Ice Fishing Preparation

Ice fishing is dangerous! Before you go out onto the ice, you must realise that. Before you go out onto the ice, you must prepare. There are four different things you need to focus on when planning to go ice fishing.

You must focus on your:

- Clothing
- Physical condition
- Equipment
- Procedures.

Clothing

For an excursion out ice fishing – it’s very important that you keep warm. Dressing in layers is essential to ensure your safety. You need to be protected from low air temperatures, wind, and precipitation. However, you still need to be able to move easily. You must also consider the possibility of falling in the ice. If and when that happens, you must be able to stay afloat and get out of there as soon as possible. Clothing that makes you unable to swim easily or stay afloat obviously isn’t a viable clothing option. A flotation device should ideally be worn at all times.

Physical Condition

Anyone who goes ice fishing must be in good physical condition in case of an emergency arising. You should be able to swim comfortably in case you fall through the ice, or at least stay afloat.

Safety Equipment

Items to ensure your safety are essential when going ice fishing. You must take items for testing and measuring ice-thickness along with items for rescue and self-rescue. Here are some of the items you will need to take:

Procedures

There are numerous procedures that you must take to ensure your personal safety. Here they are:

- Never go out onto the ice on your own

- Never go out onto the ice if you think it’s not safe

- Always let someone know where you’ve gone, and when you will be coming back

- Listen for loud sounds coming from the ice. These loud sounds can indicate that the ice is about to break up

- Make sure the ice you’re on is free of cracks/broken ice

- If you’re about to drive a vehicle on the ice, make sure you walk on the ice first to ensure its safety. Don’t just walk on it though, take out an ice chisel and vigorously ‘attack’ the ice with it. If the chisel goes through, carefully walk back to your vehicle and come back to try another day

- After the first person gets on the ice, followers should follow in the leaders footsteps – but must keep at least 10 feet apart

- Never take a vehicle on the ice until you know the characteristics of the ice

- Before going on the ice, take a good look at the ice. Check for any open water areas, and check for any signs of changes in water levels

- Make sure you check for hollow sounds when probing the ice. Ice that is sloping down from the bank may have some air space underneath it. If you hear hollow sounds, do not go on the ice – it’s not safe.