I knew it would happen. Please help each other!

[Steuben1]

Radio report from WLKI tonight that a man ice fishing on Pleasant Lake (the one near Manapogo) went down in 14' of water today at approx. 12 noon, fishing by himself and he did not make it.  They had to take an airboat out to recover the body.  This happened down the road from me about 10 miles.  Please pray for this gentleman and his family.

I also have a request.  There is a lot of people on here that fish alone, including me.  I am asking (PLEASE) that if someone posts on here that they need someone to fish with because they are alone, try to make contact with them and take them with you.  I know honey holes are precious, but these honey holes are not worth a life.  I fished all day Sunday by myself and that is not going to happen again.  PLEASE HELP EACH OTHER IF POSSIBLE.  I will give up all my good spots to take someone with me that is fishing alone.  We really need to get together on this guys.  I don't want anyone else going through the ice, life is to precious.

Respectfully,

Jeff 

 

[no bait]

GOOD ADVICE -I HOPE PEOPLE LISTEN...!!!!!!

[SLABSLAMMER]

STEUBEN , i am very sorry to here about the fellow that fell through and my prayers will be with his family, and I agree if you can fish with a buddy that's the best, but sometimes that just does not happen , I see you did not respond to my response to your post about where I was at SUNDAY and that you had to fish by yourself !  I am sorry I did not show up at 9 am sunday , but my daughter called me at 6 am to tell me she had know heat , so I went to take care of her problem,it took me till 10 am , Ice fishing is a hobby, she is family and there is no comparison, plus I replied at 7 pm  to your post ,you replied back at 10 pm , I was a sleep by then , and don't check ICE ShANTY before I leave in morning,so i guess what I'm saying is I'm sorry you had to fish by yourself ,but it was not intentional ,things happen and again this is just a hobby ! Hope we can try it again some time  

[Swedish__Pimple]

The way everyone was posting how the ice is still safe up there,I knew it would be a matter of time before this happened,its a dad gone shame,our prayers are with his family during this hard time,

                                                                                                                       Jimmy

[Yogi]

Good advice!! Sorry to hear about the guy falling through and not making it.  I was going to throw my towel in and I should have just done that.  I fished all day walked back the same way I came on and had the honor of getting wet.  Make sure you wear your icepicks they do no good in your bucket when your bucket is laying on it side 15 feet away from where you are splashing.  It was a son of a b@$#@ to get out after I went through today.  I myself was way to comfortable out there and should have known better.  I learned the hard way and was very lucky to tell everybody I learned my lesson. I feel through what appeared to be 3 to 4 inches of ice.  The ice is not great in many spots.  People are getting to comfortable on this ice.  No fish is worth your life! I really wish I would have stayed home!!  I am really really ticked  at myself for allowing that to happen.  In spots there still is 8 to 10 inches.  I would go from 10 inches to 3.  That is what cost me  being wet.  I am glad I got out but dont wish going in on anybody.  I had 14 fish and after it was all said and done I had 2.  I am done for sure.  Surgery Wed.  Please be CAREFUL!! I hope everybody has a safe ending to their season! Yogi

[h2.0shaver]

I was tempted to go tonight, but just didn't feel right.

[moonbeam]

From the WLKI web page...
Ice Fisherman Apparently Drowns in Lake Pleasant
Monday, February 16, 2009


(LAKE PLEASANT) - The death of an ice fisherman, whose body was recovered this afternoon in Lake Pleasant near Manapogo Park, is being investigated by Indiana Conservation Officers as accidental due to drowning. Public Information Officer Rodney Clear says the body of 62-year-old Guy Gladney Junior was recovered this afternoon at about 12:45, just over an hour after emergency personnel were dispatched to the campground. Gladney's ice fishing equipment was seen lying on the ice by a witness living near Manapogo Campground at about 2:00pm Sunday afternoon. After the equipment was seen on the ice this morning, the Steuben County Underwater and Recovery Team was called to the park. Clear says the Angola Fire Department launched the airboat "Chrystal" and they recovered Gladney's body with a long pole in about 14 feet of water. Clear says Gladney was fishing alone. The ice where he went through was next to the fishing equipment and it was only an inch-and-a-half thick.


Think about it folks. Condolences to the family.

[river_scum]

that's truly a shame. i agree with Jeff, don't go alone, especially with these conditions.  today mite have been my last time out. the lake was making ice this afternoon but the forecast looks grim.

