I spend a lot of time on the ice in the winter and no matter what you are doing a set of "picks" the most important thing to have on your person before setting foot out onto any frozen body of water.
They sell a commercially available set of picks (Walmart has them I think) that have bright orange handles.
Or you can make them. The simplest set can be a couple of screw drivers with holes drilled in the handles for a line or cord to attach them together. The other way to make a set is to take a decent diameter dowel say half inch and cut two 5 inch pieces and drill holes straight up into the ends. Take a couple of good strong nails and set them in the holes using 5 minute epoxy. Then cut the heads off and sharpen the ends to a point. Again always best to drill holes in the end and add a cord to keep them together.
Guys I know who have made this latter style will drill another hole next to the shaft of the nail so you can put the two ends together fitted like a puzzle so the sharp points are not exposed. The will then wear them around their necks so they are ready in case of emergency.
A set of creepers or spikes is an absolute necessity on new black ice. If someone goes thru you will be help less to pull them out without them. One of the better brands is Stabilicers which you can find thru LL Bean, Cabelas and Sports Authority for around $49.00. Just make sure you get them sized large enough to fit over winter boots.
Last but simple piece of safety gear would be a whistle. Sound can carry across a pond and a whistle creates the most noise for the amount of energy expended. I keep on on the cord for the picks.
So while the fishing gear is important I guess what I am saying is don't overlook the safety gear.
Remember there is always thin ice somewhere!
Here is a more adavanced set of homemade picks-
