Quinte Fishing

Hello everyone,,i'm trying to explain to my 17 year old son how dangerous quinte can be.. Im looking for any stories about ice conditions falling through etc. He's young and invincible and can't figure why I won't go out until better freeze up. I've grown up fishing quinte and do respect it like im assuming most guys on the site does. Any stories / info is appreciated. Thanks for any replies..

jkd24,

Your son is probably like most of us when we were 17. He is insane about fishing and you can't really scare him with his own mortality. I have gone partially through the ice a number of times in my life, mostly at pond edges, creeks, etc. Nothing serious until ten years ago or so when I was anxious to be the first one out to a certain feeder creek that is "money" at first ice. I was roughly 25 yards ahead of my buddy, walking fast, when I noticed the ice didn't feel right. Next thing I knew, I had fallen chest deep and was supported by my auger. I crawled back out once only to break back through (the water was certainly well over my head). I kicked and muscled my way out, soaked almost to the neck line. I had to walk about a 1/4 mile to the truck. I had so many layers on that luckily, I did NOT get that wet, or cold by the time I got to safety, but it was not windy that day. Regardless, I was lucky to be alive. I had several things going against me and several for me. Against: 1) I was in a hurry, 2) I was not measuring the ice after a couple of early holes, 3) I had been there before and was "sure" it was safe, 4) I was NOT wearing a life jacket. For: 1) I had a buddy with me, 2) I had my sled trailing 10 yards behind me (would have provided a way for my buddy to pull me out, had he needed to), 3) I had my auger across my chest and it stopped me from going all the way through, 4) I was in exceptional condition at the time. Lessons learned: 1) wear a life jacket when traveling across the ice, period, 2) go with a buddy, 3) check the ice frequently with a spud bar, or by cutting a hole, 4) pay attention to the ice, especially in areas with snow, current, cracks, new ice, old ice, ... 5) carry your auger across your chest (ice guard on), 6) carry a rope coil for rescue. Some people add making sure you have ice picks and some other useful things like having a spare jumpsuit out on the ice, or a blanket. I try to always carry spare gear at least in the car. I am much more cautious than I used to be. When the ice is thin or starts to go bad, I get off the ice, not matter how good the bite is. Finally, impress upon him that kids do die. By now, he probably knows someone who has been killed in a car accident.

Thanks imbow back in 2015 my cousin died in the bay "matt" and his buddy "Tyler" were pulled out about 700ft from my back yard in the spring of that year in the narrows.. so I know first hand the bay is not something to "f" around with..

Wow, sounds like you just need to tell your son the story you already have.

About 20 years ago, a buddy of mine told me his scary story.

He was ice fishing in the narrows out from Fosters. He went out one day and did well fishing on what what he figured was 5-6 inches of ice.

All pumped up about the great fishing he had, he went out again the next day. Alone like the first day. This time he went out a bit further thinking that he would do even better if he got a little closer to the open water a few hundred feet away.

Well, unexpectly he fell through. He was up to his chest in the water. He was wearing a Mustang float jacket. He soon came to realize that he could not pull himself up on the ice because it was too slippery.

He thought he was a goner.

He then remembered he was wearing grippers on his boots. He reached down and got hold of one of the boot grippers.

He used the gripper to get a grip on the slippery ice surface. He pulled himself out.

He could not believe how close to death he came.

True story. Right, Dave?

Happy New Year
BATMAN

I use to fish off Deseronto. It was a cold year and lots of ice, a couple of trucks were out.

I was fishing off of the north side of Foresters Island and the trucks were driving down the east side towards Long Reach.

It was cold that night.

The next morning I walked out to the same spot. I was using my spud like a walking stick and checked the ice as I went.

My spud went through with one poke about 50 ft short of where I had been the previous day. There may have been two inches of ice.

I always knew there was a current around Foresters but I couldn't believe it could eat ice like that.

Later that morning one of the trucks went through east of Forester's.

Probably 30 years ago a friend of mine saved a guy who went through the ice. The man was walking parallel to the north shore about 100 ft out.

The man went through and fortunately for him my friend saw him and rescued him with a sheet of plywood.

If you don't respect the Bay you could lose your life.

When you can't think of something to tell a loved one what to buy you for christmas, birthday, fathers day, etc...., try to remember to mention this thing. The more people on the bay that carry them, the safer everyone is.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scotty-Throw ... e/36593679

_________________
U.S.C.G. Licensed Captain
Pure Fishing Ambassador

About 8 years ago I was fishing with a buddy out off of herchimer st , out by snake island ( I think that's the name ) and we were on a good solid 6" we moved 20' and the ice was only 2" and full of air bubbles. Neither one if us went through , but it goes to show how much the ice thickness can change in such a short distance..

I went through when I was 8 crossing a pressure crack if my grandpa had missed grabbing hood of my Skidoo suit when I went in I wouldn't be here now and that was 30yrs ago when we had real winters, also I carry a throw bag like above link in front of my sleigh which I tow few feet behind me while I spud out