[wax_worm]

From the WLKI web page...
Ice Fisherman Apparently Drowns in Lake Pleasant
Monday, February 16, 2009


(LAKE PLEASANT) - The death of an ice fisherman, whose body was recovered this afternoon in Lake Pleasant near Manapogo Park, is being investigated by Indiana Conservation Officers as accidental due to drowning. Public Information Officer Rodney Clear says the body of 62-year-old Guy Gladney Junior was recovered this afternoon at about 12:45, just over an hour after emergency personnel were dispatched to the campground. Gladney's ice fishing equipment was seen lying on the ice by a witness living near Manapogo Campground at about 2:00pm Sunday afternoon. After the equipment was seen on the ice this morning, the Steuben County Underwater and Recovery Team was called to the park. Clear says the Angola Fire Department launched the airboat "Chrystal" and they recovered Gladney's body with a long pole in about 14 feet of water. Clear says Gladney was fishing alone. The ice where he went through was next to the fishing equipment and it was only an inch-and-a-half thick.

Truly a shame and I feel bad for his family.


Come on people use your  brain!!!!

There are many many STUPID, ILL ADVISED NO NOs in that article.  1.  He went fishing ALONE after a prolonged thaw and did not wait for any cold weather to shore up the ice.  2.  He was on 1.5 inches of ice!!!!  YIKES, I don't even do that at first ice.  3.  He did not have a life jacket on (they had to get him with a 12 ft pole)  4.  He did not tell anyone where he was going and when to expect him back on Sunday.  He was not reported missing and no one was called until someone at the campground noticed his gear in the same place on Monday.  Who knows if he had picks with him.  That is potentially 5 things that could have saved his life, yet he chose to ignore every one of them.  If you ignore the few safety articles that are available to you when on the ice, you are just asking for trouble and eventually you will get burnt.  Ice fishing is a dangerous sport and should never be taken for granted where the ice is thought to be safe.  I may give it a try this weekend, but you can bet I will have picks, won't be alone, and people will know where I am and when I am expected back.

Sorry for the rant, but I can't believe how many stupid choices some people make and then they wonder why tragedy strikes.

[Yogi]

I agree Wax Worm people are becoming way to comfortable with the ice!!  I was one of them and learned the hard way by going in.  I was really really stupid and have my picks in my bucket and not on me.  So I had to try to get out by myself.  I been through twice now and this time was really really hard trying to get out!  I came out on my back and had better luck.  I couldnt crawl out on my stomach.  I was in the water 7 mins.  I was with a buddy but I was going back to the truck way ahead of him and by the time he realized I was in the water I could have been dead! Please be careful.  If you go make sure you have your picks and a rope with you.  Sorry about the rant but I feel really lucky to still be with us today so I am going to share my feelings and story! Yogi

[wax_worm]

I agree Wax Worm people are becoming way to comfortable with the ice!!  I was one of them and learned the hard way by going in.  I was really really stupid and have my picks in my bucket and not on me.  So I had to try to get out by myself.  I been through twice now and this time was really really hard trying to get out!  I came out on my back and had better luck.  I couldnt crawl out on my stomach.  I was in the water 7 mins.  I was with a buddy but I was going back to the truck way ahead of him and by the time he realized I was in the water I could have been dead! Please be careful.  If you go make sure you have your picks and a rope with you.  Sorry about the rant but I feel really lucky to still be with us today so I am going to share my feelings and story! Yogi

Were you at Docksiders...I see in another post you said you were fishing there today.  Is that where you went in?  That would be good info to pass along as to what lake you went thru on.  Glad you are ok...and yes the picks to a much better job on when they are on you than in your shanty or bucket!!!!

[Mr. gill]

Yogi if you where on Docksiders I fished Sowles Bay Monday in the a.m. sorry to here about the guy falling in. After reading this I am done for the year I have 2 little girls that I am looking forward to seeing grow up. Till next year fellas be good and tight lines.

[rico]

Truly a shame.....but as wax worm said a lot of "common sense" was not used in this instance.

[BlackIce]

My condolonces to this gentleman's family.  There was one here Saturday where a guy put his truck in....him and his 9 year old daughter died and her friend is in bad shape as well.  Hearing these things makes me wonder if it is worth it or not.  Ice picks are a must as is a spud bar.   

[Derslayer1]

I,ll pray for his family. Its a damm shame. Everyone saying "ITs not over yet",  or "We still have ice", "you need a plank but had 6 inches".  I posted since the BIG warm up, its over, not worth your life, FOR A FISH MAN, FOR A FISH.

Look at all the posts about, I cant believe someone went in, or we lost that much ice. How about I,m takin planks with me today, the edges are soft, but the middle is good. Is your wife and kids at home worrying about you, do they even know?

This is what people/shanty members have been saying since the beginning of the warmup. It takes new posts/topics to get the word out? 10 inches of ice in one area does not mean 10 inches in the next.... I,ve been drillin 10 inch holes on bass for a few weeks, when I fished them, they opened to 17" holes. Its my wish that someone doesnt pay the price, someone is gonna be the one, dont let it be you, because of bad judgement...

