Use any of these tools to dig down through the ice until you reach open water. To make a hole in the ice, you’ll need an ice saw, an ice chisel, or an auger (either hand or gasoline powered). So, don’t be the dude that requires rescuing. In some instances, the right conditions occur where a large portion of ice will break away from the shore and flow out into open water, leaving fisherman, their gear, and even vehicles drifting miles offshore, resulting in full-scale rescue operations that can include helicopters, boats, and hovercraft. Ice (especially on large bodies of like Lakes Michigan and Superior) can easily be moved and broken apart by the wind. Thin and crispy, way too risky.”Īnother caution about ice: it flows. Remember this old adage when ice fishing: “Thick and blue, tried and true. One area may be safe, while only a foot away danger lurks below.Īlways be on the lookout for “rotten ice.” Rotten ice can most easily be identified by discoloration, but cracks, breaks, holes, water flows, and pressure ridges are other good indications of poor ice quality and danger. Be aware that ice thickness and strength can vary within the same body of water. Anything less and your F150 will be sleeping with the fishes rather than hauling them. For full-sized trucks, don’t even think about driving on ice unless it’s well over a foot in thickness. If you’re planning on taking a snowmobile or ATV out onto the ice, at least six inches of ice are required, and, if you live the life of luxury and own your own ice shanty, you’ll need a whopping 7-12 inches. You’re more likely to end up in the drink than with a catch, so please, again, just don’t. Some anglers take their lives into their own hands and will make their way on only two inches. The recommended minimum thickness for a human to walk on ice is 4 inches. Image used with permission by copyright holder A Few Words about Ice And don’t forget to bring along appropriate emergency items such as a life jacket and a cell phone, and ice rescue picks or claws. If you fail to do so, they can alert the authorities. That way, if the ice you’re fishing on breaks apart and floats away with you on it, someone will be expecting your return. Avoid death by ice and be sure to bring a friend.Īdditionally, you should always tell someone where you’re going, what you’re doing, and when you expect to return. Hypothermia can set in within minutes of falling into 32-degree water and can very quickly kill. Always fish with a partner - an extra pair of hands can be a literal lifesaver if an accident should occur. To ice fish alone is to throw caution, and possibly your life, to the wind. The most important piece of safety advice we can provide is also the simplest: never ice fish alone. To help you get out on the lake and get a crappie in the hand, we’ve rounded up the information you need stay safe and warm, along with all the gear you need to stalk, snag, and haul in your catch. The good thing is, most every fish you catch in the summer, spring, or fall can also be caught in winter (and some are even easier to catch due to their cold-slowed locomotion), including bluegill, sunfish, perch, crappie, trout, pike, walleye, and sturgeon. If existential thrills aren’t your bag, though, ice fishing is also an excuse to get together with your buddies, leave your worries on the shore, and hang out in a small ice hut with hot toddies in hand and shoot the shit while waiting for a bite. Honestly, there’s nothing better than being out on a barren white expanse of frozen water that could easily kill you in a second to make you feel alive. And now look at me: counting down the days until I can throw on three merino wool base layers and my heaviest down parka and trek out into infinity, trusting the cold I used to despise to keep me safe from an untimely death. In the past, the closest I wanted to get to snow and cold was watching White Christmas on a DVD player while swaying in a hammock chair under a king palm. Take it from a native southern Californian who, just a few short years ago, would have laughed in your face if you’d suggested such a thing.
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