A routine ice breaking mission ran sour yesterday but ended a success.
Broke into 600′ of ice to find another 300′ of slush upriver.
I idle into ice and rock the boat if necessary. Rarely ever “Powering” through it.
Slush really slowed the boat down, so i gave it more gas when i realized it was just slush. The closer i got to the front of the slush the harder it resisted the boat…the more gas i gave. Resistance was running higher the closer i got to the end and I was about 20 yrs from getting out when i felt the boat lift…Seeing the end so close i goosed it until it would go no more! STUCK! Above the water line!
I couldn’t rock, budge, or even get the boat to flinch, no matter where i jumped etc.
I went to the bow, and threw my 20# anchor overboard to see just what i had gotten into. It sank 8″ into the slush.
I stuck my 72″ steel tape into the slush, and couldn’t find the bottom of the slush. Literally 6′ of slush and i was on top of it. Boat in 30 FOW btw, main channel.
Spent 20-30 minutes with motor rev’n high trying to create a pool behind the boat. Using my net to break up the slush to send it into the prop.
When the motor opened up about 3′ of water behind the boat, i threw the motor in reverse as the pool filled back up, and was able to get the boat to “Budge” about an inch backward. Instant relief!
I spent the next hour backing up into the slush, and blowing it back with the motor. All the while i was still ‘on top’ slush. This wasn’t easy because the slush your blowing back, your blowing back into your path. My boat was in fwd/rev constantly for an hour working my way back out.
Anyway, when i finally got out of the 300′ of slush and into the 600′ of ice, relief was found! Most people stop there and go home but i didn’t want my winter fishing to end by allowing the possibility of this slush to sit and freeze and clog the main channel, so i spent the next hour or so blowing out the 600′ of ice and 300′ of slush. The ice of course was fast and easy to move. But that slush was a bugger!! Waves barely broke it up! Eventually i broke enough supporting structure behind the slush that the river forces took over and shoved the whole 300′ of slush to the side of the channel in minutes! That fun to watch.
So…If you find yourself boating in slush. Be very careful as it can be deceiving in thickness and before you know it you’re in too deep! I learned something new yesterday and now know how to identify, and eliminate slush from the main channel.
I’ve heard of slush like this on the Rainy in the winter when people ice fish it, but never experienced it on the Mississippi, or from a boat.
Anyway, just an exciting Thursday on the water. Stay safe out there, and stay calm.
As they say …Don’t try this at home.
This being IDO, a place full of soap box safety keyboard specialists i don’t even want to share this story. But it may help someone decide to stay off the water, or hold a higher caution when on the river.
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