Tackeling my demons

[spook_bob]

I'm coming back up after breaking through the ice on bitter last year, anyone else lost their vehicle on the lake and jumped back in?

[drillinforgold]

Never have. Never want too try it. Went through the Vermillion River at Parker,SD as a kid sledding. Hooked my elbows on the ice and felt my legs being pushed down river so knew it was time to find a way out. Not sure how, must have been the Big Guy upstairs helped me out.

[diesel2012]

I've only gotten back into ice fishing in the last 3 or so years. If there's one thing I've learned in those years it's don't take chances at all. The way the weather has been this year I'm extremely cautious even walking on ice let alone driving on it. I can't afford to have a vehicle pulled out and I won't even contemplate losing my life or a friend's life through the ice. It's not worth it. Ever. No fish or hot bite is ever worth that. Stay safe!

[gunnerdog]

Yup,  Back in '07 I dropped my pickup in a local Lake when there was a white out and I got disorientated on which way I was going.  I never want that again.  I now use an atv everytime I go out.

[Widowmaker]

Went through in a pickup as a passenger after we had ventured off the main trail, was able to crawl out the window as the truck sank, took awhile but I do continue to drive or ride in vehicles on the ice with the windows always cracked, but am now very cautious to drill holes and check the ice to make sure it is safe for driving on.

[Duckhunter76]

Went down 6 or 7 years ago on a lake just southwest of sisseton with my son. Despite only being yards from where we drove on, it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. It was late in the year and I had driven over that spot only a week before. Luckily we went down right on top of a submerged road. The ice was much thicker than the water underneath of us, so the water only came up to the floor of the truck. Two of my in-laws came out and sledge hammered a path back to shore and a tow truck reeled me in with little to no damage. To my boy's credit, he still wanted to go fishing! We walked out and caught a nice batch of perch.... I was really lucky that day. I put my boy's life in danger but by good fortune, the man upstairs, or whatever, we came out unscathed. It took a few years before I could bring myself to drive on the ice again..always only on a main path, unbuckled, with the window down, and with extreme caution. I never again want to hear that awful sound of ice breaking or have that "sinking feeling", literally. No ice is completely "safe"...ever

[spur60]

Buddy and I put his jeep cherokee through on a lake in MN 14 years ago next week.  Flooded road bed with bad ice.  Didn't really deter me from driving or fishing, I just payed better attention to ice conditions after that.

[royjulius]

I've gone through on foot a couple of times near shore in late spring when the rocks warm up, but other than that I pull my sled on foot so no worries. I wait one or two weeks longer to get started ice fishing because I used to go out a little too early and had some close calls. 

[BlackHillsIce]

Yep, last year I went through on foot on Curlew.  It changes your perspective.  Looking like we are about done for this season w/forecast.  I hope to hit Sheridan Monday.

For a handy safety device get a $7 Labrador training throw toy from Running's, $10 roll of paracord, and you have a compact throwable rescue.

Scott