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Check the ice as you go, get a spud.
I have never gone on the ice without my spud. Even when I've driven my truck out on 3.5 foot of ice, my spud was with me. It "never" hurts to check the ice periodically while going out to check and see what your on. I can tell with one whack of my spud what the ice is like. I usually hit the ice just about every step, while walking out. I have been walking along on a good three of four inches and hit the spud the next step and it disappears. NOT a good feeling! It sure makes you put on the brakes and throw it in reverse quick.
I have seen ice a foot thick that a 80lb kid couldn't walk on. Ice thickness doesn't have a dam to do with how safe it is. What matters is the kind of ice your standing on. If the ice is dark and solid your in good shape. Or even white on top and dark underneath it. As long as you are on some good dark ice. Even if its only three inches it will hold most people. However, when it starts to warm up the ice has a tendency to get honeycombed. When that happens you can take your spud and hit the ice and it will go all the way through a foot of ice. The ice will actually look like long ice crystals. I wouldn't trust any honeycombed ice, not even if it was two foot thick!
I fish most every day and have noticed its a lot easier to drill a hole now. Ice this time of year gets soft quick.