oooooops!

 

I really get a kick of you warm weather boys!! Being in Minnesota, we ride ice all the time in the winter. Wheelers, sleds.... yes even cars and trucks. You haven't lived until you've driven a 8800 pound diesel truck towing a loaded, four place sled trailer, 3 or 4 miles out on a frozen lake. Driving over water you know is 40' to 50' deep. Over steel bridges that span cracks in the ice, sometimes 3' wide or more with open water under them. Pull up to your mobile home sized fish house to spend the entire weekend (or longer) on the ice.

You'd be real surprised just how much weight ice can really hold. Riding on ice with no snow cover can be a bit freaky though.... At 6" of clear, strong ice, I had my 700 out there, towing out my 600 pound fish house. no worries, no problems.

Is it safe? No ice is 100% safe. Its a calculated risk like most things are. Sometmes you win... Other times you get cold and wet. But if you know what your doing, are very carful and aware of your surroundings, you can eliminate most of that risk and enjoy a great time out on the frozen lakes. But it can still jump up and bite you in the keister... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

What's the deal with riding on the ice like that on a 700 pound machine? Are you buckin' for a "Darwin Award" or what?




Lol, I live in maine and theres about a foot an a half of ice on the lake. I was riding and I didnt notice the stream that ran into the lake and I went over the ice by the stream and it broke.

 

Bootbass...

It ain't no big deal... to them ice is something you drop in a cocktail... to us, sand is what we use for traction in the winter... LOL!! A horse a piece my friend!! I would feel no more comfortable riding up a super steep sand dune, as they would blasting across a frozen lake...

Moving water can be REAL dangerous once frozen over. And most times, as you found out, current can't be spotted until it may be too late. Springs too can be a real hazard. On popular, well traveled lakes, moving water is marked, but on remote lakes (which I can't get enough of) they're not. So you REALLY have to keep your eyes peeled for anything that looks "funny"...

Still would be fun to see their eyes if they were to be on the ice when it's really makin' noise... Popping, snapping and that occasional big BOOM!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] THAT even gets my attention... LOL!!!

 

Yep...you guys can have your ice! As for me? I'll continue to use it in my Tangueray & Tonics and "maybe" scrape it from my windshield once or twice a year when it gets down to an unbearable +30 degrees. I really hate it when I reach in to the freezer to retrieve just one or 2 cubes but three or four stick to your fingers. That's just darned inconvenient!

Dang, it's 78 degrees in Pismo Beach right now under sunny skies....Brrrrrrrrr! I guess I'll have to bundle up and go for a ride on the Dunes this afternoon. With the exception of the occasional Sand Worm that might suck you under to your death, I won't have to be watching for any "moving water" or "funny stuff" while I ride!

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

This was a good read... I guess you just ride on what you can, sand or ice or mud. The ice is fun, do great donuts on it, spin fast enough to make you throw up, lol.

I was out on my pond today, usually i plow it with the atv so I can skate and play hockey, but it hasn't been cold enough yet, I drilled a hole today to see how thick it was, only 3.5 inches, not enough for the 700. I'll wait till its a good 6 inches of ice. Then I wont have to use that damn shovel..... takes hrs. i dont know how ppl can shovel their driveways and stuff by hand.... Once you use the ATV you've spoiled. haha.

Anyways, here's the guidelines:
4 inches for walking on
6 inches for an ATV or Snowmobile
8 inches for light truck or small car
12 inches for med pickup

 

Moosehunter,

Is creekin and popping and viberation the norm with new ice?

I'm new to ice fishing this year, been going along with a seasoned angler the past few days. 6-8" of ice where we've been fishing. He assures me all is well and the ice is ok. I havent gotten wet yet, but the noise that ice makes!! Its crazy!!

 

"Is creekin and popping and viberation the norm with new ice?"

You bet it is. Don't sweat it unless the ice is spider-webbing right below you. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Usually that's the sound of "makin' ice". When water freezes, it expands and all that noise is just the ice making room for more.

What really freaks a guy out is when you have close to 3' of ice. And just as you're getting to sleep on a sub-zero night... you hear pop, pop,snap, crackle.....BOOM!!!!. And we're talking LOUD!!! Usually when we hear that in our sleeper, we all draw cards to see who gets to cross the new ice heave first! LOL!!!