IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Ice Fishing Safety => Topic started by: Redneck Fishfinder on Jan 28, 2014, 08:35 AM
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I mean there are charts that say what is safe but we all have our own comfort zones based on our own experiences. With temperatures being so cold this winter I'll probably be driving out on it sometime this winter and I'm wondering what people's personal opinions are.
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one hundred sowsand feet.......
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I go by the charts & still check the ice. the most important thing to remember is not to park too close to other vehicles. I always get a chuckle out of the groups of vehicles that park close to shore like they would in a parking lot..... eventually something's gonna give. I've seen rows of vehicles half wet in the shallows.
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I am certainly not planning on making a parking lot on the ice! I'm thinking 18 inches of clear ice should be enough to support an f250 based on the charts but I wanted to hear some people's personal opinions. Do pressure cracks weaken the ice enough to make a difference in its weight bearing ability?
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When I was younger (did it once) 10", now a little older(maybe wiser) don't think till its 20" plus if ever!
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This part of the country an even foot is pretty much license to drive. I've seen others (and been) out on about 8" of crystal clear, nary a bubble or crack. Of course, I've done my own checking and don't do that as a rule. Also seen the parking lots, literally door to door on as little as 12-13".
That said, assume all others are idiots, check your own path and parking and always err on the side of caution.....
/m
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I would say to ask your insurance agent how thick he or she thinks it should b lol
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Depends on whose vehicle?
Yours? I may take it out on +18"
Mine? Never
Long island? As in long island ny?
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good solid ice can hold tons of weight. Here in Wisconsin it is not uncommon to see communities of shacks, 40 or so, surrounded by 20 trucks. I drove my 1/2 ton on 11 inches this year but ended up backing off from where we intended to fish as the reality of sinking my rig set in. There were trucks much further out on the lake but I went with the better safe than sorry gig. If you have consistent and good ice, 12 inches will easily hold a 1/2 ton truck. We generally use 12" as go time. We have vehicles go down in Wisconsin but it is generally a result of people not knowing the bad spots on lakes. Right now we have 30" of ice on most lakes...........it has been quite a winter.
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I'm real comfortable on 18"
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Does full coverage insurance cover if it goes in??
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I am certainly not planning on making a parking lot on the ice! I'm thinking 18 inches of clear ice should be enough to support an f250 based on the charts but I wanted to hear some people's personal opinions. Do pressure cracks weaken the ice enough to make a difference in its weight bearing ability?
We don't deal with pressure ridges on the lakes I fish in WI. we do fish lake of the woods and they are common. They put bridges over these and we drive right over. Some people drive right up next to them and drop portables down. Although I don't know the science, experience tells me the pressure ridge will not weaken the ice.
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Does full coverage insurance cover if it goes in??
I asked this specifically...they responded...if the ice is considered safe it is covered. They did not however define what they consider safe. they do not cover recovery which can be upwards of 10 grand. They told me my truck would be covered if I put it through and one could reasonably assume the ice was safe. Thankfully I have never had to test this policy.
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I asked this specifically...they responded...if the ice is considered safe it is covered. They did not however define what they consider safe. they do not cover recovery which can be upwards of 10 grand. They told me my truck would be covered if I put it through and one could reasonably assume the ice was safe. Thankfully I have never had to test this policy.
I also asked my agent and the answer I got was "yes you do have some coverage, a lot of it depends"
Great answer!
WS
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Here is what my Dad told me.
Good Ice will hold:
2'' two men
4'' a team of horses
8'' a locomotive
His truck 12"
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Maddogg does your dad sell insurance??
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Must have full coverage. Make sure you have plenty of comprehensive coverage.
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Depends on whose vehicle?
Yours? I may take it out on +18"
Mine? Never
Long island? As in long island ny?
That's where I live but it's not where I ice fish! I certainly don't plan on driving my truck out on anything in LI.
From what I'm getting, if there is 18" of clear ice or more I should be ok. I guess we'll see! I know my lakes pretty well and I know what lakes not to trust. I have a good insurance policy and if it goes through on 20" of ice (which I doubt would happen) I'm probably covered. I'll just drive with the windows open!
