The wait is over — ice fishing kicks off

The wait is over! Last weekend we discovered thick enough ice to safely trek on and kicked off the much-anticipated ice fishing season. First ice typically provides for some of the best catch rates, and we certainly weren’t disappointed. Before we knew it, we felt the sharp tug of a bite and set the hook. As we released our first fish and watched it slip back through the ice we were reminded of how much we look forward to this moment every year.

To some, we may seem overly excited and maybe a little bit crazy — especially while we celebrated this week’s sub-zero temps. For us and other ice fisherman across the state, the colder the better this time of year. With each passing day we gain more mobility across dozens of lakes in our area while ice quietly forms under the surface.

This brings up an important point. Today, ice is not safe to walk on Valley-wide. Many lakes do not have ice thick enough to support foot traffic and no one wants to practice for the Polar Plunge ahead of time. We found 3 to 5 inches of ice last weekend, but not all ice is created equally. The ice we found wasn’t the clear, dark ice that we typically hope for. It was cloudy and lighter in color signaling that it’s weaker. We also saw fresh cracks and open springs. So even though you find 3 inches of ice and determine its safe to stand on, you might be on much thinner ice a few feet in any other direction.

Safety regarding ice thickness is one of the most asked about aspects of ice fishing we receive. It is a very legitimate question and one that keeps a lot people off the ice — sometimes indefinitely — for fear of the unknown. For this reason we want to encourage people to learn what safe ice looks like so they can discover that they love ice fishing as much as we do. Here are the some general safety precautions that we live and fish by.

Do not go ice fishing alone, especially during the first part of the season. Take someone who can call for help, physically aide in your rescue and know what to do when they get you out of the drink to combat your inevitable hypothermia.

Do not assume that because you see someone on a lake that the ice is safe to walk on. If 100 people are scattered all over a lake it is a good indicator that ice is safe, but you should still make sure where you are about to walk is safe. This time of year ice thickness varies greatly.

If we are unsure of the ice conditions, we always start from the shore and use a chipper or axe and crack the ice before each step we take. By “we” I mean Butch, because he’s the designated checker and I’m the rescuer. Don’t defeat the purpose of bringing a buddy and walk out together. One person should head out to test the ice while the other person stands near shore ready to help if needed.

Bring safety gear and have a plan. Our typical safety gear includes two ropes, hand-held safety ice-picks, a cellphone and a very clear plan about what the other one is going to do should the something go wrong.

The ice thickness guidelines that we use are:

• 3 to 5 inches for foot traffic.

• 8 inches for snow machines.

• 10 inches for one car or small group of people.

• 12 inches for multiple vehicles or larger groups of people.

Keep in mind factors that affect ice thickness, like temperature fluctuations, amount of snowfall, proximity to creeks and running water, natural springs and pressure ridges. All of these factors individually or combined can create ice that is too thin to support foot traffic, regardless of how cold or how far into the season it is.

Appearance of ice. The strongest ice appears dark or black in color and is clear like glass. As mentioned above, ice that is cloudy and lighter in color is not as strong. We usually add at least an inch on top of our thickness guidelines for any ice that is cloudy or lighter in color.

There’s no doubt that ice fishing is a fun, safe and healthy activity for all ages throughout the winter months. Just remember to take a few basic safety precautions and use a bit of common sense.

Butch and Jehnifer can be reached at ehmannoutdoors@gmail.com or Facebook/Ehmann Outdoors.