Safety First!

In my humble opinion, first ice offers ice fishermen some of the best fishing of all season.  Oxygen levels are high, weeds are still green, and there is an abundance of food; what more could a fish ask for?!  Many anglers talk about that late ice bite and while I do not disagree that it can be phenomenal for some species, it is pretty tough to beat early ice for panfish.  The first three weeks of the season can be down right "lights-out" since the fish haven't been bothered for a few weeks on most lakes.

With the conditions being ideal for catching fish on early ice, many anglers trek out onto the ice in late November and early December all throughout the ice belt in the United States.  Sadly, though, there are instances where people fall through thin ice and pass away due to drowning or hypothermia during this early ice period.  I'm as big of an ice fishing fanatic as there is, but let's be serious, no fish is worth dying for.  So, what steps can anglers take to limit the possibility of falling through the ice?  I've laid out seven suggestions below and I hope everyone takes a chance to read and put them into practice.

1. Fish with a buddy.  If one person falls in, there is a much greater chance of getting out with assistance.
2. Fish shallow water.  Ice forms closest to shore first and is much thicker there than it is in the middle of the lake.  Try some of your shallow water spots first as they will probably still be holding fish if there are weeds present.
3. Wear your ice picks.  They are inexpensive, they aren't heavy, and they can save your life.  Wear them around your neck and not packed away.
4. Take along a rope.  Pack a rope in your shack which can be used to either help pull your shack or to help pull someone out of the water.
5. Walking protocol: Stagger yourselves when walking on the ice as it distributes the weight more evenly.
6. Use a spud bar. This is probably the most important piece of early ice equipment.  Always check the ice with the spud before you take a step while you're walking.
7. Buoyancy: Some suits like the Arctic Armor and Mustang survival suit are buoyant which is nice.  Otherwise either fish in a life jacket or bring along a floating seat cushion.

I've linked a great webpage to look over about hypothermia and cold water survival; you can find it HERE.  Take a look at it and be sure to follow some of the suggestions if you are to fall into icy water.  Speaking from experience, one of the worst things you can do when falling into cold water is panic.  Have your wits about it and figure a way out as quickly as you can.

Finally, I have included a graphic below which gives you a ball park on ice thickness and what it can hold.  While the numbers aren't exact, they will give you an idea of what is safe and what is not.  The numbers they are using are for pristine, clear ice and not honeycombed or snow laden ice.  Remember that ice thickness and quality isn't uniform through out the entire lake and to pay attention when traveling across it.
 

Everyone please be safe this early ice; tight lines and good fishing!