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About a foot of real good ice and I'll drive on it with my truck. That means good clear ice, no snow, no weird freezes (i.e. wind breaking it apart and refreezing it). If there's snow it adds a new element. The lake itself determines when I'll drive on it as well. Two lakes not far from my parents house in Wisconsin and one has over 2 feet of ice and the other has just over a foot. They are about 5 miles away from one another. Different bodies of water have different characteristics.
The thinnest ice I've driven on was 4 inches in a small car. It was good ice but it was a bit nuts on our part.
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My grandpa always said these were his standards
2"= man
4"= 4wheeler
8"=pickup
12"=18 wheeler,
For me it's
+4"= man
+12"=4wheeler/snowmachine
Lake frozen solid=pickup ;D
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What about a heavy truck like an f-250, does that make much of a difference?
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It depends... How thick is the surface of the earth that the blacktop is supported by?.... That thick.
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That's pretty thick...
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My general guide line is
3+" - 1 person (people weigh different amounts ya know!)
5+" - small group not too close together.
6+" - larger group
7+" -people are fine!
8 - 10" - small car (who would bring a small car out on a lake?)
10 - 20" - small truck (now we're talking!)
20+" - You're good to go!
There are different guidelines for almost every state, but they don't differ that much.
The best advice I can give is that the safest ice for driving won't be until Jan/Feb after a deep freeze!
I drive my truck out on Winnipesaukee in NH, and they tend to have upwards of 2 feet of ice through most of the season.
Of course they have weak spots that almost (I stress ALMOST) everyone knows to avoid, but there's always the exception to any rule and they end up fishing them out every season (dead and alive).
Always be aware of the ice and your surroundings, and if you have even the faintest hint that the ice may be unsafe, stay off or drive with the windows open and no seatbelts (for quick exit if needed)!!!
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with my Tahoe I like a minimum of 15" but do know that 12" will hold it(made the mistake of driving out after seeing 3 full size truck on this lake I fish, got out and drilled my hole and I got a surprise when I measured). Don't plan to repeat that again. talk about pucker factor.
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What about a heavy truck like an f-250, does that make much of a difference?
Heavy trucks will need thicker ice. Not likely I'll ever drive my F350 (well over 6,000 lbs.) out to my fishing spot. If I need to drive out there'll be my 800 Sportsman under me ...
:tipup:
NBG
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The ice has never been that thick here....
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18"....and other ones out there already.
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15-18 clear ice for me. 3/4 ton diesel
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If you drive a 250/2500 diesel out on 15-18 I shouldn't be too worried about driving an F-250 gasser on 18-20!
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The last day I got out on Sakakawea last March I almost bottomed the Jiffy on the ice before I punched through. There was still no way I was gonna drive the truck out. I have neither the stones to do it nor the wallet to cover it should I go through. Maybe after another season or 2 up here I will.
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Saw a couple f250s out in NESD last week on 10-13" of ice with small spots less then 10". Lots of regular full size trucks out also. I drove the atv out. Guess only south dakotans have enough cajones to drive on thin ice.
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I like to have 12 to 13 inches for my dodge
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F350 diesel crew cab here, so about 18" before I'm comfy.
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And you do drive comfortably on 18 inches of ice? That makes me more willing to do it!
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18" of GOOD ice on lakes I know, I'm comfortable.
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10" of solid blue ice can hold a 3500 series truck. But just one in the location , not groups of them. Keep in mind most importantly that white ice has half the bearing capacity of blue ice so if it takes 10 inches of blue ice you'd need 20" of white ice or a more likely combination of 6" blue ice and 8" of white ice. 14-18" ice definitely a safe drive on range.
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When I was younger (did it once) 10", now a little older(maybe wiser) don't think till its 20" plus if ever!
Same but high side 18-20"
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Diesel one ton 4 door, like 18 inches of good ice think that truck is about 8000 lb
the 3/4 ton gas weight I think 6000 I wait till it is about the same 18 just to be safe, but have had it out on 10inces of good ice but was not all that comfy with it. after that I got a 4 wheeler and use that till I feel it is good to go for the truck. After 18 inches I feel good with any of the trucks/suburban and the perm behind it.
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On the way up to Maine a couple seasons ago my friends and I were talking about how crazy we thought it was to drive a truck out on the ice, even if the ice was more than a foot. We had a long drive and along the way riffed on things we'd seen and heard about with folks putting their cars and trucks through the ice. We all agreed we'd pretty much never drive out on the ice around here.
Fast forward about two hours.
We'd trudged through 5 or so inches of snow for about 3/4 of a mile to get to our spot and had been fishing a while when my buddy's auger dies and he confesses that he forgot the gas can in his car. He and I made the long walk back to retrieve the gas. Along the way we saw many cars, snowmobiles, and atvs parked in one area and driving around. There was an easy 24" of ice.
I ate my words from the morning, fired up the truck and drove it out on the ice. In the beginning it was a little scary, but everything went without incident. I'd drive out on 20" of quality ice again, provided the distance I needed to go to the fishing spot was far enough out to warrant it.
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I got this from the farmers almanac. I'm generally fine driving on a lake if I see other vehicles and houses already on the lake and when the ice is at least 10" thick consistently. I currently own a half ton truck.
From the almanac:
3" - one person on foot
4" - group in single file
7.5" - passenger car (2 ton gross)
8" - light truck (2.5 ton gross)
10" - medium truck (3.5 ton gross)
12" - heavy truck (8 ton gross)
15" - ten tons
20" - 25 tons
30" - 70 tons
36" - 110 tons
This is for solid, clear, blue/black lake or pond ice. Slush ice has half the strength of clear ice and river ice is 15% less.
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I won't take my ranger on any less than 16 inches
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I got this from the farmers almanac. I'm generally fine driving on a lake if I see other vehicles and houses already on the lake and when the ice is at least 10" thick consistently. I currently own a half ton truck.
From the almanac:
3" - one person on foot
4" - group in single file
7.5" - passenger car (2 ton gross)
8" - light truck (2.5 ton gross)
10" - medium truck (3.5 ton gross)
12" - heavy truck (8 ton gross)
15" - ten tons
20" - 25 tons
30" - 70 tons
36" - 110 tons
This is for solid, clear, blue/black lake or pond ice. Slush ice has half the strength of clear ice and river ice is 15% less.
Not too far down the road in WI here. I like you have very little fear of good solid ice. We have cities develop in small areas on our local lakes. I am always curious how much weight is in a small area when there are 20 permanents and 15 trucks surrounding them. This shows the sheer strength of good ice. I will say though you have much bigger cahoonas than I driving your rig on 10". You wont catch me on less than 12". I know good solid ice can hold a huge amount of weight so it is whatever you are comfortable with. The part that scares me about less than 12" is uneven freezing. When on 12" you may hit a 10" spot somewhere and be ok. On 10" I would be worried about running into an 8" spot.
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Thicker than this:
(http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee417/esox_xtm/Funny%20Stuff/sinking-cars-lake-geneva_zpsopnbttdk.jpg) (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/esox_xtm/media/Funny%20Stuff/sinking-cars-lake-geneva_zpsopnbttdk.jpg.html)
Last weekend In SE WI....... ???
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Thicker than this:
(http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee417/esox_xtm/Funny%20Stuff/sinking-cars-lake-geneva_zpsopnbttdk.jpg) (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/esox_xtm/media/Funny%20Stuff/sinking-cars-lake-geneva_zpsopnbttdk.jpg.html)
Last weekend In SE WI....... ???
That's the worst is when you see parking lots form on the ice. I know if anyone parks within 30 FT of my truck they will get an earful regardless of how thick the ice is, but I don't really fish the community holes, so if anyone invades my space they are being a rude in general as well.
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NEVER THICK ENOUGH FOR ME. ::) ::) ::) :cookoo:
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Use the 12 pac guide. Full, you need a foot, half gone six inches, empty you can probably hydroplane out. Use 12 ouncers, 16s screw it all up!