02-12-2021, 03:19 AM
Arrived at the Berry about 7 am with Kent. Loaded up the sleds behind my dog and headed out onto the ice. Immediately I knew something was wrong when I couldn't get any rpms. I was pulling just 3 sleds(a moderate load) but only moving about 2 mph with heavy exhaust fumes. Hoping it would correct itself, we continued out about 100 yards before I decided to stop and consider heading back before going out farther and getting stranded with a fouled plug. Checking out the problem, I realized that the choke cable had frozen wide open. Enter Kent to the rescue with his leatherman pliers. After disconnecting the cable and manually closing the choke, we were back to normal operations for the dog. Lesson 1: bring a few tools.
As I powered up and turned to head back out to deep water, Kent fell from second sled and hit his head on the third sled. Glad he is hard headed and was ok. Lesson 2: make slow turns with passengers.
Arrived at his special spot and set up our tents (2 for covid concerns) in 6 inches of snow on 2 inches of slush and 14 inches of ice. Wind was about 8 mph. I shoveled away the snow and slush to set up my tent. Within minutes I had 1/2 inch of water on the ice inside the tent. By the end of the day it was over 1 1/2 inch of water and things were beginning to float. Lesson 3: don't remove snow from slush, pitch tent on the snow.
About an hour after we arrived the wind picked up to 20 mph with higher gusts to about 30 mph.. About 2 pm we pack it in. I scored 6 cutts in the slot. Not sure about Kent. He had at least 7 by noon.
Strange thing is that twice I had a large cutt bumping my transducer just under the ice.
I learned a lot today. Thanks Kent for the invite and the rescue.
PS. I had tried to squirt cable lube in all the cables and drive chain prior to the trip.
As I powered up and turned to head back out to deep water, Kent fell from second sled and hit his head on the third sled. Glad he is hard headed and was ok. Lesson 2: make slow turns with passengers.
Arrived at his special spot and set up our tents (2 for covid concerns) in 6 inches of snow on 2 inches of slush and 14 inches of ice. Wind was about 8 mph. I shoveled away the snow and slush to set up my tent. Within minutes I had 1/2 inch of water on the ice inside the tent. By the end of the day it was over 1 1/2 inch of water and things were beginning to float. Lesson 3: don't remove snow from slush, pitch tent on the snow.
About an hour after we arrived the wind picked up to 20 mph with higher gusts to about 30 mph.. About 2 pm we pack it in. I scored 6 cutts in the slot. Not sure about Kent. He had at least 7 by noon.
Strange thing is that twice I had a large cutt bumping my transducer just under the ice.
I learned a lot today. Thanks Kent for the invite and the rescue.
PS. I had tried to squirt cable lube in all the cables and drive chain prior to the trip.
Good fishing to all. Hue