The lake has been closed!!!!!!!!

[kelly-p]

I've spent the past few hours sitting and staring at the walls trying to figure out how to feel, to understand, to react.
The Beltrami Co. Sheriff's Dept. told the roads tonight that they had to shut down. No more vehicle traffic on URL.
Yes we had a bad day because out of about 5,000 people 3 drove into a pressure ridge.
THE LAKE HAS BEEN CLOSED!
I call the Dept. and tried to understand why.
I talked to a Sgt. Byttle (sp?). He said it was for safety reasons. Nobody is to drive on URL after first light in the morning.
I asked him about the bridge. If we pull it in the middle of the night about 200 people will be stranded in the middle of the lake. He said to leave it there. What about making sure it is safe? If we are not allowed to go on the lake how do we go there?
I asked him how they would have enough people to replace the ones that are on the lake everyday helping people in trouble. His response was that they would not try,,,, people on URL would be on their own.
I asked him how they are going to close the place's that people drive out onto the lake to avoiding paying the $5.00 access fee. His response was that they would not try to stop people from going on the lake but if someone got into trouble on the lake that they ( the Dept.) would not respond because the people on the lake were ignoring the Sheriffs order.
I asked him about the people on ATV's and snowmobiles that would be getting into the same trouble as people in pickups. Response. The Dept. will not respond.
Through all this winter they never helped us once other then the contest. Now they know what is right when they have only been there once????
If any one else wants to try to figue out what has happened you try to talk to them.
They have closed URL to all the people that are there every day,,,, but have no one to replace them when someone is in trouble.

------------------
Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[This message has been edited by kelly-p (edited 04-07-2002).]

[Guest]

Kelly-P,
I think this is just another case of the authorities overreacting!!! Apparently on Saturday a truck with 4 people fell through on Leech and 2 people died. You also mentioned that 3 trucks drove into the pressure ridge on URL hopefully any one got hurt but just because a few weren't being careful the rest of us has to sufffer the consequences unfortuneately. I was thinking of coming up this afternoon and I DONT HAVE AN ATV which resort would you suggest i go out of so I can walk the shortest distance?
crappie Addict Pete

[Surface Tension]

Kelly I know it suck's to have big brother make decission's like this. The Sherrif's office might get flack for closing Red but, after the death's on Leech they have no choice. A repeat on Red and the sherrif's office would be held accountable.
With 5000 car's and truck's out on Red and 2 preasure ridge's, the chance's are good someone's is going to get wet.

[swamptiger]

I don't think it's justified, considering there is still 3' of ice on the lake. Leech Lake is one lake, and Red Lake is another.

Maybe I am speaking out of turn here, but I don't think so...

As far as the people driving into the pressure ridge, that can happen any time of the year.

[Big-Al]

I agree with the sheriff's decision. I was out Friday night and drilled losts of holes. 90% of them showed no signs of ice deterioration. A couple of them the the ice was in a totally different condition. If you remove the freezing of the overnite, (which happened last nite and is in the prediction for the next few), I think it will become unsafe in a hurry. The sun is very powerful right now. Hey how many times have you driven on the ice on April 6? Kelly, you make plenty of good points and the sheriff department should have made provisions and maybe a day notice would have been good.

Those crappies have really made a lot of addicts and you know addicts will do anything to get their fix.

By the way, we did great Friday 3500' from shore in 11', easy walking distance for most.

[jigglestick]

what a crock of $#!#. there must be laws about some thing like this. if a person drives out, is he or she breaking the law? they must put a ban on every lake then right? 3 feet of ice, good accesses, go figure. thanks for holding our hand big brother, what would we do with out you!

[swamptiger]

I think people like Kelly and the other guides and resorters who are on the lake every day are the best qualified to decide when the ice becomes unsafe - just as they are also best qualified to determine when it becomes safe early in the winter.

I should also qualify my statement by saying-once again- that driving on the ice is never completely safe, under any conditions. It involves a certain amount of judgement by the people involved, and there will always be some who will go through for various reasons.

