Tony Buzolich
11-20-2014, 02:14 PM
This is kind of a follow up to Ryan's post below about wading sandbars, specifically the one at Verona. I did it for years until one day when I took my wife to that particular bar.
It was during the peak of shad season and as mentioned you could wade across the bar just above the marina and get to some deeper water near those pilings where the Sac joins the Feather. There was a line up of guys all casting and swinging. Only knee deep there was still a good current moving the water. A fellow came trotting across the shallows holding a young child by the hand wading and splashing as he came. It was warm and he let go of the child and started casting anxious to hook a fish. He squeezed right in between other fishermen and didn't think twice about his young one 30-40' behind him still in the warm shallow water. In just a few seconds the child went over and started tumbling across the bar heading to a drop off at the end. Everybody but the dad started screaming until dad woke up and raced to grab his young one before going over the edge. Less than knee deep water.
My wife and I took a break and headed back to shore for some lunch and watched more of the action. A few minutes go by and this big old cruiser pulls up almost to the drop off at the sand bar and idles while trying to drop anchor. On board are three old guys already half plastered with beer and one decides to jump in and swim to the sand bar upstream. They haven't even set the anchor yet and this old guy starts screaming "he can't make it!" Remember, it's warm shallow water here. The guys still in the boat panic and throw the boat into reverse with the anchor still out and try to steer toward him. The guy in the water grabs the anchor line as the boat just about runs over him and swings toward the fantail with the motor still in gear. Fortunately they grabbed him and got him into the boat where they all laughed it off with another beer.
After eating my wife and I decide to head back out to the line up and fish till it was time to head home. Once again while out on the edge of the bar two teens come out to the drop off and start casting into the deeper water for "stripers" or shad. And as is normal both wade a little deeper trying to get out as far as they can and still maintain footing. As they're standing there casting the sand is eroding under their feet and one slips into deep water. Yelling for the friend to help he tries to grab the other teen's pole but in so doing pulls his friend in to deep water too. Now both are treading water screaming for help as the current takes them downstream. Fortunately a jet ski pulled up and both were able to grab it and hang on as it motored over to shore.
All three of these incidents happened the same day right in front of my wife and I. Sand bottom can be deceiving especially in warm shallow water with a moving current.
So even though it seems inviting, take caution anywhere you wade.
Tony
It was during the peak of shad season and as mentioned you could wade across the bar just above the marina and get to some deeper water near those pilings where the Sac joins the Feather. There was a line up of guys all casting and swinging. Only knee deep there was still a good current moving the water. A fellow came trotting across the shallows holding a young child by the hand wading and splashing as he came. It was warm and he let go of the child and started casting anxious to hook a fish. He squeezed right in between other fishermen and didn't think twice about his young one 30-40' behind him still in the warm shallow water. In just a few seconds the child went over and started tumbling across the bar heading to a drop off at the end. Everybody but the dad started screaming until dad woke up and raced to grab his young one before going over the edge. Less than knee deep water.
My wife and I took a break and headed back to shore for some lunch and watched more of the action. A few minutes go by and this big old cruiser pulls up almost to the drop off at the sand bar and idles while trying to drop anchor. On board are three old guys already half plastered with beer and one decides to jump in and swim to the sand bar upstream. They haven't even set the anchor yet and this old guy starts screaming "he can't make it!" Remember, it's warm shallow water here. The guys still in the boat panic and throw the boat into reverse with the anchor still out and try to steer toward him. The guy in the water grabs the anchor line as the boat just about runs over him and swings toward the fantail with the motor still in gear. Fortunately they grabbed him and got him into the boat where they all laughed it off with another beer.
After eating my wife and I decide to head back out to the line up and fish till it was time to head home. Once again while out on the edge of the bar two teens come out to the drop off and start casting into the deeper water for "stripers" or shad. And as is normal both wade a little deeper trying to get out as far as they can and still maintain footing. As they're standing there casting the sand is eroding under their feet and one slips into deep water. Yelling for the friend to help he tries to grab the other teen's pole but in so doing pulls his friend in to deep water too. Now both are treading water screaming for help as the current takes them downstream. Fortunately a jet ski pulled up and both were able to grab it and hang on as it motored over to shore.
All three of these incidents happened the same day right in front of my wife and I. Sand bottom can be deceiving especially in warm shallow water with a moving current.
So even though it seems inviting, take caution anywhere you wade.
Tony