# How thick does the ice have to be for you?



## Goosepride

With the cold temps, ice is developing rapidly. My question for you, how thick does it have to be before YOU go out? I know how thick "safe ice" is supposed to be, but I know a lot of fishermen that will make that first trek out with only minimal ice and those that want at least a foot of ice...where do you fall in that category?


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## Jiffy

I've been out on 2 inches before. It was on a lake that I know real well. I traveled real light and used a spud bar. No house, no gas auger....a 6 inch hand auger, one pole, a couple containers of waxies, and a vex.

Normally I don't like to go on until there is around 4. However, when you can put your vex down the hole and it lights up like a Christmas tree and your jig doesn't make it half way down the water column without getting attacked by numerous 10" plus perch.......sometimes the risks are justified!!

AHHHHH, those were the good ole days  I like to refer to them as "Pre-swarm days".........


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## njsimonson

4" minimum.

16" before I drive. Unless I see an F150 or a 1500 out in front of me!


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## rock7178

I am with the rest...I usually wait until I have a good 4 inches. I have been out on less but always have a chisel and ice picks. I usually wait for at least a 12 inches before I drive my pickup out there. 6-8 inches I am out with my 4 wheeler.


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## CNY Tim

4" and I stay shallow under 6' of water for the first few weeks.


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## Turner

12" is usually a safe bet for me. I have really bad luck with ice, I have gone through 7 times in my life time. All on foot, no vehicle, thank god. I went through what must have been a spearing hole a few years back, it wasn't marked, and it was snowed over.


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## CNY Tim

Seven times Turner... Holy smokes that's gotta be some kind of record. You ever think about joining the Polar Bear Club. :lol:


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## nodakoutdoors.com

Nodak Outdoors December Edition is now up.

See Simonson's article on this:

http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/ice_fishing_safety.php


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## HonkerExpress

I will go anywhere on ice as long as someone bigger then me is in the lead. If he goes through, I know I am not going that way, lol. I usually shoot for 5-8 inches of ice before I try to wander out to far. I have went throught the ice on a snowcat on a smaller pond by my home town. After sitting in waist deep water trying to get your snowcat about by yourself, you learn real quick to stay off ice unless you are [email protected] sure about how thick it is. Needless to say, my [email protected] where the size or rasins and I got a touch of the flu out of that deal. lol. So in my opinion. 5-7". Laters.


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## CNY Tim

HonkerExpress said:


> Needless to say, my [email protected] where the size or rasins and I got a touch of the flu out of that deal. lol. So in my opinion. 5-7". Laters.


Now dat was funny! :beer:


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## Turner

I only went completely through once and that was at night that was a little scary. Other times I was able to catch myself with my out stretched arms and pull myself out. The walk back to the truck was a killer.


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## canadianmoose

i gennerally like 6 inches before i will go out, 4 inches on some smaller lakes, 8-10 inches before i drive an atv and it would take a couple feet of clear ice before i would drive a truck out.


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## MSG Rude

I will walk out on 2-3 with that tingly feeling in my lower portion like climbing the gym rope in gym class.

I will only drive out if there is a good trail already and other trucks like mine out there.


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## ice man

I usually don't fish until christmas time when the ice is 10" thick. But I am getting to be more of fishing adict and what to get out there sooner. I guess I normally will start when it is thick enough to drive a ATV out there, which is 6 to 8 inches. I normally pull my icepro fish house out there when it is between 10 and 12 inches and I normally don't drive out there until it is 15 inches thick and that is with my one ton diesle pickup.


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## cavedude

2-3" is good enough for me.....as long as i got a spud bar with me....i walk on the ice like im breaking into a house....metaphorically speaking...


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## pineapple

i walked on about 1 1-2" today. I probably will never do it again. Scarier than a dingbat. Ice cracking and what not.


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## rap

3" of clear ice while checking every few steps with a spud bar, definitely use a sharp spud bar... can't resist that new ice... it is awesome seeing the fish below your feet beneath the ice while reeling them in!


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## nodakoutdoors.com

Brad Anderson called me last night from the middle of Ashtabula...they're out there this morning on a couple inches.


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## njsimonson

That crazy Brad. Here I thought he was dead, or at least in a Tijuana prison.


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## csp88

3" of clear ice on the shallower lakes, at leat 4-5" on the deeper lakes. Always carry picks and a rope with you out on early ice. A floatation device never hurts either.


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## cavedude

Guys just make sure you know whats safe...remember what happened in Detroit Lakes?


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## Springer

I think they were sitting on 14-16" of Ice but there was a spring a little ways away.

There were people sleeping in the semi's when they went through the ice.


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## Maverick

> That crazy Brad. Here I thought he was dead, or at least in a Tijuana prison.


I think he was kicked out of that prision, for loud and disruptive behavior!


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## holmsvc

Maverick said:


> That crazy Brad. Here I thought he was dead, or at least in a Tijuana prison.
> 
> 
> 
> I think he was kicked out of that prision, for loud and disruptive behavior!
Click to expand...

LMAO


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## ReKooH

I was out Saturday on 3 Inches and my morning we had 4 - 5 inches


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## OBSESSED

AROUND SEPTEMBER I SWITCH TO LIGHT BEER IN ORDER TO SHED SOME UNWANTED POUNDS, THIS WAY IM ABLE TO GET OUT ON THE LAKES BEFORE MOST ANGLERS.

AND THATS YOUR FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK!

NO SERIOUSLY, NO FISH IS WORTH DROWNING OVER, I ALWAYS WAIT TILL AT LEAST 4-5 INCHES OF GOOD ICE BEFORE I WALK OUT.


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## racer66

Tried skippin a river out in Idaho on snowmobile, made it right to the middle, the belt got wet and I went down to my waste. Talk about a set a RAISINS. Here's how you know if your friend is a true FRIEND, he stripped to his undies on the bank and walked a rope out to me and I tied it to the skies so we could pull it out.


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