Safety!

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Apparently as much as we preach it, it isn't enough.  We see stuff during early ice that makes us cringe, get the word out that the ice doesn't lie. 6" won't hold your blazer or your S10.  It's physics, keep spreading the word of using caution and COMMON SENSE on the ice. 

[Wanderer]

It's another type of snow blindness.  

[Vitreus]

For visual learners.

[Neighbor_guy]

There was 8" of ice on millacs the day I put my wheeler, myself, my friend, his wheeler, and all of our gear through the ice. 

 

The ice had cracked a lot that day and as we were driving across the lake we both ended up on that same triangle of ice at the same time. It went down like a bobber slid under the main ice sheet, and we went in the drink. Luckily we both made it off the ice and other than some bruised pride and a much lighter pocket book we were alright. 

 

To this his day I don't like driving my truck on the ice. I'm the guy at the landing unloading his wheeler or snowmobile while most people drive past in their pick ups. And I try to leave plenty of distance between me and the people I am traveling with when we are running from spot to spot. 

 

Now days people are lazy. They don't want to put in any extra work, they just want to turn off the road, drive right to their spot, in their warm vehicle, and fish. If someone would plow the road all the better. And they won't bother to think about what it takes to float a truck. 

 

Then when there is enough ice to float "A" truck, let's say 10-12" they park two or three trucks together and wonder why one of them breaks through the ice. 

 

[BobT]

One time back in about 2003 I was going out on Lake Osakis off the Battle Point access. If I remember correctly it was in late December and on my way to the lake I was wondering if anyone had been driving vehicles out there yet. When I got to the lake, I could see some vehicle tracks and there was a large permanent house off the point so I decided to drive my truck out there. I went about 50 yards from shore and decided to check ice thickness just to be sure. It was between 10" - 12" so I figured it should be okay, although marginal. I went about another 50 yards or so and decided I'd set up shop on the edge of the break. I got my auger fired up and almost fell on my face when it went through within just a couple revolutions! It was less than 5" thick! I casually put my gear back in my truck and slowly backed off the lake and went home to change my shorts. That was when I decided to invest in an ATV. 

[BobT]

Something else to keep in mind is that people don't think too well. I should have never agreed to do this but one time a buddy and I were going out on Sauk Lake. When we checked the ice we found about 9" of very clear, hard ice. I didn't want to but eventually I foolishly gave in to him that we could drive out. We got set up and some time later we heard another vehicle approach and park very close to us. Close enough that the water began to come up on the surface inside our portable! We packed up and left. 

 

Now in this case we obviously didn't think but neither did the other guy. The ice was questionable at best and then to park close by was even more foolish.

[mwal]

I was on A Chisago County lake yesterday 6 inches of ice that is deteriorating from water and slush. My ice block had about the top inch of ice looking like it starting to honeycomb. By end of day we had 3 inches of water around us and over the wood floor in my quick fish 3. With forecast for up to 1 inch of rain and also snow I am done until all snow melts and refreezes. No way I would atv on that lake. There were 2 perms on it they should be nervous.

 

Mwal 

[Big A]

If someone does something "dumb" - stop worrying about it. Just make yourself safe, kick back and enjoy the show or prepare to lend a hand if you so choose.

 

I gave up giving a rip what anyone else does years ago. Preaching safety to an adult is not a very successful use of your time. Use the example you are seeing to teach a kid what NOT to do. That has been my enjoyment, and my daughters as well  it never fails you will get to see some epic poor decisions on any lake within an hour of the metro, which is the exact reason why I keep some snacks and beverages nearby - what good is a show without the snacks!

 

I have a 6in and 12in rule of thumb in my personal index of  things I am willing to do and use on the ice. If I choose to do so, nobody better attempt to give me their opinion on that decision. It is mine - not yours. It was not made in haste, it was thought through and mentally discussed for an extended period of time. No outside opinion or factor created that decision and nobody else is to blame if it discovered the decision was not a good one. Mistakes made are lessons learned as long as the law is not being broken. Last I checked, the DNR provides Ice Thickness Guidelines.

 

Thus - make your decision. Educated, experienced, or otherwise. Its yours.

 

[ozzie]

oh stories of being dumb...buddies say "hey hot bite in aitkin lets go."  they pick me up and we take buddies new 3/4 ton truck.  We get up to the lake and we see a few trucks out on the lake but the public landing was on the other side of the lake.  We drive to the access and assess  the situation and buddy decides to drive out from the access as "how else did the others get over there?  well have way across the lake we see a single shelter and stop and one buddy walks over to talk and he comes back to the truck and says "umm that guys eyes were like saucers that we were driving...I looked in his hole and he only had 7-8" at best!!"  Needless to say our buddy did not want to get back in the truck but as I told him "F U if I am gonna die in this truck your gonna go down with me!!!"  Amazingly we made it back to the access safely but needless to say none of us felt like fishing anymore that day!  Young and dumb!! 

Edited December 22, 2016 by ozzie

[Rick G]

Have heard of more than a few vehicals going thru the ice already this winter.....some folks aint real bright, lol

[BobT]

On 12/22/2016 at 0:09 PM, BobT said:

One time back in about 2003 I was going out on Lake Osakis off the Battle Point access. If I remember correctly it was in late December and on my way to the lake I was wondering if anyone had been driving vehicles out there yet. When I got to the lake, I could see some vehicle tracks and there was a large permanent house off the point so I decided to drive my truck out there. I went about 50 yards from shore and decided to check ice thickness just to be sure. It was between 10" - 12" so I figured it should be okay, although marginal. I went about another 50 yards or so and decided I'd set up shop on the edge of the break. I got my auger fired up and almost fell on my face when it went through within just a couple revolutions! It was less than 5" thick! I casually put my gear back in my truck and slowly backed off the lake and went home to change my shorts. That was when I decided to invest in an ATV. 

The main point of this story is check the ice often. The ice is not a uniform thickness.

[Fishing Frenzy]

There's always going be those few people  who don't use common sense and chance it.  

[Neighbor_guy]

I can only imagine what this rain and wind will do to mess things up ice wise. There are waves on the lake here right now. I know there is ice underneath all that water, but what condition will it be in? We were just getting to the point where we could count on foot traffic or atv traffic in some areas. This could make things ugly. 

 

Stay safe out there. Nothing is guaranteed at this point. 

[Fishing Frenzy]

1 minute ago, Neighbor_guy said:

I can only imagine what this rain and wind will do to mess things up ice wise. There are waves on the lake here right now. I know there is ice underneath all that water, but what condition will it be in? We were just getting to the point where we could count on foot traffic or atv traffic in some areas. This could make things ugly. 

 

Stay safe out there. Nothing is guaranteed at this point. 

The water that's on the ice should freeze over tomorrow. Hopefully didn't hurt the ice that much, as long as I can walk out I'm good.

[Neighbor_guy]

Well everything did indeed freeze up. For the most part the good ice that was there is still there. Now there is a 2" thick layer of bad grey/slush ice on top of it. Won't have to worry about snowmobile traffic for a while.