Opening Day at GVL

[Limit Time]

My friend and I arrived at the lake around 6 am. Set up by the damn and immediately hooked up on a lure. It set the table for the rest of the day. Proceeded to land 8 more and headed down the hill by 11. The biggest fish put up a great fight and weighed around 3 lbs. Caught another around 2lbs and the rest where were about a pound. Turned out to be a beautiful day with a little breeze. Biggest event of the day is when a boater fell out of his boat in the middle of the lake. The guy was fighting to stay a float and other boaters where not in the area. Two guys rowed as fast as they could to get to him but you could see it was going to take a while. Some heroic dude from shore dove in and swam out to save him. That guy was amazing, swimming in all his clothes to rescue the boater. Finally the other boaters arrived and towed them to shore. It was surreal, thought that we were going to witness a drowning before our very eyes. Props to the guy who saved that guy's life.
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[Number1topgun]

My friend and I arrived at the lake around 6 am. Set up by the damn and immediately hooked up on a lure. It set the table for the rest of the day. Proceeded to land 8 more and headed down the hill by 11. The biggest fish put up a great fight and weighed around 3 lbs. Caught another around 2lbs and the rest where were about a pound. Turned out to be a beautiful day with a little breeze. Biggest event of the day is when a boater fell out of his boat in the middle of the lake. The guy was fighting to stay a float and other boaters where not in the area. Two guys rowed as fast as they could to get to him but you could see it was going to take a while. Some heroic dude from shore dove in and swam out to save him. That guy was amazing, swimming in all his clothes to rescue the boater. Finally the other boaters arrived and towed them to shore. It was surreal, thought that we were going to witness a drowning before our very eyes. Props to the guy who saved that guy's life.
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Never understood why people go out on a boat, can't swim and don't wear a life vest.

[esteban1t]

My friend and I arrived at the lake around 6 am. Set up by the damn and immediately hooked up on a lure. It set the table for the rest of the day. Proceeded to land 8 more and headed down the hill by 11. The biggest fish put up a great fight and weighed around 3 lbs. Caught another around 2lbs and the rest where were about a pound. Turned out to be a beautiful day with a little breeze. Biggest event of the day is when a boater fell out of his boat in the middle of the lake. The guy was fighting to stay a float and other boaters where not in the area. Two guys rowed as fast as they could to get to him but you could see it was going to take a while. Some heroic dude from shore dove in and swam out to save him. That guy was amazing, swimming in all his clothes to rescue the boater. Finally the other boaters arrived and towed them to shore. It was surreal, thought that we were going to witness a drowning before our very eyes. Props to the guy who saved that guy's life.
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Glad he made it out of the water, i almost fell in a couple of times..
Wish i could of made it out that day but i had work and i need the hours
what kind of lure did you use?

[esteban1t]

Never understood why people go out on a boat, can't swim and don't wear a life vest.

most people probably don't think of falling over board and drowning on a small lake like green valley

[Limit Time]

Glad he made it out of the water, i almost fell in a couple of times..
Wish i could of made it out that day but i had work and i need the hours
what kind of lure did you use?

Red & Gold Thomas Buoyant and panther martins. Have to keep changing the look. Also, caught a few on the drop shot with plastic worms - so retrieve.

[titos334]

Some heroic dude from shore dove in and swam out to save him. That guy was amazing, swimming in all his clothes to rescue the boater. Finally the other boaters arrived and towed them to shore. It was surreal, thought that we were going to witness a drowning before our very eyes. Props to the guy who saved that guy's life.
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That could have easily been 2 drownings, it's a seriously stupid idea to try and water rescue someone drowning without a flotation device. Glad no one was hurt and it worked out in the end.

[Viejo]

My friend and I arrived at the lake around 6 am. Set up by the damn and immediately hooked up on a lure. It set the table for the rest of the day. Proceeded to land 8 more and headed down the hill by 11. The biggest fish put up a great fight and weighed around 3 lbs. Caught another around 2lbs and the rest where were about a pound. Turned out to be a beautiful day with a little breeze. Biggest event of the day is when a boater fell out of his boat in the middle of the lake. The guy was fighting to stay a float and other boaters where not in the area. Two guys rowed as fast as they could to get to him but you could see it was going to take a while. Some heroic dude from shore dove in and swam out to save him. That guy was amazing, swimming in all his clothes to rescue the boater. Finally the other boaters arrived and towed them to shore. It was surreal, thought that we were going to witness a drowning before our very eyes. Props to the guy who saved that guy's life.
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If the water had been five degrees colder, you probably would have. I am amazed that the concessionaire doesn't mandate life preservers. By the way, when you witness a drowning....it is very quiet. They just slip under the surface and disappear. Glad your experience wasn't like that.

[billy b]

If the water had been five degrees colder, you probably would have. I am amazed that the concessionaire doesn't mandate life preservers. By the way, when you witness a drowning....it is very quiet. They just slip under the surface and disappear. Glad your experience wasn't like that.

Sounds like you know from experience ... UNFORTUNATELY ???

[Viejo]

Sounds like you know from experience ... UNFORTUNATELY ???

Yes. Involved years ago in a rescue with four people in a small aluminum boat on a lake in Utah in early spring. I was shore fishing and watched them tip over when one tried to pull the anchor up. Water was around 50. Three of them made it to shore and we waded out up to our chest to help pull them in. The 66 year old Grandfather slipped below the water and was recovered the next day by divers. It amazes me to this day how many folks don't see the need to life preservers.

[billy b]

Sorry ........

[Viejo]

Sorry ........


It was what it was. We were able to help three of them and summoned authorities. Bad things happen to good people all the time. They made a choice when they launched the boat not to wear preservers and that day, it turned out to be the wrong choice.

[GhettoBasster]

Glad the GVL incident didn't end badly. The other incident is very sad. All because people were too lazy/confident and don't realize things can go from great to tragic in an instant when your on the water. For example, wife's uncle drowned while ice fishing.

[DEVOREFLYER]

Spent 5 years doing Search & Rescue with the SBSO decades ago. Never ever had a water rescue call that didn't end up being a recovery. Nothing worse than doing a recovery of a child because a PFD wasn't used. Accident, stupidity, poor planning, no supervision or ignorance is not a viable excuse when someone dies and it could have been prevented.

[billy b]

Bad things happen to good people all the time.

My wife and I have a book about that subject. I've preached on it. FWIW

They made a choice when they launched the boat not to wear preservers and that day, it turned out to be the wrong choice.[/QUOTE]

How many times (100+?) have we been out without a preserver ... just got one for my wife ... and why not me? I'm guessing it's the weight of wet clothes ... plus your shoes that are the killers. Could the lost man have grabbed onto the boat? Maybe he was physically challenged? Jus wunderin. God allows things to happen ... He doesn't always make them happen ... we must face our responsibility.

THANKS for sharing ... and your efforts to help are awesome!

My curiosity can't restrain itself anymore. "Viejo" ... doesn't that mean old ... or something like that? Care to share?