When do you need a life jacket?

[BSmaster]

This is a rhetorical question. I want to share my experience today. Went fishing in a river with my 12 ft rowboat and a relative. I tend to stand a lot because I cramp up. I was standing akwardly, my fishing partner moved a little (he claims not at all) and I headed for the water. Seeing the boat was going to capsize otherwise, I continued right over. Since we intended to fish different areas of the river, we thought we may need to tow the boat over some rapids therefor I had my chest waders on. One thing I also have on is my lifejacket/tackle vest hybrid. It holds enough terminal tackle and keeps me afloat in the event i fall in. So if anyone that has ever had chest waders fill up know that you can barely move. It took a lot of energy to get to somewhere so I could stand up and makes me wonder how bad it could have been had I not been able to stop and float. Last year I was wading in a similar river when the water was very cold and rolled off an unsettled rock and fell backwards into the deeper water. Same result - Vest kept me up and I didn't even get water inside the waders. The water temp was around 40 that day and the air temp was 17. A lot warmer today, but I still felt cold.

A lot of options exist today. My suggestion is to find one that works for you. I laughed about falling in afterwards. I am such a blankity blank. What else am I going to do? I didn't lose the boat or anything in it.

WEAR a PFD!

[rolmops]

That life jacket you wear turned out to be a very good investment. Until a few years back when we still fished in the outlet of the power station there were always a few people in waders who were swept away by the current. the ones without life jackets died.

[Erskin]

I have a small boat and I wear my life vest and so does anyone else on my boat. Even when it's 90 degrees in the summer. My motto is this and it's the same about packing a pistol when I'm out, especially in the city, "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it". It's like a seat belt. You never know when something might happen

[ray koziatek]

Umm I might suggest you brush up on standing and walking before getting off dry land..I hear badminton..is challenging to some....Glad yer ok to share some wisdom..

[BSmaster]

Umm I might suggest you brush up on standing and walking before getting off dry land..I hear badminton..is challenging to some....Glad yer ok to share some wisdom..

Ray, that's funny. My friends were afraid to take me trib fishing because they thought I was going to break a hip. I have one made out of bone and one out of ceramic. They called me Mr Glass (Unbreakable) after that character that would fall down and break 50 bones. I am 42 but if you look at my medical file you wouldn't think so. I laugh because I am OK.

I love to fish. Why else would I go out in high winds, heavy snow and walk through slushy water? The investment was the floatation device to give my wife some peace of mind. In High school I was on the swim team. This doesn't mean I don't need to wear one. This is probably why the DEC makes it mandatory in the winter. Never know when you are gonna need it and unfortunately some people need to be made to wear one. I hope people on here read this and think about it. We all hate to read about those people who died fishing and it was something that could have been prevented. My vest has the terminal tackle, stringer, forceps, scissors, clippers, ruler, knife, and lures. I use it to hold other things I need as well. This is my life jacket.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-D ... ct/103463/

Well worth the price. They do go on sale.

[fish or swim]

When I read the title I was thinking of the smart alec answer "whenever we are not on land' Not really a smart alec answer though.

Many drowned boat fishermen are found with thier fly down.