All You Sauger Fishermen

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Originally Posted by Wiskers

Nope. She froze in 1977, 78, and a good bit in the winter of 83/84. It sucked to be a River Rat those years. In 77 and 78 there was ice plum down to Vicksburg Mississippi. I spent a lot of the winter of 78 froze in, in the middle of Peoria Lake on the M/V F.R. Bigelow. We were up there trying to bust ice for the Commonwealth Edison Oil tows to get to Joliet. River gorged up and we were stranded! I have a picture at home of a black Ford Pickup backed up to our galley door, putting groceries on us in the middle of the lake. I was stuck on that boat for 48 days!!!

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I'd Like to see that picture!!!

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Originally Posted by kycreekboy

Definitely froze over in this pool in 77/78. Remember that clearly. WOW 48 days would make a man stir crazy. At least you guys were probaly eating good. Friend of our family is a cook for a Crounse boat & she always tells us of all the stuff she is cooking. That woman can sure make a spread. What did you mean when you said "The Ohio has fallen out and Lock & Dam 52 went up this morning"

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Yep buddy. When you're about a 19 or 20 year old guy and got your mind on chase'n those lovely young ladies, 48 days seems like forever!

As for 52... When the water falls out the pool below Smithland gets so low that we can't transit. 52 is a "wicket dam" that is below Paducah that can be raised or lowered depending on the river level. When the river is up, they lower the wickets and we just go over the dam.

http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Media/...-lost-art.aspx

nice fish good eating

I used to work at Lock 52, and it can be quite an experiance. There are some ice pictures of 52 on the internet under http://marionky.biz/local1373/LOCK/DAM52.HTM. Shows some pretty good pictures. Wiskers, I know what you mean about being stuck watching others fish. Had to do it at 52 and Smithland many days. Now I am stuck in a control room with monitors at 3 plants watching them catch while I am on 12hr shifts.

78 was bad sauger look good though

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Originally Posted by Buckie02

I used to work at Lock 52, and it can be quite an experiance. There are some ice pictures of 52 on the internet under http://marionky.biz/local1373/LOCK/DAM52.HTM. Shows some pretty good pictures. Wiskers, I know what you mean about being stuck watching others fish. Had to do it at 52 and Smithland many days. Now I am stuck in a control room with monitors at 3 plants watching them catch while I am on 12hr shifts.

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Thanks for the link. I've lived a stone's throw from the river in the Meldahl pool my entire life (I'm 51 years old) & never knew there was anything like this style dam still in operation. Very interesting reading in those articles.