A Beginners Guide to Safety
Most people that read our content have fished and boated Lake Wallenpaupack several times in the past. Some may even have a home close to the lake which allows them to keep their boat in the water for the season. The Wally BITES team wanted to share some things we’ve seen, heard, and to be honest, even laughed or cried about in the past. This article will feature opinions, detailed information and even a few funny pictures that help demonstrate the challenges of Lake Wallenpaupack fishing & boating.
Risk #10 – Boat Parts and Labor are Expensive
Even the best of the best have dinged a prop, lost a lower unit on a submerged tree or boulder, punctured a hull or ‘toon and for goodness sake don’t ask me how but lately we’ve seen people drive their boat up onto gas pumps and even run aground down by the river. Most of my point with this exposure is tied to knowing the area you fish, carefully navigating any extension points on the lake and realizing that the closer you get to shore the shallower the water typically gets.
Also, we have a few low-lying areas and a number of feeder streams surrounding Lake Wallenpaupack. When the water level is high or we receive a heavy rain fall, things start floating in the lake that you typically can’t see. For those of you who have ever fished or boated on the Delaware or Susquehanna Rivers, you know this is a real threat to your boat, motor and health. If I had to place those in order, I would put motor first!
Don’t cut corners, try not to be inside the no wake buoys, steer clear of docks and watch your depth finder. Our lake has some huge rocks in unusual places and it only takes one time for you to wreck your day and possibly your season.
Risk #9 – Secure your Gear
Let’s be honest, we’ve all casted that favorite lure into a tree or got stuck on the bottom and lost our rig. That hurts, no doubt. That’s part of fishing, right? We all attempt to get into those hard to reach to places where we think the big fish are hiding; either that or we simply can’t cast to a location like we think we can…. but that’s not what this risk is about. I’m talking about whole tackle bags, rods (with reel), fenders, hats, towels, tools, etc. It can’t hurt to slow down your process a bit and make sure you have what you need, ensure it’s locked down both on the water and during travel.
We recently had a friend over, and they told us that they lost a kayak driving down route 80 and didn’t even know it until they arrived at the lake! I bet the people behind them knew right away… in the excitement of getting to the lake, we’ve all made mistakes.
Did you ever forget the safety chain on your boat at the ramp and the boat starts to slide off the back of your trailer? Yikes! For me personally, I’ve lost hats, sunglasses and just this past winter a brand new St. Croix Rod & Shimano Reel–popped right out of the boat and into the depths never to be seen again. So much for cork grip, that didn’t help at all. I laughed and I cried a little. It’s important to ensure that each time before you move from one location to the next while out on the water that everything is in a good, secure place. Maybe even think about strapping stuff down. It’s the worst feeling when something jumps out of your boat and flys away in the air only to land in the water 30 yards behind you, or quickly sinks to the deepest part of the lake.
Risk #8 – Hooking a Friend, Yourself, or Worse
Don’t you love those guys that have like 4 miles of line out and you drive by them from 100 yards away and they act like you are crossing their line. I have to admit, I get a little fired up sometimes when people get too close. How about when a friend hooks the back of your fishing hat and sends it out into the lake along with his cast? The more I fish with other people the closer the sound of their lure winging by my head feels. It’s a sense I think we all have, that was a close one, or a drop of water falls on the back of your neck as they whip their line out as far as they can cast. This mostly happens when you are fishing with artificial lures but can happen even while fishing with bait. The art of casting in proximity to another human is a life lesson that all fishermen should learn. In doing a little research, nearly 80% of hook jobs are self-inflicted.
So maybe you don’t have to worry about your friend all that much, maybe it makes more sense to watch what you are doing. How many people across the country hook themselves when they aren’t even in the water, guessing it’s about 10% of all buried hooks in the skin. Prime time is tying a lure, during a cast, hook set & especially when you catch a fish and are leaning over with tension on the line. Think about it, you have a nice fish on and are fishing by yourself – rod goes up, tension on the line and you are either trying to net or grab the fish. That lure comes flying out of the water and right into your cheek. OUCH…..
It’s not funny, I can’t even begin to think of how many times I’ve set the hook about 10 to 12 feet out from the boat only to have a gaggle of hooks flying at me. If you have guys on the boat, it’s like someone threw a grenade, everyone hits the deck!
Risk #7 – Falling in the Water
From personal experience, I have fallen in twice off a boat. Once, I was drinking and fell off the back of the boat which is why I don’t drink and fish by myself anymore. Another time, I was trying to net a big fish and the only thing that saved me was a friend stepping on my leg. The water was cold that night so it would have ended my fishing trip real fast.
