Opening Weekend Safety

The fishing opener is finally here and as usual, the weather is questionable.  Yesterday was cold and miserable with .50" of snow, .20" of rain, and a high temperature only in the 40’s.  Anglers feel compelled to complain about the horrible conditions of the fishing opener yet these are some of the same people who will stand out on the ice when it’s 20 degrees below zero in the middle of a blizzard to do the same thing. Go figure.  In any case, the temperature is already into the high 40’s and the sky is lighter in color than it has been all month, so maybe it will clear up, then again, maybe not.  The most important thing to remember when heading out fishing early in the season is to be careful.  The water temperatures are still very cold and combined with the cold air temperature it can make for an emergency situation in a hurry.  Please do your loved ones and emergency responders a favor by wearing your life vest and have a great opening weekend.  Here are some facts from the Coast Guard.  "Safety of life, limb and property is a personal responsibility we should all follow no matter what we do.  While boating, wearing a lifejacket is perhaps your single, most important responsibility for both you and your passengers.  In 2004, according to the most recent Coast Guard statistics, 484 boaters drowned.  Of these, 90% were not wearing a life jacket and it has been estimated that approximately 431 lives might have been saved if a lifejacket had only been worn."