Fishing on Clear Lake is moving into its winter mode 9 winds, cold weather and ice cold water. These are the perfect ingredients for a disaster when fishing or boating. With water temperatures currently holding at 45 to 50 degrees the survival time for someone tossed into Clear Lake, or other Northern California lakes, is less than 30 minutes. After that hypothermia sets in and possible drowning occurs.
It”s amazing the number of fishermen and boaters that don”t wear a life vest when out on the water. Recently I observed a number of crappie fishermen at Kono Tayee and Shag Rock in overloaded small boats and most weren”t wearing life vests. In the past two years there have been several drownings on Clear Lake including a crappie fisherman and a duck hunter.
Statistics have shown that more than 70 percent of drowning victims weren”t wearing a life vest. This is amazing in the fact that winter storms are common, especially on Clear Lake.
A boat can capsize in minutes. I know because 30 years ago I and two duck hunting companions went down and had to be rescued after spending more than eight hours in the frigid water.
The accident occurred in the flooded Yolo Bypass near Sacramento. The bypass had flooded due to heavy rains and was loaded with ducks and geese. We decided to take my friend”s 16-foot aluminum boat and go duck hunting. In addition to the three hunters we had several dozen decoys and a Labrador retriever.
We launched the boat at daylight and headed to an island two miles away. The water was calm but with a fast current and the air temperature was just above freezing. Halfway to the island a strong north wind suddenly came up and there were white caps on the water. We knew that we could never reach the island and decided to change course and head for a row of trees. As we neared the trees, suddenly a massive wave washed over the boat, tossing us all in the water.
Foolishly we weren”t wearing life vests and in fact had on hip boots. In a matter of seconds the boat was gone and we were struggling in the water. Luckily we managed to swim to a pair of trees and climbed up high enough to be just out of the water.
By then the wind was roaring and not another boat was in sight. We clung to the trees and yelled for help. After more than six hours, a boat with another hunter appeared. The hunter attempted to rescue one of my hunting companions, but a wave also swamped his boat. He ended swimming nearly a mile to an island where he flagged down another boat, which rescued us. That particular day two other hunters drowned in the flooded bypass. We were extremely lucky.
That episode taught me a valuable lesson. I never go out in a boat without wearing a life vest and knowing the weather forecast.
Many people don”t like to wear a life vest because they”re often bulky and uncomfortable. However, modern technology has come to the rescue of boaters.
One of the most popular life vests on the market are the ones that automatically inflate if you”re tossed in the water. That way even if you”re knocked unconscious you will float. These are lightweight vests and can be worn throughout the day in comfort. They cost about $120 and are well worth the price. They are Coast Guard approved and most of the bass fishermen use these type of vests. There are other types of approved life vests that are also effective, but none will work unless you wear them.
Years ago a commercial salmon fisherman told me that there is nothing more peaceful than being on the ocean or a lake. But the ocean and lakes are like a silent giant monster ready to spring on you. His advice was to always respect the water and watch the weather because a disaster can happen in a moment. How right he was.
Terry Knight can be reached at tknight3021 @sbcglobal.net or by calling (707) 263-1699. Letters intended for publication that respond to Mr. Knight”s column can be sent to news@clearlakeobserver.com.
