear all’s ok for ya now but what an experience. Thanks for letting people know what can happen.

I hope I can get out on the mighty Minnesota with you again this year. I sure had a fun time last year with ya.

Wow, I didn’t like where that story was headed, but I am glad it turned out alright. All things considered, that is the best ending you could have hoped for.

Not to hijack the thread, I think this fits the conversation, I can remember being at rice creek when the ice was breaking up. It was cool watching the ice slam into the point of the far island and I was also in awe of the power. Keep your eyes open on the Minnesota because you don’t want to be in the path of one of those large rogue ice sheets.

Now we ain’t going to ask again…DID YOU CATCH ANY FISH!?!?!

Pug – you talking about that big island about 1/4 mile south of the mouth of Rice? When the ice breaks up there, it goes FAST.

WOW

Yep, that’s the one. This was a few years ago.

I know I learned my lesson. Use this experience to do the same for yourself. Never underestimate how fast river conditions can change.

This reminds me of a situation I was in a few summers ago down on the Minnsota near St. Pete.

We set up camp on a sandbar in th emiddle of the river, boat simply driven up onto the sand until it was wedged in pretty good. The boys commence to set up shop (tents and all) and get down to some serious beer drinking. After dark, we see some lightning way upstream and think nothing of it. After a while something seems off. The rear of the boat is bobbing up and down pretty good. We look around and our sandbar is disappearing pretty quick. You never saw a camp broken down so fast in your life! Luckily there was another shore spot about 500 feet away which we moved to.

Apparently if it rains 2 inches in an hour upstream, that water needs someplace to go…

Scary! Good to hear everything turned out okay, John!

wow! glad to hear you got your boat home…jeesh

WWG
Its only because I know you so well. You
I bet your glad I wasn’t in the boat with you that night.
Good story, Glad it worked out.
Dude, every time you get out in that boat…… You have something fun happen. Maybe gremlins or something in there.

Larry I think it just seems that way since I get it out so often. I sure am glad I wasn’t in my little 14 footer.

BTW we got a couple carp and a whitebass. Not exactly worth the pain of the situation…

It wasn’t life threatening at any point. Just didn’t like leaving my baby on the river.

I just want to get back out and fish that area now that all the ice is gone.

It’s always an adventure when I’m in the boat.

Crazy! That’s a heck of a story. Glad it worked out for the best. Drfresh some time this summer when you head down toward Mankato/St Peter you’ll have to let me know. I grew up in LeSeuer and still head down there to fish the river quiet a bit.

Oh, DFresh is now a Doctor (DR)? Well excuse me.

Glad everything turned out good for you WWG…

I was thinking…are we related???

Quote:

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Oh, DFresh is now a Doctor (DR)? Well excuse me.

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Sad thing is, those are my initials. D = Doug R = Rost