Ice Fishing Safety

It's that time of year again. First Ice! I am just as excited as a kid on Christmas getting out all of my ice fishing gear. Rigging up new ice line on all the reels, organizing my tackle box for ice jigs and making sure my tip-ups are ready to go consume many evenings after a work day. However, I'll be one to admit that while getting all of the gear together is fun I often can be guilty of over looking the safety side of things. Yes, I know safety is not as fun but is the MOST important type of gear you can bring out.

Today's podcast I am joined by Bemidji Fire Department's Captain Trent Eineichner. Trent is the Fire Captain at the fire station and was nice enough to spend sometime with me on this episode going over ice safety. We talk everything from what is considered "safe ice", how ice forms on a lake, gear you should never leave home without, tactics to get out if you or a friend fall through and much more.

Every year we hear or see horror stories on social media of some folks that went through or were stranded out on the ice after a strong wind. Conditions are constantly changing and no matter how cold it is outside you should always use caution when heading out on the ice. My hope is that you guys give this episode a close listen and can walk away with at least one piece of information that you can implement as you head out onto the ice this year. I learned a few tips myself and glad that I took the time to go over the safety checklist as I gather up my ice fishing gear this season. If anything else, this is a fantastic refresher even to the seasoned ice angler. Stay safe and please give this one some attention.