Plenty of winter left for good ice fishing

One thing about the thermometer is the mercury goes up as well as down. Ice anglers want it to go down, down, down and freeze the local lakes, but Mother Nature lately has favored mercury in the milder temperature ranges.

Around Christmas a photo appeared on Facebook showing an angler holding a hefty crappie while standing on 3 inches or so of ice at Peter’s Creek cove at Lake Ontelaunee. Most anglers know that first ice often triggers an active bite, so one can understand this angler’s risky impatience, but 3 inches of ice at Ontelaunee is an invitation to a frigid, dangerous dunk.

Forecasts are calling for a relatively mild January. Fishable ice in southeast Pennsylvania this month, meaning at least 4 inches, likely will be short-lived. Since Christmas, rain and rising temperatures have left avid anglers searching the internet for news of hard water elsewhere.

Keep in mind that the hardest ice of the day always will be in morning after a freezing night.

February holds greater promise for local anglers. Mother Nature can’t sustain the moderate mercury forever and eventually she will bow to the glacial chill of the northern winds. Remember, too, that winter is only 16 days old and it has 11 more weeks to go. Deep freezes are inevitable.

According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, 4 inches of ice is expected to support the weight of an adult, about 200 pounds, but considering how much gear ice anglers bring these days, one adult plus gear is closer to the weight of two adults.

It’s common for a single angler to tow a sled filled with rods, tip-ups, terminal tackle, bait buckets, grills, tents, ice scoops, seats, heaters, augers and more.

Ice fishing back in the day was much simpler. I made my first jigging rod from a 30-inch piece of cedar trim that I rounded with my pocket knife, screwed an eye-hook onto the end as a guide and wound black nylon fishing line onto two finishing nails at the handle.

The rod was stiff and bites were hard to detect, but the hook-set would give panfish a concussion. We had no gas augers or electronic fish finders back then, but we knew where the weedlines were and, just as today, that’s where we wanted to fish.

Remember there is no such thing as “safe” ice. There is peril in every step.

Ice conditions are equally as important as ice thickness, so be extra cautious when walking on snowcovered ice. White ice often denotes new ice not completely frozen. Don’t let the urge to get out there rush you into danger.

Other common safety tips include avoiding ice over moving water. Ice that forms over water currents that may rise and fall creates air pockets that weaken ice. At least 5 inches of thickness is advisable under these condition.

Don’t fish alone, but don’t get to close to each other when ice is thin.

Carry ice picks, the spikes that hang around your neck to aid in lifting yourself back onto the ice should you fall though. With thin ice, lifting yourself out of the water is even more difficult because edges don’t hold.

The sound of ice cracking may or may not be a warning of weak ice. It also may mean ice is expanding, but always err on the side of caution and avoid cracking ice until you have determined its true message.

For additional information, visit the Facebook pages of Ice Fishing Across Pennsylvania and NEPA ICE Fishing.