So now that we have lost another brother to the sport we love, the concensus is to NOT go alone??? Go with a buddy?? So we can pull 2 or 3 guys out?  IFFY ice or questionable ice, with TWO people, or three, means we pray for more. Cmon people, get your rigs ready, restring your lines, sift thru yer tackle boxes. Stay off the ice. We are not making more ice, What we make in 20 degree temps at night we lose during the 36 temp in the day. If you must go, I will pray for you too.

[Marcum Man]

I,ll pray for his family. Its a damm shame. Everyone saying "ITs not over yet",  or "We still have ice", "you need a plank but had 6 inches".  I posted since the BIG warm up, its over, not worth your life, FOR A FISH MAN, FOR A FISH.

So now that we have lost another brother to the sport we love, the concensus is to NOT go alone??? Go with a buddy?? So we can pull 2 or 3 guys out?  IFFY ice or questionable ice, with TWO people, or three, means we pray for more. Cmon people, get your rigs ready, restring your lines, sift thru yer tackle boxes. Stay off the ice. We are not making more ice, What we make in 20 degree temps at night we lose during the 36 temp in the day. If you must go, I will pray for you too.

+1 on this post, Deerslayer is right, if one person can fall through the ice, double your chances with two - three guys on. Lets be realistic here we had a great year for ice and then mother nature threw us a curve ball and trashed it out for us, not fair I agree but also is it fair to your children that you take the chance on shoddy ice? I say helll no, so just get your spring time gear ready to go sit back and be patient.........MM

[Swedish__Pimple]

The truth is.................... .......... so many in experienced Ice Fishermen rely on post's they read from other sites before heading out on the ice.I'm guilty of it myself back in the day,but the truth is,theres no such thing as safe Ice Ladies and Gentlemen.I'm by no means an expert at this stuff,but Ive put my time on first Ice,Good hard Ice,and the not so good last ice.

                     Yes I've been through a few times,never over my head,and I hope I never experience that eeerrriiieee feeling.I've helped a few out in my time,its not a good feeling or sight.If you are one of them that think I gotta go ice Fishing,we still got 8" of ice,be prepared with what few safety tools we carry with us,all of you on this site know I love this sport they call Ice Fishing,I've been doing it for 35 years,and when I was out there on a 58 degree day and seen us loose 4" of ice in 24 hours,I made my mind up right there on the SPOT and havent been back since,all I'm saying is be safe and I'de be thinking about puttin my gear up for the year,

                                   Jimmy-AKA-Swedish_Pimple

[Yogi]

No I didnt go through at Docksiders.  Was there very early in the morning.  I fell through on snow by my cottage.  BE CAREFUL  Walked many spots that went from 8 to 2 inches on Snow!!  Yogi

[stag]

I'm sorry to hear about the gentleman losing his life while out fishing but in my opinion we all have to accept the responsibility for our actions. We are adults, and need to act responsibly, some guys think its a macho thing by bragging that they went out on such and such lake and wasn't worried about the open water along shore...as long as you get out in the middle its safe out there.....well these are some of the same individuals that we later feel sorry for......we all should know that our sport is not the safest thing we can do...even when conditions are ideal....by pushing the envelope when temps are not conducive to making, or keeping ice, we are just asking for a catastrophe.

[Carp1]

I guess my only comment is, I have (as many of you have) been there before.  I have many a times in the years past put the planks from shore to the "safe ice", I have pushed my luck getting on "rotten Ice", or early ice that was only 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick.  I have walked on ice that looked like a water bed with every step I took, and yes I have taken the plunge a time or two (really 3) over the years.  Each time it has humbled me and made me realize that I was stupid.  Not using common sense.  Actually putting my life in jeopardy to "enjoy" a sport that I love.  Thank God, he has given me opportunities to learn from my errors and arrogant ways.  Unfortunately, not everyone gets more than one chance.  Again, while this gentleman did not use good judgement, he did not do anything that I haven't done in the past, The big difference is he didn't get a chance to learn from his mistake.  He did not live another day to evaluate his judgement.    I only pray that others who read reports like this and like what happend to Terry earlier can learn from the stories and not by pushing the envelope themselves.  Be safe Brothers!!   

[FelixD]

I,ll pray for his family. Its a damm shame. Everyone saying "ITs not over yet",  or "We still have ice", "you need a plank but had 6 inches".  I posted since the BIG warm up, its over, not worth your life, FOR A FISH MAN, FOR A FISH.

So now that we have lost another brother to the sport we love, the concensus is to NOT go alone??? Go with a buddy?? So we can pull 2 or 3 guys out?  IFFY ice or questionable ice, with TWO people, or three, means we pray for more. Cmon people, get your rigs ready, restring your lines, sift thru yer tackle boxes. Stay off the ice. We are not making more ice, What we make in 20 degree temps at night we lose during the 36 temp in the day. If you must go, I will pray for you too.

