IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Pennsylvania => Ice Fishing Pennsylvania => Topic started by: Freytown on Jan 29, 2019, 07:21 AM
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I fished Lyons cove where Spinner Brook enters. I tried to get out behind the south end of Epply Island but there was a huge pressure crack that form like a serpentine snake from the the Rockledge point & wormed it's way to the west end of Epply Island. It had to be more than 10' of open water and buckled ice. PLEASE USE CAUTION especially if this snow cover this area over. FT(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/2842/A8alFs.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img922/6210/W9xRpv.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img923/5913/FyjanX.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img924/6927/0WpL5l.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img921/8991/UUaySB.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img923/838/QrRj5R.jpg)(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/2842/A8alFs.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img922/6210/W9xRpv.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img923/5913/FyjanX.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img924/6927/0WpL5l.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img921/8991/UUaySB.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img923/838/QrRj5R.jpg)(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/2842/A8alFs.jpg)(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/5913/FyjanX.jpg)(https://imageshack.com/a/img921/8991/UUaySB.jpg)
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UPDATED w/pics from yesterday. Be safe. FT
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My son was fishing on Sat. and he said he thought they were lowering the water. He heard some strange noises under the ice.
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This would make some sense if true. I also felt some shifts and hear some strange noises on the north side of the lake on Sat.
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This is what I feared, luckily no one died.
https://wnep.com/2019/02/02/six-rescued-after-falling-into-lake-wallenpaupack/ (http://)
"PAUPACK TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Authorities in Pike County say six people needed to be rescued from an icy Lake Wallenpaupack.Tafton's dive team responded to two separate calls Saturday of people falling into the lake near Hawley. They happened just hours apart in a large unfrozen section of the lake.Just before noon, a snowmobile carrying two people went into the water near Epply Island, according to Richard Groo, the dive team's captain.Then around 5:30 p.m., four more people riding on ATVs went into the lake in the same spot.They were all taken to the hospital to be checked for hypothermia.Authorities are urging anyone on Lake Wallenpaupack to watch out for sections of the lake that are not frozen.""Earlier today we were dispatched to the area of Spinnler's Point for a water rescue. An individual fell through thin ice while snowmobiling. This is the same area of open water and thin ice we've been warning you about in previous posts. Please use caution on the lake as ice is inconsistent from place to place. The individuals made it safely to shore and were transported to the hospital for treatment."
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You nailed it Freetown. It was inevitable. Important thing is everyone was rescued. Now there are gasoline and oil filled machines at the bottom of the lake. I assume they will remove when conditions permit. Stay safe everyone.
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thanks for getting the info out and pics freytown just unfortunate it didn't get out to everyone
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The Fish Com should have marked the area with danger tape. I read in the newspaper that they need volunteer deputies.
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The Fish Com should have marked the area with danger tape. I read in the newspaper that they need volunteer deputies.
I disagree. IMO, people should be held responsible to verify safe ice for themselves. Do you want the PFBC to mark off only the PAK or all the thousands of lakes & ponds in PA?
The problem is with stupid people. ;)
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I agree Freytown. Paupak is a privately owned lake. The PF&BC simply provides a boat launch as a courtesy to anglers. Situations like this are probably why they don't allow machines to be launched. Plus, it would be impossible to monitor ice conditions given the Pak is 13 miles long and has 50+ miles of shoreline. Once they take the responsibility of marking unsafe ice, they could be held accountable for any areas they miss. I certainly support any safety measures possible, but the best safety tool is always common sense. Conditions will be different now with the recent warm temps, but I believe we will have plenty of ice on most NEPA lakes. Looks like a cold spell is coming back this weekend. Good luck and be safe everyone.
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I disagree. IMO, people should be held responsible to verify safe ice for themselves. Do you want the PFBC to mark off only the PAK or all the thousands of lakes & ponds in PA?
The problem is with stupid people. ;)
Well, I saw an area marked off at Winola two years ago and I would not have noticed it due to heavy snow. I think the PFBC should patrol lakes better. I talked to guys fishing this year and thy did not know the size and amount limits for bass and trout. I just want to make a point that they don't have enough officers and now are asking for deputy volunteers.
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I agree with Freytown, you need to be responsible for your own safety as well as trying to protect and warn others. As for not knowing sizes and limits download the book to your phone and carry it with you or print it out at home. I have it on my phone because I am too cheap to pay the $3.00 for the book.
