Why is everybody *so* eager to drive on the ice?

[Geezle]

Yes it's easier than walking out and dragging your gear, and you can access different areas, but it just seems like there's so many people on here who are super eager to drive on the ice.

It's unfortunate when it happens, but (assuming no casualties) I may just laugh a little when somebody goes through :o

Really people...:shake:

[valve god]

LAZINESS maybe
Was at Lake Isle on Boxing Day and a few of us were checking the ice by test holes and saw a 3/4 ton with 2 snow machines rip on the ice doing mach chicken:sign0161:
There were a couple of us standing there watching and waiting for that sound you will never forget:shark:. They were ripping around all over that lake for a good part of the day. I have had some close calls on that lake in the past but if I did not trust the ice we were ready to do a walk on. I'd rather be fishing not fishing for my truck.:sign0176:

[Perchfisher]

I guess that it's their truck and their lives and they can do what they want. It's unfortunitly the family left behind suffers the loss.

[Fisherpeak]

NEVER will I drive on the ice with my truck,a sled or quad maybe but not my truck.My Momma didn`t raise any fools,that`s how I`v lived so long.

[WayneChristie]

I drove on Monday near home, lots of good ice now tho, and last night at PCR just because the weather was getting so bad, and it was close to shore. Drove on lots last winter later in the season, but I still get nervous everytime.

[Photoplex]

It was a solid 18" on every hole we drilled (30+) at CVR. We went back for the truck later and drove it back to our fishing spot. We were <100ft from shore though

[Kurt505]

Why are you so against it? Why drive your car to work? Why not walk or take your bike? It's not laziness, it's convenience. If there is enough ice to drive on, and you choose to walk that's your choice, but I'll be driving. I'm not stupid about it, and I'll walk or take my snowmobile if there isn't much ice, but I like heat and mobility and I got nothing to prove by walking out just to show I can pack my gear. I drove on shemeluck lake yesterday. 12-14" of ice with some overflow in one place, but otherwise fine. Two other guys walked out. I didn't ask them why they walked when there was four other trucks on the ice, I figured it was their business.

[AxeMan]

Some people have many years of experience driving on frozen lakes you do realize. Many ice fishermen know their lakes and where the dangers are including springs, narrows, creeks, beaver runs, flood ice and snow cover, and ice quality and thickness.

I personally feel safer when I am driving in the back country or on frozen lakes than on some of our hiways.

It is the newbies we have to watch out for, right Geezle?

[Paul C]

Some people have many years of experience driving on frozen lakes you do realize. Many ice fishermen know their lakes and where the dangers are including springs, narrows, creeks, beaver runs, flood ice and snow cover, and ice quality and thickness.

I personally feel safer when I am driving in the back country or on frozen lakes than on some of our hiways.

It is the newbies we have to watch out for, right Geezle?
X2 It takes time to get to know your favorite lakes.

[iliketrout]

To each their own, I don't care if people choose to drive on or not, that's their choice. What I care about is how they drive if they choose to do so as that can affect everyone. Going too fast or driving on too early when it's only safe to walk, causing pressure wave fractures to come my way, usually doesn't make me too happy...:scared0018:

[pecker]

so i can sit in my vehicle with the heater on - drinkin a hot choclate -- with the line tied to my windshield wipers jigging on intermittent --- waiting for gator to pull my wiper off . OK . :scared0018:

[pickrel pat]

ice is fine. been on the ice for close to 40 years now. sometimes it takes awhile to loose your fear of ice.

[SonnyJ]

NEVER will I drive on the ice with my truck,a sled or quad maybe but not my truck.My Momma didn`t raise any fools,that`s how I`v lived so long.

I drove on Wildhorse today and it had 19-20 inches of hard ice on it.

So are you saying that I was foolish for doing it?

BTW.....They were biting..:sHa_shakeshout:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i266/kokaneekid/dec29-2010a.jpg

[WayneChristie]

I fished today, at least 20 inches of beautiful black ice, so clear you could see the weeds in the water underneath it. thought about taking my truck out, then while I was doing a walkabout deciding where to drill some holes, I watched this good ice crack under my feet where I walked, for a good 6 inches down. Maybe its good to drive on, but I can guarantee I will never drive on that lake!!! Rather nerve wracking to say the least, safe or not.

[Photoplex]

I watched this good ice crack under my feet where I walked, for a good 6 inches down

Too much turkey and mince pies mate http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_orH4cd9X5MA/S3-AtZzHPYI/AAAAAAAAAos/FuZ40DfMJSY/s200/full-full-food-fat-smiley-emoticon-000646-large.gif

[chubbdarter]

I fished today, at least 20 inches of beautiful black ice, so clear you could see the weeds in the water underneath it. thought about taking my truck out, then while I was doing a walkabout deciding where to drill some holes, I watched this good ice crack under my feet where I walked, for a good 6 inches down. Maybe its good to drive on, but I can guarantee I will never drive on that lake!!! Rather nerve wracking to say the least, safe or not.


Lost?

[goldenwalleye1]

somebody could go through the ice anytime of the year and i dont think i might just laugh about it

[kspoon1]

beware of the springs at crawling valley many have gone through with 25 inches of ice

[hockey1099]

Yes it's easier than walking out and dragging your gear, and you can access different areas, but it just seems like there's so many people on here who are super eager to drive on the ice.

It's unfortunate when it happens, but (assuming no casualties) I may just laugh a little when somebody goes through :o

Really people...:shake:

Last year was my first year ice fishing since i was a kid. I was one of the last to drive on. i would see 20 trucks and still walk on. Then i finally manned up and drove on and realized how important fast transportation is. You simply cant cover enough water walking and dragging your gear. Driving on in the winter is equivalant to having a boat in the summer.

