Tell your scarest moment on the water.....

[HiDefFisherman]

May you and your family feel the comfort and compassion that can only be give by our Lord.

It is nice to hear there are some "human" types working in the government, but of course they are never the boss.

My worst day on the lake was a little over 5 years ago. My daughter had went with my parents to the lake. They took my dad's boat and the jet ski down to Laurel Lake. My daughter called me from the lake later in the morning to tell me that my dad was missing. They had stopped in Indian Creek to get out of the rain and a bite to eat. My dad decided to take the jet ski for another ride after the rain had stopped. When he didn't come back in a few minutes, my daughter thought he might of run out of gas....she looked down and then saw that he had forgotten his life jacket. She fired up the boat, went around the bend to find the jet ski sitting in the middle of Indian Creek. I spent the entire afternoon, then an entire week with 2 Fish and Wildlife officers searching for my father. Thank you very much guys. You know who you are. Those 2 officers actually caught some heat for having me on their boat all week. Government at it's finest. Also a big thank you to the Laurel County rescue squad for staying on the lake until my father was found. There were so many people that helped our family that week, that there just isn't enough space to put it here. Ok....this is still a little to hard for me.

[HiDefFisherman]

My hat is off to you, and I assure you, you earned a jewel in your crown that day.

I too have saved folks on the water while many other just passed them by.

Remember, nothing happens by accident. Your stopping could easily have saved you from something bad happening to you.

You two are great examples.

St. Jude’s Classic Kentucky Lake in Western KY.
Team Tournament
96 Boats – Missed weigh-in. Disqualified.
Kentucky Lake was extremely rough on this day due to high winds.

On the way back to the weigh-in, my partner noticed a young girl frantically waving her arms for help. We immediately headed towards her when we noticed two other people in the water.

The boat, a small paddle boat, had been swamped by the high waves. The girl was sitting on the back of the paddle boat, which was the only part that was not submerged, with out a life jacket. Her brother was in the water with out a life jacket treading water. Her Grandmother was in the water holding two youth life jackets to help keep her afloat.

My partner and I were able to rescue all three, thank God, with out injury to any of them. We tossed them our throw cushion and our life jackets to keep them afloat until we were able to pull them out of the water. Now I know why a throw cushion is required by the coast guard and water patrol.

It turned out that the Grandmother took her two grandkids for a paddle boat ride at the mouth of a bay where they were camping. The high winds and the current pushed them out into the main lake where the high waves swamped their boat. They were actually in the channel when we got to them.

Unfortunately, they only took two youth life jackets for three people. That could have been a very life threatening mistake. The current and waves separated two of them where they could not hold on to the swamped boat to help them stay afloat.

The sad part about this story - - - at least five boats went by them with out even slowing down. I guess getting to the weigh-in was more important to those fisherman than helping people in distress. Not one bass boat even stopped to help after we started our rescue, they would veer around us and just look.

Anyway, to finish a long story, we took all three of them safely back to a dock close to their camp. We stayed with them for a few minutes to make sure they were absolutely ok. After that, we took our time getting back to the ramp, released our fish, took our boat out and reflected on the day. In our eyes this was our best finish ever at a tournament – dead last!

[HiDefFisherman]

Another great example... hat's off to you.

I have taken a few baths, and been in a couple of surprise storms that put the fear into me, but my scariest moment was more for someone else than myself. A couple of Decembers ago, I was fishing sugar bay. I watched this guy launching a jon boat with about 20-30 5 gallon buckets filled with concrete and lumber (sinking brush). He launched his boat, and with 1 minute his nose of his boat went under and the entire boat sunk. I was across the bay watching this, and flew over to him, almost ripping my trolling motor off (I left it down). I got to him just in time. He was in full winter gear, boots, coveralls, but no life vest. He was starting to go under when I got to him. He was a big guy - but I must have had the adrenaline pumping, because, somehow, I reached in and grabbed him, and pulled him straight up into my boat. It took me a few hours to quit shaking from that. He must have been in a little shock, and didn't seem to realize how serious it was, and kind of laughed it off. Everthything ended up OK in the end. I did go back after it was all said and done and mark the spot where the boat went down, and still fish it. Ever since then, I always wear my life jacket when by myself.