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Well, I saw an area marked off at Winola two years ago and I would not have noticed it due to heavy snow. I think the PFBC should patrol lakes better. I talked to guys fishing this year and thy did not know the size and amount limits for bass and trout. I just want to make a point that they don't have enough officers and now are asking for deputy volunteers.
Lots of local fire depts use lakes for training their dive teams in winter. They cut a big hole in the ice, then mark it with caution tape after they are done, until it refreezes. Same thing with these polar bear swims. I have yet to hear of PFB&C doing this.
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Lots of local fire depts use lakes for training their dive teams in winter. They cut a big hole in the ice, then mark it with caution tape after they are done, until it refreezes. Same thing with these polar bear swims. I have yet to hear of PFB&C doing this.
RNutt, I have yet to hear of PFB&C cutting a big hole in the ice? Where have they done this? Or are you saying that they should canvas the entire state to look for thin ice? :o Are you serious? FT
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No Freytown- I’m saying they(PF&BC) don’t do that. It’s the local Fire Departments doing it- either for training (ice rescues/dives)or Polar Bear swims.
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The first responders on the first incident should mark the area unsafe. It's a no brainier.
Disagree. Why do people today want to blame someone else for their short comings? It's the PFBC's fault, it's the first res-ponders fault, it's EMS fault, WRONG folks. The onus is on the stupid people who didn't check how thick the ice was. If this happened to me, I'd own it, and blame myself for be stupid. :o End of story. FT
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Disagree. Why do people today want to blame someone else for their short comings? It's the PFBC's fault, it's the first res-ponders fault, it's EMS fault, WRONG folks. The onus is on the stupid people who didn't check how thick the ice was. If this happened to me, I'd own it, and blame myself for be stupid. :o End of story. FT
In most cases I’d agree , but due to the first incident the second incident was entirely preventable. Some snow paint a few cones. This is a better plan than risking the first responders or even bystanders being put in danger trying to rescue folks when they could of just threw some markers out.
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I also agree with Freytown. Know how to stop it, no activities allowed on the ice, it is a private lake and that rule could be applied. Be careful, it only takes a few to mess it up for everyone.
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Wallenpaupack is owned and managed by Brookfield Renewable. The PFBC owns a couple boat launch sites and stocks the lake.
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Yes, Brookfield Renewable owns lake Wallenpaupack. I would believe that any public access to it is due to their generosity as well as during PP&L's and Talon energy's prior ownership, just because they do allow public access to it doesn't mean it can't be stopped, Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sure doesn't seem like it's a public lake if it can be bought and sold by different utilities.
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The dam and power rights are what are sold. The launches are public property and will remain that way. The lake has private frontage but is private by no means.
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I do not know is or what any plans are with the new company that owns Lake Wallenpaupack.
There are almost 0 parcels of land that have direct access to the lake. There is a buffer owned by Holtwood around the lake. Also remember the Wallenpaupack Creek was removed from the navigable waterways of Pennsylvania. I haven't had to search the multitudes of deeds that may have extra rights to the lake, even without owning the actual lakefront property.
The Lake Wallenpaupack Management District http://wallenpaupackwatershed.org/ may be able to provide information to help quash these rumors. The other place would be to reach out to Mike Piefer, http://www.reppeifer.com, the PA State Representative for most area around Lake Wallenpaupack.
The launches are public property and will remain that way. The lake has private frontage but is private by no means.
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In most cases I’d agree , but due to the first incident the second incident was entirely preventable. Some snow paint a few cones. This is a better plan than risking the first responders or even bystanders being put in danger trying to rescue folks when they could of just threw some markers out.
Both incidents were preventable if the people used their brains and checked the ice conditions before driving around on the ice with no regard for their own safety. Yeah snow paint, whatever that is, and a few cones sounds like a good idea but that's no guarantee that it would've prevented either incident. Some of the people who ride on ATVs and snowmobiles drive right through people's tip-up spreads and even run them over so I highly doubt anyone from that group would even give a second thought to a cone or painted snow. Furthermore who's going to go get the cones at the end of the ice season? Who's going to pay for the cones to be replaced if they go through the ice? I can say from first hand knowledge these volunteer fire companies don't have lots of money to go replace equipment and the equipment isn't cheap, not even cones. It's called being responsible for your own safety and using common sense. I know I wouldn't be driving around on the ice with a machine that has a combined weight of the machine and rider of at least seven or eight hundred pounds without making sure the ice is safe.
