Early Ice Safety
By Jason Mitchell - November 11, 2021Of course, many of the situations that can be extremely dangerous can be predictable. Moving water is always bad. That moving water might be a culvert under a submerged road or a bridge causeway. Could be an incoming stream or bottleneck between islands.
There are basic ice thickness charts that show the recommended ice thickness for certain activities. Three inches of good ice is generally recommended for walking out on the ice. Five to six inches of good ice is generally recommended for snowmobiles and small ATVs. Twelve inches of good ice is recommended for vehicles. What doesn't get mentioned is that these are minimum suggestions and there is no room for error. Three inches of good ice will support foot traffic but when you encounter an inch of ice because an acre of lake was kept open three weeks longer because of a few hundred Canada geese… problems can arise.
No question, one of the most important tools to have on early ice is a spud bar. A spud bar is simply a long heavy pole with a chipper blade on one end. A spud bar allows you to continually check the hardness and thickness of the ice. One good hard whack on the ice with a spud bar will usually chip at least an inch of ice. If water starts to come up from where you chipped with one strike, you need to back up. If you see water after two hard whacks in the same spot, you are typically dealing with three inches of ice. You can also tell if the ice is hard or soft with a spud bar. Usually at early ice, the ice is good but warm spells, rain and snow can deteriorate the quality of the ice even at early ice. Good ice will chip where poor ice will be mushier. If you are the first angler on the ice and you need to pick your way across ice that could be questionable, you absolutely need a spud bar.
Other necessary tools include ice safety equipment should the worst happen. It has been over twenty-five years since I have fallen through the ice but I cannot begin to explain how terrifying falling through the ice can be. What also doesn't get said is how exhausting the whole process is. Simply pulling yourself out of the ice took everything I had and I was in the best shape of my life. Safety equipment is even more important if you fish alone.
Float suits are available and very affordable and offer peace of mind. Suits that have floatation like the Ice Armor Rise Float Suit simply buy you a lot more time.
Other safety items I like are ice picks you can wear around your neck. These ice picks can simply be used to pull yourself out of the ice. A task that can be extremely difficult if you are trying to pull yourself out with just your fingernails. If you don't have ice picks, at least put a Phillips screwdriver in your pocket of have something you can use to poke into the ice and pull yourself with.
Another tool to have in your sled is a simple rope. Clam makes an emergency throw rope that is a slick contained throwable rope for emergency purposes. If nothing else, have a fifty-foot rope and a boat cushion that you can tie to the rope in case of an emergency.
Ice cleats really should be part of every ice angler's equipment list as well. Ice cleats won't help you if you fall through the ice and probably won't prevent you from falling through the ice but early ice is often very smooth and slippery. The reality is that you are more likely to slip and split your head open than fall through the ice. Some boots like the Korkers Polar Vortex have interchangeable soles that have cleats built right into the sole. My favorite cleats however are the BOA cleats that can fit over any boot and are more aggressive. If you must walk across the ice, especially early ice… do yourself a favor and get yourself a good pair of cleats. Early ice is often a slimmed down affair where we are basically dragging out the bare minimum of equipment. I often use a small plastic sled or a one man flip over shelter for dragging my gear. If you don't need something, you leave it at home. Must have items include a small tackle box, a few rods and perhaps a five-gallon bucket and your flasher, only the essentials. I often use a hand auger or a K-Drill to cut down on weight. One small modification that I like to do with my sleds and Fish Traps for dragging by foot is to put eye bolts into the tub or sled and use a longer tow rope with clasps on the end so I can remove the rope if needed. If you are hoofing it out on foot to your favorite fishing spots and you must walk any distance, add more length to your tow rope. I like to use at least fifteen feet of rope where I can drape the rope over my shoulder.Good news is that ice fishing is an extremely safe activity if you use common sense and respect the ice. Don't get complacent if you are experienced and be diligent if you are inexperienced. Good luck this winter.
Jason Mitchell