[smuckey41]

i have had a few #1 is when i was about 7or 8 and i was tubeing and fell off some how fowerd and the rope was rapped around my neck and i was stuck under water i was down to my last bit of air and my dad pulled me up. i had a rope burn around my neck for about two weeks. #2 i was on cumberland first time i had ben on the lake we where at my in-laws. my wifes step dad and mom went to the u of l and u of k football game and told me to go out and check on my wifes sister around 4:00. so i had a hand drawn map of the area where they should have ben. so i head out went in a couple coves did not see them. then it happend the boat died. the tank said it had a half tank so i am checking everything nothing. so i decide to switch to the reserve tank and it started. and over the mountin came the big storm so for another hour i looked every where could not find theme so i decide to run wide open to get back in a brand new 3 toon pontoon. when two big bahas come flying by me so i decide to cut over and follow them so it is not so ruff when i cut the two wakes came together and the boat was completley on its side in panic i pulled back the trottel to nutrual and the boat came back down some how i am shaking and cant belive what just happend. so i cruse back to the dock with my shirt off holding it in front of me because the rain was stinging my face so bad. then with the wind when i got to the dock it took me for ever to get the boat tied off. i start to head up the hill and there was my wife and her sister and her friend there in the car completley dry. they where worried about me because i was gone so long and her sister and friend was at a diffrent part of the lake then where they was suppost to be and was back at the house about 15 min. after i left. i wasent very happy but the good thing was everyone was o.k. o and the storm i was in was the one that delayed the football game for a hour and a half if any of you all remember that.
#3 then me and my buddy dave gore was fishin barren about 7 or 8 years ago and we pulled into a cove in feb. or march when we herd someone yelling for help we fly to the bank run about a hundred yards to find a lady had fell of a cliff and was not breathing, she had a stroke or something and fell all the way down and she was in bad shape she finaly started to weez a little but she was not responding. we where doing the best we could to keep her stable my buddy dave was doing most of it wile i was trying to get service to call 911 finaly the ems got there and got her breathing better but she was still going in and out where she would be breathing then she wouldnt be. then she finaly came to and was stable and we helped the ems people carry her up the big cliff and hill to the top where the ems vehicle was so they could get her to the hospital. she was stable and on conchiss and in the hands of the ems and they left. me and my buddy took a long walk back to the boat wich seemed longer to get back then it did to get to the lady. and the rest of the day we hoped the lady was o.k. and we where in shock about what had happend.
just glad that nobody or myself died in these insadents. o and i was in a wave runner crash with two of my buddies on one and me and my sisters boyfriend on the other. my buddies had fell off and my sisters boyfriend decided to throw some wakes so it would be hard to get back on we where doing it all day but this time the wave runner did not turn an started to skipp and it skipped over my buddies head and it through me off and i got trapped in between both wave runners and no body got badley hert except for my buddies wave runner wich had a big hole in the side of it and my buddy made my sisters boyfriend drive that one back because he was afraid it was going to sink.
i set and think of other things that have happend that dont have to do with the water and i have ben very lucky to still be here. there is someone keeping a eye on me. so i guess i am here for a reason what it is i dont know. i am just glad i am still here.

chuck israel

[colonelmeyer]

I can't remember exactly how old I was but if I had to guess I would say I was 11. Every year at the end of the summer, my old man's business partner/family friend/fellow firefighter had a party at his farm near Falmouth. This software says I don't know how to smell Falmouth, ridiculous. Anyway, his family farm is awesome. You can always catch em' in the creek and the closer to the river you get the bigger the Smallies. Every year we would have hay rides and fish and eat while my elders would drink and get rowdy. It was a fair hike through a neighboring corn field and a good piece on through the summer river bank scrub to the ripples above and below Kincaid creek. The water had been up for a while before the party that summer so it was alittle high but not at all stained. We had fished the break and cuts near the banks of the Licking that morning and on into the afternoon. The flooding had downed a few trees on the opposite bank and the fish where all holding just down stream of the fresh green tops feating on catalpa worms. We caught them soldily into the evening when we where called back in to go join in on a traditional group swim/ beer-float down through some long easy bends. Long story short I had raced some of the older boys accross the river and couldn't make it all the way back. I floundered in the middle and just as I was starting to bob up and down in the water, another family friend and co-worker saved my eager young self from drowning in the Licking River. Thank you very much Ernie, if you hadn't saved me, I wouldn't have been able to save all those babies little kids dropped down the slided at KY Kindgom. Seriously, thanks Ern, I'll never forget it.

[Tim_T]

Aout five years ago, fly fishing the Rapidan River in Virginia. This river is in the Shennandoah Nationl Park and is really more of a creek than a river. I had been fishing most of the day and it is getting late when a black bear weighing around 200 pounds crossed the creek upstream stopped and looked at me. He rose on hind legs and sniffed the air, dropped down on all fours and started walking towards me. I am yelling and waving my arms and doing eveything they tell you to do. When he gets about 30 yards from me I back out of the creek and start walking slowly backwards up the trail. He follows me, always staying about 30 yards away. This goes on for about one or maybe two minutes and suddenly a group of four people come hiking down the trail and the bear spooks and runs off.

This was not my first bear encounter (more like the fourth or fifth) but it was the first one that really scared me. I now carry a can of counter assault bear spray when ever I am in bear country.

