Ice fishing etiquette and safety rant...

[Tyangelo]

I'm personally seeing WAYYYY to many vehicles this year on questionable ice. This is a danger not only to you (AND YOUR KIDS!!!!), but to everyone around you.

Found a short video online that everyone should check out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-dZCLLY-mU

Best quote, "Whatever, I thought the ice would have been ok, but apparently, it wasn't..."

You should be SURE it's OK, BEFORE you venture out! Just because one truck made it to location A, and didn't go through, doesn't mean on the way there it didn't cause devastating cracks to form, weakening the ice, possibly to the point where it can't be crossed a second or third time...

KNOW YOUR LAKE!


If you insist on driving out on borderline safe ice, keep your distance from the other anglers, especially those being experienced enough to walk on, and keep your speed down.

Just like the idiots on the jet-ski's ripping past canoes in the summer, I had an experience at Sylvan 2 days ago where some twonk on a snowmobile shot past my shelter at what must have been 100 mph, within 10 feet of us. Even with 7-8" of ice, the wake caused a nice fat crack to form in the shelter, from ice spike to ice spike. Totally uncalled for. You have the entire lake to use. You don't have to use the shelters as slalom markers.

I do my best to give other anglers as much room as possible, so all I ask in return is that the same respect be given. Feel free to stop by and say hi (with your $2.00 admission, of course), but please ensure that the safety guidelines I've set for myself are not practiced in vain, by being compromised by your stupidity.

Looks like I'm gonna have to start laying down spike strips around my shelter...:scared0018:

[Willowtrail]

Very good post, I can't agree with you any more.

[silverdoctor]

Scares the crap out of me when people drive large trucks on the ice around me, hear that ice cracking and i'm ducking for cover.

Had one guy on devil's lake one day drive between me and my friend, we were 20 feet apart. Thought we were going to break through when the ice started cracking.

[Tyangelo]

Ice can be extremely elastic, and will flex before it breaks. You can really tell by watching a flasher. Trucks will drive past on thin ice, and the bottom starts moving up and down...meaning the ice is rising and falling, from the wake/weight. The more you study the ice and the more experience you have on it, the more you can respect the strength it can have, and yet the more cautious you become.

The "THUMPS" you usually hear on solid ice, is the sound of the ice shifting under weight. Even 3 ft thick ice will do this. The more this happens, and the cracks fill/freeze in, under good conditions, the stronger the ice becomes. To a point of course. When ice is actually breaking apart, it will make a cracking sound instead, none of which is good for anybody. Except the fish....

[concretefisher]

was out in shelemuk friday, a family with 3 generations there, only about 14-16" of ice and thry were oretty much parked bumper to bumper, four vehicles for a while.. I heard one lady say " I wonder why the ice keeps cracking everywhere I step" like no sh@t lady I wonder why

[Tyangelo]

Too bad I wasn't within hearing distance... I would have dug out my bag of fat jokes.

[silverdoctor]

Ice can be extremely elastic, and will flex before it breaks. You can really tell by watching a flasher. Trucks will drive past on thin ice, and the bottom starts moving up and down...meaning the ice is rising and falling, from the wake/weight. The more you study the ice and the more experience you have on it, the more you can respect the strength it can have, and yet the more cautious you become.

The "THUMPS" you usually hear on solid ice, is the sound of the ice shifting under weight. Even 3 ft thick ice will do this. The more this happens, and the cracks fill/freeze in, under good conditions, the stronger the ice becomes. To a point of course. When ice is actually breaking apart, it will make a cracking sound instead, none of which is good for anybody. Except the fish....

I know ice and these weren't thumps, more like crack crack boom. Only 1 foot of ice at the time, really thought he was going through and taking us with him. Could feel the ice sag and crack, pretty unnerving.

Etiquette dictates that you do not drive between people in a one ton truck with a foot of ice when they are 20 feet apart. That's just being an *****. My car was on shore.

[Tyangelo]

The nice thing is that these people usually all huddle their vehicles together... Natural selection, waiting to happen...?

[HunterDave]

was out in shelemuk friday, a family with 3 generations there, only about 14-16" of ice and thry were oretty much parked bumper to bumper, four vehicles for a while..

I saw the same thing at Nakumun today. Instead of parking in the parking lot allot of people decided to park on the lake and save walking the extra 75 yds. About a dozen trucks were parked side by side about 50 yds from shore. The ice is strong enough to hold a truck no problem but a dozen of them parked side by side? :scared:

If a little cracking in the ice gets you spooked then you don't want to fish some of the bigger lakes in Ontario. Occasionally air coming up from the bottom gathers and when it accumulates it'll start to move and pick up speed. It sounds like a freight train coming across the lake.....lol! It keeps on going until it hits shore and the ice will lift right up and flop back down. Now that's cool! :)

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Gotta love the City living Weekend Warrior .

