03-30-2002, 02:25 AM
<B><" }}^ >< Ice Fishing Tip #47</B><br><br><br>While the lake was forming ice several years back, we received little snow, the ice formed clear as glass. When I walked up to the edge of the clear ice an eerie feeling came across me as I glared at it wandering if it was an allusion and just how thick is it. <br>Behind me the ice was white and about 15 inches thick. But now I saw a 5-foot Gar Pike slowly swimming by just below my feet. Talk about your glass bottom boats. <br>Knowing the lake I was standing over 40 feet of water, this is not where I wanted to be if the ice was thin. I grabbed my hand auger and started to cut a hole. I gave up after reaching 10 inches of depth. Quite confident that the ice was now safe enough to cross the lake I pressed onward. <br>I passed over a 100 feet of clear ice before I saw any imperfections. I came upon a crack that resembled a ray of a northern light. Reflecting the sunlight in a spectrum of colors. (pretty to say the least) I could definitely see that the ice was a good 20 inches thick. But other than the crack showing the thickness, you wouldn’t be able to tell that the Ice was more than a half-inch. <br>(To this day I am still leery of not seeing nothing but darkness below my feet)<br><br><br><A HREF="http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/MESS6438/" target="_new">http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/MESS6438/</A> <br>Lookie See what the kids are up to.<br>Dave T. Clown