Quite a few years ago, I backpacked a sea eagle 9 raft and 2hp motor out to Big Trout Pond, in the middle of May. When the ice breaks up on lakes, the fishing can be amazing. Google Maps
2 trips were required to get everything out there, from the parking area shown on map, out to the west end of the lake.
You see, I had a lake trout break my 14lb test line a couple years before (from shore) and I was determined to find that fish again.
Well, I’ve got 2 rods wedged under the motor mount on the raft and I’m trolling along, about 2/3s of the way down toward the east end of the lake. A lure hooks the bottom - my favorite rod gets yanked into the water.
I instantly decide to jump in after the rod. When I hit the water I figured out just as instantly that a fishing rod is not worth hypothermia, since the water must have been about 40F. I could have grabbed the rod if I took one more lunge and dunked my head, but I let it go.
My buddy, who was facing foward at that moment, and at first had no clue why the raft suddenly lurched, turned around and saw me in the water. Luckily he was one of my smarter friends and calmly turned the raft around to get me.
I climbed back in and we immediately headed back toward camp at the east end. The raft only goes about 3mph so I started thinking…if I start to get hypothermia before we get back to fire/sleeping bag, I’ll just go to the shore, strip down and run around until I warm up (was probably 50F outside).
Well, lucky for me, I was wearing Filson wool pants and a military surplus wool shirtjac under my rain suit. Within 5 minutes I went from shaking like a leaf and terrified for my life to warm (enough).
Lesson learned - if you’re as dumb as I am, wear wool, or maybe a dry suit, when fishing lakes with ice chunks in them!