checking ice

[rdhammah]

I saw a post somewhere about checking ice. the person posted that the proper way to check the ice is with a spud and not by drilling a test hole (??) In my mind, you can estimate ice thickness by spudding and the shock of spudding can cause the ice to crack, whereas drilling cuts through the ice and you can get a more accurate measurement of ice. Thoughts?

[Zeker259]

 

[Jack978]

Everyone has a method and feels their method is the correct one.  Starting with a spud near shore and working out and stopping to drill a hole every so often is a good conservative strategy.  The main thing is what gives you the most confidence and what works for you?  You could aways do it the old fashion way and stick to someone else's tracks as much as possible as long as they don't end in a big hole. Failing in that send your mother-in-law out first dragging a couple of cement blocks.  Of course, you could get fined for water pollution, but a guy can dream, can't he?

[zcm_82]

Everyone has a method and feels their method is the correct one.  Starting with a spud near shore and working out and stopping to drill a hole every so often is a good conservative strategy.

That's how I do it early ice... poke around with the chisel as I'm walking, then pop a test hole with the auger to get a thickness check once in a while.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I have never owned a spud bar because I carry enough stuff out there already. Unless the water depth where I fish is over my head within 10 feet from shore ( it is not at the lakes I fish ), I step out and walk very slowly with a PFD on. I drill a test hole with my auger no more than 50 feet from shore and then put my hand around the ice slab to get a thickness, and also examine the QUALITY of the ice by looking down the hole. That is often the most important factor that decides if I am going any farther out or back to the car and forgetting about it. If it is 3 inches of black ice, keep going and drill more test holes going farther from shore. If it is < 4 inches of snow ice, back to the car it is.

You also need to know where the current begins to take effect as you get farther from shore, and be able to read the ice if it is not covered with snow. Keep the PFD on until you know that everywhere that you will be walking on the ice will remain safe for the entire day.

[Skunked...]

I always spud as I'm walking.I went out this morning and spud broke through 1" white ice in front of me soy next step would have been through the ice in 60 fow....always spud

[rdhammah]

I always spud as I'm walking.I went out this morning and spud broke through 1" white ice in front of me soy next step would have been through the ice in 60 fow....always spud

Too close for comfort!

[filetandrelease]

 Spud here , my spud is marked from the top of the chisel to 5” , so far in 45 + years it’s worked for me , walking out to drill a hole to see how thick the ice is  not for me
 So how thick was the ice you walked out to drill that hole
 But to each their own if your comfortable the way your checking go for it , ice almost never freezes uniform, at least places I fish for many reasons
 

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Spud here , my spud is marked from the top of the chisel to 5” , so far in 45 + years it’s worked for me , walking out to drill a hole to see how thick the ice is  not for me
 So how thick was the ice you walked out to drill that hole
 But to each their own if your comfortable the way your checking go for it , ice almost never freezes uniform, at least places I fish for many reasons

We appreciate you man.  :thumbsup:Your method ( spudding ) has kept you out of the water, so nobody will argue that it doesn't work. The 1 time I went through is when I saw other guys already out there fishing, so I just walked casually out where I thought they had walked, no spudding or drilling test holes. That taught me to not assume anything, and to treat any ice as if nobody has been on it yet !!!!

[FreshwaterPhil]

Spudding step by step is more efficient, as you aren't going to drill holes at every step.

I did the drill method before I bought a spud bar, but the spud has allowed me to safely get out on thinner ice than I would have done without it.

[ryguy80]

Jiffy came out with this Ice Scout for checking depth using a standard drill and this bit. I haven't used it, but thought it looked interesting.

https://jiffyonice.com/products/scout

[lowaccord66]

Friend of mine went through 8" of ice.  Thickness is not always a determining factor for the ice being safe.  The other thing us when you drill a hole your usually right there aligned with the auger.  Spud you can hit the ice in front of you a few steps ahead.  Sure the spud makes the ice crack from time to time but not where you could fall through.  Good ice feels different when you hit it.  The spud will vibrate more...its noticable.

[jerryfishing]

Spudding in front of my steps. Ice thickness can change in a matter of feet. Current, springs, vegetation, and quality of ice can make the difference in strength of ice. I have fallen in a few times and it's not fun at all. The last time I went in I was spudding my way along my normal path on the lake and when I strawed a few feet of trail I fell in. I was wearing float suit and was able to get out fairly easily, but if I had auger in my had instead of spud bar I think things may have been worse. I have been on 6 inches of ice and a few feet away only 1 inch of ice. Two revolutions of hand auger opened up a 2 feet hole right in front of me. That was another blessing from God that I wasn't using a power auger that day because there was a pretty strong current belief and believe that if I had used a power auger the extra weight and thrust would had put me into the water. I hope these experiences will help someone take the necessary steps in ice safety and possibly save a life. God Bless and Tight Lines!

[filetandrelease]

 IMO I think the jiffy ice scout isn’t any different than walking across the ice and drilling a hole , I think it’s a waste of money and could lead to a wet arz or worse , just mark your spud and take that money and buy some goodies 😉
 There are articles on different types of  ice , and are very helpful  learn to read your ice , as I enjoy reading reports from all over the country and the pics
 Be safe everyone
 

[thomasthepikehunter]

I saw a post somewhere about checking ice. the person posted that the proper way to check the ice is with a spud and not by drilling a test hole (??) In my mind, you can estimate ice thickness by spudding and the shock of spudding can cause the ice to crack, whereas drilling cuts through the ice and you can get a more accurate measurement of ice. Thoughts?

