ICE FISHING SAFETY TIPS
Make it Back Home Alive ! Hypothermia Kills !
Tell someone where you are going and what time you will be back . Bring a fishing buddy along . There is safety in numbers . Check with locals to find out CURRENT ice conditions . Ice conditions can change overnight or within hours .
Take your cell phone or a satellite communication devices with you in a plastic baggy . Hang a whistle around your neck . Remember the movie Titanic . You can blow a whistle longer than you can scream for help .
Take a set of dry clothes , blanket and a heater of some sort to warm you up if you get wet . Make sure clothes are in a waterproof bag . Carry a thermos of hot drink and a high energy snack to help you recover if you get wet .
Wear a floatation suit or device while on the ice . Wear a pair of ice picks around your neck in the event you fall through . They will help you crawl back up on the ice . Stay flat on the ice until you are away from danger area .
Take a throw rope and flotation device with you in case you have to help someone else .
Carry all gear on a sled to distribute weight . Spread out from your buddy when walking out . Be mindful of where someone has broken through or the ice has been weakened from too many ice fishing holes .
If unsure of thickness of ice back away ... is that fish really worth your life . If ice is 3 inches or less stay off . You need 5 inches or greater for ATV or Snowmobile .
Stay away from moving water , streams , bridges and culverts .
22