Ice almost thick enough

TakeAHike · 12-30-2012, 08:38 PM

When I was in the UP visiting my family the ice was just about thick enough to head out fishing! My dad was getting his shanty ready to pull out there. I am hoping he lands me some nice perch or walleye.

Penelope · 12-31-2012, 06:45 AM

When I was a kid, I lived in a town that had a large lake. I saw the shanties out on the water. I always wondered how to know when the ice was the right thickness.

How do you know when the ice is thick enough to start fishing? Also, what type of bait do you use to ice fish?

ChadTower · 12-31-2012, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penelope

When I was a kid, I lived in a town that had a large lake. I saw the shanties out on the water. I always wondered how to know when the ice was the right thickness.

How do you know when the ice is thick enough to start fishing? Also, what type of bait do you use to ice fish?

A smart person drills a small hole in the ice to determine the thickness. There are places where you need to wait until some official does that for you and declares it safe for shacks. Depending on the type of shack you have you may have to wait until it's safe to drive on so you can tow the shack out there.

ppine · 12-31-2012, 07:44 PM

The safe way is to drill a hole near the shore. The other safe way is to let others show the way. If a group of people are standing on the ice you can walk on it. If a large truck is on the ice, you can drive your car, etc.

ChadTower · 12-31-2012, 08:41 PM

It's not always a safe bet to assume the people on the ice are intelligent. Often they are stupid and just haven't found that out yet.

ppine · 01-02-2013, 10:35 AM

Chad,
Read my post again. If there is a group it is safe for you. If it is safe for a truck a car will be fine.

ChadTower · 01-02-2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppine

Chad,
Read my post again. If there is a group it is safe for you. If it is safe for a truck a car will be fine.

Please don't mistake disagreement with lack of reading comprehension. I read it. I disagree.

I have seen too many people drive their truck out onto the ice, hear it crack, and then get out and run back towards shore. Someone else seeing that and assuming that means the ice is safe would only be adding to the weight on cracked ice. That's when the second people end up in trouble.

I have also seen people go out and measure a 3" thickness and decide that's safe for a couple of skaters. Then 3 more show up. Then 3 more show up, the first people decide that's too many and leave, but you still see 6 there and assume it's a group. Then it starts cracking.

ppine · 01-02-2013, 01:41 PM

Chad,
thanks for the clarification.

Pathfinder1 · 01-02-2013, 01:45 PM

Hi...

I've seen snowmobilers deliberatly try to cross a river with open water showing in the middle of the river. Actually, this was an annual event. They would get up speed, and try to hydroplane across. Many of them made it. They didn't chance it alone, though, so help (such as it was) was there. No one drowned during the time I was there.

One time I was standing on thick ice in the middle of a seven-mile-long lake, when the ice fractured (but didn't part, fortunately) while I was standing there. That seven-mile long fracture passed right between my feet like rolling thunder...!! Even though I was probably very safe, I didn't tarry for much longer...!!

I've taken many chances on thin ice in my younger days. However, I learned a lot from those experiences, and am now MUCH more cautious regarding going out on ANY ice.

ChadTower · 01-02-2013, 01:52 PM

Sadly, more often than not, it isn't even someone who intended to go out onto the ice. It's usually someone who went out there because they unleashed their dog next to the pond, the dog went out and fell through, and they are willing to risk their own life to save the dog.