What is "safe" ice?

[butsy]

i've been through the ice twice. once, in early season, checking the thickness on a tc metro lake, there was 4" at shore, and three of us went in at the same time in about seven feet of water. it was probably 2" where we went through. that has dimmed my enthusiasm for too early ice.

the other time was in the backwaters of the rum, late season, where three of us went through coming out at night. that was the scary one- dark, current, cold, a long way from the truck. we all made it out, but that has dimmed my enthusiasm for too late ice.

the moral is- no ice is safe. if you choose to tempt fate, tempt wisely. WEAR your life jacket- having one in the sled isn't good enough. WEAR your picks- having them in the bucket is useless. HAVE a buddy- never go alone, and HAVE a rope or some means for pulling someone out.

no fish is worth dying for.

[Pleasant]

no ice is safe, I will go out on 3 inches checking all the way, I also wear a flotation coat, carry ice picks, and use cleats if their is no snow.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

These are the things I use to figure out what I would consider for weight on the ice.

[fishersofmen]

I feel the statement "no ice is safe" can be a bit over generalizing. Very few things in life are completely safe yet we do the majority of things without thinking twice. I just dropped my kid off at school, was it completely safe? No. But I felt comfortable enough to get in my car and bring him there. Is walking on ice that will hold a school bus with ease "completely safe"? No. But I will do that feeling as comfortable as the trip to school this morning.

[tjbassmaster]

I feel the statement "no ice is safe" can be a bit over generalizing. Very few things in life are completely safe yet we do the majority of things without thinking twice. I just dropped my kid off at school, was it completely safe? No. But I felt comfortable enough to get in my car and bring him there. Is walking on ice that will hold a school bus with ease "completely safe"? No. But I will do that feeling as comfortable as the trip to school this morning.

+1

I think my odds of dieing in a car accident on the way to the lake are better then me falling threw 2-3 inches of ice and drowning. As long as you take the right safety steps and check the ice frequently with a chisel you will be fine.

Also found this site with a cool formula for the minimum amount of ice to support a load.

For me it says 1.1 inches good clear ice, but I would never go out on ice that thin.

Ice Saftey

[dougger222]

I've fished several times on 2 inches of ice. The other day called my cousin who was tip up fishing on 2 inches of ice and he's 280 pounds.

I like 3-4 inches of solid ice better for fishing.

Taken the wheeled fish house and atv out on 5 inches of ice. Taken the wheeled house and 1/2 ton pick up out on 8 inchs. Every year on LOW take the 1 ton out and big ski house on 12 inches.

Some may want me dead for fishing on 2 inches but to each there own. This year passed on 2 inches and waiting until tomorrow night in hopes for 3.25-3.5 inches. Yes, will be punching the chisel through on the walk out. This morning didn't venture out too far being solo and all. Who knows perhaps I'm getting older and "wiser"???

BTW,

Craziest 2 inches ever fished on was LOW a few years ago. The day before we were in 16 fow on 5 inches and saw open water just North of us. The next day my brother and I decided we better try 17 fow which of course was the open water the day before. We set up the portable dropped our lines down noticed 1-1.5 inches of water on the ice and looked at each and decided 5-6 inches was a little safer and we would just have to take what we could get in 16 fow!!! Looking back now realize it sure was STUPID!!!

The time I took the wheeler and wheeled house on 5 inches was stupid too. My buddy was in the rear door of the fish house to ballance the rig and when we crossed over a crack he saw the two ice sheets move up and down several inches. When we got the "hot spot" he was white as a ghost. A couple days later while up at Zippel called my brother and said an old high school buddy moved my house off the place I put it as it melted down to 3 inches.

[BobT]

deserve to drown? wow, nice guy you are.

Well, play Russian Roulette and you're asking for trouble. I won't feel sorry for you any more than I'd expect you to do likewise.

[BobT]

Exactly. I wish people were this concerned about my safety when I'm on the highway in my car. That being said 3-4 inches is enough for me.

I am. You'll never find me tailgating you and endangering your life, my life, and the lives of anyone in either vehicle the way most everyone does to me. You won't find me speeding and driving recklessly endangering your life, my life, and anyone else's around me the way most everyone else does. You won't find me passing you on the shoulder endangering your life, my life, and anyone else's around me like I see most everyone else do. You won't see me using one hand to hold a phone to my ear or texting or reading a book or putting on make-up or fixing my hair while driving endangering the lives of anyone around me. Finally, you won't see me risking my life and the lives of those that would dare come to my rescue on 2" of ice for the bragging rights to the first stupid fish. Yes, I do care about your safety. Very much so.

