Seriously BAD Idea
Ice fishing is a hugely fun sport, with the weather keeping all but the hardiest individuals inside and the crowds to a minimum, but it can also present its own dangers as can any winter sport which sees you pitted against the cold weather and wind.
A few tips to bear in mind for the newer ice fisherman are to assure that you are dressed appropriately for ice fishing activities. Using a shanty can help a great deal. An ice fishing shanty is a small shelter that will help to stop the wind and snow from hitting you directly while you are fishing.
You can purchase shanties from nearly anywhere or make one yourself. They are typically about 4-6 feet square, and have a bench in them. You can purchase canvas ones that will keep you warm as well, or at least out of the wind.
Inside the ice shanty many fishermen keep a small stove, such as a propane burner to warm their hands and so on.
Just like any other method of heat, you’re certainly going to want to be paying attention to it and make sure that its safety first.
Remember that hypothermia can in fact sneak up on you. Movement will keep you warmer and taking in some warm soup or cocoa is going to help as well. Take some kind of nourishment with you if you’re planning on being out on the ice for any period of time. Bear in mind that when you’re cold and particularly when you’re shivering, you’re going to burn more calories and need a bit more intake than you would do if you were home in the heat.
Remember too, that you could literally be “Skating” on thin ice. Check the conditions of the ice ahead of time, and know how thick it is, no matter how safe someone else told you it might be.
A good thickness for walking on will be at least four inches.
If there is a path trodden out over the ice, try to stay on that path, because its apparently a safe one.
The thickness of the ice can change fairly dramatically from one place to another, particularly in areas where the water is flowing into the lake, so make sure you check the thickness in more than one place.
Early springtime sees a phenomenon called rotten ice, which will easily permit you to fall through. If you take your snowmobile out over the ice, ( and although we know we shouldn’t most of us do) make sure the ice is at least five to six inches and try to use snowmobile tracks already there.
