Safety Checking Ice Thickness

[jackfridmann]

I was wondering what the guys use to check the ice thickness especially with the early ice. A full size {60"} spud bar or what. Thanx

[Jack Peterson]

I just bring an old iron chisel out with me. If it goes through, I won't walk on it.

[Jim Hudson]

Jack,

A chisel (spud), yes.. I carry a Jiffy Mille Lacs Chisel, the best market made chisel IMHO. The 52 incher to be exact.. Light weight and it cuts good.

And with this chisel, or any that I had owned, I knew it well. Meaning, I knew how much ice it would go through in one solid whack. This chisel, if I hit once and it doesnt go through, I am golden for walking. Two whacks in the same spot, golden on my snowmobile..

Another thing about my chisel.. If I am on ice that I need to check, my chisel also accompanies myself with a lifejacket, picks, some type of ice cleat, a throwable and a friend. Take all safety precautions on all ice!!

[muskE]

Another thing about my chisel.. If I am on ice that I need to check, my chisel also accompanies myself with a lifejacket, picks, some type of ice cleat, a throwable and a friend. Take all safety precautions on all ice!!

Great to hear! I wear a LJ too and have spuds and picks. The blue suit is too warm yet to wear. If I'm alone (at a popular lake) and first there I wait for someone else to show up before going out. I usually tie a 50' lead to my dog secured to my waist and have him walk out first. If any one of us goes through there's an additional anchor point to leverage an evacuation. I've never had to use him that way but he has found a few thinner spots that I didn't want to get near with a spud.

[jackfridmann]

Thanks guys, I try to use all the safety measures available being that I'm usually going out alone. I just wasn't sure if a spud or some other device was used to check the ice thickness. Thanks again. Jack

[rugbymn]

If you get a fat guy on a pogo stick to go ahead of you, I guarantee you're going to know where it's safe to walk.

[Gissert]

I probe with a spud, and have a PFD and ice picks on at first ice.

[bobbymalone]

I like to let the jokers do the 2 inch stuff and i'll wait until it's been well traveled before I even show up.

good luck and stay safe for the early ice pioneers though.

[Northlander]

1st off I dont recomend going alone on 1st or late ice!

Other than that I wear my Arctic Armor for its floatation abilities, use a spud bar and check every other step, carry ice picks, rope and tossable float. Also a good pair of ice cleats for your boats ice another great piece of safety equipment.

Always know the body of water and the area you are fishing in. Current is your enemy during early and late ice periods.

[tsande00]

I don't like venturing on early/late ice by myself. Period.

IF you are going to to at it alone a spud bar/chisel is 100% mandatory.

Also, one good idea that I have done in the past is to call somebody (spouse?) right before you step on the ice. Tell them where you are at exactly and that you will call them back in 10 minutes (or however long you expect it to take to reach your destination) Tell them if they don't hear from you in that amount of time to try you first, and then call for help if you don't answer. Chances are if you fall in the pond your phone isn't going to work or won't be accessible.

Another good tip is to try avoid traversing on iffy ice alone in the dark. Do it during daylight hours.

[LegattoAD]

Great point, tsande! I typically wait until I see the 1/2 tons on the ice before I go out but once we get to that point I usually write a note for my wife with exact details since I'm on the ice far earlier than when she gets up.

I never really gave much thought to calling someone when I leave land and again when I get to my spot. Of course, I do a little "ice trolling" until I find something to catch too.

[Far-I]

I go out alone alot because most of my friends dont ice fish. I check with a spud bar for sure, and sometimes wear a lifevest. I keep picks close at hand as well. A couple times, when pannies are still very shallow, i have tied a rope around my waist and the other end to a tree on shore. Proabably not the smartest idea but its a good confidence builder for early ice

[Northlander]

Far-I I have actually done that a few times. Should have seen the looks I got.

[tsande00]

What I have found is that it's usually the people who know little or nothing about ice fishing trying to tell me the ice isn't safe. At least that has been my experience. One year I called some family friends out on it..."Do you know what the DNR recommended ice thickness is for walking on?", I asked. "Well, ah, no...12?", they replied. LMAO. I assured them I would be OK walking out on 6-7 inches of ice.

Another point I should have made is that it would be hard for them to determine how safe the ice is from the comforts of their own living room.

If you have a partner, ice picks and rope you should be OK, even if you do fall through the ice.