[BobT]

can you imagine this converstation if you could listen to it coming from everyones mouth? LOL

Except for the guy who said those people that drowned deserved it. Unfortunately sometimes inocent people make bad decisions like this, but it never means they deserve to die. Perfect example of how people just don't care about other people anymore...what if it was you that drowned and someone said that about you?

I wouldn't be the fool knowingly taking chances on 2" of ice.

[BobT]

I feel the statement "no ice is safe" can be a bit over generalizing. Very few things in life are completely safe yet we do the majority of things without thinking twice. I just dropped my kid off at school, was it completely safe? No. But I felt comfortable enough to get in my car and bring him there. Is walking on ice that will hold a school bus with ease "completely safe"? No. But I will do that feeling as comfortable as the trip to school this morning.

I agree with this.

[BobT]

You know what. You're right. "Deserve" to drown is the wrong word. "Asking for it" is probably what I should have said. In either case, it is arrogant and self-serving to take such chances that it puts others in a position of seeing you in a situation of having to risk their own life to try to help you. There's no time to call for professional rescue. By the time they'd get there you'd be a dead duck so the witness is forced to take action unprepared, untrained, and ill-equipped all because some fool took unreasonable chances.

[Dbumb]

3 inches is the min.

[20lbSloughShark]

I am really surprised so many people fish on 2". I will never do that, but then again, I'm over 250 pounds. I may be young, but I still think 4" is the minimum, and thats with checking the ice as you go. After about 8" I completely forget and bassically feel safe anywhere.

[Knoc]

I was sitting on 4-5 inches today which was clacking, popping and making all sorts of noise. It was a bit scary but it was nice ice. Just had some bark to it

[mr.z 1972]

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/343086/

The last line of the article says "“You can have 4-6 inches of ice right next to an inch of ice,” he said, saying anglers should use caution."

I know some of the local fire and rescue guys and they have families as I do. I will not put them, their famlies, my family, or myself at risk for a couple of fish.

It is not just yourself that you are putting at risk.

[suncruiser234]

If I can get 3 chops with the spud bar I feel confident in the ice.

[SkunkedAgain]

There was a good video a few years ago from a Canadian new station. They had a guy (Dr. Ice or something) who intentionally went through the ice and demonstrated how to get yourself out. I distinctly remember the part about letting your beard freeze to the ice if you can't pull yourself out. A good way to keep yourself from going under as your life is draining away!

Either way, there are lots of good videos to watch. I suggest that anybody planning on ice fishing watch one this season BEFORE going out, just to refresh the memory

[minnbowhunter]

4" to walk out, 8" for the atv, and 16" for the the truck. Pretty conservative I know, but I got old thinking that way and plan on getting older. What bothers me is the guys that see me going out with the atv and decide to follow me out with their car. Nature weeds out the stupid.

[jwmiller33]

There was a good video a few years ago from a Canadian new station. They had a guy (Dr. Ice or something) who intentionally went through the ice and demonstrated how to get yourself out. I distinctly remember the part about letting your beard freeze to the ice if you can't pull yourself out. A good way to keep yourself from going under as your life is draining away!

I have heard a similar trick, if you fall in without ice picks, reach your arms up onto the ice sheet as far as you can and let them freeze to the ice, which will in turn allow you to pull yourself out (if you ever fall into that situation without ice picks).

[BobT]

Quote:

I have heard a similar trick, if you fall in without ice picks, reach your arms up onto the ice sheet as far as you can and let them freeze to the ice, which will in turn allow you to pull yourself out (if you ever fall into that situation without ice picks).

How long does it take for that to work? You've only got a couple minutes before you lose control of your arms. One must hope it works fast enough so you can still save yourself rather than hang helplessly waiting to die.

[jwmiller33]

Couldn't tell ya (never had to do it), but I can tell ya that I'd rather have at least some sort of plan to try and get out of the water rather than hopelessly drown.

[Mike Stark]

[Ballyhoo]

Keep in mind that even if you want to take a chance and go out on thin ice and you get in trouble, you are not just risking your own life. You are risking the lives of the police/firemen/ems people who are going to try to rescue you. Please think of other people before you venture out.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I saved myself in exactly that way once!

I fell through thin ice into 15 feet of water. The ice was bare with no snow so that really helped. Also the fact that it was 32 below zero helped to freeze my snowmobile suit to the ice instantly! Had to do it twice before I could roll out onto safer ice!

Scarey! Always carry ice picks now!

Cliff

[BobT]

Very interesting video. Learned a lot from it. Must be hard to keep one's composure to think about all those things when it happens though unless one was to practice the techniques regularly.