Snow Shoes??

[dickbaker]

  How many IS fishermen carry snow shoes?    If southern NH get's the possible 12" of snow that is forecast for Sunday I see now big deal!   First!  You get on the ice all day Saturday and make sure you know how much ice and where on the water that you intend to fish in the next couple of weeks!!   Then, on Sunday or better Monday you put your snow shoes on and track the new snow to your favorite fishing holes.   If you only track down clean snow than it will make your next trip easy.  If you track down slop resulting from water over ice , than you will have a super frozen highway for future trips.  The snow shoes will also help you get over spooky ice and old ice holes.   BUT! Make sure you work your way out, safely, with spud?? 
I'm hoping that north country will get much less snow than below the mountains, but I don't trust the weatherman??

Dick

[H82LUZ]

Great idea Dick!  Didn't think of that one. Plus, I would think that the snow shoes would help displace your weight over the ice better if you were to happen upon a questionable spot.

[Rando5512]

I used them a couple times last year later in the season when we had the crappy ice conditions. There was like 6 inches of snow(with a hard crust) and an inch or 2 of slush/water underneath that. Was almost impossible walking very far without them!

[800stealth]

I find snow shoes hit or miss. If the snow is dry and fairly solid they work great. If it's wet and slushy I find the slop just ends up on top of the shoes and weighs me down. I think they definitely spread the weight on sketchy ice but I wouldn't want to be wearing them if I went through.

[dickbaker]

I find snow shoes hit or miss. If the snow is dry and fairly solid they work great. If it's wet and slushy I find the slop just ends up on top of the shoes and weighs me down. I think they definitely spread the weight on sketchy ice but I wouldn't want to be wearing them if I went through.

Ah! But the odds of going through with snowshoes is less unless your already on ice that you shouldn't be on??   You guys to the south are looking at a foot of snow with 3-4" of ice under it and maybe water over the top.   Snowshoes might be the first way to go.  When its sloppy but freezing on the Conn. River I always go the night before and tread the snow into the water.  Next morning I have a frozen side walk!
Dick

[damyankey]

Tried it once, NEVER AGAIN! One the way to the shack went through. I'd been walking the same way all season. Anyway broke through. Every time I tried to climb out the shoe would catch on the underside. Was finally able to hold onto spud with one hand and undo shoe with the other. Made trip home to change and was back in a hour. get way to start a derby. Worst thing was another fisherman stood a couple of hundred feet away and never offered any help. So the long and short of it is: safe the shoes for rabbit hunting.

[dickbaker]

    Yikes!  That must have been awful scary    But, still a chance that the shoes would have kept you on the skim ice while without them you would surely have gone through.   We've all seen the video of skier going through the ice.  That would seem even worse!
Even when I'm on shoes I use the spud to check my way over snow covered ice.   

Dick

[DConICE]

I almost always have them in the truck but don't always use them… like 800Stealth said - depends on the snow conditions.  I have never used them to make a path the day before… but they do work well packing down the snow between traps so as to not need them later in the day.  As mentioned however, they are not a replacement for safe ice - they may disperse your weight - but they won't make you float.

[jethro]

I carried them for years when on the ice but maybe used them a handful of times.

[dickbaker]

  At some point this winter I will face 6" of snow on top of several inches of slush!!   With my long snow shoes I can walk on top without getting into the slush, that night the whole trail will turn into a frozen sidewalk and I won't need the shoes the next day.   I don't like using the shoes when I'm drilling holes or checking tipups because they just get in the way. 
I've worked on snow shoes so much during past winters that it just seems natural to keep a pair in the truck!
Dick

[NHSlabbinCabin]

I plan on using some this weekend!