[Tyangelo]

Snubber and I were at Nakamun as well today. He outfished the crap out of me with a blue hexifly... I think he had the best side of the shelter... We took his Sonoma on. I measured 14" of clear, textbook ice.

[HunterDave]

Snubber and I were at Nakamun as well today. He outfished the crap out of me with a blue hexifly... I think he had the best side of the shelter... We took his Sonoma on. I measured 14" of clear, textbook ice.

I thought that you could handle the wind and cold. The real men out there today didn't need a shelter. :evilgrin:

[Tyangelo]

It wasn't my shelter, OK!!!!!!???!:bad_boys_20:

[HunterDave]

It wasn't my shelter, OK!!!!!!???!:bad_boys_20:

I'm just kiddin ya. :)

[Tyangelo]

:kap:

[Willowtrail]

You two be nice, I've caused enough trouble tonight on this forum and we don't need any more.:argue2:

Just kidding, I can't stand when someone does something stupid to sacrifice my safety when I took the safe rout. You want to drive on the ice stay the heck away from me and my group. A Jetsled xl is way cheaper than swimming with all my gear because your lazy. Not you Dave and Ty, the folks you speak of.

Ty, I could fight this all day with you but people will still drive on the ice, "It's almost January you know, ice should be plenty safe." Is what they think/say:bad_boys_20:

[HunterDave]

Ty, I could fight this all day with you but people will still drive on the ice, "It's almost January you know, ice should be plenty safe." Is what they think/say:bad_boys_20:

Usually I don't have an issue with driving my truck onto a lake with 12" of ice.....it's plenty strong enough.......as long as I know the lake. Some lakes....like Lac Ste Anne that I know of for sure......has underground springs that create soft spots on the lake. Every year someone is putting the front of their truck through the ice somewhere. I just stay the heck right off of it.

[Willowtrail]

I know its overkill but I like to see 2' before I drive on. That's just me but also why I bought a quad this year. The truck can stay on shore

[HunterDave]

I know its overkill but I like to see 2' before I drive on. That's just me but also why I bought a quad this year. The truck can stay on shore

If you guys are crossing the lake through the middle that's a good idea. Just wondering, has anyone drilled any holes in the middle?

Last year on Lac Lanonne along the sides of the lake were good but the centre was dangerous.....not even a skidoo track out there. We had allot of snow early in the season and that was probably the difference though.

[leeaspell]

I just dont drive on any of them. I pay to much for a truck to loose it through a lake. Guys will walk miles with a pack and a rifle but cant walk 300 yards on a lake towing a sled with an auger and shaxk and a few rods?

[Willowtrail]

I haven't crossed the lake. I only went out 2 weeks ago when we saw you but they went back today. Not sure if they checked the middle. Geezle and thorne were first to cross last trip so maybe they did. Last year was a special year though with all that snow. It may happen again unless we get some cold before the snow. This has floodwater written all over it, again. I sure hope not.

[HunterDave]

Just tell them to drive fast and don't stop.....:lol:

[Speckle55]

..
lake is 10 inches in one area and the others areas have no air pockets/springs and creeks coming in then it is safe to say that the whole lake is 10 inches its straight physics.. up North 6 inches for trucks and 12 inches for tankers.. if you look at a lake in the spring its the sides that melt first. some myths being preached but being safe is the most important Know your Lake and drive with window down and no seat belt and reasonable rate should be driven

once one person drives on just like at a dance then others will follow

this is just my opinion make your own decision

first truck on Gregg lake this year

Food for Thought
David

[Kim473]

..
lake is 10 inches in one area and the others areas have no air pockets/springs and creeks coming in then it is safe to say that the whole lake is 10 inches its straight physics.. up North 6 inches for trucks and 12 inches for tankers.. if you look at a lake in the spring its the sides that melt first. some myths being preached but being safe is the most important Know your Lake and drive with window down and no seat belt and reasonable rate should be driven

once one person drives on just like at a dance then others will follow

this is just my opinion make your own decision

first truck on Gregg lake this year

Food for Thought
David

I remenber one late ice we drove on and fished all day. When we went to leave the shore line had melted really good and we had 50 ft of open water to cross. We hit it at about 40 mph and we just made it across to shore. This was in a car. Was a fun day.

