Media Hype on ice conditions

December 17, 2006

Is anyone else getting tired of all the media hype? This is the star tribune, all the news stations, etc...

I finally made it back out yesterday in the north metro.. to have about 8" of ice with minimal surface damage from the warm weather. There were 4 wheelers buzzing everywhere, people walking all over on the lake. Does this mean the ice is safe in general? NO, but it is in some, possibly most locations in many areas.

The recent warm snap did not do as much damage as everyone presumed at many locations. If a person uses caution, there are lots of places where ice fishermen can safely fish using better judgement.

As for the media... earlier this week Myself and MrKeb were fishing on a Minneapolis lake in the midst of the fog.. standing on 7" of solid, clear ice.. only a couple people yelled that morning the ice wasnt safe. The night before there were several people yelling from shore, calling 911 saying there are fishermen on the lake.. the game warden checked us in that location a couple times and was very comfortable on the same ice, or SAFE ICE in that situation. There were ice skaters usin the entire surface of the lake.. the lake was like a giant ice rink with clear, solid ice. The ice skaters geting yelled to by onlookers, us ice fishermen getting yelled at, people getting kicked off some of the lakes because many people are calling 911 and reporting people on the ice .... its rediculas! Today, A story is in the star tribune with our picture again, and blind comments on how bad the ice is... well, I want to know which one of them is experienced with ice and went out to drill holes to get actual conditions.. they sure didnt come out and ask when they took the picture.

All the media hype that ice isnt safe and some people have found themselves in bad situations around the state, mostly as usal, not using any good judgement or common sense... but the media blows it out of proportion so much that people are flooding the emergency lines because people are on the ice???

I use proper precautions on the ice and I know EXACTLY what I am walking on. I am growing increasingly tired of people calling emergency services when I am just trying to catch a fish mindng my own business, and I can really care less what someone elses opinion is about the ice conditions where I am at that was based solely(sp?) on what the newspaper, or news said on the tv last night.

Many forums are now flooded.. where is the safe ice, how much ice, etc, etc.. and afraid to go out and drill a few holes and find out themselves.. when they do finally get out, they learn the ice took minimal damage in most locations, and using care, most places are still fishable.

No guys and gals, the ice is not safe everywhere, it never is. There are plenty of *safe* places to go fishing right now.

I wish people could reserve emergency calls for emergency situations! A person ice fishing is not an emergency! The person standing on the lake ice fishing really cares less if the person standing on shore thinks its safe, and we really dont want to hear their opinion.

Go save a whale or something, I dont need saved while fishing unless I run out of bait andd your bringing more!

vikingmeatwad · December 17, 2006

Great post, I am also very fed up with these dump media outlets that have nothing else to report so they use scare tactics like this to increase ratings.

It seems to be the worst in MPLS around certain areas where people aren't exactly aware of the outdoors.

Meadow Creek · December 17, 2006

Terrorists, The Media and the Weather guys. They use scare tactics to change the public opinion. I do feel for the guys in the Cities that have to put up with all the hype. It seems like they are slowly eroding personal freedom.

ICEKING-2003 · December 17, 2006

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mymaro · December 17, 2006

not only complete strangers around my town harp on me my own mother, coworkers say im nuts even some friends that spend some time on the ice are flipping out on me they dont understand ice as well as is do and i dont think i or anyone will ever understand ice. this isnt as bad as ice out tho i love ice out when thier is 16 inchs of ice and before i go out my mother will tell me that i shouldnt go today that it is supposed to get up to the high thirties

Bob Horn · December 17, 2006

I can't believe that you guys would say something like this. If it saves a life that is all it matters. A guy died a couple of week ago on 8" of ice and went through on 1/4inch. That means the whole lake didn't freeze the same. There just trying to keep everyone aware of the danger. No ice is ever safe!!!

harvey lee · December 17, 2006

I agree with you 100% Bob. I was on one lake and the ice was 7 inches in one spot and the next hole I drilled was 2.5 inches. One may think he knows the ice as I do and yet all of a sudden you are swimming. Or at least you hope you are and not under. These warning are a very good thing as far as safety goes. Every year plenty of people go through the ice and they thought it was good ice. This time of year the ice varies from spot to spot way to much.

I had plans to go out this weekend and cancelled as I have never went into the drink and really dont want to start now.

Northlander · December 17, 2006

Its way better to be safe and air ice safety warnings. You may think you know the ice conditions and wont go through but thats what everyone says before they drop through.

If you want to go on the ice and maybe risk your life go ahead but dont rip on others who dont or warn people not too!

The_Duckslayer · December 17, 2006

I am tired of it as well. However comma pause for effect if it saves just one life then it is all worth while. If it keeps one person from driving out there before it is really time then it is worth while. IceKing your info does nto say where you are. It may be that the ice is fine where you are but not where the other 35 people live. Keep posting and learn "selective hearing" and "selective reading". Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

jigging-matt · December 17, 2006

It is one thing when people say the ice is "safe". But If people post and tell the thickness of the ice they encountered, then it is up to the individual going out to fish if the ice is "safe" for them to fish on. Everyone has their own comfort thickness of ice. Everyone also has their own opinion, Good or Bad. When I look at the ice condition report, I don't look at Safe or not safe, I look at how thick it is, and then I determine if I want to go. I hope people don't stop posting about ice conditions because of some people's opinions. I personally appreciate eveybody's observations on the ice. Just my two cents worth.