Well said Andy!

[High Tide]

Carp, once again, I couldn't say it better! I agree 100% with your statement.  For some, icefishing is an real addiction, and with any addiction, your judgement can become a little cloudy at times.  I too had the chance to learn my lesson, but I wasn't the one who fell in, but it was a close friend, and there where 6 of us that had a hand in the getting him out a 1/4 mile from the shore on Bass Lake. The thing I realized is that we all could have went swimming trying to get him out, but got lucky, THAT NIGHT.  Ever since then, I have been more cautioned, but still have been out on 2" inches since.  My prayers go out to his family...

[wax_worm]

I will agree with Jimmy in that people that read that lake x and y are safe on here and just go for it, without making their own determination of what is safe or not, are asking for trouble.  All lakes are different and while one lake may have safe ice another may not being right next door to it.  Depth, current, runoff, sloping banks (steep or gradual), springs, openness to wind, amount of rain, etc all play a part in the condition of the ice all winter long.  It is not right to say ALL the ice is rotten, just as it is not right to say ALL the ice is safe.  That is never the case.  Where I live we are making ice.  Ponds that were wide open are now locked solid again.  Snow on the ground from 2 days ago is still there.  It is going to get colder this weekend, but that does not mean the ice will be safe.  Everyone is responsible for their own decisions in life and everyone should make their OWN judgement on the ice conditions every time out...not just after a thaw like we had.  I am not recommending anyone go out or stay home, that is not my call.  All I wish is everyone use some common sense and if you are going to venture out, be prepared for the worst possible scenerio and have a plan of action.

[Gill Gitter]

i look forward to ice fishing sometimes even more than hunting and both are a passion of mine but as everyone has said its not worth the pain you put everyone who loves you through and is very selfish of you. i guess maybe it would be different if we had nothing to live for but through talking with some of you guys on here i know that is not the case with any of us. if the itch still gets you there are plenty of fish to be caught still and at a relatively cheap trip. walleyes are turning on as well as steelhead,coho's,browns,kings just a couple hours away. and if you think thats to far or too much money i say it's better than the alternative. be safe first and good luck to all.

[Mr. gill]

I just talked to a fishing buddy of mine that is 61 years old and he went out on Sowles Bay today alone. I told him that if I catch him doing it again I would take his vex away from him till next year.lol. But really I told him not to go alone if he really wants to go to call me and I will lose a little sleep so I know he will be o.k.

[fishinfiend]

Damn man, I was just talkin to a guy at work today about gettin on this "iffy" ice.   I told him it is not worth it!  I knew it would just be a matter of time brfore reading someone went through.   Hang it up. edges are weak if not open, if you cant walk on the ice without a board dont go!   Lakes are gonna open back up soon

[Carp1]

It is not right to say ALL the ice is rotten, just as it is not right to say ALL the ice is safe.  That is never the case.  Where I live we are making ice.  Ponds that were wide open are now locked solid again.    Everyone is responsible for their own decisions in life and everyone should make their OWN judgement on the ice conditions every time out  I am not recommending anyone go out or stay home, that is not my call.  All I wish is everyone use some common sense and if you are going to venture out, be prepared for the worst possible scenerio and have a plan of action.

Well put....

[SkeeterJeff]

I too am sorry to hear about a fellow ice fisherman being lost.  My condolences to his family.

I've only been ice fishing a season and a half, and am totally addicted.  Last weekend I just HAD to get on the ice someplace, but made the decision that I was not going to go near any "iffy" ice.  So I drove 5+ hours north to get on 18" of solid ice.  Some will question if it was worth the $$ that I spent for gas and a motel, but it was my decision that I was going fishing on hardwater, and it was my decision that I was going to minimize the risk, no matter what the cost.  Yeah, I dropped a few bucks, but I was a lot safer on 18", and my life is worth more than the few extra $$ it cost to be safer. 

I consider myself fortunate to have the resources to do this.  When the resources dry up or the ice melts, I'll be done until next season.  Until then I plan on enjoying the sport that I love so dearly as long as possible.

Be careful out there, please.

Jeff

[Derslayer1]

You live in kouts Carp? And your making ice? What....on a 1/2 acre pond? I live just down the road from you and we are not making ANY ice. There technically is no safe ice, we all know that, but NOONE said ALL the ice is bad. I,m sure theres some good ice on alot of ponds, lakes etc. But to wear waders to get thru the first 10 feet, use planks, watch the ice move like a water bed, or even be slightly honeycombed, 8 inches here, and who knows what 10 feet away, OR....it was scary but it wasnt bad, NO Malice intended on you at all friend, but anyone goin out on the ice now, saying, we are making ice, its STILL good? I will pray for your family. There is a cure for stupid, listen to your brothers....

[DizzyDean]

My Thoughts and Prayers go out to the Family for their loss