Ice Fishing Safety Question?

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Barring an early spring thaw, there could be ice into April!
I was in Moultonborough, and the lake had well over a foot of solid ice.
Any snow in the mix came from what fell thios weekend!

Oh, and I do disagree...ice DOES freeze uniformly.
The water UNDER it causes it to melt more in some areas than others.
That's where springs, rivers, inlets and outlets come into play. Moving water erodes ice AFTER it has formed and can prevent it from freezing in the first place.

Nevertheless, I would NEVER advocate anything but safety when venturing out on the ice.
Fortunately the places I fish I know whether or not they are spring fed and where any inlets or outlets are beforehand.
This is another good reason to check out a pond or lake during open water season, so you have an idea of where to avoid.

And AGAIN... never presume ice is safe until you have checked it for yourself!!!

YOU ARE DEAD WRONG.... ice does not freeze uniformly becuse of the exact reason you just stated.. the water is too warm where the spings are to support freezing below the surface.. it also does not freeze evenly because some area are kept open by the wind and feeze much latter.. iif at all.. thus the thickness vary lately.. seems like some people just like to argue for the sake of arguing...

[FishermanTim]

I was just going to say the same thing.

let's see....water freezes at 32 degrees, which is uniformly taken as a standard measure. Now if we were talking of ice formation on lake "X" then we would have to consider that although the ice will form, there could be extenuating circumstances that could prevent the ice from freezing all at the same time.

In a pond with no springs, no inlets or outlets, and adequate shelter from the wind, the ice tends to freeze uniformly.

Maybe I should have been more specific in my claim.

Or better yet, maybe I just need a good day out on the ice to chase away the January blahs?