First ice

[vt-jig]

Under 7" a life jacket is never a  bad idea

[sonny88]

Guy wearing a life jacket is smart....not dead!

[ISLAND STORM]

Agreed….

[Vtperchchaser]

I feel like first ice even when deemed safe by a veteran ice fishing person may be deemed dangerous by others with a dif experience level of dif thoughts on ice and how to approach it. My self I’ve been ice fishing since I was about 10, 40 now and being an avid ice fishing fiend for the last 20 yrs I love frost ice but also respect its holding capabilities. First ice I always approach with caution. Spud bar, float bibs and pics and always bring a good section of rope incase of a situation where someone ends up in the water, may not be me but fisherman’s code you never turn your back to another in need of help. With that being said there’s a lot of new people wanting to get into ice fishing who may not know the areas as well or that there’s areas that don’t freeze solid due to springs or other moving water. Always approach with caution and check the ice your self as you make you way out onto the ice. It’s easy to give some one crap being over cautious but it’s even easier to call some one dumb or worse for ending up in the water. Save someone’s life by giving them advice on how to be safe or cautious. Not everyone had an old timer teach them young about ice safety. Cheers and tight lines to all. Hope to see you guys out on the ice. I will be checking ice again this afternoon at carmi and will report back what I find

[sonny88]

I've been through the ice before when I was young and was strong enough to get myself out, but it felt like my whole body went numb immediately after hitting the water. If it happened now there's no way i'd get myself out. Don't ever make fun of someone being safe!

[Skorpion]

I feel like first ice even when deemed safe by a veteran ice fishing person may be deemed dangerous by others with a dif experience level of dif thoughts on ice and how to approach it. My self I’ve been ice fishing since I was about 10, 40 now and being an avid ice fishing fiend for the last 20 yrs I love frost ice but also respect its holding capabilities. First ice I always approach with caution. Spud bar, float bibs and pics and always bring a good section of rope incase of a situation where someone ends up in the water, may not be me but fisherman’s code you never turn your back to another in need of help. With that being said there’s a lot of new people wanting to get into ice fishing who may not know the areas as well or that there’s areas that don’t freeze solid due to springs or other moving water. Always approach with caution and check the ice your self as you make you way out onto the ice. It’s easy to give some one crap being over cautious but it’s even easier to call some one dumb or worse for ending up in the water. Save someone’s life by giving them advice on how to be safe or cautious. Not everyone had an old timer teach them young about ice safety. Cheers and tight lines to all. Hope to see you guys out on the ice. I will be checking ice again this afternoon at carmi and will report back what I find

This. Know your limits. Experience with a spud is priceless. I have a frabil jacket that is actually a coast guard approved pfd with attached picks for early and late season and have walked miles on what others would consider thin ice for years. That does not mean I would tell someone else that ice is safe… and I often see people far less equipped put themselves in situations that I would not put myself in. Again, know your limits and don’t make someone else risk their life to save yours, be it a first responder or a fellow fisherman.

Temps looking seasonable next week, won’t be long until we get a chance to spread out a bit. Here is hoping for a late spring!

[Tacoma Marty]

Did someone go through at Carmi today?

[Vtperchchaser]

It was reported that someone fell through. No one actually fell through the ice. The guy they thought fell through had walked up to his camp to get warm. Saturday the ice was not so great with water on top. Yesterday it had locked back up. Still big open water spot in the middle. South end from the camp sites is pretty good ice now. The little cove has dirty water and about 5” of ice with 3” of it being black ice. As you make your way out the cove the water gets cleaner and the ice is a little over 3” solid black with 3” of good white ice on top. We fished yesterday and filled a 7 gallon pail with jumbos. With the cold snap coming it should lock up the rest the lake. I will report back later this week on ice conditions there. I haven’t been on north end. North end is where the person was reported to have fallen in. No one fell in

[Tacoma Marty]

Thanks for the update.

[Light liner]

3” of good white ice? After this week we should be good. Stay safe

[Rooster18]

I jumped onto this post to see what is happening up north as we haven't had consistent fishable ice in SNE for a few seasons now.  I am looking to book a 3-4 day trip somewhere in VT, NH or ME this season.  It amazes me how some of the Shanty Insanity and Maniac members love to insult the Rookies when they join and post what they have caught or found for conditions on a particular water.  Great welcoming to the site members! Way to go to get more members to join in!  Is that sportsmanship?  Are you just looking for a board to brag about what you caught and rub it in?  I have been a member for 7-8 years myself.  Most of my posts have been about info and what I have found, caught, and where to go.  I have received the insults from the welcoming committee on more than one occasion.  It seems to me that the veteran members only like to brag but not post and share info to help others looking for somewhere to go.  What is the point of this site if the old-time members don't want to help others?

[Vtperchchaser]

Well put. I’d rather see a city on carmi than hear about people going through Champlain. More the merrier. Helps move the fish around cheers and tight lines

[TRT]

Rooster - the problem with reporting ice conditions is the weather the last few years. Yes we had safe ice on one of three trout ponds i checked 10 days ago.
Since then we've had heavy snow, lots of rain and just barely sub freezing temps. The pond I fished and yes caught 3 stocky rainbows had one end with open
water. Do you want the name of that pond ? By the way the second time i fished that pond, I went up a shoreline and it quickly went from 5 inches to 3.
The pond is barely safe for locals who know were the brook flows in an creates a yearly hazard.

[Vtperchchaser]

Sounds to me like you’re fishing number ten in central vt. I use to fish first ice everywhere in central vt. Before I had kids and super busy construction business. Was happy building houses and plenty time to hunt and fish. Prob with reporting ice conditions is people don’t take it for what it is. You still need to check conditions in the area of lake or pond you’re fishing, that you have hear say conditions for. Just because one area is good thick ice conditions 25 feet away may be way different

[Rooster18]

TNT-I am not talking about ice conditions, I am talking about fishing reports and sharing info for other avid's to enjoy and join in on the conversation without being shut down.  It seems like the veterans on this site want to keep the sharing of information on the board away. In the past few years, it has become a bragging board not an info board....In regards to reporting ice conditions, it is no different than reporting sea conditions.  If there is a report of a YFT bite at the 700 square today with a light W breeze at 5-10kt that doesn't mean the weather will not change tomorrow.  Tomorrow could be a gale warning with 8-10 ft seas.  As a fisherman we have to make our own choices when heading out on the water, or the ice, and decide for ourselves if it is safe to venture out on.  It is only the ones heading out responsibility to make the safe decision.

My point of the post I made was the Maniac's and the IceshantyInsanity members haven't done much to share info or welcome new members to the site. They seem to want to steer new members away instead.   It's been that way for a few years now.

[vt-jig]

People refusing to post an un-edited photo for fear of sharing a public spot we all pay taxes to have access to?   You mean thats not  good sportsmanship?      Welcome to this SUPER INCLUSIVE sport 

[Fish Farmer]

I just checked out Fern Lake in Leicester. 4 inches of ice with 2 inches of snow/crap in top. Not much for foot traffic away from the parking lot. I didn't fish.