[Jack Peterson]

If I go fishing on early ice, it's usually with two to three people. I fish a lot on ice that's about 1.5-2 inches, and I've fished on ice that waves up and down when you walk on it, in spring. Not saying it's a good idea, but hey, I'm young and stupid.

Typically I want to be the first one to my "secret" spots. If people go out before me, they usually aren't even fishing in fish holding spots.

[servocam]

How much does your dog weigh? Mine is 53# and I am 170#. I think I have only gone out when at least 5 inch. Looking to do some early ice this year and using the dog on a long lead may be a good way for some added safety..but I'll probably whimp out and wait for a good 4"

[silverbulletguy]

I make sure I follow someone thats bigger than me and hope they didn't weaken the ice. And I have picks and rope. Never been on early enough to really worry.

[Lve2fsh]

My friends would always send the fat guy out first, unfortunately I was the fat guy. Now that I lost weight they can't do that.

We use the wilcraft now and I don't seem to have any problem getting guys to go fishing.

[Bottle Fish]

Probably don't get much ice in Nevada so I can understand the need for the Wilcraft. Of course if I could afford one I would buy one too.

[tsande00]

So do the Wilcraft's float like a jon boat then when they break through the ice?

I gotta think that long wheel base/weight distribution must help too.

[trapperdirk]

I too use the Jiffy Mille Lacs chisel and have found it to be the best market chisel myself . In fact I now have got rid of any of the ones I had made up for myself . The jiffy chisel fits so nice in my hands just like my old winchester model 94 does .

Ah what a rush when the ice sags a bit under your weight but the splake are biting . LOL

TD

[Lve2fsh]

I got my wilcraft last year in sept so it hasn't seen much use yet. I had a few problems with it that I had to work out, hopefully this year it will run better.

I have 5 lakes to fish on that are 500 mile round trips and the ice is anywhere from 4 inches to 14 at them. Our one big trip up to Wildhorse is more what you guys are playing on, 24 to 30 inches is the norm up there but 1200 miles.

I have never been thru the ice with it yet but trying to extend the season this year on early ice we just might experience that. A place called sunnyside is on our list for some early fishing. The dam faces south with the water on the north side. The sun warms the dam and the ice melts in front of it. Big trout cruise the open area and we hope to drive up to the edge of the ice and fish. That way we are in the deeper water without casting.

[Ed Carlson]

Never assume, the ice is good everywhere, just because it is good at the point your on, it rarely is consistent.

There are several points to consider when judging ice safety.

Was it a consistent freeze over?

Was there a blow that layered ice, with soft ice clunked up against newly frozen water? The transition is often weak.

Shallow rock bars and mud humps thin ice in comparison to the surrounding ice, sun may thin this ice daily.

And current, caused by springs, creeks, rivers, or culverts or lake or reservoir fluctuations.

A good ice chisel like the Jiffy Mille Lacs Chisel is always a good walking tool, and I would not be without one on first ice.

Another option I plan to use this season is the Fish's Ice Saw, both to test and to cut my early ice holes. I believe this is a excellent option for many reasons. For weight, utility, and safety...I believe one can use it to drag ones self out if I did drop through.

But I don't plan to drop through...I never do...yet it has happened many times on lakes and rivers for me over the years. And every instance I can account for it by the fact I assumed it was good, and didn't test the ice properly and continuously on my travels.

Assumptions on the ice may kill you, nearly did me on one occasion....so...be safe...never assume...test is best.

[tsande00]

Never assume,

*snip*

Assumptions on the ice may kill you, nearly did me on one occasion....so...be safe...never assume...test is best.

Care to share the story?

[pureinsanity]

Ive tested the ice a few time by falling in. I use to do a lot of dirt biking on the ice and well we have to test it before we can ride on it

Luckily its a large pond so its not far from the house for the times I have gone through. The times I have fallen through I've been able to react fast enough going in to allow my body to fall halfway on the ice. I think this is all luck, maybe some skill? The fact that you are going through causes people to panic. This in its self can make you delirious. Thus you fall straight down, where as I knew it was coming and I was able to allow only half my body go into the water and my top half was laying on the ice. I was easily able to shimmy up on the ice and crawl a ways and get up and walk off.

Probably could have just used a heavy bar to check the ice but in my younger years we use to walk on broken ice just for fun.

I have actually seen a friend run across bad ice and some how manage to make it across an area with out getting wet. He stepped on every right piece of broken ice!