[Cranker]

Let me set up this story. It was October 26th 1996. A good friend of mine at the time and I decided on doing some fall bass fishing on the Ohio. (Westport Ramp) Bass were in the early fall pattern I believe that October Day was one of the coolest days. We fished for about a half a day with a decent amount of success:a few Kentuckies and some Large Mouths. We headed back to the Ramp. Routine ordeal right I was going to get out and back the trailer down. Some how I slipped when I jumped from the boat to the dock. I slammed into the dock and fell in. I never learned how to swim and of coarse I had discarded the life jacket before exiting the boat. To make a long story short I can remember that day so easy because that was my wedding day and that good friend of mine is now my Brother In Law. Thanks Drew for saving me that Day!!!

[smljaw]

Spring Break 1994... Remember "The Storm of the Century" that hit in March of 1994? It dropped a foot of snow in Central Ky and even dumped a foot as far south as Atlanta. Several travelers got stranded all over I75 as they ventured south for the break. Well, my buddy and I made it to Florida while pulling a boat (we barely stayed ahead of the storm the whole way). The 14 hour drive took us 18 hours but we made it. That was scary enough!

We went down to fish Stick March in FL. On our first day fishing we had engine trouble (we found out later it was an electrical problem). The wind picked up at the end of the day and we were blown through a tree line and into a big mess of vegitation. We were flat out stuck and had no way out. The sun was going down and all we could do was pray. We could see boats in the distance but were too far to shout for help and had no cell phones, etc. Like I said, we were stuck. We were resigned to the fact that we were going to overnight it with the gators. Within 5 minutes after we bowed our heads in prayer we heard a boat engine close by. Three guys in a boat slowing came around the corner and into sight. They saw us and came to our rescue. They tossed us a line and pulled us out of the mess we were in. They were from London, KY.

God answered our prayers that day!

[phoenix]

Those London boys are "Good Ole Boys". Used to work with a few of em. Good guys !

[sam8772]

Well I wasn't that long ago when the bad wind storm blew threw Louisville thanks to hurricain IKE. My buddy and me took the canoe down to the hydro dam at McAlpine to due some hog fishing there. We put in just before sunrise, and yes I said canoe(we are a bit crazy). Fished all day on the left side of the let out and didn't catch anything. As lunch time moved in we slipped back to the sandy bank where the canoe rested. We ate some lunch and noticed to wind was picking up. As I backed away from the dam I could see the dark clouds moving in. We hopped to it and launched the canoe as far upstream as we could carry it. The first half was not to bad but as we were moving to the middle the wind was blowing so hard that it turned the swift current into whitecaps. With every approching wave water was splashing over the gunnals. If that wasn't bad enough the eddy created by the lauching ramp was so strong it spun the canoe in TWO 360s about 20 yards off shore. I was never so scared in my life. I thought for sure we were going over. Finally we beached the canoe about 100 yrds up stream of the ramp and walked it gear and all over the slimmy stinky nasty rocks all the way up. Once on the ramp the wind was blowing so hard I had to sit on the canoe because it was being picked up and blown over. WOW I cannot believe we made it back in one piece. I think it was our prior white water expierence that saved us. We have not been back since and I hope that my boat is ready so we don;t have to take the canoe anymore.

[raincheck]

For me it used too be the 1st time out on the ice(im from MI)I havn't been ice fishing now for 10yrs and all my stuff is on the wall too stay now.I was about the only one from my family too keep fishing after we lost a uncle back in the 70s.Being around water you learn too respect it and i try not too put my self and others in harms way.Don't fish by myself when the water is too cold or frozen.Terry Adolph

[troutcrazy]

2 times...

!st time...
I was wading a river in Tn. and thought I could hop off a ledge over a channel and onto another ledge. I didn't make it and fell in rushing water that immediately filled up my waders. I sunk to the bottom and was pushed down river. I tried to keep my feet down river hoping to hit a rock and launch myself up...thankfully it worked, but the stupid part was I threw my rod when I went in...so back down I went to look for it...found it! Some rigs are worth risking your life for!!

2nd time...
I launched my 14 ft. flatbottom in the White River with the river flowing strong. There were 3 of us in the boat 2 of us go 240+lbs. and one rings in a 180lbs. So with the current to weight ratio my boat is sucked down like a like a chocolate shake at a wieght watchers convention. We motor up river through two bridges all the while dodging tree tops when the motor cuts out. We're sideways being pushed down river at a high rate of speed running smack into trees and I thought "We're gonna flip this boat, then we're gonna die and our wives are gonna be really mad at us!" Thankfully I started the motor turned us around and headed back to the ramp...but here's the really scarey part. As we went thru one of the bridges there was a vortex on the other side of one of the bridge supports. It was easily as big as the boat. It pulled the boat sideways but my little 25 horse and God's hand pushed us out. I ran the boat completely out of the water and onto the ramp...I never thought about slowing down. It took several hours for me to calm down. There were people on the shore (there was a park nearby) that cheered when we got back...they said they've never seen 3 big boys in a small boat try to get out on fast water like that...and one said he came over so he could tell the water rescue folks where we went down. Good people in Arkansas.