Bad weather but I'm still going !

I started fishing for steelhead in the tribs in the fall of 2002, and went every chance I could.  I couldn't get enough of it.  With 2 young kids and a very understanding wife who only worked about 15 hours a week, suicide runs became a common thing for me twice a month from October through ice up.  I'd often leave for the 2 hour drive at about 9 or 10 PM; hit Poor Richards which was open 24 hours a day at the peak of the run; fish for a few hours; grab a few hours of sleep in the back of my Suburban for a few hours at the Walmart by the Erie airport and be back on the water at sunrise and fish all day long.  
 
I believe it was January or February of 2004, and a cold snap was forecast but I wanted to get one last trip in to tide me over for however long I'd have to wait.  Temps were forecast to be in the mid to upper 20's and snow on the way.  A lake effect snow warning had been issued for the Erie area, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.  
 
Couldn't leave till around 8 AM, and as I got closer to Erie, the temperature stayed in the upper teens and the snow was flying.  I walked into Poor Richards East to get some bait, and the guy said I was the only person there that day to get bait and he laughed at me.  Most areas I checked had at least edge ice and chunks were flowing down every stream.  I got water down my waders trying to bust up ice on one east side stream.  Line froze almost immediately and stayed frozen.  
 
As the day wore on, the snow got heavier.  I 90 closed down for a time, so I crawled my way over to a couple stops along Walnut with the thought of heading home.  Between Erie and Grove City, I witnessed 4 different vehicles going off the road, and saw the results of many more wrecks.  The normal 2 hour drive took me close to 4 1/2.  

Last year in May we tried to hit Pymie.  Drug the pontoon up there and started drifting but it was COLD and windy... toughed it out for a few hours taking waves over the bow when we had to motor back to start a new drift.  Wife and SIL were buried in multiple hoodies and the Ohio fish wardens snuck up on us.  They were in full-body deer hunting style winter gear!  
 
About that time we packed it in and it took three people all they were worth to hold the toon still at the launch to get it trailered again.  Pretty much every time I hit Pymie it is a greek tragedy of weather.  

Sorry for the double post

Rear wheel drive cars, rubber chest waders , army coats  ? 
Now were talking 60's and 70's .....got to love it !
No cell phones , GPS's, internet, and no weather channels ...how did we make it ?  LOL.....
 
Great stories .......keep them going !

Fishing bad weather good weather it matters not; for when it comes to catching, it's fishing with me you do not want. ~BTDT said that.~
 
 
Capt. congrats on your thread, some fun reading, memories too. 
 
 
 

This one time I went fishing with a crazy old coot up at Shenango, and when we got to the launches there were no LAUNCHES.  I fell out of the boat trying to get my manatee-frame up over the boat rail and soaked my left leg.  Then I froze all day.  

One of my more recent fishing adventure blunders was this past June 6. Sever thunder storms were forecast for Girard and McKean up north towards Erie. My son, grand daughter and I decided to set out to Canadohta Lk. to troll for walleye. The storms up north were visible and it was clear at the lake. We launched and headed halfway down the lake when I noticed we were beginning to be surrounded by green looking clouds. Just as I mentioned it, my sons phone began sending a weather warning that a tornado was imminent in our area. It wasn't kidding, and just as we got back to the launch, there was a rotating wall cloud looming just over the trees and over us. The wind picked up and hail started pelting us. Grand daughter made it to the truck, and that's when this old guy found out he could not run to save his life. My son tied the boat to the ramp and passed me to the truck, I made it finally, and we got out of dodge quickly. Thank goodness it did not set down on us and I feared for all of our lives that day. It did set down in Warren county and did some damage. It was rated a F-1 90 mph winds. Not a fun ride in a 16' aluminum boat. No more bad weather days for me...

python73
This one time I went fishing with a crazy old coot up at Shenango, and when we got to the launches there were no LAUNCHES.  I fell out of the boat trying to get my manatee-frame up over the boat rail and soaked my left leg.  Then I froze all day.  

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OMG that's sooo funny...........  I almost felt bad too!

Many years back my dad and I were on Arthur in our little johnboat crappie fishing.  Nice summer day.  Next we looked up there was a Terminator 2 storm headed for the lake.  We decided to run, and just about the time we pulled away from the launch it opened up.  The lake looked like a laser light show and it T-stormed so violently on the way home we could barely see.  I remember thinking I was glad we didn't try to duck under the bridge and ride it out.  

Talk about being young and crazy about hunting or fishing !
I remember standing up at the Goose Blind Management Building at Pymatuning, waiting in line outside in freezing cold weather at 3am., waiting for the building to open up and draw a duck hunting area ! It usually didn't open till 5:30 am.
And there would be at least 50 or more guys standing with us.......insane !!!
 
I can't stand a 5 minute wait at Wal-Mart !

This also happened back in about 1970. My brother  his friend and I headed up to the Sinnemahoning area to trout fish. I recollect it being the second week of trout season. It was fair weather turning cold and toward evening it was bitter cold with snow. We brought a big piece of plastic for shelter. Well the industrious lads that we were we settled into one of the roadside CCC picnic areas. The log shelter had a fireplace that we gathered all the picnic tables and built a wall  around the fireplace and pulled the VW inside. Well with a roaring blaze and the VW stereo music playing, and us all snuggled in, along comes Mr. Ranger. The good sign was his chuckling.  After visiting and commenting on our resourcefulness he asked us for one promise. Please next morning place the picnic tables all back to their assigned places ( they were the big heavy oak ones).
   How do you think that would play out today.

treesparrow
When I was about 18 years old a friend and I headed for Canada with my younger brother (~13 yr old) and his friend same age. Could you imagine crossing the border today like that. These were the years my brother and I guided and worked in Canada without even thinking we were doing anything wrong.
  Well on this particular trip we camped on an island about 7 miles south of a little town on Georgian Bay. Fishing was fantastic and we hadn't A CARE IN THE WORLD. We brought beans, potatoes, and onions to compliment the fish. Life was good.
  Enter Hurricane Agness, and three days confined to the inside of the tent. Horizontal rain and sleet, and wind that wanted our tent. We were in a great spot and never got water under our tent and we anchored the tent well. We spend much of our time for those two days of intense storm lying in our sleeping bags and betting on which fly would cross a sew seam first. Of course the fly's were as lethargic as us and races lasted hours. Jimmy the Greek would have been proud of us.   

 The day Agness hit I was down the Allegheny up from the Hulton bridge a bit. Stuck it out a little too long & after climbing the 30 or so steps up the bank thought somebody was throwing rocks at me. The biggest sized hail I've ever seen filled the skys, had to hide under a truck for some time before it was a little safer to run home.
 
  Caught a 22" L/M a few min. before Agness hit, biggest I ever caught from the river to date. My fishin'was ruined for the rest ov that summer for the river.
 
crappy

Old Dog, I got discharged a month before Agnes hit. I remember it quite well. I was getting buzzed, but not on 3.2 beer !!!