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Earlier this year I was fishing in a cove with 4 in of ice. A young person on an atv went out fishing on an ATV. I think the fish com should fine these people for reckless driving because they are not only endangering themselves but also the people who have to rescue them if they fall thru.
What law did the young person on an atv violate ? Other than being stupid....remember...."at your own risk". Nuff said' FT ;)
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Paupak can be a very scary lake ice fishing only been there a few times in my life when I felt good on it fish it mostly open water b4 Memorial Day and after Labor day
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Is there a law for being stupid ?? we need more laws, they should make a law that more laws need to be made I think,or did someone make that one already?? We just need more laws then no one will be stupid (maybe) I guess ?????
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Both incidents were preventable if the people used their brains and checked the ice conditions before driving around on the ice with no regard for their own safety. Yeah snow paint, whatever that is, and a few cones sounds like a good idea but that's no guarantee that it would've prevented either incident. Some of the people who ride on ATVs and snowmobiles drive right through people's tip-up spreads and even run them over so I highly doubt anyone from that group would even give a second thought to a cone or painted snow. Furthermore who's going to go get the cones at the end of the ice season? Who's going to pay for the cones to be replaced if they go through the ice? I can say from first hand knowledge these volunteer fire companies don't have lots of money to go replace equipment and the equipment isn't cheap, not even cones. It's called being responsible for your own safety and using common sense. I know I wouldn't be driving around on the ice with a machine that has a combined weight of the machine and rider of at least seven or eight hundred pounds without making sure the ice is safe.
So it happened again. Are you implying that the cost of a few cones are worth more than the lives of those fireman, paramedics, police when they have to return to do two more rescues out of the same spot ? I also agree with personal responsibility of those involved, however some preventative measures at an already known to be sketchy spot is also a responsibility.
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What I'm saying is I've been a volunteer firefighter for the past thirty years (and still am), I've been trained in ice rescue and am one of the guys who go in after the people that go through, and I also know how much it costs for our gear and equipment. To you it's just a couple of cones however those cones cost right around $20 a piece so if you put out four, which you'd have to put out more than that to begin to be effective, you're looking at $80 then someone has to go out and put them there and if we're lucky enough that someone doesn't steal or they don't go through the melting ice at the end of the season someone has to go back out and get them. Also who's going to go out and check the entire lake for safe and unsafe ice? The ice that isn't safe for a 700 or more pound vehicle could be perfectly safe for ice fishermen to walk out and safely fish. Yeah $80 doesn't sound like much but that's $80 we have to raise again and can't use to buy some other piece of equipment. Now I'm not saying it's not worth spending $80 to try to prevent someone from getting hurt what I am saying is you need to understand what's involved and the actual costs. And beyond all that there's still no guarantees people are even going to pay attention to the cones and avoid that area. I'm all for keeping our people as safe as possible but a couple of cones isn't going do that because if someone is going to pay attention to the cones they'd more than likely be looking a head to see open water ahead of them and not continue to drive toward it. Let's face it some people have more money than brain cells and stupid is becoming the new norm.
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I’ve grown up surrounded by paid professional paramedics/firefighters( mother and uncles ) , I’m very aware of what they as well as volunteers do. No one is saying that the entirety of a lake needs monitored but an existing danger should not be ignored. Also a few floating cones beat sinking citizens and firemen. If it helped to avoid any incident it is worth more than it’s monetary value.
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I am with you Chris, it costs a lot more than a few cones that most are going to ignore anyway. After there sorry a** goes into the water then they realize what the cones were for. In my small town they had a street blocked off with cones and a sign with workers in a trench when a car plunged into the trench. Luckily no one was injured. The drivers comment was "I didn't know what the cones and sign meant"! I am sorry but people need to be responsible for there own actions and safety.
Yes $80.00 isn't that much until you work for a volunteer fire company and find out it isn't all that easy to raise money. I just helped with a fund raiser for our local volunteer fire company so I know a little about raising money. We spent over 300 man hours to raise $3000.00 and thought that was a success. The unfortunate part is the same older (and getting older) volunteers are doing the fund raising. The younger generation is not joining the volunteer fire companies because it takes too much of there time to go through the training like Chris and so many others have done. My hats off to Chris and all the volunteers that DONATE there time for training and go on rescues!
