# Minimum Ice?



## walleyeman2006 (Sep 12, 2006)

ive fished on an inch......about 8 ft off shore in 4 fow....20ft from my truck lol........some of you know i go out on thin ice but theres times and places for that......coves cuts with no flow......not the bay or the saginaw river thats for sure........no fish is worth it......and remeber im 160 and have size 14 ice mans on......or waders even lol


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## busybeaver (Apr 7, 2006)

Last season i was trying to show a friend how solid an 1.5 is, jumped up and down and nothing happened.About 5 secs later iI slipped and fell, drove my shoulder right through only about 10ft from shore. I feel safe on a solid 2,depends on the body of water of course.


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

Dking(MI) said:


> If the water is less than shoulder height deep, 3-4 inches walking out.
> If the water is over my head, min. of 5 inches of solid ice.
> Dan, were you with your brother when he went in?


No I was not with my brother that day. And for the record he did not go in...the ice just broke loose and they had to be rescued:yikes:


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

Dking(mi)... you cant tell the apple doesnt fall far from the tree though cant ya... haha... 

come to think of it Dan i cant believe i let you walk over there with my seld.... wasnt my vex in that sled...... oooooo i would have made you dive down and get that before i went and got help if you fell in up there :lol:

and yes it is an adrenaline rush.... but go polar bear swimming or something where there is help and thick ice... duh

otherwise you could be swimming with the


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## bassman00 (Feb 6, 2007)

2 if its solid ice and no current. Once there is a solid 4-5 I'll take the quad out. Solid ice is a lot stronger than people think. 10 in. of solid ice will hold a truck with no problem.


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

HunterHawk said:


> and yes it is an adrenaline rush.... but go polar bear swimming or something where there is help and thick ice... duh
> 
> otherwise you could be swimming with the



Come on Hawk you were standing right there next to me, and my other buddy. Beside the docks were only 6 feet away. To tell the truth I like swimming with the 

On the Apple note I guess I cant argue with that one, cept little brother is more careful than I am...


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## laker24 (Jan 1, 2008)

Little Roober said:


> I don't know about that. Me and a few buddies were out on about 4 when 1 of em fell. All the way across the river was a nice crack.:yikes:
> 
> I've fished on 1.5-2...when I walked, the ice bowed in....:tdo12:


 your crazy


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## rcdan-o (Nov 13, 2004)

I gotta have minimum 4 inches for me to solo, 5+ if I am with my 7 year old...


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## WALLEYEvision (Dec 5, 2003)

shawnfire said:


> 5 to 6 on most lakes 3-4 on shallow lakes that i know


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## Gutz (Mar 22, 2006)

I've fished 2-3" but I was pretty hard up for a fix and didn't feel right about it afterwards. As far as shanties go, I don't think (hope I don't regret saying this) they make a difference. IMO, pressure = force/area equals out the extra weight but who knows? I feel pretty comfortable on 4" but I don't leave the spud in the truck unless there's 6+ and I always keep the spikes around my neck.


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## Dialtone (Jun 14, 2006)

Gutz said:


> I've fished 2-3&quot; but I was pretty hard up for a fix and didn't feel right about it afterwards. As far as shanties go, I don't think (hope I don't regret saying this) they make a difference. IMO, pressure = force/area equals out the extra weight but who knows? I feel pretty comfortable on 4&quot; but I don't leave the spud in the truck unless there's 6+ and I always keep the spikes around my neck.


You know I was thinking the same thing about a shanty and weight distribution. My only concern is that if the ice opened up, you could just stand up from a bucket and walk away. If you were zipped up in a shanty, it could be a little hard to get out in time. Well Thursday I am going out and taking the shanty with me in case the ice is good. Even if I don't feel comfortable using the shanty, it makes a good sled for my gear. Stay safe everyone.


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

here is a link to a decent Army publication about ice thinness. Most of the info should be review but good info all the same. Has some stuff about minimum thickness and what the ice can handle weight wise, towards the end of the page.

http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/ierd/ice_safety/safety.html

Hope this helps,
J-


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## woodie slayer (Feb 25, 2006)

3 in. for me.....300 lb.+
5 in. for me and atv ...1050 lb. or so 
12 in. for my truck....4500 lb


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## Gutz (Mar 22, 2006)

jjc155 said:


> here is a link to a decent Army publication about ice thinness. Most of the info should be review but good info all the same. Has some stuff about minimum thickness and what the ice can handle weight wise, towards the end of the page.
> 
> http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/ierd/ice_safety/safety.html
> 
> ...



That's pretty much what I've always heard:

2" for a person (0.1 tons)
4" for a quad/sled (with person and equipment) etc. (1 ton)
6" for a truck (2 tons)

That's what I've heard but I personally double all of that.


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## shadow (Feb 14, 2005)

the army article has a sentence about brittle ice...

"Contrary to what you would expect, a rapid, large air temperature drop makes an ice sheet _brittle,_ and the ice _may not be safe _to use for 24 hours or more."

and i believe i encountered this today when i went out on chemung lake in brighton. the ice was a solid 2 inches but when i hit it with the spud it would almost seem to splinter like glass and would only take a couple whacks before i was through. it was easier to make holes with the spud than it would be for the auger. needless to say i didnt feel comfortable on this ice and left. normally i will go without a second thought on 3 inches of good ice. anything more is a bonus


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## Cut Bait (May 25, 2004)

I personally prefer about two inches of ice, two inches of good Canadian whiskey and then top the rest of the tumbler off with water. Add a slice of lemon and you're all set to fish.

That Army manual must be for the new 2K Army. Back in my day we sent a private across first. If he made it then we sent a fire team, then a squad. The first butterbar LT we saw, we sent his jeep across and then the S4 duce and a half. After that it didn't matter. The infantry doesn't have or read manuals like that. If there is a river or lake, they cross it. If someone gets wet, TS. Embrace the suck. If you can't hack it, Go Navy....


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