Hitting the Ice ALONE

[Hory]

Hey there, I am just looking for some safety tips as well as techniques for maneuvering gear while ice fishing alone. The primary type of fishing I will be doing is for pannies..using a flasher and jumping from hole to hole. This will be my first season back on the ice since I fell through..and am a little leary still. I am far from an experienced ice-fisherman, but I am much better off than I once was. Thanks for any tips!

[zamboni]

Did you fall through early or late season? If so, stick to mid season when the ice is safer. Always carry ice picks, maybe wear a life jacket until the leariness goes away. Arctic Armor is another thing worth looking into

[JigginIsLife]

life jacket and ice pics, dont go out on a new lake durring dark hours of the day, pay attention to the ice, if you can see it, and stay off of cloudy ice. dont be an [PoorWordUsage] and i say that becuase it makes sense such as.... dont go on ice near flowage, try to get as educated about the lake as possible and try to find out where if any springs are located. other than that do the normal and drill holes as you walk ever 10-30-or 50 feet as you go.

[mr_jman]

You may want to hit a lake that other people are fishing, or even while other people are fishing. I'm not saying you have to fish by them but if something happens others will be around. I do 95% of my ice fishing on my own and it really just takes common sense out there. Test the ice every so often by chisel or drilling holes. A lifejacket is a good idea but I always have ice picks that wrap around my neck! Early ice and late ice are dangerous but if you are smart about it these times of year are about the best there is on the ice! Good Luck and Stay Safe!

[icerube]

use a sharp,heavy ice chisel,made my own out of 1/2' bar and a stock chopper blade. hit the ice hard as you are walking out ,if the chisel does'nt go through, you won't