How to tell ice thickness
SC
On the subject of ice fishing, can anyone tell me a cheap way to measure the
ice thickness without buying one of those ice drill things? I have bought a
house by quite a shallow lake, so could I carefully step out and hack a hole
with an axe and does the ice get thicker the further out you go?
Thanks a lot in advance.
ARB
_jj_
With cottages and civilization around a lake - watch out for
warm spots <thin ice> where drains / storm sewers enter the lake.
Even with a foot of ice everywhere else - you could get a trouble
spot. Thin ice also around dark spots in the ice - like logs or
cardboard - that soak up the sun's rays .. when the rest of the lake
is just marginal (a few inches).
Take care.
John T.
smiles
4 inches of solid ice is ample for someone to walk on. It will take a
couple of good whacks with an axe to cut through. If I can sink the blade
of my axe through the ice with one whack, it's a bit too thin for my liking.
If you plan to do the occasional fishing, you can make a cutter out of a
long pole of metal and you can weld a square piece of metal to the end. You
sharpen the square piece and hack a hole through the ice. It will cost you
about 20 to 25 bucks to have one made at a welding shop. The width of the
cutter should be about 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide. If you are going to go ice
fishing more often and if the ice gets over 1 foot thick, an ice auger is
the way to go. A manual ice auger to make 8 inch diameter holes will cost
about 60 bucks. The cutters are very fragile. Any sand, or getting knocked
about will prevent any further cutting until the cutters are sharpened.
They should be as sharp as razors. When very sharp, the auger will go
through the ice very quickly and easily. Occasionally, the cutters must be
carefully honed otherwise you will have to buy new ones for about 20 bucks.
I carefully hone mine (keep the original angle of cut perfect) and they get
sharp enough to shave the hair on my forearm. There are 6 inch diameter
augers and they are a tad less expensive. They are also fine if you fish in
an area that is not really cold and the fish are not big. A rather large
fish can go through a 6 inch hole but when it gets really cold, the holes
have a tendency to freeze up and get smaller. In -15 to -25 weather, a 6
inch hole really freezes up fast. But....cutting a hole through ice is a
bit easier with a 6 inch auger. Some people who do a lot of ice fishing,
most guides, all outfitters, use gas operated augers. They cost about 350
dollars. When using one where there are many fishermen, you can offer to
cut holes for a small fee. By the end of 2 years, your machine could have
paid for itself. But, you will have to haul smelly gas, the extra weight
and if the auger is not maintained, it could give you problems. Manual
augers always start.
"SC" <starkc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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SC
interesting and detailed replies :-)
It will be my first time ice fishing at my cottage and I intend to go on
16th February in Nova Scotia. I will post the group to let you know how I
get on.
Thanks again
ARB
"smiles" <goat...@badsound.net> wrote in message
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Marc
Glub! Glub!
LOLnews:bs7o6k$pph$1...@titan.btinternet.com...
SC
"Marc" <Ma...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
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Dre
your chest waders fill up with water then you'll sink right to the bottom.
Dre
"Marc" <Ma...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
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Marc
"Dre" <iam...@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
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John A Vance
gets thinner, especially in large lakes. Small shallow lakes can be
dangerous, my friend - beware - because of incoming artesian springs. An
ax will work, just don't whack too hard - and don't go out too far -
testing every couple of feet as you go. Good ice is black - as it has
little air in it. Where is your lake?
My name is John A. Vance - and I've just published a book called 'Ice
Fishing Basics' that deals with ice thickness and various methods of
cutting holes - but if you have any specific questions - I'd be glad to
help ( yes, for free). Just e-mail me at envi...@oxford.net and I'll
give you any info/knowledge I can!
best of luck - John
Steve Ward
drown
Steve
"Dre" <iam...@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
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PB
"Steve Ward" <nos...@whatever.com> wrote in message
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smiles
weigh the same in the water. You will not sink to the bottom any faster if
the waders are full of water. What will help is the amount of air trapped
inside the waders so it stands to reason that if the waders are full of
water there will be no trapped air inside the waders. A good solid belt to
hold the air inside the waders will help to float a fisherman. Too much air
and I would guess that the fisherman could float "head down" in the water
but a personal floatation device would help to keep the fisherman's head out
of the water. With trapped air in the waders and a PFD, a floating
fisherman could even become a good device to sit on and fish from.
Dark Knight
DK
"smiles" <toa...@morton.net> wrote in message
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Mike Schmidt
waders full of water!! It's not drowning that you need to worry about, as
much as hypothermia. You need to get out of the water as fast as possible,
then get warm and dry ASAP. Every bit of saftey advice I've seen, says
never wear waders or hip boots when ice fishing. You want clothes as light
as possible (while still heavy enough to stay warm).
--
Schmidty
"Dark Knight" <tortur...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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