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View Full Version : Black ice? Clear ice? white ice? please clarify..


happyfisher
11-18-2014, 09:09 PM
whats the difference? whats better ? how do u tell? does it matter? why?


lol

i think clear is better than what....but dark is worst? is it weaker?

Thanks

Mackinaw
11-18-2014, 09:54 PM
whats the difference? whats better ? how do u tell? does it matter? why?


lol

i think clear is better than what....but dark is worst? is it weaker?

Thanks

Black ice usually is rotten water filled ice
White ice is water filler frozen snow not good either
Clear or blue ice is solid ice
But what ever the color check thickness first
Good fishing

Mack

scesfiremedic
11-18-2014, 10:13 PM
Ice strength cannot be determined by look.

Contributing Factors for Ice Strength
•Ice thickness
•Do not base ice safety on ice thickness alone!
•Wind
•Water
•Snow
•Slush
•Air temperature
•Water Body Depth and Size
•Current
•River ice is approximately 15% weaker than lake ice!
•Chemistry
•Water Level
•Obstructions
•Inlets and Springs
•Wildlife

Ice requires constant cold temperatures to support its maximum load. Sudden rises in temperature will weaken ice.
If the temperature falls suddenly to its original point the ice will re-freeze but not necessarily to its original strength.

Drewski Canuck
11-19-2014, 11:10 AM
In Alberta, add to the list cracks / leads, ice heaves, and gas holes under the ice.

Between Shaw's Point and Big Grassy on Lesser Slave Lake there are gas seeps from below the lake bed that keep spots very thin. You would never know it until a truck tire breaks through with the rest of the truck on 4 feet of ice?????

This happened in the past at Pigeon (gas now drawn off so not as bad), Orloff, Utikima, etc in the past.

Ice heaves are another fact of life up here. They are hollow, and the ice underneath is a lot thinner. Unsupported ice is VERY brittle.

Just be careful out there and wait until the ice is well set up. Take some hand ice picks in your pocket and a board with you in case you do break through. Go with others, and make sure you have some rope. Tell others were you are going as well.

Drewski

Mackinaw
11-19-2014, 11:34 PM
In Alberta, add to the list cracks / leads, ice heaves, and gas holes under the ice.

Between Shaw's Point and Big Grassy on Lesser Slave Lake there are gas seeps from below the lake bed that keep spots very thin. You would never know it until a truck tire breaks through with the rest of the truck on 4 feet of ice?????

This happened in the past at Pigeon (gas now drawn off so not as bad), Orloff, Utikima, etc in the past.

Ice heaves are another fact of life up here. They are hollow, and the ice underneath is a lot thinner. Unsupported ice is VERY brittle.

Just be careful out there and wait until the ice is well set up. Take some hand ice picks in your pocket and a board with you in case you do break through. Go with others, and make sure you have some rope. Tell others were you are going as well.


:budo:

Drewski

Ice heaves and push ice are an issue on bigger body's of water all over.

Mack

Wild&Free
11-20-2014, 06:43 AM
To me, if it's black stay off, if its clear, check thickness and go, if its white, check thickness hope to find layer of solid clear ice, 2x thickness of white ice vs clear ice, 3x if there's a floodwater layer depending on thickness of air pocket.

anything less then 4" I stay off.... usually. early ice in >4' is productive and occasionally worth not thinking things through properly in chasing fishes. I try to be close to solid ground though.

oh, avoid weed beds early too ice never forms solid around them until later in the season.