Checking early ice

[slammer]

How do most of you check the thickness early on? I chop a hole close to shore in shallow water( about 1ft) to give me an idea then procede with caution.

[bturck]

I don't do it anymore due to age, too old to go after that kind of excitment. What we did was always two guys, both with preservers and a length of rope attached between us plus ice picks. Second guy was always back 20-30 ft, no sense both of us getting wet...lol Front guy would venture out with metal spud bar and take a good shot at the ice. if it went through back away and hope you have extra undies in the truck. We would keep moving until we found where we wanted to fish on safe ice and go back and retrieve the gear, and use the same path back out....Stay safe.

[Marcus Taplin]

This is how we do it, just using a ice chisel.