I wear a life jacket when

[jayhawkfishin]

When do you wear a life jacket (PFD). Personally I don't wear one unless i have to. But at the same time the lake that I fish is a no wake lake, so 5 mph is fast. I am also 16, 130 pounds, and swim well.

Just curious as to what you guys think.

Also, i am always fishing with a partner who can swim and knows where the life jackets are.

[northgabassfisher]

I hate to say it but only when I remeber but I really need to idle or 100mph you can still drown no mater how good you can swim I mean I pretty big im 16 years old and 6ft 210lbs Ive played football my whole life im pretty strong but I can still drown just as easy as the next guy. Im trying to rember to were it but it slips my mind every time but ive started to lay it in my seat so I dont forget.

[cart7t]

Anytime I'm running the big motor beyond idle speed and if the water temps are 50 or below basically.

[NEBassMan]

Anytime the big motor is running at a faster pace than idle (most lakes around here are idle speed only)

Jason

[Cajun1977]

When do you wear a life jacket (PFD). Personally I don't wear one unless i have to. But at the same time the lake that I fish is a no wake lake, so 5 mph is fast. I am also 16, 130 pounds, and swim well.

Just curious as to what you guys think.

Also, i am always fishing with a partner who can swim and knows where the life jackets are.

dont matter how good a swimmer you are if you fall  and bump your noggin  swim skills aint gonna do nothing for ya    wear it anytime the big motor runs

[harshman]

It doesn't matter how well you swim if you slip out of the boat and crack your head. Best money i ever spent was on one of those self inflating life vests fron Bass Pro. It is light enough to wear all day long and won't get in your way , unless it inflates which is a good thing when it does. Already had it "save" me once from a slippery courtesy ramp. It was like a rocket went off as it inflated, can't remember if i sioled myself from the fall or from the jacket.   Morale of the story wear a PFD of some sort, somebody out there wants you to come back safe from every trip out.

My .02

Jason

[Flatfish]

Just lost a good friend at Lake of the Ozarks by a drowning accident, this guy drove Sprint and Midget race cars all his life and was in extremely good physical shape. He retired from racing and had a Co. installing docks at the lake, he always wore a life jacket, he got hit by a wake from a larger boat and went overboard. I haven't seen my friend for several year's and the new's of his death was a shock, seen him take some violent flips in his midget and get out like nothing happend. He always took good care of his safety equiptment, don't know what happened but what ever it was cost him his life. RIP Gene Gennenten

[Raul]

At all times, better safe than sorry. In a big stable bass boat it may not be necessary while you are moving around with your TM on, in a small bathtub like a 12 ft jonboat I 'd rather see you with a PFD at all times. It doesn 't need to be a monster life jacket with enough bouyancy to keep a whale floating, suspenders are good enough, but when you crank up the gas engine please put it on.

One of my uncles drowned in Avandaro while canoeing at the lake, the canoe flipped over and stuck him on the head knocking him out, he was not wearing a PFD.

If you think that wearing a steamy hot PFD in the middle of the summer ( come on down here and you will know what HOT means ) is uncomfortable there are inflatable PFDs that are quite comfortable like suspenders.

Your most precious possesions are your life and your health.

[Catt]

Pulled a dead body from a lake that had been underwater for 4 days  

Aint a pretty sight & one I still see when I hear someone went over board

The boy was on the swim team at a local college

Please wear your PFD cause some one is gonna miss you & none of us wanna pull a dead body out!   >

[phisher_d]

All the time when I'm in the boat.

[Tucson]

At all times except when I'm anchored for some dropshotting.

[JiggaMan512]

Just lost a good friend at Lake of the Ozarks by a drowning accident, this guy drove Sprint and Midget race cars all his life and was in extremely good physical shape. He retired from racing and had a Co. installing docks at the lake, he always wore a life jacket, he got hit by a wake from a larger boat and went overboard. I haven't seen my friend for several year's and the new's of his death was a shock, seen him take some violent flips in his midget and get out like nothing happend. He always took good care of his safety equiptment, don't know what happened but what ever it was cost him his life. RIP Gene Gennenten

Im sorry to hear that Flatfish. Thats a good lesson to be learned for everyone though.

[senile1]

In the past, I've only worn my jacket on windy water or when I had kids in the boat, and in that case we all had a jacket on.  This thread has led to a re-evaluation of when I should wear the jacket.  Thanks, everybody.  

[floridabassboy]

im gona start waring it even when using the troling motor from now on

[Minuteman]

If I'm by myself I always wear one. I've even wore one fishing from the shore at some spots where i have to climb around rocks and cliffs. Anytime the water is 60* or below I make anyone in the boat wear one even while just running the TM.

 I've had my back muscles lock up jumping into a pool that the temp is cooler than expected. That only happened after I had back surgery, but It is a scary thing and all the swimming lessons in the world won't help.

[BassKing813]

I never wear a life jacket because I fish in a little 14ft fiberglass boat with an 8hp, so I don't go very fast. When I get a real bass boat though, I will by an expensive, high quality jacket and wear it at all times.

[Fish Chris]

I checked "At all times" and here's why.....

I have been using the auto-inflating type, for the last 3 years. First pair were SoSpenders, the latest set are Cabelas, in a cool Camo pattern. They are just so light, comfortable, and unrestricting, you put them on at the ramp, and you basically forget you have them on ! At the end of the day, I often head up to get my truck, and doh ! I still have my life jacket on !

If a person doesn't care much about his own life, so be it. But at the very least, why not get a few auto inflating type jackets for family and / or friends ? Forcing a kid to wear those uncomfortable, bulky, orange pieces of garbage, doesn't seem like a very good way to show them the "joys" of boating / fishing.... Expensive ? How much did your boat cost ? How valuable are family and friends ???

Just MPO,

Peace,

Fish

Be safe out there.

[BucketmouthAngler13]

I checked "At all times" and here's why.....

I have been using the auto-inflating type, for the last 3 years. First pair were SoSpenders, the latest set are Cabelas, in a cool Camo pattern. They are just so light, comfortable, and unrestricting, you put them on at the ramp, and you basically forget you have them on ! At the end of the day, I often head up to get my truck, and doh ! I still have my life jacket on !

If a person doesn't care much about his own life, so be it. But at the very least, why not get a few auto inflating type jackets for family and / or friends ? Forcing a kid to wear those uncomfortable, bulky, orange pieces of garbage, doesn't seem like a very good way to show them the "joys" of boating / fishing.... Expensive ? How much did your boat cost ? How valuable are family and friends ???

Just MPO,

Peace,

Fish

Be safe out there.

Exactly right about the "uncomfortable, bulky, orange pieces of garbage"

That is the reason i dont wear one when i canoe. (the lake is small and only 4ft deep)

And the jackets we have are kid sized, meaning they are for 4yr olds.

I can swim better without those life jackets than with one.

I would wear one of those inflatiable ones at "all times", if i had one.

Hey, they are so cool, i would wear it the bathtub!

Matt

[Fish Chris]

Hey Matt, seeing that I am 6ft tall, I guess if I were fishing in only 4 ft of water (which I never do) that might be the exception...... But I'd probably forget the water was only 4ft, and put on my auto inflating PFD anyway :-)

Peace,

Fish

PS, If I sound overly opinionated about PFD's, maybe its just something which gets driven home nearly EVERY FREAKING YEAR, when I hear of another angler drowning, only because he wasn't wearing a PFD. Sadly, this year was no exception.

[tipptruck1]

Snice being thrown from a seating going 45 I always were my pdf now. It dosnt matter if were still fishing or the motor is going.

[BASS fisherman]

I wear mine when the motor is running, club rule.  If the water is cold is another great time.  But if I am fishing in a small row boat, or electric motor jon boat, I wouldnt bother.  

[Big T]

I use to never wear a life jacket, however due to back surgery and weak nerves in my left leg I will start wearing one when ever the boat is moving.  Also I took a huge wake across the bow of my boat this summer, it litterly put enough water in my 16ft jon boat that while running, there was a 1ft of water in the back of the boat. The wake was the result of two large sportfishers running right behind each other at full speed in the intercoastal waterway. That incident took a little nerve out of me. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[Raul]

But if I am fishing in a small row boat, or electric motor jon boat, I wouldnt bother.

Are you kidding me ?

[Fish Chris]

Okay, here's a possibility......

Its a beautiful day. Flat calm. No other boats on the water. No current. Only 8ft deep water. So why wear a life jacket, right ? So you accidentally snag the carpeting in your boat (or whatever you might snag in the floor of your boat). You squat down to the floor (and if you have a gut like mine, this is a bit of a task initself) You fiddle around for a bit.... then swear a bit... then fiddle some more... then swear some more..... (why can't you hook every big bass this well ?) Finally, after what seems like an hour, you get the darn lure undone. You stand quickly straight up. Rush of oxygen to the brain...... Splash, you are in the water, and completely disoriented, even if you do come to immediatly. People have drowned this way. Can't happen to you ? I'm sure those few unfortunate souls would have said the same thing. There is a reason why these things are called ACCIDENTS !!!

Hey guys, I'm sure you know that I can be pretty freaking oppinionated..... But if you don't want to use the most expensive hooks, and change them constantly, or the best line (braid :-) that's all fine.

I just don't want ANYBODY on this forum to end up drowning !

And besides, I just don't see any good reasons to NOT wear one of these super comfortable auto-inflatable PFD's.

Please,

Fish

[Raul]

My old man used to say: to get drowned a glass of water is enough.

But apparently the man don 't read too good Chris:

One of my uncles drowned in Avandaro while canoeing at the lake, the canoe flipped over and struck him on the head knocking him out, he was not wearing a PFD.