# Water on ICE, under snow....



## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

The night of the big storm, I was ice fishing and drilled 4 large holes (10 inch auger diameter) in my spot where I have a semi-permanent shanty (it is hub style with rope anchors on each side...I left it up for the past 1.5 months on the same spot without issues)

I Just returned with my quad off of lake in northern oakland county. I live on the lake and thought I could start plowing a path, My quad got stuck multiple times on snow, but easy to dig out...when I got to my shanty, i was shocked to see there was 2-3 inches of water on top of the ice and the a 50 foot radius around my shanty was all saturated. The tracks I made immediately were slushing, I tore back up the same path and made it back. 
The issue I now have is that my shanty is a portable shanty however, it it is without a floor....inside I have a bunch a gear....., I am planning on waiting awhile, although I may put my snowshoes on and try to get the stuff..
Do you think that it will refreeze and be safer to retrieve?


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

If it was me I'd get it all out *before *it refroze......just to be safe..


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

The ice didn't get any thinner. The water came up through the holes in your shanty because the weight of all the new snow pushed the ice down a few inches. Go out and get your gear before it's too late and it's frozen into the ice.


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

ih772 said:


> The ice didn't get any thinner. The water came up through the holes in your shanty because the weight of all the new snow pushed the ice down a few inches. Go out and get your gear before it's too late and it's frozen into the ice.


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## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

It is crazy, 
Just now I attempted to retrieve the gear, however, it is worse than I thought!!!, I put snow shoes on, used a light jacket and pulled large utility sled out there, I got about 15 feet from the shanty and the snow shoes started sinking into 3-4 inches of water, I made it about 6 feet to one of the rope anchors and a shelf broke off ~2-3 feet diameter of ice and free water was flowing.. I reached into the hole and felt 12-15 inches of free water under the "new snow melt ice" and this about 6 feet from the actual shanty, 
Interestingly, the hub shanty is still above the water flow.
The gear that I have out there is a few poles, a couple of crappie lights, two metal folding chairs, a bench. 
I am going to wait this one out till safer.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

You just found a thin crust frozen of slush, the real ice is under that. Take a spud with you, you'll find the real ice.


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## HCbowhunter (Jul 23, 2010)

I would get your gear our an see if you can brake your shanty lose a little bit otherwise your going to have your work cut out for ya if you. Have to chisel it all out.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

ih772 said:


> The ice didn't get any thinner. The water came up through the holes in your shanty because the weight of all the new snow pushed the ice down a few inches. Go out and get your gear before it's too late and it's frozen into the ice.


 

J-


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## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

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## Coldwater Charters (Sep 17, 2000)

If you think it may be unsafe. Take a small boat and have a friend stand by with a long rope don't do it by yourself. It's sound like what the rest of the people are saying, that you have water on top of the good ice but without seeing it hard to tell for sure. I know the ice over by lake Michigan is terrible and now with all this snow it is almost unsafe. If your in the middle of the state or more east it should be fine. But again without seeing it be careful and use your head. 

How much ice was there before the snow storm? There should still be that much now, but be careful.


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## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

I am going to "chip" this one out. I learned my lesson about leaving a shanty out in the midst of predicted blizzard. My reluctance was that, it was such a good spot:sad:


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## Cobra (Jan 19, 2000)

ih772 said:


> You just found a thin crust frozen of slush, the real ice is under that. Take a spud with you, you'll find the real ice.


Looks like we're in for a period of double ice, your cardiologist will be proud if you can deal with it


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## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

That is ironic....I am a cardiologist


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

clear off the spot you want to leave your shanty on and let MA Nature do the rest. 
BTW
The pic was great of the inside of the shanty.
The only thing lacking is a beer fridge!
I'd ask what the lap tops for but being a cardiologist answers it.lol
Hope the fish gods shine on ya!


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## jlcrss (May 17, 2006)

Is that a tv behind your laptop? :16suspect

I just noticed it looks like you have your aqua vu hooked up to it. Very Nice


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## halliday45 (Jan 3, 2011)

what lake? little pine island?


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## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

I'm kind of embarrassed to say... it is 24 inch flat panel for playing XBOX. The xbox is in the container underneath. I run it on two marine batteries that are attached and get about 4-6 hours before the batteries get weak
You guys are going to think that I don't even fish..., Part of the fun in this sport is making your ice shelter a man cave..., I even have high speed internet. I pull the TV/XBOX out for times when a few buddies come out..mostly to show off. Many of the people I work with are from Texas, Boston, etc and think it is absolutely crazy to even go on the ice...
I can say that since December when there has been good ice on my lake, I have been out in the shanty 3-4 times per week...Most of the time it is dark before I even get out there. I use two crappie lights. When the fish are biting it makes it hard to play xbox

FYI, I bring all the electronic equipment in each night..


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

Takotsubos said:


> I'm kind of embarrassed to say... it is 24 inch flat panel for playing XBOX. The xbox is in the container underneath. I run it on two marine batteries that are attached and get about 4-6 hours before the batteries get weak
> You guys are going to think that I don't even fish..., Part of the fun in this sport is making your ice shelter a man cave..., I even have high speed internet. I pull the TV/XBOX out for times when a few buddies come out..mostly to show off. Many of the people I work with are from Texas, Boston, etc and think it is absolutely crazy to even go on the ice...
> I can say that since December when there has been good ice on my lake, I have been out in the shanty 3-4 times per week...Most of the time it is dark before I even get out there. I use two crappie lights. When the fish are biting it makes it hard to play xbox
> 
> FYI, I bring all the electronic equipment in each night..


Something about taking a "man card " away comes to mind.
To redeem yourself i think you need to add a kegerator and custom brass pole. With that being said invites to various M-S members should go out and............... the kegerator should be flowing and the brass pole occupied.
A full report should be made by each attending M-S member in this forum.
It's ironic you remind me of a cardiologist i knew that worked at one of the big Detroit stages. J.L. He liked his toys too.
lol


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## leadbelly (Dec 29, 2010)

:lol:All you have to do is add Charlie Sheen for company. and then you can get down to some serious ice fishing.:evilsmile


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## Takotsubos (Jan 1, 2011)

I have a healthy new respect for ICE today! Although it has been below freezing for the past 2 months, and I live on a small lake (<120 acres) that had 12-14 inches of ice before this storm...

So, three days have gone by.... I walked out there today with a spud bar to see how bad the shanty was iced in and looked what happened!!







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So of course, I was much more confident this time because of multiple assurances that there was "real ice" under this water. So I was able to enter the shanty

It is interesting because the Shanty floor itself and the a 5 foot perimeter around the shanty is pretty solid with the new flow ice and I was able to walkk right inside and around the shanty (the new ice is not that bad, and my shanty is about 2-3 inches iced in).


At the end, I took my spud bar and started probing that hole. To my horror, there is no ice under this!!!
My spud bar was about 5 foot tall and there was no ice under this.







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I really think this phenomenon occurred because I drilled all those holes on the night of the big storm, when I left my shanty that night, it was in the middle of the blizzard and those holes were very fresh!!

I would warn anyone about getting close to Shanty's with fresh holes after a large snow storm!!!


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