Guide Lines For Spudding

[holehopper]

Are there any?how often,how hard,spud went through,etc.

[Green Pea]

Great question. Hopefully it get answered because I bought one and am not sure myself. I believe you hit the ice twice in the same spot with a decent thump.

[panfish_hunter]

I only have one season under my belt so not claiming to be an expert. My "technique" goes something like this. Stay on land spud down measure ice. If ice is good to go then ill get all equipment and continue to where I plan to fish. The spud bar gets pushed down forcefully with every step I take. If there are any questionable spots the spud with be used every foot in a 180 degree radius and ice thickness checked. I always try to return the same way I came . Even if spud marks are still visible do not trust them ice conditions change fast. SPUD SPUD SPUD . Carry them ice picks and whistles. Youtube and read up on self rescue techniques and don't chance thin or malformed ice.

[snowcone]

not really a specific way , I usually jab my bar a few times at first to see if I go thru and listen to the sound , then slow walk and try to jab my way thru, sound , feel,..if you see me out there jumping up and down I'm checking for cracking and sagging, then if I feel comfortable I'm bashing my bar hard a couple 2 or three times with a couple steps.its just punch the ice , hard a few times you will get the feel of it

[Downthehole]

I experimented with this last year on my local pond and found that for each strike the spud bar displaced roughly 1" of ice. Therefore hitting the ice 4 times without going through confirmed at least 4" of ice. I found that the spud bar went through white (honeycomb) ice further than blue (hard ice) so this has to be taken into consideration. Also it's pretty difficult to hit the same hole 4 times in a row so more strikes may be required. A scary moment I had was hitting the ice, the spud bar getting stuck and having to lever it out of the ice. While doing this I managed to crack the ice open (remember it was on a small pond).

I think gaging how much ice you displace after each strike is a good start on how many times you have to hit the ice in order to confirm its safe to move forward. Different spud bars with different weights, different strike pressures and different head profiles will yield different results.

[snowcone]

ps   there are a few spuds on the bott of lakes they have a tendency to go thru and keep goin.

[OhioFisher19]

I got a rope tied around the handle to save that

[g]

When spudding my way out, I hit the ice 3-4 times every step going out and coming back in.

[snowcone]

I will be walking along bashing my spudbar about every 2 steps in a slow walk , I have hit soft spots and hit the brakes and spud around to find a safe path,   my new bar is nice  since I didn't have a teather on the old one 

[Downthehole]

I will be walking along bashing my spudbar about every 2 steps in a slow walk , I have hit soft spots and hit the brakes and spud around to find a safe path,   my new bar is nice  since I didn't have a teather on the old one 

I retired my Home Depot spud bar after one season and got the Eskimo One Peice Chisel. Looks like we'll both be having fun with new chisels this year....

Andy

[snowcone]

I may run down to state park because I hear there may be some action there just to see for myself , I will be spud bar happy maybe   hahah