ICE FISHING SAFETY!!!!!!!

Wow, we have has 3 people die here in the southern tier of NY this year trying to get out to ice fish. It has been so warm here that even I, the most devout of ice fishermen, have not even thought about trying it. We are fishing out of the boats and loving it. Yet after having two guys drown last week, a good friend of ours succumbed to his passion yesterday and today he is no longer with us. As I preached in my blogs last year, at first and last ice or any time for that matter,  use common sense. Have an emergency plan in your mind so that in case you do go in your brain will automatically kick in. I use a high quality spud bar for probing in front of me as I venture out. I carry a set of ice spikes around my neck. These awesome little devices have a spike, set in a handle, that allows you to push the plungers and expose the spikes. Many people whom have fallen through the ice are unable to pull them selves back onto the good ice. With a set of these you are able to stab them into the good ice and help you pull yourself back on to solid ice. I also wear an inflatable personal flotation device. I often anchor a high quality rope in good ice and around me if I am venturing out onto very sketchy ice. A friend is always nice but often it is tough to find some other dim wit willing to flirt with disaster along with you. Good hard ice will support an incredible amount of weight but springs, current, warmer ground near shore and a host of other factors can effect ice quality. First ice can be some of the fastest action of the season but it also can be one of the most deadly times for the predator, so ……… HAVE A PLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!