[Dale S]

I have put a truck through the ice at Bevermines. Four of us got out but I lost one of my best frends.It was just before the sunrise when we got to the lake.As we were standing on shore taking about driving on a truck pulled on to the ice and drove across the lake. So we thought it was safe to drive on so off we went. All of a sudden the frontend dropped in and when it got up to the windsheild the water presure pushed in the windsheild. We sunk like a rock, 20' down. Once we hit bottom i got out of the truck through where the front windsheild got broke out. I then pushed myself up when I got to the top I hit the bottom of the ice I could'nt find the hole for a few seoconds.When I did get out 2 of my buddies were on the ice and 30 seaconds later 1 more got out. This was all happening in the dark and took about 2 minutes.Beleive me when I say you do not want to go through the ice. So make sure its safe.

[Daceminnow]

Dago I can’t imagine. Terrible.

i have had a least two close calls. both times crossing pressure ridges. never,never,never a good idea. the first time was coming off the lake after a snow storm blew in. we knew the ridge was somewhere between where we were and shore, but failed to find the crossing in the blowing snow. by the time we seen the ridge it was too late, i hit the gas and jumped the truck over it. the front end landed fine and the back end broke through. in deep snow four wheel drive and chained up I still to this day have no idea how I keep momentum and the rest of the truck from going through, but we did it. myself and 3 good buddies in the truck. the second time was coming off the lake at the end of the day again this time clear and daylight. a ridge had formed while out on the ice and I had no choice but to cross to get off. I picked a low spot about 100 yards from shore and went for it. again front end cleared and the back end broke through. sheets of ice continued breaking like dominos behind the truck all the way to shore. we ended up on a some cottage owners front lawn. again a truck full a buds. they weren’t cool incidences that’s for sure, but I still take my truck out every year. not nearly as much now that I’m back down south as the weather and wind down here really plays into ice conditions all winter. use common sense, and never drive fast. so many clowns do this it’s scary.

Dace

[fish on 2]

The nice thing is that these people usually all huddle their vehicles together... Natural selection, waiting to happen...?

Haha love the Darwin shots.......burnouts
:bad_boys_20:

[Hunter Trav]

After getting a snowmobile to use for fishing, I question why I ever took my truck out on the lake. Its safer, I can get to more spots on the lake, and I just plain enjoy riding it out to where I want to fish. If the fishing sucks, I can always ride around and play a little bit too...

[Richard B.]

I'll walk thanks

[pelada trochu]

not good

dont park side by side
dont drill 13 holes around your truck

re the high speed sled...
why do the wake boaters have to cruise by in casting distance all summer its a huge lake use it course they wont read this cause its about fishing

[Jack&7]

I have put a truck through the ice at Bevermines. Four of us got out but I lost one of my best frends.It was just before the sunrise when we got to the lake.As we were standing on shore taking about driving on a truck pulled on to the ice and drove across the lake. So we thought it was safe to drive on so off we went. All of a sudden the frontend dropped in and when it got up to the windsheild the water presure pushed in the windsheild. We sunk like a rock, 20' down. Once we hit bottom i got out of the truck through where the front windsheild got broke out. I then pushed myself up when I got to the top I hit the bottom of the ice I could'nt find the hole for a few seoconds.When I did get out 2 of my buddies were on the ice and 30 seaconds later 1 more got out. This was all happening in the dark and took about 2 minutes.Beleive me when I say you do not want to go through the ice. So make sure its safe.

Wow Dago...what a story. Sorry to hear about your friend. IMHO, this is the post of the year on the fishing board. I hope everyone reads it.

I was on Burnstick yesterday. 8" of ice...7 clear and the top inch was white. We walked on and felt plenty safe doing so. Then I watched as two groups in trucks drove right past my tent and stopped about 50 yds away. they parked both trucks about 10 feet from each other and proceeded to set up.

I shook my head.:confused:

[Tyangelo]

Thanks for the kudos, Its intention was hopefully making a forum member or 2 start getting into the habit of knowing the ice before they push their limits. Before it's too late. (Sorry to hear that sad story, buddy)

[Sundancefisher]

I was fishing at Lac St Anne one year...first out on the lake...sitting in my tent fishing and after a while noticed the water was up over the ice and flooding. Worried about freezing in my tent I decided to pack up. When I opened the tent up it was like a city around me. I had made the mistake apparently of tossing my whitefish out the tent door at first light and everyone stopped to fish. All the cars and trucks were too much for the ice to support.

Scary people.

[kingshow]

Just want to express my fears, as well as my little safety tip, Snowmobiles are a good tool , but guys outdrive the headlights all the time and in low light conditions like there the only ones on the lake. My biggest fear is having a sled run through my pop up tent some mornings, This is why you should have reflective tape on all 4 sides. most come with them, might be to late for the way some drive but it gives me piece of mind.