[jigglestick]

man i'm so mad i could spit-- there i just did!(sorry honey).kelly go get your f'n bridge! if you need help, i'll go. hell we can use my truck. what about all those years when all the cheeseheads were dropping through winnie when they'd drive across the channel off plughat point. they finaly closed plughat landing to winter traffic. not the whole fricken lake.i'd also like to meet the fine upstanding gentleman who would not help someone in trouble on the lake.what a man. maybe i should just delete this whole post----na. support your local sherriff's dept--------jigglestick---------

[kelly-p]

I aggree that safety has to come first. No fish is worth anyone's death but the pressure ridge will cause the same problems for ATV's amd snowmobiles.
In any case we live with it,,, I've got a day off.

------------------
Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[jigglestick]

hey kelly, what you gonna do with all this time on your hands? want to go fishin'? there are plenty of lakes around here i'll be back up soon. ---jigglestick---

[Guest]

Rediculous. The pressure ridges are NOT invisible...And if someone thinks they can just drive over it...that's their own fault, their own risk, their own lack of better judgement.

Sounds like the sherriffs dept is just trying to cover their own back....since they say they will not do anything about anyone driving out....seems they want no part of any trouble...can't blame them really.

PCG

[Surface Tension]

Kelly, Closed? To just car's and truck's ?
Are wheeler's and foot traffic still allowed on?

[Dan Thompson]

i was up on Friday and punch many holes in about a 4 mile strech and did not see any bad ice was all very good i guess if a person starts to see a lot of water and slush and pot holes along the way then it is time to think about getting the summer fishing gear out i felt very safe and any time a person is around a pressure ridge a person should use there head there is always a chance of bad ice and as for as the sheriff deptment saying they would not help they are setting there selves up for a fall and do they have it posted at every possible access on the lake it is pretty hard to keep everyone off the lake i also believe that the resort owners are the people to go by there is no way they would put anyone in a situation were they may damage anything or risk loseing a life over. I guess we should just live were there is communists all over.

[Guest]

If the sheriffs dept. thinks they are protecting themselves, I want to see how much flak and or lawsuits are brought against them if someone does get into trouble on the lake....and they sit by and DO NOTHING!! That just seems like an assinine statement myself. I think the sheriff is just trying to scare people into not going on the lake by telling them they won't be helped if they get into trouble.

[neusbaum]

NoDak Ranger is absolutely correct on this one. If you think the Sheriff's dept. is gonna sit around and ignore a cry for help, guess again. Just an effective scare tactic to keep the casual fisherman from killing himself. For those serious crappie hounds who know the lake, or at least know who to ask concerning the lake, just proceed with caution!

[hksbh]

Them fools out there going threw the pressure ridges are the ones at fault on getting the lake closed. The sherrifs dept. is the ones who have to pay for the body recovery and vehicle recovery when there is a death and that is tax payer money not being spent very wisely the way I look at it if it can be prevented by stopping them from driving out there.

[N4652E]

I am curious. Does this mean that the local Sheriff is responsible for determining when it is "safe" to be on lakes? I suspect he will not issue a "closing" when the lake is rough in the summer, or an "opening" when the ice is ready next fall.

I suspect a legal challenge would result in affirming his power to close a business that is a danger, but would not uphold a ticket issued for being on a lake "closed' by his order. This closure would require action by the legislature.

It goes without saying, those who venture on any lake anytime, summer or winter, day or night, should take every reasonable precaution (including especially talking to "locals") for there own safety. Ultimately we are the ones who will enjoy or be hurt by our decisions. This is called responsibility.

[hksbh]

In this country people have rights and it better not ever change and thats why we live hear but there is no rights for a vehicle and that is what they are stpping foot travel is ok so untill we can give vehicles rights we will have to live with it

[Guest]

Well...if you go through the ice...and survive...Guess what???? You get to pay for all that work and trouble you caused everyone, the recovery of the vehicle, and your personal rescue.... And you may be ticketed for pollution, and other things.....

And also...Your insurance....won't cover loss of a vehicle in the lake, or any damages involved if you happen to not completly lose it in the drink...so...there's more out of your pocket money.

