It has been said that some people are inspirational to others while some people only serve as a warning beacon for others. Well, today I guess I can only be a warning beacon. Don't do what I did. 

Our first spring fishing trip was ruined by my stupidity. My wife and I fished Twin Lakes today and I backed our pickup about 2 feet too close to the water to get out. It looked firm but was wet underneath so all I could do was spin the tires. I tried four or five solutions and nothing worked. I even dropped the tire pressure in the rear tires. No go. 

Although Steve Alexander had warned everyone last fall after the heavy rains to be careful and have a towing company on call if needed, after two hours of struggling I called the PWF office and told Seth my sad story. He immediately offered to call the owner who lives on site. Within 30 minutes, here comes James on his tractor to our rescue. So thank you, gentlemen for saving the day for us!

And to everyone else, be smarter than me! Double check before you launch. And consider having tools and materials on hand if needed, perhaps bags of gravel, a shovel or a come-along and nylon rope to winch yourself out if needed. I hope this helps someone this year. 

Larry, so sorry to hear that!  You were not the first to get stuck there recently.  My first trip in the club was to Twin Lakes on Jan. 8.  I had every intention of fishing West Lake.  However, with wet grounds and not knowing the property, I opted for the closest one, East Lake (with no success).  Near the end of the day, I met the owner, Mr. Birt, who stopped by on his tractor.  He told me he had helped 2 other members get out of the mud over the last 2 weeks.  Hopefully your wife was understanding as well.   

i have posted this winch before and im posting it on the main site... it is the best investment you can have fishing our club lakes.. it will get you out of just about any jam.. its portable and can temporarly mount to the ball on your hitch or around a tree are any item and it will aid you in winching yourself out of trouble.. just throw in the trunk or in your boat.. bass pro has and northern tool... Larry glad you got out safe and sound thanks to the great guys at our club and to the always cordial land owners... one last thing,, you can slip this over your trailer ball and clip the end of the cable to your trailer and keep your vehicle on high ground and winch the boat and trailer up and down the hill or in and out of mushy areas.. its very versatile

Thanks, Phillip and Keith! Glad I'm not the only one but I don't wish it on anyone. I'll certainly look into that winch. Thx again!