Clear Lake is a popular fishing destination throughout the year. During the summer months the water temperature can reach 80 degrees, but during the cold winter months the temps can be as cold as 40 degrees. It's during this time of the year that fishermen have to use caution when out on Clear Lake or any body of water. If you fall into a lake when the water temperature is lower than 50 degrees you would be unconscious within 30 minutes and dead within an hour.
The condition that sets in when in cold water is called "hypothermia" and it is deadly. Your body freezes up and you can barely move much less swim. It is common to see adults and kids climb into a boat without a life vest on. Luckly we have very few drownings on Clear Lake, but in the other major lakes in Northern California drownings during the winter months are common.
Many people think because they are in a large bass boat or pontoon boat they don't have to worry but that is not true. Whereas it is more dangerous in a small boat, larger boats also present a danger. A lone fisherman fishing from the front of a bass boat can easily slip and fall into the water. If he/she isn't wearing a life vest it could spell real trouble. In fact, wearing a life vest is so important that all the bass tournament organizations have a rule requiring fishermen to wear life vests whenever the big motor is running. If you don't follow the rule, you can be disqualified from the tournament.
A few years ago a friend of mine was fishing in a tournament in the Delta. Luckily he had on one of the newer type of inflatable vests. They automatically inflate when they hit the water. He and his partner were fishing in 30 feet of water and he was running the trolling motor from the front deck. The trolling motor hit a submerged log and the sudden stop of the boat threw him off the deck. He said that the next thing he knew his feet hit the bottom. Lucky for him the life vest inflated and shot him to the surface where his partner grabbed him. The water temperature was a chilly 45 degrees. If he wasn't wearing the life vest he would have drowned.
Make no mistake, the waters of Clear Lake can be very cold during the winter months and with the water temperatures often hitting 42-48 degrees, the survival time for someone tossed into Clear Lake is less than 30 minutes. After that hypothermia sets in and drowning may occur. For that reason, it's amazing the number of fishermen and boaters who don't wear a life vest when out on the water. More than once I have seen fishermen head out onto the lake in a small boat and not a life vest to be found on the boat.
It is not just the small boaters who can get into trouble. A lone fisherman fishing from the front of a bass boat can easily slip and fall into the water. If he/she isn't wearing a life vest it could spell real trouble.
Statistics have shown that more than 70 percent of drowning victims weren't wearing a life vest. This is amazing because winter storms are common, especially on Clear Lake. We are fortunate we have very few drownings on Clear Lake despite the fact it's a very large lake and at times there are dozens of speed boats on the lake, especially during a bass tournament. There have been some close calls. A few years ago a well-known local duck hunter fell out of his boat and he wasn't wearing a life vest. Luckily for him the unmanned boat made a large circle and he managed to grab the boat as it went by. He climbed back into the boat and was saved. If the boat hadn't circled back to him he would have certainly drowned.
A bass fisherman told me that several years ago he was fishing with a buddy and they were going across the lake at high speed when the lower unit of his outboard motor came off. The boat made a sudden lurch to the left, tossing him and his partner into the lake. It occurred in early March and the water temperature was only 50 degrees. According to the fisherman, the impact of his body hitting the water was so hard that it tore the shoes off his feet. He said what saved their lives were the automatically inflating life vests they were wearing. The vests inflated and they managed to flag down a passing bass boat and were rescued. He said that within 10 minutes of being in the water he already was starting to suffer from hypothermia.
Many people don't like to wear a life vest because they can be bulky and uncomfortable. That has all changed with the new inflatable vests. One of the most popular life vests on the market is one that automatically inflates if you're tossed in the water. That way even if you're knocked unconscious you will float. These are lightweight vests and can be worn throughout the day in comfort. They cost about $150 and are well worth the price. They are Coast Guard approved and most of the bass fishermen use this type of vests. There are other types of approved life vests that are also effective, but none of them will work unless you wear them.
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