Ice fishing pepin please read

Not an actual fishing report but a word of caution as if there hasn’t been enough. Was out there today and my buddy and I fell through (walking) Parked the truck about 300-350 yards from shore (by the cluster of shacks at Maiden rock) and started heading towards the channel. Had been there last Sunday and there was 10 inches in the channel. Was just about to the old holes when we went down. Just wet up to the arm pits got our wits and pulled ourselves out. Everyone and gear is fine. Lantern even landed up right and survived the light toss (mantles didn’t break). I’ve fished out there hundreds of times through the ice and thought I was being cautious. It can happen to anyone. Was a good 70 yards from the ice heaves you start to see around shore and probably a hundred yards from the actual shore.

Having that happen to you and still being able to make a post is better than a fishing report any day.

Thanks for sharing.

could have been much worse…..glad it wasnt.

Quote:

---

Having that happen to you and still being able to make a post is better than a fishing report any day.

Thanks for sharing.

---

I couldn’t agree more

Glad to hear you guys made it out ok and was able to save your equipment. Good info to share. It is getting to be that time of year again when traveling on waters with current use the spud.

Ice will disappear from the bottom in current faster than it will from the top giving you no warning with these warming temps.

Thanks for the post

Thanks for the heads up! Yikes

We all get surprised from time to time…. Glad your okay…

This is an e-mail I got from my friend Vern.

I’m not sure if this link will work but on Monday my brother Joel went down to Point no Point on the Mississippi to do some ice fishing. He unknowingly drove toward the channel and it went from 18 inches of ice to 3 inches. Within seconds his 2007 dodge pickup sunk into 24 ft of water. I’m still a little shaken by just how close he came to losing his life. I’m just so grateful he was spared. we spent the morning today watching the recovery, it looks like his insurance is saying they will cover all the costs. The recovery today is likely over $10,000. They had a dive team, two divers and 10 guys from the towing company setting up the equipment and pulling the truck out.

Link

Well for his sake I sure hope you’re right on the insurance covering a vehicle going down on the ice, I always heard just the opposite that there is an exclusion about driving on ice..

After seeing the pics it looks to be very close to where we went through walking. Didn’t notice the thin ice signs yet when we were there.

They put the signs up mon. The signs are still up from an earlier truck that went partially threw, upstream from were the pics came from

wonder if that Big Buddy in the windshield is still working??

Minn side of channel is bad news–I stay away from that side much as I can–brother has is house out there yet up past Rush on WI side and theres 20″ of ice yet—but rivers are unpredictable–fishing been slow there too way it sounds

mn side is gettin pretty weak, wi side still pretty good and solid but would not travel off the beaten path,some weak spots out there

There were five or six trucks just up-stream from Hok-si-la beach about 6 last night at mid channel. Trailer Point in Lake City had about the same number of vehicles park on the ice. I won’t drive on that ice, no matter which side of the river.

Lol–I been driving out since mid January from Maiden rock–was out last night too–still 17″ ice–but closer you get to MN channel–less theres is– but its a river!!