ice block

[triggertrav]

Getting later in the season, the ice is growing and getting harder to get out of the hole. Just curious what everyone does with the block of ice that is now a spear hole. I have pushed it under, but think that it would shy fish away from the decoy. I don't have ice tongs to get the block out, so i usually bust it up and set it on the ice, but this takes time that i would rather be spearing. Also, I am usually spearing out of a portable, so i need to cut a new hole everytime i go out.

So, does anyone put the block under the ice and successfully harvest fish, or does it depend on the water depth? Or do i just continue to take the ice from the hole while i am spearing and put it back in when i leave?

[efgh]

I would never shove it under the ice, I did 50 years ago and never saw a fish while the other guys around me were getting fish. learned my lesson real quick. Ice blocks should be shoved back in the hole when you leave. 35 years ago my wife hit a ice block with the snowmobile she way riding on Lake Frances, the front of the S.M. raised up quick, the top of the wind shield hit the helmet she was wearing, broke the face sheild and cracked the helmet. It was a brand new helmet, first time she wore it.

[triggertrav]

i have never left it on the ice, more just curious if anyone put it under the ice.

[bassNspear]

you are never going to want to leave a block of ice on the top of the lake. your not going to want someone to hit the block with a sled or wheeler. Also, place a stick in the whole after you place the ice back in so people know there was a block cut there as well.

[glenn57]

never push block under ice, like you said you dont see fish. get a set of ice tongs for block removal. when done put block back in.

[triggertrav]

do the ice tongs work well, or will i still need to bust up the block before taking it out.

[bassNspear]

no, they work awesome. I usally cut my block into 4 pieces becuase im using a ice saw to cut them smaller. But before i didnt have a ice saw, i just had one big block, and it works great

[mnmuzzleloader]

I always you a set of tongs, I will cut it with a saw and then split it in 2 and then get them out with the tongs, the thicker the ice the small you will have to cut it up in. If you can find a set of tongs I would go with that you will find them at estate sales or there are some guys manufacturing them today as well.

[merkman]

Just to give you some idea of what an ice block weighs

For a 2 ft X 3 ft hole, Assuming ice weighs 57.25 lbs per cu ft and the thickness clear ice not packed snow.

1in = 28.6 lbs

2in = 57.3 lbs

3in = 85.9 lbs

4in = 114.5 lbs

5in = 143.1 lbs

6in = 171.8 lbs

7in = 200.4 lbs

8in = 229.0 lbs

9in = 257.6 lbs

10in = 286.3 lbs

11in = 314.9 lbs

12in = 343.5 lbs

13in = 372.1 lbs

14in = 400.8 lbs

15in = 429.4 lbs

16in = 458.0 lbs

17in = 486.6 lbs

18in = 515.3 lbs

19in = 543.9 lbs

20in = 572.5 lbs

21in = 601.1 lbs

22in = 629.8 lbs

23in = 658.4 lbs

24in = 687.0 lbs

25in = 715.6 lbs

26in = 744.3 lbs

27in = 772.9 lbs

28in = 801.5 lbs

29in = 830.1 lbs

30in = 858.8 lbs

31in = 887.4 lbs

32in = 916.0 lbs

33in = 944.6 lbs

34in = 973.3 lbs

35in = 1001.9 lbs

36in = 1030.5 lbs

[Pooh]

i use the ice thongs too they are the best piece of equiptmnet i use for spearing, besides the spear and the house itself. my thongs, my old man found on an auction sale for a couple bucks, ive seen them new for 50. they only open up about 14 inches at the points, i consider them a small pair, still looking for a larger pair.

single handed, i can pull out a block of ice cut with an ice saw that is a little more than 3ft long and 2 feet wide, and 12 inches thick. with 4 auger holes one in each corner. not sure if it weights as much as above says but i am in shape if u consider round a shape

[Raptor1]

Another vote for the ice saw and tongs. They work awesome!

[bassNspear]

ya its a no brainer when you really get out there and use them

[merkman]

A buddy of mine brought his chain saw out today to show me how much easier it was to cut a hole with a chain saw rather than the ice saw.

After he was done he had to admit that the ice saw was better.

[bassNspear]

cleaner, less noise, and makes it alot easier to cut.

[spearchucker]

 Originally Posted By: merkman

Just to give you some idea of what an ice block weighs

For a 2 ft X 3 ft hole, Assuming ice weighs 57.25 lbs per cu ft and the thickness clear ice not packed snow.

1in = 28.6 lbs

2in = 57.3 lbs

3in = 85.9 lbs

4in = 114.5 lbs

5in = 143.1 lbs

6in = 171.8 lbs

7in = 200.4 lbs

8in = 229.0 lbs

9in = 257.6 lbs

10in = 286.3 lbs

11in = 314.9 lbs

12in = 343.5 lbs

13in = 372.1 lbs

14in = 400.8 lbs

15in = 429.4 lbs

16in = 458.0 lbs

17in = 486.6 lbs

18in = 515.3 lbs

19in = 543.9 lbs

20in = 572.5 lbs

21in = 601.1 lbs

22in = 629.8 lbs

23in = 658.4 lbs

24in = 687.0 lbs

25in = 715.6 lbs

26in = 744.3 lbs

27in = 772.9 lbs

28in = 801.5 lbs

29in = 830.1 lbs

30in = 858.8 lbs

31in = 887.4 lbs

32in = 916.0 lbs

33in = 944.6 lbs

34in = 973.3 lbs

35in = 1001.9 lbs

36in = 1030.5 lbs

Ice is no where near 57.25 lbs per cubic foot! I would need a forklift to carry a block of ice when I go camping if it was. A gallon of water is a little less than 8lbs.

