This is the first in our Believe it or not Series.Have you had an outdoor experience so amazing or life saving no one will believe you?Share it with us and let our readers decide.
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For the past month I had been working really hard at my job. It was January here in Lanse MI, and I was new to the area and looking forward to doing some lake trout fishing on the bay. I had some personal days coming and scheduled this in advance knowing their would be enough ice out in the deeper water by this time.
I was so excited the night before I could hardly sleep, I just knew it would be a good day and the fish would be biting.
It was about 7 am when I stepped outside headed for my old ford pick-up. In anticipation for the days trip I had it loaded already and was ready to head for the bay. The air was cold with some light snow and kind of a strong wind out of the north west. But I wasn’t concerned, my tent would provide the protection and keep me warm.
First stop being the sport shop for some bait.
“Hi Steve, have you got any smelt? I asked.” Steve smiled and said “sure-going lake trout fishing are you?” I returned the smile, “ya I said, have they been catching anything?”
Steve went on to say “They have been getting some really nice native lake trout out in the deeper water off the whirl e gig” (a business located on the lake shore). Now I was really excited, these are some good eating fish. A great prize for any fisherman!
Just before I left the sport shop Steve said, “be careful out their that lake has been known to get rockin’ and rollin’ at times “. I didn’t pay much attention to what he said at the time, but would really wish later that I had!
The wind was getting stronger now and the snow a little heavier. I continued my walk out onto the bay. About a quarter mile out I turned to look at my truck parked on the shore line, now hard to see because of the blowing snow. After fighting the wind and snow for another fifty yards I was ready to set my tee pee tent up and do some serious fishing. I turned and looked back in the direction of the shoreline, it was not visible anymore.
I pulled my tent off the sled and realized I was going to have a problem. The wind was very strong now. I used my ice bar to cut a hole to anchor one leg of the tent so I could set it up against the wind . Having one leg in place I pulled on the second one to anchor it. I heard a loud crack as the support broke from the pressure of the wind.
This was really the time I should of quit and headed back to shore, but I did not do that. Being determined I was going to spend the day fishing I found a way to make the tent work and set it up.
It felt great to be out of the wind. If I had to make a guess I would say it was in the thirty to forty mph range.
I cut my holes(about 4 inches of ice)and put my lines down while the coffee was cooking on the heater . I no sooner poured my first cup of coffee when I felt a sharp pull on my line, darn to slow, I missed it! After several bites and no fish I noticed the water bouncing in my hole. I have had this happen before but this was different. It was very rapid and almost like their was a current flowing inside of it. Then I heard what sounded like glass shattering outside the tent. I could now sense the very dangerous situation I was in! I flung open the flaps of the tent and to my hoar saw a giant wave of ice coming at me-the lake was alive!! I could hear the shattering of the ice as the wave flattened out just before reaching my tent. I new I had to leave, and leave now, my life depended on it! I quickly threw all the equipment on the sled, the snow had lightened up enough so I could see the shoreline where my truck was parked. Oh my God the ice was gone!
Looking toward the opposite shoreline the ice was broken into large pieces now rising and falling from the turbulent incoming water of lake superior. This was my only way OFF! I jumped from one ice flow to the next. I jumped distances between ice flows I never thought possible. I was wet, cold and very tired when I reached the shore line. But I was alive.
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