[WayneChristie]

Lost?

no I havent fished that one, I was at 12 mile.

[Sundancefisher]

I always waited for 24 inches of ice before driving. Reason I drove on the lake is because I believe in moving a lot until you find the fish. I must be as mobile as possible to be the most successful. When fishing Lac St. Anne...I would drive some days more than I fished... but you need to know where you are going on any lake to prevent...disaster. On a small lake that is walkable...unless it was brutally cold...I always walked on. Larger lakes I would never drive on are Wabamun (location specific), MacGregor and Chain...

[chubbdarter]

no I havent fished that one, I was at 12 mile.


gotcha.....i took a guess at lost.. as kids we caught alot of big pike in lost

[WayneChristie]

havent fished it yet, drive by it a lot. too many lakes, too little time :) life is rough:bad_boys_20:

[chubbdarter]

havent fished it yet, drive by it a lot. too many lakes, too little time :) life is rough:bad_boys_20:

you fish stonehill? remember when that was a super trout lake?

[slough shark]

well I like being able to drive out onto the lake for 2 reasons, I have a larger shack that isn't incredibly mobile and the truck makes it so. The other reason is the bbq doesn't fit on the sled and I do like a good bbq on the ice :)

[Willowtrail]

I've fished Star and Hasse this week and got to sit in over an inch of water. Everytime someone would drive on I would hold my breath and hope they didn't crack the ice under me. There's only 12" ish on these lakes and some guys are driving on them like its the indy 500. I'm still walking out and I have a truck capable of driving out. The drivers can't hear the ice cracking as they plow across the frozen lake. W_worbeck went for a walk on Star monday to sheck for depths and stopped when he saw water boiling out of a crack caused by these trucks. I like to drive on the lakes as well but right now its way too dangerous for the driver and the innocent bysatnders that have played it safe and walked out. 10 to 12" is the recommended thickness but if you could hear what we can you might not drive out in your $65000 deisel. We were almost wanting for someone to fall through just to show that its not safe. Someone earlier in this thread sain 20", that seems a lot safer than 12" with 2" of white on top.

I highly agree with Geezle on this topic. He could drive out but who wants to swin in a lake at 1 degree.
Guys at Star didn't even have their windows rolled down. Spend the money on a $50 heater and some propane and stay warm that way. I don't want you to crack the ice under my feet or have to come help get you out of the frozen lake. I'm the kind of guy that would help you but call you stupid for doing it in the first place.

Sorry for the rant but its been too long listening on here when its safe to drive. Its not SAFE, its borderline around Edmonton.

[Kim473]

so i can sit in my vehicle with the heater on - drinkin a hot choclate -- with the line tied to my windshield wipers jigging on intermittent --- waiting for gator to pull my wiper off . OK . :scared0018:

Been there. Done that! LOL

[Jimboy]

beware of the springs at crawling valley many have gone through with 25 inches of ice

25 IN ? HOW ABOUT 3 FEET , AND WHO WENT THRU , THE FISH COPS , THATS WHO.
Check the pics from last january , posted by swish smurff

[Geezle]

Just to clarify, I'm not at all against driving on the ice. In fact I'm quite anxious to be able to *comfortably* drive out to where I want to fish, but at least in this neck of the woods things still aren't entirely consistent. In a few weeks I have no doubt that I'll be driving out there. Heck, with the Jeep with the soft top on, I'm riding fairly light compared to some of the bigger trucks out there, but I still don't want to be 'that guy' :sHa_sarcasticlol:

The thing I guess that gets me is all the people asking "Is it safe to drive on lake X?" and relying on other peoples' opinions on what is safe. I wonder how many of them are still going and drilling their own test holes as they venture out?

Heck, probably 6 weeks ago when I went to Chickacoo you could see where some rocket surgeon tried to drive on at the boat launch - and it looked like they were likely in a car. The ice heaved up a bit and they ended up leaving their front mud flaps stuck in the snow/ice. There was maybe 6" of ice at the time.

I dunno...it just seems to me like many people want to jump the gun, so to speak.

I'm curious what some of the people that just lurk and don't post make of some of these posts regarding ice thickness and safety.

[bigdeer91]

Yes it's easier than walking out and dragging your gear, and you can access different areas, but it just seems like there's so many people on here who are super eager to drive on the ice.

It's unfortunate when it happens, but (assuming no casualties) I may just laugh a little when somebody goes through :o

Really people...:shake:

went back home for x mass last fryday and the phone rings that night.some one went in the lake.so like all ways out we go with the Clark 666 skidder to pull out the truck. 4 inched of ice and 5 feet of water,5 guys and a long winch line took most of the night and most of xmass day to get the dumb a&&es truck out.thats fine he will think hard next time.the look on his face when we handed him the $5000 pull bill.
every year we have to pull at least 2 truck out.
so i dont care who you are if the ice ant safe walk or stay home.is a fish realy worth the loss of a truck or a life.
:scared0018:

be save out there and dont risk it.

[AxeMan]

25 IN ? HOW ABOUT 3 FEET , AND WHO WENT THRU , THE FISH COPS , THATS WHO.
Check the pics from last january , posted by swish smurff

3 feet BS! They did not break through 25" or 3 feet of ice. They broke through in a small narrows between two bigger bodies of water where the ice was only a few inches thick. Like I said earlier in this post: avoid narrows. Rookie mistake.

There may have been 25" or even 3 feet of ice on the main lake but not in the narrow canal. Currents can keep it thin or even open.

Knowledge and healthy respect of ice is the key here guys, not blind fear.

[lemmotlow]

Its not safe up here in cold lake , flood water and one truck down so far.BE aware and stay safe.:scared0018: