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Author Topic: Late ice  (Read 1918 times)

Offline Guddefam

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Late ice
« on: Feb 14, 2022, 03:02 PM »
Hey there folks quick question, from a newbie, with all of this warm weather we’ve been having. At what point do you guys stop going out on the ice once it starts warming up?

Offline missoulafish

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #1 on: Feb 14, 2022, 03:33 PM »
When its candled and wont hold your weight. Spud bar ALWAYS to test. Ice conditions are changing daily right now with the weird weather. I  was on soft-ish ice Friday and that ice was perfect again Sunday. You can have 20"of candled ice that the spud bar will shoot through like a dart. Games over at that point unless it gets cold again.

Offline Guddefam

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #2 on: Feb 14, 2022, 09:23 PM »
Thanks Missoulafish.

Offline missoulafish

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #3 on: Feb 15, 2022, 12:04 AM »
🤘

Offline liprippin49ers

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #4 on: Feb 15, 2022, 05:12 PM »
Usually your shoreline will go away first before the main lake ice due to the ground warming. It helps to bring a plank or step ladder if walking out to get past the immediate shoreline where it will usually break up first. Either way it's always best to drill and check ice. Stay clear of rock or trees sticking out of the ice as this again soaks up heat weakening the ice faster. Should still have good ice for awhile looking at the change in cooler temps than what was forecasted a week ago.

Offline BigSkyDuk

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #5 on: Feb 16, 2022, 11:50 AM »
Any update on ice conditions at Georgetown Lake?

Offline missoulafish

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Offline RuralMT

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #7 on: Feb 17, 2022, 09:25 AM »
To the above point regarding planking onto the ice, by the time you're resorting to such tactics, ice conditions can deteriorate within a morning session of fishing.  By that I mean, you can walk out on firm ice in the morning and be punching through what felt like good ice in the afternoon.  The higher the sun angle gets, the faster the deterioration gets.

Offline Born Late

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #8 on: Feb 17, 2022, 10:30 AM »
…you can walk out on firm ice in the morning and be punching through what felt like good ice in the afternoon.  The higher the sun angle gets, the faster the deterioration gets.

Exactly. For me, it’s time to move on to a different activity if I need to resort to bridging. I’ve given my friends permission to dope-slap me if they ever see fishing gear in the back of my truck and a ladder or planks strapped on my topper.
YOU are the only one who can decide if the ice is safe enough for you.

Offline gf hardwater guy

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #9 on: Feb 17, 2022, 10:44 AM »
This very thing happened on a body of water at a to remain unnamed body of water in northern Montana this last weekend. I personally fished the body of water on Saturday and felt safe the entire time. By the end of the next 36 hours, the entire scenario had changed. My brother fished that next morning and had gotten off of the ice before the following happened, but he did witness it first hand. Completely out of nowhere, the entire remaining sheet of ice on this body of water managed to drop a significant distance after enough of the shore line had melted to allow for such to happen. At least one individual was left standing on the sheet of ice trying to figure out how he was going to get off. Once he got off, my brother actually drove to the other side of the ice and gave the other hard water individual a drive back to his truck so he could go retrieve his gear. Needless to say, that other individual was pretty shaken up over the experience.

The moral of the story is that only you can determine how safe the ice might be on any particular body of water, but its important to use extreme caution and examine as much as the situation as you can before venturing onto the ice. This becomes paramount with all of the warmer weather we have been having.

Stay safe everyone and tight lines.

GFWHG

   

Offline mthuntr

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #10 on: Feb 17, 2022, 11:14 AM »
To the above point regarding planking onto the ice, by the time you're resorting to such tactics, ice conditions can deteriorate within a morning session of fishing.  By that I mean, you can walk out on firm ice in the morning and be punching through what felt like good ice in the afternoon.  The higher the sun angle gets, the faster the deterioration gets.

Had this happen to me 2 or 3 years ago on Clark Canyon.  I walked on a plank across open bank fished all day then tried to walk across in the afternoon.  Broke through and dumped my whole sled and auger underwater.  It landed flat in about 5 feet of water.  I was able to retrieve it all and dry everything out but dang I thought I was a goner for a few seconds.

Offline wyogator

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #11 on: Feb 21, 2022, 04:41 PM »
My son and I broke through a few years ago coming off the ice after fishing, right where the plank meets the ice.  It doesn’t usually happen going out to fish.  It’s always coming back that gets you.  Luckily the water was only thigh deep and we walked out.  Now if I have to plank, It’s time to get the boat ready.

Offline wyogator

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #12 on: Feb 21, 2022, 04:50 PM »
Another time, I walked out early in the morning when it was 12” and candled.  I continued out to about 20ft of water because my spud didn’t go through.  Coming back in at noon, my spud broke through like a dart as Missoula said.  I didn’t fall through, but it sure was a scary walk back.

Offline Guddefam

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #13 on: Feb 21, 2022, 06:41 PM »
Hey guys thanks for the tips, and the stories. As much as I love fishing, I have a family and stuff to think about now so it doesn’t seem as important getting out there as it used to.

Offline meandcuznalfy

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #14 on: Feb 21, 2022, 06:51 PM »
Yep, planking not fun,  have to do it here to get on and off a lot of reservoirs, even in the middle of winter, , but have been on 18" of ice and have seen guys go through,  2 in one night,  more careful now.

oldschoolben

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Re: Late ice
« Reply #15 on: Feb 22, 2022, 07:02 AM »
I've never heard the term candles ice?

 



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