[bassNspear]

ither way, your going to need tongs to get the ice chuck out when its thicker

[merkman]

 Originally Posted By: spearchucker

Ice is no where near 57.25 lbs per cubic foot! I would need a forklift to carry a block of ice when I go camping if it was. A gallon of water is a little less than 8lbs.

 Quote:

Ice, solid 0.92 57.4

http://www.reade.com/Particle_Briefings/spec_gra2.html#I

 Quote:

Here's a quick rundown of some of water's properties:

Weight: 62.416 pounds per cubic foot at 32°F

Weight: 61.998 pounds per cubic foot at 100°F

Weight: 8.33 pounds/gallon, 0.036 pounds/cubic inch

Density: 1 gram per cubic centimeter (cc) at 39.2°F, 0.95865 gram per cc at 212°F

 Quote:

1 cubic foot = 7.48051945 US gallons

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gallons+in+a+cubic+foot

[spearchucker]

I stand corrected. I sure doesn't seem that heavy to me. I suppose since it is floating in water it makes it a little lighter to pull out of the hole. I guess it makes sense once I did the math.

Sorry, I should have thought a little harder before posting.

[merkman]

 Originally Posted By: spearchucker

I stand corrected. I sure doesn't seem that heavy to me. I suppose since it is floating in water it makes it a little lighter to pull out of the hole. I guess it makes sense once I did the math.

Sorry, I should have thought a little harder before posting.

It sounds pretty cool to say that you heaved a 300lb block of ice out of the lake only using your bare hands and a set of ice tongs......

They don't need to know that it was actually floating in the lake then slid across the ice.

[bassNspear]

i would have to say that i think its heavier then you really think it is. Sometimes is so heavey that you have to cut them up a few times

[efgh]

You have to remember the block of ice is floating in the water, its weight would be next to nothing if you weighted it floating. When you start pulling it from the hole with ice tongs the water is pushing up on the ice block, the further you pull it out the heaver the block gets. Thats my theory, it probley does;t hold water though.

[openorice]

A cubic foot of water is equivalent to 7.5 gallons so it is going to weigh 55+ pounds. I go back to the real question; does shoving this block under the ice really influence fish activity?

[bassNspear]

i can always remember that everytime that i try and pull it up, its simple, till i get it half way out of the water

[spearchucker]

 Originally Posted By: openorice

A cubic foot of water is equivalent to 7.5 gallons so it is going to weigh 55+ pounds. I go back to the real question; does shoving this block under the ice really influence fish activity?

I would say yes. If you are in 10 or 12 feet of water then not as much as if you are in 5 feet of water. Also it would depend on the thickness of the ice. If you are in 5 feet of water and you shove a 2ft block of ice under it is going to be half way to the bottom and look like a wall blocking your hole. It isn't that much work to take the block out.

[Gordie]

I have a friend that cuts a hole in the center of the block then drops a chain with a bar on it, so that it turns across the bottom of the hole then he either use his plow mount on his truck or his wheeler to lift it out and he also sets it on a couple pieces of 2x4s so it doesnt freeze down and is easier to push back in the hole when finished spearing that spot. I havent done this because I dont have a wheeler or plow truck but have watched my friend do this and it works pretty slick.

[rookie44]

i'm in 6ft of water with an15inch block pushed under the ice.I am seeing fish.

[Capt'nMorgan]

Use Ice tongs and pull the ice on top, and MOST importantly please put the ice back in the hole and mark with branches when you leave!!! I am a snowmobiler and do not want to hit your ice chunks. I always take the x-tra time to push it back in.

[sjburnt]

.

[BiffleFan]

I have done both ways and usually push it under and don't notice any difference. I usually am in 10-15' . I try to push them off to the side with the scoop shovel. Last I noticed and it was warmer it took about 4-5 days for it to melt down the one chunk I did see.

[Hammer Handle]

Never push the ice back in the whole and expect to catch fish.

My opinion...it should be put back in the hole if a temporary house was there. But, if you have a permanent house and decide to move after it sat for a week...what do you do with the ice block? Break it up?

A lake does not give the snowmobiler the right to go speeding across just because they think it is all sooth and free to fly. They have to share in some of the responsibility too.

I usually break my block up and bank it around the house and put snow on it. Two years ago I was moving my house and a snowmobiler came by and "told" me that I must remove the outline of my house in the ice (6-8 inch deep wedges) for it what where "he likes to drive". I just smiled and went on my way....

I did mark my house with a branch though. However, please bring something to mark your hole. Don't walk to the shore and cut a branch off a tree. That is trespassing and that is not your tree. Our neighbor had his apple tree cut off by the lake one year for the purpose of marking a hole.