Video from Mille Lacs

We filmed this last weekend. Thanks for watching.

Water looked pretty flat day 2.

Well done, nice finish.

Great video Fife…didn’t know you were an MTT pro? I see you were the smart(er) guy wearing the PFD. Perhaps because you were on the back deck doing all the netting? I was up there all that previous week and there was a contingent at the Red Door prefishing Thursday. I was over on the west side Saturday and saw all the boats way out yonder and I remember it laying flat Saturday afternoon. Anyway, thanks for sharing the video…good to see some of those bigger fish too.

Great video. Thanks for posting it. Looks like a good time.

Excellent video!!! Thanks for sharing. Looks like a great couple days.

Awesome Video! Looked to be a very successful weekend. Nice Work!

Nice Video and great music.

Thanks. Fishing has been great on Mille Lacs this year. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to dust off the go pros. It is much harder to take the extra time to film when we are rigging or pulling spinners out there.

The game plan for this event was to troll big baits for 2 days and go big or go home. It worked 2 weeks prior when my wife and I fished the couples tournament and it worked again.

I’ve been using the auto inflating PFD for 2 years and I usually wear it all day. I can swim just fine and the water is warm, but I don’t even notice it’s on. Better safe than sorry.

Fife wrote:

I’ve been using the auto inflating PFD for 2 years and I usually wear it all day. I can swim just fine and the water is warm, but I don’t even notice it’s on. Better safe than sorry.

I’m in the same boat. No pun intended. I used to avoid wearing a life vest even at times when I probably should have been wearing it. Once I got my hands on one of the auto-inflate vests I forced myself to put it on and keep in on all day. After the second trip putting it on is just part of the routine and I forget I even have it on.

Wear it, live with it!

Just got a chance to watch. Looks like a fun day!

-J.

I really enjoyed this video…well done! Almost like being right in the boat with ’em. Fife, will you be following the trail up to Winni this weekend?

No, I won’t be up there. Next events are all on Lake of the Woods-Warrior Boats Shootout, AIM championship, and MTT championship. I plan to get some footage depending on the weather.

Nice video!
Sorry to hijack, but I have been wanting to get one of those auto inflating PFD’s for a while. Dumb question, but are there situations where they could inflate unintentionally? Really wet/rainy conditions or wet ride back in your buddies Lund (joke of course)?
I would hope not, but I was trying to figure out exactly what tripped them. Obviously the manually inflating ones are useless if you are thrown from the boat and knocked unconscious so I would want the auto ones.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Nice video!
Sorry to hijack, but I have been wanting to get one of those auto inflating PFD’s for a while. Dumb question, but are there situations where they could inflate unintentionally? Really wet/rainy conditions or wet ride back in your buddies Lund (joke of course)?
I would hope not, but I was trying to figure out exactly what tripped them. Obviously the manually inflating ones are useless if you are thrown from the boat and knocked unconscious so I would want the auto ones.

I believe it is water pressure that trips them. I have been as wet as you can get without falling in and I’ve never had an issue.

Pouring rain, coming out of the gap on Lake of the Woods in 4-5 footers, soaked from head to toe in the first mile and continue on for another 20 miles.

Thanks! Good to know. I will get one at some point. Then I would surely wear it. Mine is protecting the backrest of my seat right now. A lot of good that would do if I were to be ejected.

Some have a pill that dissolves quickly when it hits the water activating the cartridge.

-J.

Fabulous video. I was out on Sunday July 31st but failed to load in my deep trolling gear and it showed. It should have but just wasn’t thinking. Nice fish

Most auto inflates have a small bobbin that is filled with a compound that dissolves the minute you hit the water. I have 3 Onyx’s in my boat and wear them 100% when I am in the boat. Never had one open in the rain but I did jump in a swimming pool with one to see how well it worked. I was amazed that it activated within 3 seconds. I used to have the belt ones but it is complicated as you need to put your head thru them after they inflate. I finally concluded that there is no way I can tread water anymore and the Onyx are like wearing nothing, actually I forget I have it on.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Nice video!
Sorry to hijack, but I have been wanting to get one of those auto inflating PFD’s for a while. Dumb question, but are there situations where they could inflate unintentionally? Really wet/rainy conditions or wet ride back in your buddies Lund (joke of course)?
I would hope not, but I was trying to figure out exactly what tripped them. Obviously the manually inflating ones are useless if you are thrown from the boat and knocked unconscious so I would want the auto ones.

I had one inflate in one of my water proof storage compartments ( others I know had the same thing happen). It was so tight in there we had to cut it out. That was the kind that had a canister screwed on to explode/inflate upon entry into the water–or maybe the kind that had a rip cord?.

Great video Dan!

Great video! Those were some nice fish!