12-01-2020, 04:03 PM
Hey Craig one other disclaimer you should add is ice conditions are subject to change. Just because the ice is good today, doesn't mean it will be good tomorrow... Currents, sun, wind and lots of things can change conditions so use these values as starting points but final safety is in your hands... feet, or spud bars.... i know many of you have probably seen the youtube blogger that went through the ice this year and lost all his gear and later fished it out with his boat... Seeing how sketchy the ice was when he was leaving the shore, being new ice, he should have never went out... In the spring when the edges go bad, you can justify it a little more, but when it's new ice and the main body of ice doesn't have the safety of a good black ice layer underneath an iffy surface it's just time to stay off the ice... Anyway it will be here soon, but it's definitely that time of year when you have to practice good ice safety. We haven't had the big super cold temps to make a great ice sheet this year, we have got an ice sheet that is building a little and melting some, then building some more and melting some more and so it's a different situation than usual first ice years, so be very careful this year, it's not business as usual this year... so treat it will respect and caution... Like Craig says we don't want drownings.... Be safe... Jeff
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!