Author Topic: Cass County Ice Conditions (Read 2890 times)

icemantwo · « **on:** Jan 14, 2012, 01:53 PM »

Anybody check the ice today in Cass County? I checked Juno yesterday and there was about 1/2" with no snow on it. I'm hoping with these cold temps that I'll be on ice somewhere around here by Monday.

carpslayer93 · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 01:58 PM »

That's the best report yet.no snow on it is a blessing.please keep updating on juno.i live in Berrien co.so would nit mind the drive...

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 03:05 PM »

6 inches of slush on top of this

DaveSS1 · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 03:37 PM »

ya wont be bustin any slumps on that junk!

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 03:59 PM »

Nope! It's gonna be awhile still. Every lake I checked was the same

icemantwo · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 04:08 PM »

I just did some scouting all lakes around here are slush. Looks like we're not gonna have ice for a while.

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 04:43 PM »

Keep your head up...it's 18 now, possibly single digits tonight... That slush will lock up and we'll be good to go soon!

swamp · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 07:10 PM »

Quote from: Slumpbuster on Jan 14, 2012, 04:43 PM

Keep your head up...it's 18 now, possibly single digits tonight... That slush will lock up and we'll be good to go soon!

sure hope your are right! i am so ready to go!

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 07:22 PM »

9 degrees at the moment... I'll check it out again in the morning...I'm bringing the gear in the truck tomorrow tho. I have a feelin I'll be needing it

wax_worm · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 07:29 PM »

Quote from: Slumpbuster on Jan 14, 2012, 04:43 PM

Keep your head up...it's 18 now, possibly single digits tonight... That slush will lock up and we'll be good to go soon!

That slush will freeze into cake ice which is useless. 8" of airfilled cake ice is not as good a 2" of black ice. All it is doing is preventing the cold from making any good ice and will probably freeze about 3 inches with 3 inches of water below it, then that 1/2 inch of good ice below the layer of water. Saw the same thing on 2 lakes today, just less cake ice due to less snow.

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 08:07 PM »

Frozen slush is not worthless ice....is it as strong as clear black ice? No, but I know for a fact that 4-6 inches of white ice is more than enough to hold me up. Keep waiting on your 2 inches bro....6inches of solid frozen slush, and I'll be icing some fish

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 08:12 PM »

Plus I'm so tired of everyone and their 2 inches of good ice...clear black ice is great to walk on, but start spudding a hole in 2 inches of ice I've done it, and usually break right thru

icemantwo · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 08:51 PM »

Quote from: Slumpbuster on Jan 14, 2012, 08:07 PM

Frozen slush is not worthless ice....is it as strong as clear black ice? No, but I know for a fact that 4-6 inches of white ice is more than enough to hold me up. Keep waiting on your 2 inches bro....6inches of solid frozen slush, and I'll be icing some fish

All the air pockets in it makes it a lot less dense and therefore a lot weaker than clear black ice. I doubt you could fish on 4 inches of frozen slush and I do not recommend you try it. Based on what I saw today I doubt anybody will be ice fishing on Juno tomorrow. It's supposed to get warm again for a few days so that will ruin the small amount of ice we have. We are going to keep having this warm/ cold system for the rest of "winter." I don't think we're gonna get much time on the ice this year.

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 09:34 PM »

I'm not saying its not weaker....I'm only arguing how much weaker...In my experience it is about 25% weaker than clear ice...Lets call it 50% weaker for sake of argument...How many of you are comfortable on 4 inches of "good" ice? well if frozen slush is half as strong, you should be just as comfortable on 8 inches of frozen slush. I'm not suggesting that anyone go out on the ice any time soon...in fact I encourage you to stay home! but I know how much ice it takes to safely fish, and would never risk my life for a bluegill! I've also never fallen thru like so many of the "experts" that think 2-3 inches of clear ice is safe!!!

wax_worm · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 09:54 PM »

Quote from: Slumpbuster on Jan 14, 2012, 09:34 PM

I'm not saying its not weaker....I'm only arguing how much weaker...In my experience it is about 25% weaker than clear ice...Lets call it 50% weaker for sake of argument...How many of you are comfortable on 4 inches of "good" ice? well if frozen slush is half as strong, you should be just as comfortable on 8 inches of frozen slush. I'm not suggesting that anyone go out on the ice any time soon...in fact I encourage you to stay home! but I know how much ice it takes to safely fish, and would never risk my life for a bluegill! I've also never fallen thru like so many of the "experts" that think 2-3 inches of clear ice is safe!!!

