how do you check the ice in your waters to see if its safe??

Go out on a dock and at the end cut a hole and check the thickness

Asking fishing buddies/relatives/anyone really about fishing on your local lakes too. We have upwards of 9 inches already here in WI

Cut a hole in the ice and check. First ask locals if the ice is thick enough, if you see shacks and cars on the ice then it should be good. Stay clear of mouths of rivers the ice is thinner.

Call your local Fire Department. One of their jobs is to monitor it for safely.

Stay the hell on shore and wait for spring. I'm in no mood to drown a frozen death.

 

Call your local Fire Department. One of their jobs is to monitor it for safely.

X2 or your local law enforcement office.

Your County's extension service may also know if the ice is safe.

Some areas have volunteer firemen and they may or may not know. It depends on who you speak with.

Check out as many sources as possible and go with a friend or a bunch of friends and a long rope.

If in doubt stay away.

Andrew, it would help us if you add your location to your avatar so we can have a clearer picture of where you live so we can give you more lasered answers.

Oops! Saw it. Massachuttes.

Thanks.

Throw a rock on it. If there is a splash its safe to put in a boat or fish from shore.

If it bounces or slides its too D**N cold.

Contact the local Department of Natural Resources offices.  

 

I personally won't step foot on the ice until I see trucks driving on it.

how do you check the ice in your waters to see if its safe??

A spud bar is one of the best ways.  I always carry one around on early ice to check as I am walking about.  Just because it is good in one spot doesn't mean it's good 100 feet away.  Give the ice a good hard whack with the bar.  Two to three whacks before it goes through is generally safe enough to walk on carefully, but three plus is better.   I have been out on "one whack ice" and you don't get a very comfortable feeling being on it.

 

There are several brands of spuds made specifically for ice fishing.

Have your wife walk out to the middle and jump up and down for awhile!

 

 

Here's a video that explains the bare minimum you should have for ice safety. I don't do a whole lot of ice fishing but when I do go, I go with folks who know what they are doing. If you have never been on the ice before, it can be pretty unnerving to hear the ice cracking and popping even when you know you're on ice that is thick enough to support a lot of weight  

Do NOT rely on the word of the DNR, fire department, or any other government agency to tell you whether the ice is safe or not.  In any given region, there are too many bodies of water and too many variables to reliably predict it's safety and it's you, alone, who should ensure that it is safe to tread upon. Even within a single body of water there can be underwater springs, currents, culverts, etc. that affect the thickness and strength of the ice.

 

There are many good articles on ice safety so I won't repeat the information here.

I don't go out on ice.  Around here the temp can be 5 one day and 50 the next.  The ice won't get thick enough in those conditions.

Have your wife walk out to the middle and jump up and down for awhile!

 

 

 

BAAAAAHHHAAAAHHHAAAHHHAAA !!!!!!

 

I would just like to see her jump up and down LOL !!!!

BAAAAAHHHAAAAHHHAAAHHHAAA !!!!!!

 

I would just like to see her jump up and down LOL !!!!

 

Filed for future reference, extortion, or blackmail.

Filed for future reference, extortion, or blackmail.

 

 

LMAO !!!!

 

You are so evil...but I like the way you think LOL !!

 

However it's not going to work with her.

good video with this warm up this week im not going on any ice

I agree with the spud bar.  If you don't wanna spend the money on one get a long piece of re-bar and grind one end into a point. Poor mans spud bar...

With the way the weather has been recently (hurricanes, earthquakes, 25 degrees one day, 50 the next) I don't trust the ice and will be staying firmly planted on land. My prayers go out to the families of the two teens that fell through the ice while riding their bikes on Budd Lake in North Jersey last week. Please be careful out there guys.