It’s easy to overlook, you know, falling in the water. The way boats are setup now you could take one wrong step and off you go. It’s important to watch your surroundings, pay attention to what you are doing and for the most part have a life-vest nearby if not already on. Think about how easy it is to hit something, be hit by something or someone or maybe you could suffer that rare Lake Wallenpaupack rogue wave, a loose dock floating in the middle of the lake at night. Any of those things could easily launch you into the water.
Back to the fishing angle a bit, if you set the hook like I do you could easily find yourself in the lake. I’ve watched two popular video’s that went viral this year. One guy fell in and grabbed the fish and his rod and another where a guy legitimately set the hook and lost his balance. This is not all that uncommon. If you go back to Risk #10, if you are on your boat and hit some submerged element – you will fly through the air.
Risk #6 – Nighttime Fishing Can Be Scary
Not only does the world around you seem spookier at night, some nights you can’t see 3 feet in front of you. The dumbest Lake Wallenpaupack people I’ve witnessed so far are the folks that I almost killed, no special order….
- The two guys in a canoe out in the middle of the lake at 11pm on a moon covered evening. That’s a great way to get yourself killed, so please don’t take your paddle board, kayak, canoe out in the middle of the lake at night for any reason.
- The sailboat that I nearly drove my 26ft pontoon through on another dark evening only to go into defensive maneuvers when the two people on the boat (with sail up) turned on a little light. Otherwise, they were pitch black sailing around in the middle of the lake up by the dam.
- The two guys from New Jersey, yes…I’m calling you out NJ! Two guys on wave runners that went past me after dark going about 50mph….I guess they were trying to get back but they came close to my boat and I was able to get a headlamp on them to see they were NJ registered. Last I checked, those things aren’t allowed out past evening, yet…there they went.
- The guy anchored in the middle of Martin’s Cove at 1am with no lights on and at the last second turned on all his navigation lights. The only thing that saved me, he was playing his radio loud enough that I kinda knew someone was pretty close.
They do suggest a speed limit on the lake at night, I myself have tried to drive slower but at the same time I have also tried to get from one fishing spot to the next in as little time as possible. It’s never a good idea to drive overly fast, especially given your low visibility at night. Most guys that know, will line up their path with the moonlight as best as possible just to give themselves an extra visual.
By the way, driving with your docking lights on isn’t really permissible. Unlike your car or truck lights, these are not headlights. Keep the dock lights on for docking – mainly speaking to all you pontoon owners, including myself.
Risk #5 – “Tough” Guys
For one, we’ve all come across that overly aggressive person that could care less that you have been fishing in a spot for an hour already. Or the gal that pulls up and anchors 3ft from you in the cove when there is 500 square miles of open space in the cove. Please don’t send me a note explaining that there is no cove in the lake with 500 square miles, I already know, I wrote it to get my point across.
In all aspects of life, there are going to be people that cause or create problems, there are also going to be people that find themselves in the middle of trouble all the time, the goal is to avoid it when possible and to stick up for yourself when necessary. I’ve said it a thousand times in other posts and articles, there are no such things as saved / assigned fishing spots on Lake Wallenpaupack. At the same time, don’t be coming up on me at night and running your spotlight up and down the shoreline where I’m fishing. Most problems on the water are attributable to drinking, inexperience and low IQ’s.
Confrontations should always be avoided, but we have all witnessed our share of situations out at the lake. Let me tell you a quick story that I don’t believe I’ve ever shared…
I was about 12 years old, we had just pulled our boat out of the Delaware River somewhere near Bensalem and I was sitting in a jeep with the door open and my one leg dangling down while I waited for my father to finish up talking with a few friends. I was semi-paying attention when all of a sudden a big Lincoln type car pulling a big ass boat comes driving up the ramp, swerves into the parking area hits my door and pinches my leg. At first, I thought my leg was going to get chopped off. Thankfully the driver stopped after hitting the door. Next thing I know my old man is flying around the parking lot like the hulk. After the drunk man driving told him to F off after being requested to back his car away from the door, my old man laid that guy out right in his seat. After reversing the car and boat off the door, two young gentlemen jumped down off the back of the boat and before they could say the word “hey” they were both laid out on the pavement.
I don’t condone this type of behavior, but it did teach me at a very early age that anything can happen, anywhere, any time. Nowadays you probably have to be more worried about getting shot than you do getting into a fight.
Risk #4 – Fish and Boat Commission
The good, the bad and the ugly. Many of us want to go out on the water and have a great time. 90% of all fishermen and boaters are doing things by the books. To the other 10%, shame on you. The men and women that actively serve as fish & boat agents try and do a really good job. They come in contact with all types of people. For the most part, my feelings are that they are fair and honest with good intentions.
That said, these positions come with a ton of authority and at times I believe that authority can go to one’s head if not their ego. Just so we are clear, I support the “BLUE” in a big way. Fish & Boat, well I’ve witnessed some things along the way that make me wonder if the real intent is protecting boaters and ensuring safety protocols are followed.