Sand Bay Sultan · December 17, 2006

It is very ignorant to say any ice is 100% safe. The media (who, without a doubt, have alterior motives in some cases) is just trying to warn people who may be novices to ice fishing. also these warnings are meant to make all ice travelers experienced or not use extra caution. but if you still want to complain look at it like this-the less fishermen/competion the better the fishing.

Desperado · December 17, 2006

It's also pretty bad for the News Casters to say ALL the ice is 100% UNSAFE right now. The real reason they're doing these stories is to sell news.

smg04 · December 17, 2006

haha! easy solution to this one, if u dont like what u see . . . . STOP WATCHING THE NEWS!!! these people are just doing there job and watching out for others, nothing wrong with that, i swear some people just look for things to cry about, and just complain for the sake of complaining if some of u wanna play cowboy and run out onto thin ice, be my guest, our tax $ will be at use dredging the bottom looking for ur a$$, i for one am gratefull for any report of ice conditions

Desperado · December 18, 2006

I'm grateful for any reasonable and accurate report of ice conditions.

That's why I don't watch the 5:00 and 10:00 hacks.

And when I'm out there, I KNOW the ice conditions so I really don't care what the news SAYS or what other people THINK about it. What I do care is what it causes other people to DO unecessarily; like call 911 or harass us while we're fishing (which they probably don't even realize there is a specific MN law against).

I guess I'd be a lot happier with the news reports if they said something like. "If you're not comfortable, stay off; but if others are out there leave them be UNLESS you ACTUALLY see them IN DANGER."

HarryG · December 18, 2006

Right On Bob! It is the Media's responsibility to warn every one of ice conditions. There are always guys on ATV and trucks on the ice that does not mean it is safe. There are a lot of lakes that have save ice, but there are some that are not safe. It may be only 10 lakes, but if it saves one person, it is worth it. It only takes a few extra pounds and a little weak ice for a something tragic to happen. No one is taking away your freedom, or act like a TERRORIST or trying to use scare attics to get ratings. They are just warning everyone about the ice conditions.

hugonian1 · December 18, 2006

Boy, I don't know how reporting on lake ice can be profitable. I would rather hear those stories than stories about someone going thru. We need to remember more than ice fishermen go out on the ice. How many tragic stories have we heard over the years about kids falling thru ice, or high school sweethearts venturing out and drowning, etc, etc. Ice fishermen do set the standard. We may venture out earlier than others should, taking special precaution. Others may very well see us out there and think all is safe. I sure don't mind the news media reminding the general public of the dangers. I do agree people should not be calling 911 just because someone is out fishing though.

mjhowe · December 18, 2006

People over react due to media hype, media hype feeds on peoples over reaction...There was a tragic death recently in MN and thats also what the media is reacting to...

Unfortunately, media has gone from reporting the news, to making the news and with all the competition for the "story", that wont change...

It does amuse me that people ON SHORE are yelling at people ON ice that the ice is not "safe"...who do you suppose at that moment are the informed ones?!

DTro · December 18, 2006

Quote:

Right On Bob! It is the Media's responsibility to warn every one of ice conditions.

That is why this country is circling the drain.

Saying that is akin to saying we need depend on them, or rely on them for accurate information.

Face it, thin ice and things falling through, is hot news in this area. What is going to be the "water cooler" topic on Monday?......Joe Blow donating his time and money to the food shelf, or Joe Blow losing his gear and or his life to thin ice.

It's no different for any other news story, if it has legs they roll with it.

However, it's very easy to second guess the Media on a subject so "near and dear". Their stories or warnings are geared to the uninformed. The informed ("read us )

should take it with a grain of salt, and proceed with caution as normal.

riverrat56 · December 18, 2006

Heres my take:

That Guy wasn't saying that all ice is safe right now, in fact he said no ice is ever completly safe, but what he was getting at is the harrassment and false reports of the media is getting out of hand.

To many people believe every word the media says but thats another topic that has nothing to do with this forum, a good reason I can see for the media giving the ice conditions some coverage is people who don't fish or know about ice. They will assume if one person is out in one spot that the whole body of water is safe.

When I go out on the ice I have a spud bar with me and it gets 2 good hits every other step until there is extensive 4 wheeler traffic around, then I feel safe walking out. Don't jump on me for saying that, thats my standerd, when there is four-wheeler traffic I feel confident that I won't go through walking out, but I don't trust areas with current or narrows still.

Another aspect to this is that people over react, my mother is a good example, she doesn't ice fish, and whenever I leave its a crisis, last weekend there was 8 inches of good ice and she was paranoid, her reasoning is one person went through 100 miles away, so no ice, anywhere in the state, is safe, for the rest of ever.

Caution is great, use it, but if you don't know about the conditions don't critize what other people do.

I was pleasantly suprised today when I went out to check the ice that there was 6 inches of good stuff still around, but don't take my word for it, go out for yourself and look, and be careful.

Sand Bay Sultan · December 18, 2006

I live on Rainy Lake, My front yard turns into sand bay, I watch the ice from time to time throughout the day, I fish almost everyday summer spring winter and fall, if I have learned anything about ice is that nobody will ever be able to predict it. or say if it is safe or not it is always changing. I have fallen through (on foot) ice that looked safe and stood and fished on ice that looked questionable. but you can say you know the ice is or isn't safe all you want. however we who really know the ice understand the ice can never be known.

Catmendo · December 18, 2006