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Okay I can't reveal the location cause I don't want to hotspot but I went ice fishing yesterday somewhere in the Uintas at 10,000ft elevation. Brought my snowshoes just in case to handle some powder. Boy was that ice scary. At the first spot I drilled it was four thin.....like quarter inch layers of hardened slush with water in between the layers. Tried a couple more different areas and found some ice that was 3 inches thick. Well, hardened slush anyways. I went kinda out towards the middle, drilled a nice hole, but found the ice was only 3/4"! I freaked and backed off slowly. It didn't even crack at all.....I don't know why. I know that was stupid.......shoulda checked every few steps. Wow, I was surprised to find out how much that ice depth varied from place to place. As for the catching......messed around with a few brookies, cutts, and albino rainbows. Not much size, but still, it was ice fishing....lol. It was fun, but definitely kinda an extreme sport. Ok, I think I can wait for "real" ice now.
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Wow- your the man! I'm jealous- but not of that ice! Holy cow, you need to hook up with fuzzy. Any pics from the trip?
F4F
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[cool]C'mon man, where's the pics??? Anyway, nice job on gettng out there (if you really did, that is). Any witnesses?
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[cool][#0000ff]If there is a 12 Step Program for iceaholics you should join up. If there isn't, there should be.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Soft ice does not crack. It just suddenly sags and disintegrates. I know. I am a recovering iceaholic. [/#0000ff]
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Dang dude! You sir are the man!
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Any reason to believe he is lying???? [unsure]
Nice job Fin.... Glad you made it back ok! [  ]
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And on 2news at 6:00...........
Search efforts continue for man reported missing "somewhere" in the High Uintas. His family is devastated.......
Sorry, That's just to risky for me.
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Out for Trout is congratulating you ?, I would recommend some
counseling? Help is available.......
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I could not be more jealous. Post some pics if you have them. They will get us all in the mood for ice.
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You may be the first, but you could of been the first to fall in and die from ice fishing!
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hey sorry guys, no pics.....lol I got to get me a digital cam.....I'm technologically impaired....lol. Getting better over the years though. But yeah, you have my word, I wouldn't lie about it. These high elev. lakes always freeze at this time of the year. A few more weeks from now it will be a foot or so of ice with 4ft snow drifts so even with snowshoes, it is too troublesome to bother with it. I took two brookies home for dinner and they froze stiff within 10 minutes. Yeah, I know some of you guys are right.......that ice was a little too scary even for me. And I walk on Utah lake when it's 2 inches almost every year. I even waded out past the open water when the lake was filling years back, then climbed onto 2 and 1/2" ice. Tubedude, you are scaring me......no cracks?.....just suddenly kerplunk and i'm swimming?....uh oh.....I'd better be more careful next time. When I walked on 1 1/2 inches of ice on utah lake I always made sure the ice was solid.....only went on days when the airtemp was close to or well below freezing. Anything about 30, the thin ice won't support anything. But yeah, that ice on utah lake did crack with every step....lol. But never broke....luckily. Well, until that afternoon when I actually did see a bigger guy go crashing right through on his way out of American Fork harbor. But it was shallow so he just waded out. The problem is ice cold water bites into your bones and paralyzes you. I stuck my left leg in when I was on the shoreline at Utah lake one time and it got soft. It was hard to tell thickness with this ice this time....the ice was actually waaaaay thinner than I thought but there was like 8 inches of snow on top of it so it looked waaaay solid. And in this case I didn't hear any cracks. Maybe the deep snow muffled it....lol. But yeah, I think I got my therapy lol.....I can wait for "real" ice now.
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[cool][#0000ff]Not trying to scare you but just to make folks aware that frozen slush is not nearly as rigid and stable as clear ice. You CAN often walk safely on 2"-3" of clear NEW ice, especially if it is really cold and the ice is still forming. That's when it pops and cracks a lot and can scare the excretions out of the squeamish. However, even four inches or more of frozen slush can be potentially dangerous. Air pockets and coagulated ice crystals are not nearly as strong for the same thickness.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My "experience" happened on Holmes Creek Pond many years ago. The first big cold snap in December had put ice on most of the lower elevation waters...some safe and some not. A fishing buddy and myself had been eagerly awaiting first ice on Holmes Creek, since it always fished best just after the first good ice. We stood on shore and reached out with the auger to drill a hole. Six inches of frozen slush. We went out a ways farther and augered another hole. About the same. After several test holes and seemingly safe ice we bravely started trudging across the crunchy white ice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was in the lead. Without warning the ice suddenly sagged beneath me. Instinctively I flopped over backward, with my arms and legs outspread. That kept my legs from actually sinking into the water. My buddy also went prone, a few steps behind me. He had been carrying the ice auger and he extended it to my outstretched hand and then pulled me backward out of the depression. We belly crawled for several feet and then got up and CAREFULLY retraced our route back to shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was wearing all waterproof gear and only shipped a small amount of water into my boots. I think I got wetter on the inside...from natural causes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I also witnessed the sagging ice syndrome at the south marina on Willard Bay. Late in the season, the warm days were eating away at the ice, after several thaws and refreezings. That ice was ugly. But, a couple of hardy (foolish) souls started out to fish beside the docks. I could see the ice sagging and forming waves as the lead guy moved out. Same for the second guy. When the first guy stopped and the second guy caught up with him, they both went down, with a large sheet of ice that just broke free. Fortunately they were right next to the dock and several people were there to help them up out of the water...minus their fishing gear.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hate to chastise anyone, but when you went ice fishing alone, on thin and unstable ice, you really did not exhibit good sense. Sure, the macho thing is great and all us hairy chested he-men types get off on it. But, your family and friends don't really relish the prospect of remembering how brave you were as they lower your casket into the hole.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let's all be safe this year. Go with others on your ice fishing trips...especially early and late, when the ice is least safe. Always carry rope and a throw life preserver...just in case. It is also not a bad idea to wear a PFD on some of those scary sessions, especially if you are alone. Even if you fall through and freeze to death, your stiff body will be easier to recover for your loved ones.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lastly, always invite some big guy (like me) along and make sure he walks in front. If he can make it, you can too.[/#0000ff]
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well said tuber. i just cant see the facination in standing on 2 inches of ice. when it will hold my small cabin big screen and 4 or 5 snow machines. then its time to ice fish. other wise why not ancor the boat and jig. least ya dont have to drill holes.
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I went through the ice last year at Pineview. The ice was 8", the edges were soft. It was one step and down. The water was only about knee deep. but that was plenty enough to scare me. I've been in once, that's all I ever need. I'll wait until it's solid.
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You outta your ever lovin mind!!!!????[shocked]
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