If you are doing something stupid, you should get a ticket. If you are being obnoxious you should get a ticket, if you are crazy drunk you should get removed from the lake, if you are operating a vehicle recklessly you should be ticketed and asked to leave. That’s not my issue as those folks deserve what they get. My challenge is for the people who are stopped for no reason.
Yes, this happens all the time and we as boaters allow it. There is a thing that our founding fathers created, it’s called the constitution which outlines the roles of government. We the people, have the Bill of Rights which includes the 4th Amendment.
Rights: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Don’t simply allow yourself to be questioned, boarded or anything else that gives away your rights as a citizen in America. They can make up excuses for why they stopped you or approached you but don’t simply roll over and die. Ask why you were approached, what probable cause did I provide, what violation did we commit. Any stop without probably cause is a seizure without legal merit. Safety checks in Lake Wallenpaupack by themselves are a violation of your rights. Wake on up people.
Risk #3 – Drinking a Little Too Much
On any given Friday or Saturday, I’d bet that out of a 100 boats 84 of them have booze on them. This can create a real problem followed by subsequent ramifications. I would urge everyone not to tube, wakeboard, surf or any kind of towables while the operator is boozing up. Too much to lose and too much risk.
Am I all about having drinks on the water, 100%. We simply try and do it while anchored and attempt to leave with a clear head when the time is right. I’ve seen so much chaos on this lake in the past three years that it makes me wonder what people are thinking sometimes. I don’t like playing chicken in my boat, don’t like how many times we’ve had to shut the boat down due to waver runners zig zagging all over our path and it scares the heck out of me when I see people head first diving into areas of the lake that I know are shallow.
I’m not your dad and I’m definitely not your mom, just try and do whatever it is that you want to do with some level of responsibility. This isn’t your pap’s farm with 50 acres, driving a pickup truck through the fields. For the most part, I think we’ve been fortunate as we haven’t seen any truly devastating accidents or at least not many, other parts of the country haven’t been so lucky. Drink responsibly and drive even more responsibly! Now, make sure you keep your beer on ice and your ice, cold!
Risk #2 – Fire!!!
Unlike a 21-gun salute, when we yell “FIRE” it’s because something really is on fire. With the expansion of pontoons, gas prices ever climbing and more and more older boats driving around the lake it’s not uncommon to see a boat or motor on fire. Just a year or two ago, an entire boat caught fire and sank to the bottom of the lake. Here are a couple things to consider as risky behaviors while boating that may cause fire.
- Boats Electrical System – specifically checking an older boat’s wiring harnesses. AC / DC – not the rock band
- Battery Cables – look for tight connections
- Fueling is a common cause, especially with inboards where fumes aren’t property ventilated and the spark can easily cause fumes to ignite
- Engine heat, whether from a lack of oil, oil pressure or water to cool the motor. An engine can get so hot it melts and ultimately catches on fire
- Voltage regulator
- Off-boat fire can cause your boat to catch fire, meaning in a storage area, another boat on fire, dock, house, etc.
- Propane and Charcoal Grills
A simple, safe and effective way to help reduce your risk of fire is to thoroughly check your older boat for these things. Another protective measure you can take which is required by law in PA is to have a fire-extinguisher readily available. Alternatively, if you are on the water…you are surrounded by a natural resource to help put out some of the flames. Otherwise, abandon ship.
Risk #1 – Stormy Weather and Calling it Quits
If you made it all the way down to number 1, good for you and thank you! I feel like I’ve been typing for hours. My own personal rule for safety on the lake is storms. What I could gather in my research–which I’m not exactly sure how accurate this is–but if you stay out on your boat during a storm (in your area) you have about a 1% chance of having your boat struck by lightning. Doesn’t seem high when it’s written down but it’s actually quite high when you think about it. Therefore, when you see inclement weather approaching the lake; most people bolt for home, look for cover or shelter or stand on their deck holding up their graphite fishing rod. My wife sends me out in thunderstorms, should I be concerned? This risk is high on the list but should fall under the commonsense bucket. If you anticipate a storm, or see a storm, be smart.
Nobody is asking you to be a meteorologist but if you see lightning coming over the mountains, get on outta there. You can live to boat another day, you can also come back out as soon as the storm passes. Most of what I’ve seen in the summer months are passing thunderstorms, they come through and last an hour or so and are gone. So many amazing pictures of rainbows after a thundershower on our lake, which are absolutely amazing. If you are stuck out in a storm, you should find shelter in your cabin if you have one, close your windows too. If you don’t have that type of boat, or are more exposed you should attempt to get to the most central part of your boat and get as low as you can to the floor – meaning lay your ass on the floor so you don’t have to kiss it goodbye.
