[bone-a-fide]

Had the chance to hit the ice this am before work. Was surprised at almost 7" of clear blue ice, more than I have seen around here in 4 years. Fished for 2 hours with 3 nice yellow perch and a 2.5# bass as well as a few small bluegills. If you get a chance to get out on the hardwater, looks like it should be good for a couple weeks barring a major warmup.:clapping2:

 

[27 sailfish]

Not asking for exact location but what area were you at ?

 

[bone-a-fide]

Skip-north of Baltimore in a western shore tidal pond.
Nate

 

[27 sailfish]

Thanks - I heard the ice up at the North East was just thick enough to fish- in spots.Tidal ice is always tricky- gotta love the noise as the tide drops.

I used to ice fish some local farm ponds but now there are houses there.

 

[bone-a-fide]

There's not a lot of spots around here to ice fish. I have 3 go to areas, haven't been up to North East yet. I'm from NW Pennsylvania, so we usually get 2+ solid months of icefishing up there. I am just happy to get out around here, very peaceful. I might try North East this weekend if it doesn't get too warm friday. The ice were I was was great, but to the novice the explosive cracks as the tide drops would be scary.

 

[rocksteady]

The lower Wicomico River was frozen almost the whole way across this morning . All the commercial boats were frozen in at the harbor:eek2:

 

[chickennecker]

bone-a-fide,

Glad to read of your success. After hitting a pond on Saturday which was fishable with 2" of ice.

I tried a western shore tidal river Sunday and was met with four feet of open water, then slush.

Not sure how thick the stuff was out in the middle, didn't make the leap. Heading west this Sunday for what hopefully is some thicker stuff.

Good luck if you get back out.

 

[gotboost]

Chickennecker, are you saying you fished on a pond with just 2 in's of ice,I thought you needed at least 4 in's to be safe,and that's not thick enough for my 230lb butt)

As a kid(1960's) my Dad would take me ice fishing on the North East River all the time and back then the ice was thick like at least 10in's thick and would stay frozen all winter..

For anyone how much ice is needed for a pond to be safe and whats needed for tidal water like the upper North East?

 

[Fish Fish'n]

Gotboost,

The rule of thumb for safe fresh water ice 4 inches. I like tidal ice a bit thicker and I find it tends to bend a little more.

 

[rocksteady]

Gotboost,

The rule of thumb for safe fresh water ice 4 inches. I like tidal ice a bit thicker and I find it tends to bend a little more.

My old lady told me that 4" bends just fine !:eek2::yes:

 

[chickennecker]

gotboost,

I'm not encouraging anyone else to do it, but yeah, I fish(ed) 2" thick new ice in low temps, (and I tip the scale heavier than you). Hopefully you can see the two ropes anchored on shore in the top picture, the water isn't over my head and I have a pair of ice spikes around my neck and a second pair around an arm. I don't fish thin ice on it's way out though.

Hope that you catch a few if you get back out on the ice.

 

[TDLewis]

Man, you gotta really hate a bluegill to go out and ice fish....! (c:

 

[bone-a-fide]

Chickennecker, I would bet if you actualy measured that ice from bottom to top, it was more like 3", maybe more. 2" is much thinner than you actually think. Take a piece of a clothes hanger and bend it into an L. on the long end mark inches. That makes a quick ice measurer. Clear ice is the strongest, so 3" is safe, but you would need to be sure it is all uniform. The typical rule of thumb is 4".

 

[striper sniper2006]

My old lady told me that 4" bends just fine !:eek2::yes:

Now thats hilarious!!:hysterical: