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FYI... I'm on the boat right now and we are starting to see pretty significant ice below Smithland Lock and Dam and above. The Ohio has fallen out and Lock & Dam 52 went up this morning. Flows will continue to decrease and more ice will accumulate. Personally I would stay out of the Ohio for now but if you choose to venture out, be careful! This is "prop eater" ice!
With all the ice do you push thru it or tie up?
We keep moving till we can't bust through it Grizz.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzly2k1
You got that right Wiskers. This is a pic taken just a few minutes ago from the Maysville Ky. area. and as you can see the river is mostly covered except where a barge pushed a load of coal thru to where I work. (Coal fired power plant) Definitely won't be putting a boat in this stretch of river either. At least for the foreseeable future.
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Thanks for the update Wiskers. I was thinking about giving the sauger below Smithland Dam a try, now that the water has fallen out. But I get a little nervous driving my aluminum boat in ice. I will be cautious if I do decide to venture out.
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Crossed the Ohio on I-275 west of Cincinnati this a.m.. The river was ice-covered all the way across except a path made by a tow headed down river. I don't think I've seen the Ohio with this much ice since I moved here in 1979! This is the Markland Pool.
Nice looking Sauger!
If I remember right the last time the Ohio froze over was in 1971. Even though people were warned that it could be dangerous there were still people walking on it. Was not a smooth surface because of the broken slabs from the barges running through it.Quote:
Originally Posted by kyjohn
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!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by wannabe fisherman
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"
I'd Like to see that picture!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiskers
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!Quote:
Originally Posted by kycreekboy
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.
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
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckie02