WENT THROUGH THE ICE THIS WEEKEND!

[NH Trout Fisherman]

I had a bad experience this weekend! 

Short Version--- I went through the ice over about 60' F.O.W - I Got out OK.


( Long version ) -If you're interested )---

I towed my shack out to Welch Island about 3 weeks ago.  I have been going out there on Sat and Sun each week to fish and prep for the derby. About a week and a half ago a long pressure ridge formed from Round Island past Welch towards Ellacoya. Last weekend (Feb 2-3) a few of us went out to fish, We checked it out and made it over no problem ( 3 walking, one on a 4 wheeler ) 

This crack was on my mind all this past week. Hearing about all the rain / snow and slushy conditions didn't make things any better.


Well, On Friday My buddy and his Dad went up and obviously weren't going to meet us with their shack due to 6-12" of fresh slop on the ice. So they went over to Saunders Bay where it was a little easier to put out their shack. My other 2 buddies were meeting me at Glendale with their wheeler to head out to our shack.  NO WAY-- too much mess- Plan B --was that an awesome guy we met with a snow-mobile offered to give the older buddy a ride over so he didn't have to walk the mile and a half out, and my other buddy and I would hike out with our jet-sleds and gear to meet him.

Dragging about a hundred pounds of gear ( 2- 20lb propane tanks for the heater, food, clothes, 3 bait buckets etc.) wasn't easy on the slush but we were determined we were in a good spot and were planning on a good weekend. After about 45 minute trek we saw the guy who gave our buddy the ride and he said he made it OK. 

When we got to the pressure ridge it didn't look too bad, fresh snow covered it but at that point there were no wet spots and it was the same area we made it over before. I always carry my ice picks with me when over deep water and we had rope/whisle/life jacket as a precaution just in case...

I decided I had more experience with the spot so I looked around and planned my route and had my picks in hand. I walked just about 5 feet past where the snowmobile had crossed  and in the next couple of steps.......    I HAD BROKEN THROUGH... 


I was able to stop myself before I went under by putting out my arms.  This had never happened to me before,  but I was able to remain calm and remembered what I had read in mags and learned back in the early days of boy-scout training. I used the picks to pull myself to more solid ice, and floated my feet up and tried to swim out onto the solid stuff and wriggle over like a seal on my stomach... I GOT OUT 


 WHAT AN EXPERIENCE>>> Needless to say we weren't going out to the shack this weekend. MY buddy went over to the guy with the snow mobile and he was nice enough to get our other buddy and taxi us and our stuff back to shore.  My two buddies were more shaken up than I was.. I THINK . They decided to call it a weekend and headed home. I was in fresh clothes and OK so I drove over to Saunders to tell the other buddies what happened ( Cell phones dont work when wet ). I actually camped out in my truck and fished the rest of the weekend, but without much luck as I wasn't able to fish my desired location. Only wound up with five 20" cusk and missed a couple trout on flags.    AHH well at least I'm alive and There's always next year....





 

[mgarvey]

Thats a scary experience. It happened to me about 10 years ago.

I will never forget it and I am prepared for it everytime I go out on the ice. I am glad you are here to talk about it and there is always next  years derby.

[Fishin-Cutie]

That had to be sooo scary!!  Good thing you were prepared...glad to hear you made it out ok.  Stay safe!

[natureboy79]

glad your alright. My buddy fell through twice in moultonboro bay on sat. we had a good 8 inches of ice but he managed to find a weak spot twice while carrying the auger. thank god we were in 3 f.o.w. The ice is really crappy out there now. We went out to rattlesnake today and halfway there the ice is a big slop pit. only about 4-6 inches on the way out.Went to long island Fri and truck fell in pressure ridge so we stayed away with the ATVs.sat the warden said we could cross it with the wheelers but I didn't want to risk my life for a CHANCE to win a boat. Bad conditions for derby weekend this year.Another friend fell in winnisquam with his atv.Be carefull out there!

[jayswimmer09]

glad your alright!!!

[RealityCheck]

So what does a guy do to remedy falling through on "safe ice".  Do you take a spud and make your way across a lake??  I always have my picks in left pocket ready to go.  Stories like this freak me out.  I guess it is better to have a healthy respect for the ice, no matter how thick it is.  It is 4 degrees farenhuit right now.  How long do you have if you fall in before you cannot get out, and get to car.  Anyone fall through in real cold weather like this?

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Thanks Guys.  Fortunately for me I was able to get out in less than a minute or two and also because I had spare clothes/boots right there in the sled I was pulling.

[KJB]

lucky and scary, good thing to be prepared.

[natureboy79]

pair that fell in on ossippee sat morning, one was out quick,other was in for 10 min. Both rushed to hospital with hypothermia.doesn't take long at all! When this slush freezes its will be more junk ice.

[aklimbing]

That is a scary story! Glad to hear you're alright. Its getting to be that time of the year around here. I do not have ice picks, but after reading your story, I'm going to get some.  Thanks for sharing.

[Joe Cuzzie]

good thing you got out ok.. how did the picks work did they help you get out really good

[hamadog]

Both of the pressure ridges were horrible. Glad you made out allright.

[knurren]

Wow!  Pretty cool that you make it out alright.  Neat story that shows how it can happen to ANY ONE of us.

[ovidgsd]

WOW - glad you made it out ok and thanks for sharing the story.

the conditions were awful for moving around, your SLOG out to the shack with all the gear is exactly the same as what my buddy and I did on Friday night as well - 1.5 miles of grueling hauling on foot.

Then tried the 4x4 on saturday and made things 10x worse! - got there and back safely but not with out help from snowmobiles pulling the 4x4 part of the way - that was nuts and stupid - will not do that again.........time to fork out the $$$$ for tracks................

[Toastie]

Glad too hear it all worked out. You'r one lucky Dude.

[MnSportsman]

I'm not "yellin" with the Bold/underline, Just a very important tip, that could save a life!

Take the piks out of your pocket, bucket, whereever ya keep them, & put them  on a line around your neck, so they are easier to find & you don't lose them.if ya do go thru

It's wasted time trying to dig for them , need to take gloves off, etc. won't help.

NH Trout Fisherman. Glad to hear you were alright. I've been thru twice, & I think you'll agree.. That water Is COLD!

[thefinlessbrown2]

man thats a scary scene !! i also went through but fortunatly for me it was only in a foot of water near an inlet too close to the edge !!i will say this that ice was very soft !!!!!!!!! wasnt a crisp break more like a sqishy plunge very glad your ok man and glad you were able to salvage your weekend 

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Hey Mn Fisherman,

Thats exactly what I did when I went through, Probably why I was able to get out so fast--- I knew that it was a potential bad spot so I had the pics in hand and there was rope and flotation device in the sled ( Didn't need em ).  But it is definately important to BE PREPARED.

[Art 53]

NH Trout fisherman:  Thank you this is what I like about this site it makes us all think what if that were I

[tracker 1]

Hey Mn Fisherman,

Thats exactly what I did when I went through, Probably why I was able to get out so fast--- I knew that it was a potential bad spot so I had the pics in hand and there was rope and flotation device in the sled ( Didn't need em ).  But it is definately important to BE PREPARED.

What do you feel is the most important thing to have with you if you go through the ice. Picks ,rope, life jacket ?

[BigG3206]

Glad to hear you're ok.  That would have shaken me up a bit.