ICE CONDITION

[bttmline]

HEY FOLKS. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS POST. WITH THE WARM UP THERE WITH BE HIDDEN AND OBVIOUS DANGERS. WITH THE MELTING YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE ICE CLEARLY. IF ON THE ICE WHERE YOU KNOW THE THICKNESS IS 5 INCHES OR MORE BUT YOU SEE SNOWY OR UNCLEAR ICE, STAY CLEAR. [u]REMEMBER[/u] THERE IS NO SAFE ICE. BE CAREFULL. USE YOUR SENSES AND COMMON SENSE. DO NOT PUT YOURSELF OR OTHERS IN DANGER AND NEVER ICE FISH ALONE. THERE WILL BE MORE ICE SO JUST HANG AROUND AND ENJOY THESE FEW WARM DAYS. IF YOUR LAKE HAS A DRAWDOWN THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO LOOK FOR SPRING STRUCTURE.

[firefish532]

great post bottom line

[HardWater Junkie]

Thats a great post. The cold weather will be back in a couple days. Theres no fish that important to risk your own and others life. If you dont think you have safe ice dont go. If you think you do keep checking thickness as you move along.

[icebucketjohn]

ROPE
HAND SPIKES
WHISTLE
BOOT SPIKES/CLEATS

 DONT GO OUT ALONE!

[ice phisher]

Warm up's come and can reduce the thickness with time.... add showers...and it changes faster...now up-grade to down-pours and longer periods of rain and the reduction in thickness not only changes faster but becomes a "DEADLIER PROPOSITION".....All that water tends to find drainage from the ice surface thru very small exits in the that surface and thru that flushing process starts a chain reaction of structural weakness. I.E. cracks/previous drilled holes/minute imperfections in the original freeze up/and what was just earlier a walkable surface now just waits for that load bearing force that can cause it to fracture....And if that load just happens to be your weight factor......DISASTER. WITH THE RAIN WE ARE HAVING TO DAY.....INSTEAD OF THINKING SAFETY EQUIPMENT TO TAKE ALONG......"MUCH BETTER TO JUST SAY TO YOURSELF.......STAY OFF ALL TOGETHER/NO RISK INVOLVED......BE ALIVE TO FISH ON SAFER TIMES.....WHEN THEY RE-APPEAR"......Me!!!!My plans to be in the ice today got changed......and there is a cold snap on the horizon........Then I'll return to much safer conditions.........talking and taking my all my safety gear on every trip.....with the highest hopes that I wont have to use it ....but it's here if needed......"CAUSE, NO ICE IS SAFE ICE TOTALLY.....PS THANKS FOR STARTING THIS POST........jON sR>