Don't mark old holes with 2x4's!!!

[WALLEYES INC.]

A friend was riding across Canadarago with a group of snowmobilers Fri night and some idiot stuck a piece of 2X4 in a hole to mark it and the guy hit it head on and smashed the front all up on his sled , lucky no one was hurt or even killed! Use some common sense.

[ICE DOG 69]

A friend was riding across Canadarago with a group of snowmobilers Fri night and some idiot stuck a piece of 2X4 in a hole to mark it and the guy hit it head on and smashed the front all up on his sled , lucky no one was hurt or even killed! Use some common sense.

Talk about common sense

2 weeks ago at a tourney 2 guys on sleds came whipping by the whole group who was in the tourney and one of the sleds wiped out my buddies tip-ups.  Talk about common sense.  Why on earth does a sled have to go where people are fishing???  Really can't understand it.  You wouldn't drive your car on a baseball field...

If you own a sled stay away from where people are fishing, pretty simple fix there....  I own a nice sled and NEVER, NEVER take it where it is a known fishing place.  A little respect can go along way.

I'm just saying........

[trout chaser]

I USE a snowmobile to  pull  my  sled around, fishing and snomobiles, lakes can  coexist   if   you  follow  the  rules  and  speed  limits  and  yes  common  sense,  should somebody  put a  big  2/4  in  middle  of  lake  sticking  up  no,   but  marking  a  hole  isnt a  bad  idea either   just use  somthing  that  wont  hurt  someone  or  expensive   machines

[muskrat bay]

I myself love when people mark holes because you know they want to return there because those holes usually produce fish ,i agree dont mark them with something that someone can get hurt on but small sticks a can or something like that wont hurt usually if i find something that is either propane tanks or garbage or boards i mark the spot with my gps and pick up the stuff and bring it in solves that dillema now i have the good fishing spot    problem solved

[lake forest beach]

"if your yellow let it mellow"

[Baitfisher]

A friend was riding across Canadarago with a group of snowmobilers Fri night and some idiot stuck a piece of 2X4 in a hole to mark it and the guy hit it head on and smashed the front all up on his sled , lucky no one was hurt or even killed! Use some common sense.

Its too bad about your friends snowmobile. But I do have mixed feelings about snowmobilers racing across the ice. Ive had tip-ups destroyed twice on Canadrago in broad daylight by guys flying through my sets while I stood nearby and tried to wave them off. Neither operator stopped to apologize or to offer to pay for the tip-up!
I don't drill holes on your snowmobile trails, please don't run over my sets.
That said who in the world drags a 2x4 on the ice for anything but blocking up a shanty or getting over thin shoreline ice?

[Gotalimit]

No matter what, It's just plain STUPID to mark a hole with a solid object

[spoonfeeder01]

No matter what, It's just plain STUPID to mark a hole with a solid object

gotta luv the emty propane cylinder trick to,thats a stroke of genious, love hittin those with the boat in the spring!

[rayman54]

YA' KNOW, HERE IS A GUY THINKING HE IS DOING THE RIGHT THING BY MARKING A HOLE SO AS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW DO NOT STEP HERE BECAUSE YOU COULD FALL IN AND DROWN OR BREAK A LEG OR SOMETHING.  I DON'T BELIVE IT CAME TO MIND WHEN HE WAS DOING SO THAT HE WAS PUTTING A DANGER UP IN THE ICE FOR ANYBODY TO RUN INTO OR TRIP OVER OR FOR SNOWMOBILERS WHO BELIVE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL AT THE SPEED OF SOUND WHERE EVER THEY PLEASE. POSSIBLY A BIGGER OBJECT WOULD BE BETTER SO IT COULD BE SEEN AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT,,,,,,,,,BUT HOW BIG DOES IT NEED TO BE TO PLEASE SOMEONE.  SUPPOSE THE 2X4 NEVER WAS PUT IN THE HOLE AND SOME POOR @$%TARD STEPPED INTO A SPEARING HOLE AND DROWNED, WOULD WE BE HAPPIER? I DON'T THINK SO.
IS A 2X4 IN A HOLE IN THE ICE UNSAFE?  I BELIVE THATS A MATTER OF OPINION.
YOU COULD RUN INTO MY TRUCK WITH YOUR SNOWMOBILE,,,,DOES THAT MEAN I SHOULD NOT HAVE PARKED WHERE YOU WANT TO RIDE?
THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND SNOWMOBILERS AND WHAT THEY THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO,,,,,,,,,,, OR ANYBODY ELSE.
I HOPE THE MICHIGAN DNR DOES NOT GET WIND OF THIS OR THEY MAY BAN ICE FISHING HERE JUST TO BE SURE EVERYTHING IS SAFE FOR THE SNOWMOBILERS,  A LOT OF THEM HERE THINK THEY CAN WALK ON WATER AND DO WHAT THEY PLEASE.

[ICE DOG 69]

YA' KNOW, HERE IS A GUY THINKING HE IS DOING THE RIGHT THING BY MARKING A HOLE SO AS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW DO NOT STEP HERE BECAUSE YOU COULD FALL IN AND DROWN OR BREAK A LEG OR SOMETHING.  I DON'T BELIVE IT CAME TO MIND WHEN HE WAS DOING SO THAT HE WAS PUTTING A DANGER UP IN THE ICE FOR ANYBODY TO RUN INTO OR TRIP OVER OR FOR SNOWMOBILERS WHO BELIVE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL AT THE SPEED OF SOUND WHERE EVER THEY PLEASE. POSSIBLY A BIGGER OBJECT WOULD BE BETTER SO IT COULD BE SEEN AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT,,,,,,,,,BUT HOW BIG DOES IT NEED TO BE TO PLEASE SOMEONE.  SUPPOSE THE 2X4 NEVER WAS PUT IN THE HOLE AND SOME POOR @$%TARD STEPPED INTO A SPEARING HOLE AND DROWNED, WOULD WE BE HAPPIER? I DON'T THINK SO.
IS A 2X4 IN A HOLE IN THE ICE UNSAFE?  I BELIVE THATS A MATTER OF OPINION.
YOU COULD RUN INTO MY TRUCK WITH YOUR SNOWMOBILE,,,,DOES THAT MEAN I SHOULD NOT HAVE PARKED WHERE YOU WANT TO RIDE?
THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND SNOWMOBILERS AND WHAT THEY THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO,,,,,,,,,,, OR ANYBODY ELSE.
I HOPE THE MICHIGAN DNR DOES NOT GET WIND OF THIS OR THEY MAY BAN ICE FISHING HERE JUST TO BE SURE EVERYTHING IS SAFE FOR THE SNOWMOBILERS,  A LOT OF THEM HERE THINK THEY CAN WALK ON WATER AND DO WHAT THEY PLEASE.

Good points !!!  And like I said before I have a nice sled and love riding but I stay clear of possible spots that are or have been occupied.  How about staying on a designated trail ?  Or is that to much to ask ?  It works for me, I have never had someone complain to me about me when I stay on designated trails.  I have no problem with an Ice fisherman using a sled to get to his spot because you know he will be respectful of other people and there spots.....

[bigfoot697]

use your brain!!!!!!!!!!! if you dont know the area go slow until you know where you are going. stay off private land at all times and rescept other peoples rights. my uncle left his barbwire fences up 1 year on his land and the cops called him about a missing sleder. they went on his land and found the guy still on his sled frozen stiff. his helmet and head were found aways back on the trail he made  :embarassed:.this happened years ago near sandy pond, ill never forget it.

[brokenline]

i hate it i have a shanty ohh in the middle of no where with a big lake to ride around and they ride less than 10 feet from my door step...c mon i wish there was a way to stop thees jerks.. any ideas???

[coldbum]

I lost a ton of tipups out on the Sacandaga over the years due to maniacal sled drivers.
One I shot a safety flare when they almost took me and a buddy out They sure slowed down.
Eventual we began to use driveway reflectors to mark out our fishing area on the Sacandaga which makes a little more sense than 2x4's and signal flares

I think a little commonsense and respect for others can go a long ways.

[Strike_Zone]

A friend was riding across Canadarago with a group of snowmobilers Fri night and some idiot stuck a piece of 2X4 in a hole to mark it and the guy hit it head on and smashed the front all up on his sled , lucky no one was hurt or even killed! Use some common sense.

                   Personally I don't think a 2x4 is the way to mark a hole either.

   If I want to mark a hole, this is what I do. I fill the hole with snow first. After I have filled the hole with snow, I  pile more snow on top of that snow so I have a good mound of snow piled up. Now I wet the pile down with water so it freezes solid overnight, leaving a nice ice castle about 1 to 2 ft. high sticking up. Nothing like a little art work for the snowmobilers to look at when they are riding. I've even done some Ice sculpturing during the day around my fishing area for snowmoblers to enjoy. The really cool thing about Ice Castles, is that when the ice melts nothing is left behind floating in the water that cause other problems.

      Strike Zone     

[AirManCam]

I personally do both, but as it was said before its common sense when you get to a place where people are fishing slow down its really not that hard. As for a way to stop them when they go flying 10 feet past your shanty door is to get a nice paintball gun and keep it in there..make good use of it!

[JerryofWNY]

Simple solution to those of you who want to mark holes with a 2x4. Put a couple wraps of reflective tape around them. Problem solved.

[Strike_Zone]

These guys are not A holes going 90 down the lake they were just riding down the lake at night which the state trail goes through it. I have a sled and use it for mostly ice fishing and I fish after dark alot.don't put 2x4's and dangerous crap sticking out of the ice because 4 wheelers or snowmobiles  can hit and cause a serious injury.

     They or you probably wouldn't get hurt if the Sleds or Wheelers are traveling at a speed that is Reasonable and Prudent for the conditions. I too have fished a night,with plenty of lights on to show people where I'm at and still had close calls of being hit by Sleds. But according to You and some others, my Tip Ups  and Lights that are sticking up, are Dangerous. I guess my Safety doesn't mean Squat and I shouldn't be allowed to fish at night, but you have a right to fish because you have a Sled. The State law states that the speed limit is 25 mph for boats after sunset. I feel it should be the same for Sleds and Wheelers.  Thus making it for those that have a need for speed, to take that need somewhere else and not on the ice. The Lakes I fish on are not part of the State SnowmobileTrail system. 

[mdougla1]

a lot of valid points on both sides of the arguments here....as someone who does not own a sled and also as someone who was never had a tip up hit by a sled i think I could offer a valid solution to this problem. Don't mark holes with dangerous obstructions, that just makes good sense. Also, don't drive fast at night if you are unsure of the course- that just makes sense.

[NYFishFinder]

If your going at a safe rate of speed and using your headlights, then there is no reason why you shouldn't see something sticking out of the hole.  To me its no different than a small tree sticking out of a small island in the middle of the lake.  Just my opinion.  I ride the lakes on my ATV and I hit a pressure ridge the other night at about 30mph that wasn't there the day before. It sent me a little way through the air, but I only blame myself.  Its hard enough to see riding on a lake during the day, you gotta be careful and pay attention.  Next time it might be  a rock from mother nature.

[akdg]

A friend was riding across Canadarago with a group of snowmobilers Fri night and some idiot stuck a piece of 2X4 in a hole to mark it and the guy hit it head on and smashed the front all up on his sled , lucky no one was hurt or even killed! Use some common sense.

Lucky no one was killed or hurt is right, what if it had been a kid out with his dad fishing.  If you can't stop or miss an object you are traveling too fast!  Your friend is the idiot, and got what he deserved 

[1TIGGER]

In my opinion they both were at fault .
A 2x4 is excessive to mark a hole with , but you have to give them credit for at least trying to do the rite thing .
A stick could have been used so if it were hit by a sled or ATV it would break with minimal if any damage .

The sled operator should have been going a reasonable speed until he was sure of his route to avoid an accident like this , but who would have expected to find a piece of 2x4 sticking out of the ice .

Bottom line in both cases , USE COMMON SENCE  !!!

[Buck762]

A 2x4 doesn't exactly pop out against the snow at night.  The guy shoulda put reflective tape on it, or just used a stick.  I do however dislike snowmobilers after dark.  They ride around too fast and act like they are the only people on the lake.  Had a tip-up smashed, I bet the guy didn't even know he did it because he was just flying.  what if my lantern died as I was bucket fishing???

[trapper2000]

there are two points here both good ones first to use a 2x4 to mark a hole is kind of stupid! for just that reason who wants to take a chance on killing someone on a snowmobile? second to the snowmobler  thank got it wasn't a kid  fishing at night!!!! or a pressure crack.... see this is a two sided coin her both sides use the ice both sides need to use there heads
                                                                                                                                      trap

[Buck762]

there are two points here both good ones first to use a 2x4 to mark a hole is kind of stupid! for just that reason who wants to take a chance on killing someone on a snowmobile? second to the snowmobler  thank got it wasn't a kid  fishing at night!!!! or a pressure crack.... see this is a two sided coin her both sides use the ice both sides need to use there heads
                                                                                                                                      trap

Yes but in general, Snowmobilers are more dangerouse to them selves and others than icefishermen are

[TR19]

                   Personally I don't think a 2x4 is the way to mark a hole either.

   If I want to mark a hole, this is what I do. I fill the hole with snow first. After I have filled the hole with snow, I  pile more snow on top of that snow so I have a good mound of snow piled up. Now I wet the pile down with water so it freezes solid overnight, leaving a nice ice castle about 1 to 2 ft. high sticking up. Nothing like a little art work for the snowmobilers to look at when they are riding. I've even done some Ice sculpturing during the day around my fishing area for snowmoblers to enjoy. The really cool thing about Ice Castles, is that when the ice melts nothing is left behind floating in the water that cause other problems.

      Strike Zone     

Strikezone,
as a fisherman and a snowmobiler I will tell you that this is a terrible way to mark a hole. The "frozen ice castle" blends right in with the surroundings and can lead to hitting the equal of an ice ridge. I happen to hit on of those 2 years ago, thankfully I was going about 15 MPH but it was in a snow storm. I hate to think what could have happened if I were out riding instead of towing the shanty.
A stick with a little reflective tape is a great way to mark a whole and I do agree that the snowmobiler was more at fault in this case because he was traveling faster than conditions allowed for him to make a safe stop. Same rules apply as on the road. If you rear end someone, you will be at fault because you could not control your vehicle.  He should be happy he only busted up a bumper and someone !!!

[Cold Inside]

I'll stick to small lakes -- no snomobiles and no sicks with reflective tape across the landscape.

From a small lake perspective, I don't much like the idea of someone marking a spot that implies it's their own. What do you do when someone is sitting at the spot you marked the day before using a stick with reflective tape, ice castle, 2x4, propane bottle or something. Or what do you when you go to your favorite, secret spot and find a 2x4 wrapped with reflective tape sticking up.

Every lake, even Erie, has only a limited number of sweet spots.  I don't like the idea of any markings that go too far in claiming a spot as your own. Yesterday, I was disappointed to see guys exactly at my first and second favorite spots. Fair enough, I explored, drilled about 30 holes, and complained to myself.

When I get the spot next time, I don't want to be sitting next to the junk that someone else left behind to mark his spot.

[Strike_Zone]

Strikezone,
as a fisherman and a snowmobiler I will tell you that this is a terrible way to mark a hole. The "frozen ice castle" blends right in with the surroundings and can lead to hitting the equal of an ice ridge. I happen to hit on of those 2 years ago, thankfully I was going about 15 MPH but it was in a snow storm. I hate to think what could have happened if I were out riding instead of towing the shanty.
A stick with a little reflective tape is a great way to mark a whole and I do agree that the snowmobiler was more at fault in this case because he was traveling faster than conditions allowed for him to make a safe stop. Same rules apply as on the road. If you rear end someone, you will be at fault because you could not control your vehicle.  He should be happy he only busted up a bumper and someone !!!

       TR19:

    For every action there is a reaction and their actions prompted my reactions. I don't build ice castles every time I go ice fishing. I only build them to prove to others that they are not the owners of the lake and they should give someone else some time and space to enjoy themselves also. I'm not going to carry all kinds of material out on the ice to mark holes either. That is what a GPS is for. I don't intentionally go around screwing with people. But if I get screwed with or threaten by someone Else's inconsiderate actions, that's a different story. I got a short fuse and a hair trigger when it comes to that.       

[crappieloo]

If the hole was 10 inches and the 2x4 was white it was probably mine.Try fishing at night all the time and see what happens. They( some sleds) are on a drunken mission to destroy shelters and equipment.I started using white 2x4s because I could ID those as my own, rather than unpainted ones or propane tanks. I had to switch to wood because the crude sled guys that ruined my equipment started complain when my ''sled deterants'' did their job.
Here's a couple of  my quotes,  Nov 18, 2003, 11:33 PM 
Started by Da_Roc,
''Were gettin pretty old to pull the stunts we use to. 4 TO 6 white painted cement blocks 10 to 20 yards out of the tent does the trick ''

Jan 13, 2008, 11:03 AM 
Started by prchslyr,
''I fish mostly at night and always mark my holes with white cement blocks so the sleds don't run in my 10''+ holes. ''

[troutguy1377]

Are you guys forgeting you are on PUBLIC property. You do not own the lake so why should you have a
right to mark a spot with something that could possibly kill someone. As far as painting something white it
sounds like you are intentionally trying to hurt someone or destroy someones machine. Have the guys
that paint things white ever heard of reflective tape or do you just like trying to hurt someone or
destroy a machine.

[TR19]

Are you guys forgeting you are on PUBLIC property. You do not own the lake so why should you have a
right to mark a spot with something that could possibly kill someone. As far as painting something white it
sounds like you are intentionally trying to hurt someone or destroy someones machine. Have the guys
that paint things white ever heard of reflective tape or do you just like trying to hurt someone or
destroy a machine.

I'm going to agree with troutguy here. I personally don't give a poop if someones driving their sled like a jerk & destroy it, they deserve it. But painting 2x4's & cement blocks white ?, now you're taking the chance of hurting SOMEONE !!! If you want to mark them so nobody hits things, paint them orange or red. At least use a color that sticks out against the snow. If you're worried that someone will find your secret spot, mark it with a GPS so only you can return to that exact spot.