Went though the ice today! Be careful!

[taxi1]

It seems some deep snow pushed up against my pier had retarded ice formation along with a bubbler I'm running about 30 feet away to prevent winter kill. I've also noticed over the years my wooden pier warms up and retards ice formation. Upon close examination I have open water under part of the pier!

What happened was I was checking the ice off the pier with one of my boots and suddenly I'm in!   Surprisingly once my jacket and clothes became waterlogged, the pier wasn't much help in getting out as it's up above the ice level somewhat, and I had to roll my self up on the ice before getting up on the pier. I had the dog on a lease and she was standing on the pier looking at me like, "what in the hell are you dong in the water!?"

After losing one boot to the pond bottom I took one off and made a mad dash to the house through the snow. Cooooooold!  

So be careful out there. Deep snow can be quite an insulator regardless of how cold it gets. The rest of my pond has a solid 6 to 7 inches of ice although the snow on top has melted.

[crappiekiller75]

Wow close one!  i went thru the ice about 5 years ago...same thing kinda, ice was 8-10 inches but then i stepped on a big snow drift and in i went! luckily I had my ice picks around my neck to pull myself out. Glad to here your o.k.

[GrnDay33]

Ya know most of us wait until summertime to go swimming...Showoff.... .. WOW, i haven't gone in yet as I am usually careful, Glad you weren't far from home and able to tell the story. keep it on TOP of the ice!!

[Michigan Mafia]

Wow, glad your ok.

A friend of mine went through the ice last weekend as well. I stepped onto the ice right from shore and she walked out onto the dock and stepped off the side and went in up to her waist. The lake we were fishing had a solid 5" to 6" all around but apparently not around the dock.

After reading your post and seeing her go in, from now on I will always access a lake from shore instead of using a dock.

[boatdriver]

Never thought about docks warming the water but it makes sense,makes me wonder about going this weekend since the warm up here in the southern tier, stay on the dry side

[Swift]

After ice out the first place you fish is docks and brush, always a few degrees warmer. Believe it's called the albedo effect, dark things absorb light into heat, light stuff reflects it more. Why many don't wear a black tee shirt in August, they'll fry

[FishinJenn]

We got all the idiots out here in Lake George, out on 2 inches or so of ice, no thanks, I'd rather saty on top! Glad you were able to tell the story!!

[walleymaster96]

well that's really bad and hope you get your boot back

[taxi1]

well that's really bad and hope you get your boot back

No it's still down there. I used a dye on the pond this year so I can't see it on the bottom. I might be able to snag it tomorrow though. At least I have another set of boots.

My pier goes completely across the pond although I still need to put some boards on the other end. I have a friend that lives on a lake that has changed his pier a couple of times and given me his old ones. It's really nice to ice fish off of if you think the ice is questionable.

Here it is before I added the last 30 feet. That's my old girl checking out the pier. She passed away over a year ago. She's sorely missed. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

both times i fell thru was getting on the ice from a dock.

[Sandbilly]

Glad you are still here to talk about it.

Nice looking place taxi1.

dc