PCG

[Fishn'Lady]

This is what Rogers Resort has posted on their website. This is what the signs around the lake say:
"LAKE ACCESS CLOSED TO ALL CAR AND TRUCK TRAFFIC DUE TO UNSAFE ICE CONDITIONS. ACCESS IS ALLOWED BY ATV, SNOWMOBILE, AND FOOT TRAFFIC. BY ORDER OF BELTRAMI COUNTY SHERIFF KEITH H. WINGER, APRIL 6, 2002"

Sounds like a bunch of B.S. to me. Oh well, safety first, right??? Good luck to all who still fish it.

Hey! Your bobbers gone!

[hksbh]

At least they are being reasonable and leaving the ATV'S and SLEDS go out and thats better than nothing but walking

[Guest]

So much 4 fishing URL
Oh well I here rainy rivers opening up just fine
Hay Kelly Im going up in two weeks wanna go ..

Keep Your Heads up men springs comming
Kevin

[Uncle Bill]

Kelly,
Nice to have met you Fri. night, and thank you for the drink. I had a blast! Took me three hours to find them crappies, but when I did, took my limit in 45 minutes.
Your hard work, Mort from W.W., Hudecs, Hillmans, and all the "resort people" hard work is greatly appreciated. Too bad the lake had to close this way. I thought the Ice was very safe Fri. night and am surprised. I can only assume these submerged vehicles tried to cross the the pressure ridge somewhere other than the bridge ?? or did they simply fall thru the ice ??

[Dan Thompson]

Hey pro crappie guide you had best check you insurance company 99.9% of insurance companies cover when your vehicle goes through the ice i have this coverage that is why it called full coverage you need to check on these things and not give false information on this topic or call some insurance companies and find out because you are very wrong on what you wrote

[mudslinger64]

hey pcq i was just looking at my policy and i have full coverage and as far as i can tell i think driving under the influenze of them 12"plus crappies is justifiable i am not trying to start nothing here but hey can't we just get along

[Guest]

Dan is mostly right. I know I am covered if my truck goes through the ice. Even if you have full coverage not all policies cover this. Call your agent and ask. I have Americian Family.

[Guest]

I am an Insurance Agent and what PCG said is wrong. In the state of MN most companies cover the costs associated with putting your vehicle in the drink. However, you better read your policy first before you assume you have the coverage. On most policies this is going to be part of the Comprehensive coverage, I would check it out.ScottS

[Guest]

We were out on friday, and the ice was a little strange. We have been up and needed to take the auger down to the power head to get through, friday there was still a good foot before the power head. The ice was chunking out also, instead of shaving. It's too bad that the sheriff had to do this, but not everybody on the lake knows what they are doing and can handle themselves in a safe manor and the best way to deal with this is to shut it down to everyone.

[kelly-p]

What bothers me is the way that they did it.
No suggestions or mention that it could happen. In the middle of the night the lake is suddenly closed and we are all to leave.
Hillman's did not even know the lake was closed until Shorty went to open the bait shop at 7:00 AM and found the notice that was taped to his door about 3:00/4:00 in the morning.
I feel that those of us that worked on the lake did a very good job of keeping it as safe as possible. Can anyone guess how many people fished URL this winter? Yet there were very few bad problems and whether it was a stuck person or a lost person or a person too drunk to be driving we handled every problem with out having to call the authorities for help. Some of those weekends had a surge of over 10,000 people going out onto the lake and then leaving after dark but we handled it pretty good.
Lake Bemidji has almost as many vehicles go through every winter as URL did this winter but it isn't closed when that happens! Can you imagine if Mille Lacs or LOW was closed this way in the middle of the night?
I do not believe that they even went out on the lake to look before they closed it. They did not even consult any of us that are on the lake everyday. It was strictly an office decision.
Maybe it was correct to close the lake but the way they did it I took as a slap in the face. It's obvious that they do not think much of my judement or the judgement of the others that worked on the lake this winter.

------------------
Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[Guest]

Was up this weekend, and stayed up at Riverview on lotw. Resort owner said she knew of at least 3 vehicles that had gone through in the last couple days. People driving on high current areas and off main roads past warning signs and all. They didn't stop us from going out. If the lake is unsafe, fine close it to vehicles. But the worst of it all is that they said they would help someone who gets in trouble! That's bad enough for me to say that, but that's their job no less!