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Daniel Miguel
2014-12-12 00:30:01

The Don'ts of Ice Fishing


We hear a lot about what you should do but not very often do people write about the things that can turn you right off of ice fishing or could kill you. Over the years I've experienced a number of bad situations on the ice that have left me questioning my sanity of fishing though a hole in the ice. I hope that some of you can learn from my mistakes and bad choices so you can have an enjoyable experience on the ice this winter. Here is my list of major don'ts when it comes to ice fishing; 1. Don't over estimate the thickness of Ice Obviously at first and last Ice you need to be careful but sometimes around mid season anglers become complacent and this is a very dangerous time. A couple years ago in mid February I got a call from my good friend to join him for a day of walleye fishing on the Bay of Quinte. I was assured that the ice was safe as he had been going out for the past several days on the same route out without incident. When we arrived I noticed many 4 wheelers and sleds moving around before first light so I felt good about getting out safely. Long story short with no change in the weather overnight a weak spot developed at a hidden pressure crack and sure enough as we started moving over the crack, the ice broke away with ease and we were left floating in our floater suits and the quad was at the bottom of the lake. Fortunately we were able to get out of the water quickly thanks to our survival suits and we retrieved the sled ourselves with some local help saving us thousands of dollars in recovery fees. We were lucky we had tied a rope to the quad as it was floating before it sank, allowing us to pull it up to the edge of the ice and pull it out with a tuck and some boards. Needless to say we all learned a valuable lesson that day. 2. Don't leave home without GPS A number of years ago some friends and I ventured out on Lake Simcoe for some perch action. We were about a kilometre and a half out where we were setup. Later that afternoon a major snow storm moved in. While we were in our hut the action was so good we didn't even notice how bad the snow was coming down. I stepped outside the hut and I couldn't see more than 30 feet in front of me. It was very scary because I really didn't know which direction land was and our footprints had filled in with the snow. Thankfully the snow dissipated just before dark and we were able to find land before nightfall. Since that day I always bring a GPS or Cell Phone with GPS capability. 3. Don't forget to tell someone where you're going About 4 years ago a couple friends and I decided to do an early December back lake ice fishing trip in search of Lakers and Brookies. We had just one quad and decided on a path to the lake of choice that ran many kilometres into the bush and across a few lakes. Well it turned out we were a bit early and there was a little too much snow to get through. Long story short we got stuck a number of times that could have easily left us stranded but managed to get out. And at one point as we were crossing a lake the ice began to break beneath us forcing us to hit the gas and avoid going through. Just as we were getting out of the bush after abandoning the effort it occurred to me that none of us had told anyone where we went. Had we gotten stuck or gone through the ice we would have been screwed. We had no food with us and that could have been a disastrous situation. Since that day I've always told someone where I was fishing and going out from and have never deviated from the plan unless I informed that person that plans had changed. Be safe and tell someone who cares about you where you're going. 4. Don't underestimate the slush and its effect on Quads and Sleds A couple years ago my friend and I ventured out onto Lake Simcoe in search of Lakers. It was a very cold day around -15 degrees. To get to the center of the lake we had to jump a number of pressure cracks and slush. The snow was deep that year so slush was a major issue. Well not long after our long trip out and having fished the spot for a bit we decided to move and the wheels and surrounding areas a seized due to the ice build-up. After chipping away for a good long while we managed to get the quad going but not before doing some damage that later needed repairs. 5. Don't forget the heat When I first started Ice fishing I was invited out with some friends to Lake Scugog for some Walleye action. At the time I felt like we were so prepared. Auger, warm clothes, rubber boots, ice rods, and bait bucket in hand we trekked out to the middle of the lake. It wasn't until we started fishing that I realized how cold it really was. On the walk out carrying all the gear we all worked up a sweat. Before long my feet and hands were so cold I could barely walk around or move my fingers. My day was saved when I asked a fellow ice fisherman for refuge in his hut. It was a black pop up and thank goodness it was sunny out. That heat from the sun hitting his black hut allowed me to warm up fast and I gladly accepted his invitation to fish beside him for the rest of the day. Since that day I vowed I'd never venture out on the ice in sub zero temps without at least a hut and I've gone as far as adding a propane heater to my gear collection. 6. Don't leave home without a jumper box or cables This is one story that I was prepared and it actually saved a friend. Again a friend and I decided to go for Lakers in the center of Lake Simcoe. It was -25 degrees that day and we should have known the day would be problematic. As soon as we arrived the cold from driving in such extreme cold had killed all of our quads batteries. This forced us to jump them from our truck engines. Well after getting the bikes up and running and getting to the center of Lake Simcoe (hour long trip) we setup to fish. My friend shut his bike down and decided to see if it would start again. The battery was completely dead. Thankfully I decided to bring the jumper cables we used that morning and we were able to jump his bike with mine. Had I not been prepared his expensive quad would have been stranded. Even worse had he been alone he would have been stranded in the middle of the lake with nobody in sight to help in that extreme cold. That situation could easily turn deadly. Well I hope you guys can take some valuable knowledge away from this report that may save your life and certainly help you have an enjoyable day of Ice Fishing.
4 anglers like this post
Dec 22, 2014 22/12/14
Brad Paradis
Awesome info
Dec 13, 2014 13/12/14
Mike Bowler
Great tips. I have to say I much prefer the open ice over the hut my self. I may be a sucker for punishment but the open ice is best for me.
Dec 12, 2014 12/12/14
Paul Hall
Great Tips, the one I think we all need to remember is not to be complacent, that's when things will surely go wrong
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