IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Massachusetts => Ice Fishing Massachusetts => Topic started by: ronbgood55 on Mar 08, 2022, 04:55 AM
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Some times I am guilty about rushing out on to the ice and punching that first hole...but in the late season I have to stop that type of action/feelings......yesterday when the snow was gone from the pond I was fishing and I had just jigged up a 20" pickerel and was having a cup of coffee and i notice the pressure cracks in the ice had small holes leaking water. They seem to great larger 2 hrs. later when I cleared off the ice. I guess its hard to call it a day with some thing you love to do makes you Stop..What do you guys think????
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Safety first ALWAYS on the ice.
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We still have 6” of good ice as of today if you have a 12 ft plank its will be ending soon,so enjoy the last of it.
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I almost went out yesterday to check the ice and maybe fish but instead I went out and bought freshwater bass tackle. Thinking ahead ;D
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Safety first on early, late and mid season ice.
Conditions change and so does the ice.
As said numerous times before, better safe than sorry.
Might be "planking" time, for as long as it's safe to do so....
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Ice thickness isnt an indicator of ice safety this time of year.
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I agree Low....its the condition of that ICE, water temp,weather, currents, . I hate to see this ice fishing season come to an end...Its was great fun talking to you guys...I hope I 'll be around next season....Take care Guys...God Bless you all
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x2
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There were trucks driving on the ice in mid-Michigan yesterday. The ice was about 18in thick. A lot of people will say 18in thick ice is enough for a tank! It may be but it could also cost you your life. Like stated above ice thickness doesn't matter as much as ice strength. This time of year especially here, we have a lot of freezing and thawing. Those conditions make for some very dangerous ice. When the weather warms the ice will start to melt. The water from the melting ice will start to drain down through the ice making pockets of air. After repeated freezing and thawing the ice will become honeycombed making the ice very fragile. About 20 years ago I fell through a foot of ice that was honeycombed. At the time I was carrying a bucket with fish and rods in one hand and my spud in the other. Since I knew I was on 12 inches of ice, I wasn't checking it as I went. That is the last time I made that mistake. For those of you out there that are just starting to ice fish and for those who think that thick ice is safe, I pray that you heed my advice. Check the ice and do it often, the ice you went safely out on in the morning, could kill you coming off at night! As for driving trucks on thick ice, I don't do it anymore at all! But if you do, please check it for not only thickness, but hardness, as well!
. A spud does little good on honeycomb ice, although it better than nothing. Early ice much easier to read, so when you “throw” your spud to check in front of you it’s a false feeling. Have never fell thru in 55 years but late ice is by far the hardest to read no matter how thick !!
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Anybody been on ice around Pittsfield area last couple of days?
Planning on making the 2 hr drive from CT tomorrow, any info is appreciated.
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I guess we have differing opinions. A spud certainly helps to determine if the ice is honeycombed or not. First off when you hit the spud onto the ice you can hear a difference between honeycombed and good ice. If I hit it and the sound doesn't resonate with a thud, I'm backing up. Or if I hit it and it goes through on one or two hits, like it does on thin ice I'm backing up. I have hit thick honeycombed ice and not only did the spud go through right away, it blew a quart size jar hole with one hit. If you hit your spud onto the ice and see crystals instead of chips, back up! You apparently have a misconception that if the ice is honeycombed, it is "all" honeycombed, which is not the case. You can be standing on solid ice and two foot away it can be honeycombed because of a muddy bottom vs a hard or rock bottom, etc. Muddy bottoms tend to warm up quicker from the sun light, allowing the water to drain down though the ice quicker than a hard bottom. I have seen it rain at my house and across the road they are cutting the dry grass. One part of the lake could have gotten rain soaked and the other didn't, there are any number of reason why ice conditions vary on a lake. For those out there that are new to the sport, please take my advice, learn how to use a spud. Please remember that every spud is not the same. One may make a certain sound on good ice and another may sound totally different! Get to know "your" spud and stay safe!
. My experience speaks for itself, that is for the “lesson”! Lol
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Two words; Common Sense :o
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Two words; Common Sense :o
The one problem with that is common sense went out in the 80’s
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The one problem with that is common sense went out in the 80’s
. That’s for sure, I’m a older model way before the 80’s !! Lol
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We had 3 feet of ice here a week ago. I won't go out any more this season. The temps are in the 40's or 50's this week and the sun is higher.
People say "there's plenty of ice", but it's not the thickness that matters. You can have 3 ft of rotten ice. We were safely driving on it last week, but it was cold then.
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I was on 8 inches the other day, then I drilled a hole in a spot the sun had been beating on and it was 1 inch thick. I have no idea how I didn't fall through. But that was enough for me to call it a season in my area. The sun is just too strong now, it will eat up the ice on a 25 degree day.
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I was on about a foot or more of ice today in northern MA with almost half of it being granulated and soft and the rest good. BUT it was warm on the ice and the sun is high for sure. The one thing that saves ice till the very end this time of year is elevation. That fights of warmth and sun for a while at the end of each season. But the Spring always wins in the end.
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I read the ice and it’s says
Kayak fishing