Drilling is fine, but do you really want to drill that much? You can't just drill a hole every 100 feet and expect to be ok. On ice right at the minimum, I'm checking with the spud every step.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Spudding in front of my steps. Ice thickness can change in a matter of feet. Current, springs, vegetation, and quality of ice can make the difference in strength of ice. I have fallen in a few times and it's not fun at all. The last time I went in I was spudding my way along my normal path on the lake and when I strawed a few feet of trail I fell in. I was wearing float suit and was able to get out fairly easily, but if I had auger in my had instead of spud bar I think things may have been worse. I have been on 6 inches of ice and a few feet away only 1 inch of ice. Two revolutions of hand auger opened up a 2 feet hole right in front of me. That was another blessing from God that I wasn't using a power auger that day because there was a pretty strong current belief and believe that if I had used a power auger the extra weight and thrust would had put me into the water. I hope these experiences will help someone take the necessary steps in ice safety and possibly save a life. God Bless and Tight Lines!

The body or bodies of water that you describe having all of these near misses on, due to the ice thickness changing so much with every step, are apparently not safe to be on no matter how careful you are checking the ice. If the current is that strong to make the ice 1/6 as thick there, nobody should be trying to get on there unless the thicker area is at least 3 feet thick, according to my math. 

[SirCranksalot]

I don't own a spud bar. If the ice is so sketchy that I need to check every few steps, then I'll stay home. Wouldn't a good axe work just as well as a spud bar?

[filetandrelease]

 I’ve seen guys use axes , certainly better than nothing

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I don't own a spud bar. If the ice is so sketchy that I need to check every few steps, then I'll stay home. Wouldn't a good axe work just as well as a spud bar?

This is actually the most sensible comment that has been made. Thank you.

[missoulafish]

Been through the ice a lot. Always when testing with an axe or an auger. Went to the spud and haven’t been swimming in a long time now.

[62&done]

Whoa guys Whoa !!   There is absolutely nothing safer than spudding regardless of how "safe" you feel the ice is.  I'm a believer in whacking the ice every two steps and that has saved my aws twice.  Two winters back I was on 5" when I walked over a 10' deep snow drift   The spud dove thru first whack !  About scared me to death.

I have an old spud of 1" black iron pipe  I cut it in half, threaded both ends So I could put it back together with a pipe bushing after I filled the bottom half with lead.  It is heavy but that is what makes it a life saver  Keep it heavy and keep it sharp.
                   And Use It

[badger132]

I use a spud when ice is thin, and switch to a drill once it is more than 6 inches on average. It is unusual for the ice to change a lot in a short distance in a lake without springs, and we get enough traffic that after a few days it has been tested pretty much everywhere, and you can follow tracks. When you are on a machine, you are going too far to spud, so you better have confidence in the ice, as well as a plan to get out if the worst happens.

[PikeKing23]

Spud! Spud! Spud!
I got the Jiffy Scout this year but only to drop in a transducer and/or camera.

[bobberbill]

Nuthin like someone drilling 10" holes every 20' out from an access to check the ice.

[backwoodswalker]

When I was a little shaver just learning to ice fish the "old timers" told us to follow a "big boy" around early season. Worked like a charm. Seen a few go through but all were safe. Now, 55 years later I am one of those big boys. I wait till the shacks start showing up. But when I do check I use a spud. The sound and feel will tell the story. Be safe guys.  Steve

[filetandrelease]

 Maybe this may help some
 http://http://lakeice.squarespace.com/types-of-ice/

[tm37]

Jiffy came out with this Ice Scout for checking depth using a standard drill and this bit. I haven't used it, but thought it looked interesting.

https://jiffyonice.com/products/scout

I have one of these and they work really well.

[missoulafish]

Can confirm that if you are   the first person out on the ice for the year and you aren't checking EVERY step, you will go swimming. Drilling a hole every twenty feet to test, you will go swimming. Using an axe and swinging it with your gait, you will go swimming. The way to not go swimming is to buy a 30$ spud bar and use it every step you take  or more if there is any uncertainty. Ice conditions can and do change in the distance of a single step.

[FreshwaterPhil]

Can confirm that if you are   the first person out on the ice for the year and you aren't checking EVERY step, you will go swimming. Drilling a hole every twenty feet to test, you will go swimming. Using an axe and swinging it with your gait, you will go swimming. The way to not go swimming is to buy a 30$ spud bar and use it every step you take  or more if there is any uncertainty. Ice conditions can and do change in the distance of a single step.

Certainly for any questionable or new spot.

That being said, I fish some spot that no one else does, and they freeze up solid quite early. I don't really hit them before 6 or 7 inches are formed, otherwise the fish spook to quickly in the clear water.

I've fished 4 different areas so far this season, and the only one that I needed the spud for was the one that someone else had fished before me. I was the first on each other spot, and had between 6 to 8 inches solid between all of them. Again, I've fished these spots often, and know where ice freezes evenly, as well as where the feeder creeks and dangerous spots are.

Knock on wood, but I've never gone though in 25 years or so of ice fishing, besides for stepping in some snow covered creeks while trekking to my spots.

Ironic thing about spud bars, they are the most important piece of gear on ice, but have the shortest season, at least up here. I use mine between 1 to 3 times early on, then never really need them again until season closes at the end of March.

[gutshot_again]

If the ice is thin enough I feel the need to check it with a spud bar, then the spud bar is all I need to get as many holes as I'll need.  I'm 69 and not in the best health, but with the ice less than 6" it's no problem.  If the ice is over 6" then I'll know it's safe and drag an auger out.