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I still can’t defend any argument that would rather do nothing and put volunteers as well as citizens at any risk. Its negligent and could be avoided. It wouldn’t be a fail safe but something is better than nothing. We share info here on ice safety and look out for each other all the time, this should be no different. I don’t care if it’s a bunch of punks on quads or snowmobiles or a family ice skating or an ice fisherman in the dark, it could happen at any time and a few markers is no different than us sharing conditions.
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I am with you Chris, it costs a lot more than a few cones that most are going to ignore anyway. After there sorry a** goes into the water then they realize what the cones were for. In my small town they had a street blocked off with cones and a sign with workers in a trench when a car plunged into the trench. Luckily no one was injured. The drivers comment was "I didn't know what the cones and sign meant"! I am sorry but people need to be responsible for there own actions and safety.
Yes $80.00 isn't that much until you work for a volunteer fire company and find out it isn't all that easy to raise money. I just helped with a fund raiser for our local volunteer fire company so I know a little about raising money. We spent over 300 man hours to raise $3000.00 and thought that was a success. The unfortunate part is the same older (and getting older) volunteers are doing the fund raising. The younger generation is not joining the volunteer fire companies because it takes too much of there time to go through the training like Chris and so many others have done. My hats off to Chris and all the volunteers that DONATE there time for training and go on rescues!
Thank you Sir for your appreciation, it means a lot to us to know people appreciate us and what we do. Sadly you're right about the younger generation not joining. Years ago when I first got on we'd roll out to a structure fire, which is the call everyone shows up for even if they don't run calls regularly, with at least twenty guys at night and during the day time at least a dozen guys would show up. These days we're lucky if we get ten when everyone is around. It certainly isn't getting any easier to raise money, all the same work needs to be done, the costs of equipment has at least tripled on most stuff, and there's a lot more training and the classes are longer. Honestly it's pretty scary knowing how bad all the volunteer companies are hurting for new members not just here but nation wide. The state just did a study on volunteer fire companies and the results are alarming to say the least. Back in the 1970's there were around 300,000 and currently it's down to 38,000. To put that into perspective 90% of the 2,400 fire companies in the state of Pennsylvania are volunteer and save tax payers state wide around 10 BILLION dollars A YEAR. The scary part is the public doesn't seem to care and the politicians don't have any answers to help fix this or even seem to be remotely willing to try to help out. A firetruck that we bought back in 1989 which is our main firetruck that cost us around $250,000 would cost around $750,000 easily. And it's not just the price of the trucks that has more than tripled, even our turn out gear which is needed to even go on a call has. Years ago a helmet cost $100 - now it's over $300, my first pair of bunker pants cost $120 - the ones I just got in December were $1,500, coats were $200 - the one I got in December was $1,700, boots were $100 - now they're $350-400 if you're lucky enough to find them on sale, gloves were $20 - now $80 or more, a hood was $20 - now they're over $50. And this stuff isn't the very top of the line stuff, more like the extra good rated stuff. Imagine being in our shoes trying to figure out how we can raise enough money afford to replace it. I apologize for digressing but I felt that information needed to be shared and hopefully people will share it with others to help out our volunteers state wide.
Mr. Charlie, I understand your point and please don't think I'm disrespecting you as I'm not but I'm trying to point out my point of view as a firefighter. We can agree to disagree which is the gentlemanly thing to do.
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Sir I absolutely appreciate what you do. I myself volunteered for many years until career and life took me another direction. My family has several paid professional EMS workers who come home from paid shifts and then run volunteer calls in our local community. I remember many family holidays where everyone ran out on tones during diner. This makes me want to keep our volunteers safe by any means. A few simple warning signs are a good use of the materials and training you have. This would keep your assets, apparatus, and responders out of a potentially dangerous incident. By no means take this as anything other than being concerned about the safety of anyone and everyone out there.
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Thank you to you and your family for being part of the brother/sisterhood we share. I understand fully your concern and nothing more or less. One other thing that came to mind is the what if they did mark off that area and didn't mark off another area which had similar conditions and someone went in at the second spot, I'm sure there's some bottom feeder lawyer who'd be running out as fast as he or she could to sue the fire company because the second spot wasn't marked. Honestly it's almost as if it's a double edged sword to some extent.
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Well that lawyer probably has a summer house on Lake Wallenpaupak that he has to pay for. Lol
Much respect to all the volunteers and EMS workers.