Thanks alot KARE 11 - NOT!!

[AvonAngler]

It was great to have KARE 11 news on this morning as I was getting ready and the wife was watching when they said "The DNR says not a single lake in Minnesota is safe to walk on right now" Of course she starts freaking out as I plan to go out on Saturday. I told her that the DNR has posted ice thickness recommendations for walking/atvs/vehicles and that our lakes locally have over 4" where I fish. All for not....they said it on TV so it must be gospel. Great. Oh also Jonathan Yuhas also said no one should really be on the lakes until January 1st anyway. Anyone else have the issue where if your wife hears something said that it MUST be true???? Frustrating!

[motley man]

It would be great if the news stations went out with air boats and checked the ice [ Statewide ] for all of us. This would be a great outdoor segment. Early season ice fishing is a time to be careful and don't take chance's. Hey, maybe even throw the life vest on when walking out. Don't forget the rope!!!!

[JimmyJames]

They're doin the right thing, keepin the idiots safe.

[peerchking]

my wife went with me to the ice show, seen the artic armor suit that floats and bought me one,with a set of picks. I could not say no!

[only ice]

I was fishing a lake up around Duluth a few years ago. We had been fishing for 5 days. A duluth tv station came up and filmed us from shore and said the ice wasnt safe for fishing yet. The next day there was about 50 more people out around us!! THANKS ALOT!!

[g_anoka]

My wife did the same thing when she saw the video on this site. This will be their 3rd year on the ice. I have never had to find out if the suit floats, she has suggested I jump in the lake during the summer.

[clam up]

Thankfully, my wife grew up in Souther MN and is used to seeing family and friends fishing the early ice....I say "KEEP IT UP KARE11"....and they should add "the DNR reports that the ice is not yet safe enough for early 90's Ford escorts.....even if they are filled with highschool kids and moving 65 mph". (I know....I know....I was in highschool once too!)

[leech~~]

my wife went with me to the ice show, seen the artic armor suit that floats and bought me one,with a set of picks. I could not say no!

It's always nice when you can get your wife to "buy in to the program" on stuff. Now if I can just get mine to believe my old sled is un-safe and I may Die! But she may just increase the life insu, to cover that problem!

[scotto477]

My wife says leave the money and check book, dont come in the house if your wet.

[BartmanMN]

My wife says leave the money and check book, dont come in the house if your wet.

Haha, nice.

[deadeye]

Thats why I dont watch the news. Rarely anything on there that will help me in any way.

I always have people telling me how crazy I am for going out on early ice. I always tell them that if that was the case then I would have been gone a long time ago. The funny thing is that I always thought that I was conservative not going out till there was 4 inches or more. IDK

Good to hear you guys get your wives on board with getting you new gear.

[shnelson]

I tried to justify a pair of arctic armor with her last night after the news. Didn't work so well, she said she hopes my new portable sled floats .

[MNice]

Definitions:

News... "never let the facts get in the way of a good story"

[mnguy152]

hey you should listen to her she is right. Whe she lets you go fishing i will tell your were they are biting lol.

[PierBridge]

I hope Kare 11 continues to do responsible news coverage like this more often.

[jigginjim]

You need to look at the bright side. They could hold back some of the crowds on your fravorite lake. Just tell your wife your going hunting( for safe ice) unless you bring home a bunch of fish, your safe.

[Blainebob]

Yep- that media hype! They wont be happy until someone goes through the ice! Then they can have a story. I refuse to watch the news anymore.

[JimBuck]

It really doesn't bother me either. As jigginjim suggested, lot's of the weekend warriors will stay away because of stuff like this. No problem here. Check as you go and expect the unexpected.

[stifler51]

just tell ur wife u have 3 options A) i go pass out at the bar i go sit on sniffers row at the strip club C) i go fishing.....

My gf picks C everytime

[BobT]

The DNR, and rightly so, will never claim lake ice is safe to walk on. That is because it never really is safe.

They will post recommended minimum thickness before attempting to walk, ride, etc. but they will also state that you must check the ice thickness regularly.

For example, tell the surviving family members of those that have drowned by going through the ice in February on LOTW that the ice was safe. I can recall the incident because we were up there for a fishing trip out of the Cyrus resort and heard about the incident as it happened just a couple days before we arrived. The lake ice was generally nearly 4 feet thick but a tracked transport vessel went through. What happened was that the ice had lifted, split open about a 6' wide crack, the open water refroze with a thin layer, and then it snowed. The next morning the vessel was transporting customers out to a shelter and when they hit that crack it went down into 22' of water. All but one I believe survived.

Ice is not like asphalt on dry earth. It moves, buckles, cracks, shifts, and melts and when a pothole or crack opens up, there's no solid bottom underneath. It is never really safe.

[BrdHunter01]

Well put Bob!

[Laska]

Thx guys now I gotta go buy a wilcraft....

[bikeoutback]

Well thanks to Bob I don't think I want to step on a lake ever again anymore. j/k I always get worried on new lakes that I'm not familiar with as to springs and culverts and the likes that could be out there. Especially one start driving on lakes I'm a monkey see monkey do as far as where I take my vehicle on the ice. I'll pretty much never be the first to drive on any lake.