THE Most Essential Ice Fishing Tool

[RonPaulFan]

I also considered self rescue particularly since I often ice fish alone.

It seems like it should be easy to get friends to go ice fishing, but they say something about it being cold. Weird, right?

Anyway, I've been wanting to ice fish over some of the natural springs which produce thin areas in the ice and that is often quite visible and avoided by people with common sense. What's that?

But, maybe the fish are right there. I'll find out. I'll screw in an ice anchor on firm ice and walk around to the other side of the thin ice area with a paracord line and pull it tight and attach it to another ice anchor. Then I'll walk out along the line to the middle and fish over the warm spring. If I fall through, I'll already have the paracord in place and anchored to pull myself out. This might be useful since the ice surrounding the broken ice is probably weak for a considerable distance.
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[Fishsticker]

I frequently ice fish alone and I like to push the limits so my most essential ice fishing gear is my flotation suit. Rope is a great idea while fishing with others though.
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[Totallyswede]

Great safety info. I've been working on some of my gear lately, but would like to add to the topic of throw ropes. Having been on several river trips with newbies, I found throw rope education important. We use the kind shown in one post (by clam). I made my own which I keep in my ice sled. It works very well, I often demonstrate its use (never a necessity yet on the ice) and obtain 100% of length (50 feet) nearly every throw. The rope is 1/2 inch and very flexible, merely stuff it in and its ready. But that is for helping others, or someone helping me if I stray from my sled and go in.

I fish solo too, and am aware that flotation is very important. Thus my Jacket has built in flotation to assist me. But perhaps more important, my jacket has a built in 30 foot rope, and ice kleets built into my forearms for self rescue. Hopefully I will never need these, but it make my wife feel happier.
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[Jmorfish]

Great video -- tks for sharing that...
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