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I just started ice fishing last year. I was thinking of going to the Burbot Bash this weekend with my nephew and two of his friends. We have our rooms reserved in Green River, but can be cancelled without charge. We haven't paid for the tournament yet.
A guy died yesterday falling through the ice near where we were planning on going. Common sense and gut tells me not to go. I have fallen through the ice a couple of times before while playing hockey and it is not fun. I am lucky to have been okay. I would of course be checking ice all around me, bringing rope, ice picks, and flotation devices. What freaks me out about Flaming Gorge is how the water moves underneath the ice so the thickness can form unevenly.
Buckboard told me there is unstable ice by them and Lucerne has no ice. My nephew doesn't want to fish the back bays where there is rumored to be safe ice.
From anyone's perspective and experience, what would you do?
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I would drive up to Bear Lake and have a blast at the Cisco Disco, but that is what I was going to do in the first place.
I have no experience on Flaming Gorge, but I personally would not try it if not 100% confident.
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I'll be in the area and I'll head out.
If I decide to go join the masses at Firehole, then it is what I will do.
I wouldn't go south of the confluence, but north of it should be good fishing.
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I've fished the Gorge for years and it's a very unique body of water to say the least. We will be going up there to fish but I strongly CAUTION if you are NOT familiar with the Gorge and what areas are safe please be very careful if you end up going. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from attending this event because I'm a huge supporter of the event and love taking as many burbot out of there as possible, but with slow fishing reports due to weather and sketchy ice, we've even considered other options.
What ever you decide to do please be safe and take all the necessary gear to get yourself out of a bind if the worst were to happen. I've gone through the ice twice and it is not a fun experience and can be life threatening if you do not know how to handle the situation.
Again not trying to deter you by any means but if you end up going be sure to be safe. Good luck and safe fishing!
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We spent the weekend (Sat. - Mon.) up the Blacks Fork arm and at the confluence. It was very warm over those few days (near 40 degrees) and I saw the ice conditions continue to deteriorate with water pooling on top and soft milky looking surface.
I don't know if you have a boat or not, but if I was participating in the Bash this year, I would be taking my boat.
And if you do go on the ice, as always, safety first. Have your safety gear with you. I would let the quality of the ice dictate where I fish. I would stick to the near shore by my truck. I wouldn't be crossing back and forth across the channel and I definitely wouldn't be making major location changes in the dark.
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Hookn, how'd you do up the blacks fork arm? We were below the confluence and did ok. Just wondering how it was further up. I agree though, ice conditions have been getting worse with this crazy warm weather. Thanks!
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It was slow for us up Blacks Fork. Two of us fished from 5pm - 8pm and iced 4 burbot.
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In the past, I have pulled a small aluminum boat along with me, as a safety net. You can get in them and push pole your way around, or holding on to the back of the boat, push it in front of you. Once you are where you want to be, you can drill a hole, and just sit in the boat like you are on open water. I think that is what I would be doing on the Gorge, if I were going this weekend.
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