In 30 years of doing this I have never seen anyone under 250 lbs fall thru 3 inches of clear black ice. However I have seen guys of all weights break thru a foot or more of cake ice, snow ice, slush ice or whatever you want to call it. It is not even close to 50% as strong as black clear ice. One wrong step on that crap ice and in you go.

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 10:10 PM »

really?

Ice Thickness   Permissible Load
2 inches   one person on foot
3 inches   group in single file
7.5 inches   one car (2 tons)
8 inches   light truck (2.5 tons)
10 inches   truck (3.5 tons)
12 inches   heavy truck (7-8 tons)
15 inches   10 tons
20 inches   25 tons

Note: This guide is based on clear, blue, hard ice on non-running waters. Slush ice is about 50 percent weaker. Clear, blue ice over running water is about 20 percent weaker. Many ice anglers do not like to fish on less than five inches of ice, and do not like to drive a pick-up truck on less than 15 inches of ice. Use common sense!

scoutb · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 10:13 PM »

It's not so much the cake but the frosting that will cause you to break through a foot of ice.

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 14, 2012, 10:30 PM »

The US Army Corps Of Engineers has pretty good charts on their website proving my wild theory of slush ice being roughly 50% weaker than clear ice...
But hey...why trust them? Everyone on here already knows whatever is said on ice shanty is an absolute fact!

icemantwo · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 15, 2012, 11:44 AM »

Quote from: Slumpbuster on Jan 14, 2012, 10:30 PM

The US Army Corps Of Engineers has pretty good charts on their website proving my wild theory of slush ice being roughly 50% weaker than clear ice...
But hey...why trust them? Everyone on here already knows whatever is said on ice shanty is an absolute fact!

I was not trying to be rude I was trying to be informative. Sorry if I upset you somehow. Tell us if you get out on Juno today we might have a chance by tomorrow. It was -1 when I was ice fishing this morning in Indiana so it should be making a lot of ice..

limitingout · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 15, 2012, 05:23 PM »

I just come off the ice here in cass county fished on one lake for a couple of hours and walked on two others.

Slumpbuster · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 15, 2012, 09:58 PM »

fished all day on 4 inches of white ice...did pretty dang well too

kcskypilot · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 18, 2012, 07:03 AM »

Any one up to giving an ice report later this week? By tomorrow we will at least be back to Monday's levels. By Friday,...?

Mondo · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 18, 2012, 11:28 AM »

Are they on Juno channels yet?

phil.from.cassopolis · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 18, 2012, 11:56 AM »

there is three guys out on stone lake in cassopolis but not sure how much ice there is ,..,phil

TeamDonut · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 02:38 PM »

Has anyone checked Saddlbag yet?

bobberbill · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 04:00 PM »

just got back from a kzoo run..No one is on Sugarloaf in Portage. That surprises me, they usally get on that one early. Then checked Corey and Harwood. NOBODY..Fisherman's luck bait shop said rumors of 4-5 inches on clear and pleasant. They told me of someone falling thru yesterday chest deep, but didnt say which lake. Someon broke thru trying to get on Harwood at the PA..knee deep..Best ice so far is floating in my tonic!!

waterfowler · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 22, 2012, 11:43 AM »

any one on ice around Edwardsburg yet? Painter or Juno Lakes?

Mondo · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 25, 2012, 09:44 AM »

I have heard they are on those lakes, will find out tonight as I am going that way.

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Author Topic: Cass County Ice Conditions (Read 2890 times)