heads up on the lake!!!!!!

[dairyman]

Went out last nite for some crappie fishing ---got on the lake during daylite hours---wind blowing hard enough to blow the portable over. Turned the truck to block the wind. After about two hours or so ---dark now---packed it up to leave. Got in the truck and drove to the road on the ice----missed it and got totally turned around. Drove for what seemed like forever looking for the access. Finally found a landmark---boy was I a long way from the access. Followed the shore line then and finally got off the lake. At the time it was scary--telling myself I need to buy a compass. When I got on the road I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the compass in the mirror!!!! It definitely was a learning experience....one that I don't want to experience again. Oh yeah ---caught one lousy crappie !!!!

[Eric Wettschreck]

Been there, done that, didn't have fun either.

This is a perfect example where a GPS with track feature is worth it's weight in gold. Especially if there are airators, streams, ridges, etc on the lake.

[fisherman-andy]

LOL... we did that the other day on South Center. Drove into a pile of snow and got the truck stock. Had to plow it out by hand during the night. All this because we forgot the GPS at home.

[SSSTaxidermy]

Here is funny story in regards to having a G.P.S...I was on LOW during the weekend of Feb 16th. If anyone else was up there during that time, you would have noticed the nasty storm front that pulled into the area that Sun.. But anyway, we decided to pack up and leave before it got dark, because it was near white out conditions in some areas. So we started to venture towards Zipple Bay resort, and with the wind-row from the plowed roads...The loose snow blowing up over it, made it near impossible to see a couple feet in-front of the bumper at times. I had my H20 G.P.S on when I drove on the lake to the house, so it marked my trail...I'm glad it did because it was soooooooo, useful coming off to say the least. My dad is somewhat aware of how my H20 works with road maps and stuff. But keep in mind, my dad is an old, old school sportsman. He isn't up to speed on the technology available. (which very surprising to me, is still very succesfull without these tool) But anyway, while following the G.P.S. line previously created, he said..."How the heck does that thing know were the roads are on a lake?" With a little chuckle and without a long pause I responded with, "These things are great! However, I don't have the best chip out there...The new ones now, tell you were the fish are. Would make a great gift for your favorite son!". I finally had to tell him the real truth once we got onto the road. LOL This is why I love to spend the outdoors with my father and family. In 10-15-20 yrs from now, I won't remember how many fish we caught or anything like that....It's these types of memories and laughs that are priceless!

[Sandmannd]

That's a great story Hunting and you can't beat memories like that. That's a good reason to invest in a GPS. I haven't got lost on the ice, but lost on a lake a time or two trying to find the access. Thank God I had the GPS to guide me back. That and I don't run up on shallows much with it on.

[cold one sd]

Four of us were an a pretty large lake (for South Dakota that is) and it started to snow along with about a 30 mph wind. I kept telling my son that we needed to get off the lake before we were in a white out. He and his buddy wanted to fish longer so I didn't say anymore. When we finally got packed up to go it was dark and I asked my son which way to go to get to the access. He had no Idea and I told him that now he knew why I wanted to leave while it was light. I drove around the lake for a while until everyone had no idea where we needed to go and started to get very worried. I turned my GPS on and put it into trac back and drove to the acess which was about three miles from where we were fishing. I told him that if we didn't have the GPS we would have had to stay on the ice because the road was drifted over. Now when I tell him that it is time to leave he doesn't argue. I think it was a good lesson for him and he reallizes that he isn't always 10 feet tall and bullet proof.

[blackdog1101]

I was out on Minnetonka in a pretty good snowstorm over the holidays and a snowmobiler rode up. He couldn't find the channel to where he started out, couldn't see more than a hundred yards or so. He wasn't too far off, and I pointed him in the right direction, but I bet it can be spooky not to know where you are in a white out.

[hondavxr]

I have a story for you guys. Last year I was on Upper Red Lake and we were fishing in our portables. I told my friends that it is getting dark we should go soon. But no since they were still hitting walleyes like crazy with a few crappies, they wanted to stay a bit longer. Well, a bit turned into pitch black. Last year there was no snow on Red so you could travel almost anywhere. I ask my friend how we are going to get back to our ice house. He said all we have to do is follow the lights. We started to follow the lights and I ask them, "I don't remember the shore taking to long". We all kinda panicked and he still kept insisting we follow the lights. Well, after a while I started digging for my GPS. When I turned it on and acquired my position. We were about to hit the reservation line. We laughed about it, but if I didn't have my GPS we would have probably been in the Reservation jail.

[stick]

A number of years ago on Red (before GPS and the close of walleyes) I went on a trip with my dad's buddies. I was in high school. When we got setup on our spot, it was a beautiful morning about 7:30 AM. My outdoor mentor said that I should take a compass reading back to where the landing is now that we just got out there. I said that it was silly as it would be easy to find our way back. Later in the morning after we were about at our limit, and fishing in old make-shift portables, he came over and said, "OK smart guy. Come out and tell me where the landing is now". Since the beautiful morning, the wind came up and it was snowing and it was white-out conditions. I had a yellow fish-house as my previous landmark, and that house was gone at that point. I was at least 60 degrees off and was shocked once we confirmed our way with the compass. Lesson taken to heart that I've carried with me. Technology has gotten better to help us all out.

[Bandit]

I was fishing with my cousin [and another guy with a broken leg] fishing was slow and he wanted to go to the local taverne around 10:30. Well away we go and close the place up. I had a sleeper house and on the way back we drove right to it. Well, My cous thought it would be fun to do a few donuts, and there was no stopping him. After the first 2 or 3 I still had a bearing to the house, but he would not stop. I finally threatened him with bodily harm and when he did stop we had no idea which way the house was. It was a clear cold night, but no lights on shore or on the lake. Soooo we drive in the direction we thought and ended up close to shore and were following that trying to get back to the access when we saw a heave. We could not get stopped fast enough on the glare ice and the front of his Jeep fell though. The water was about 4 ft. deep. The Jeep settled down to the frame and there we sat. He wanted to walk for help, but I would not let him go. We had left our warm clothes in the fish house, along with the cell phones and GPS. Anyway it got down to -2 that night, There were lots of lessons learned that night many years ago that will never be forgot. We were very lucky, don't make the same mistakes we did.