To maximize ice fishing safety when enjoying winter fishing outing, it is important to know a few things about ice. The sport attracts people to the frigid winter lakes in Canada and the northern United States. Some take it seriously enough to register for official competitions. But for most people, it is a way to enjoy time with family, friends and perhaps a bottle of schnapps, and ultimately a delicious fish dinner from the day’s efforts. But the seemingly harmless sport, which often involves hours of patient waiting in freezing temperatures, has risks of injuries.
The following supplies will help you to ice fish using basic supplies that you can carry with you in an emergency.
Auger—there are both hand powered and electric augers to drill holes in the ice
Ice Chisel/Pick—used to clear out slush from hole
Fishing Pole
– Tip-UP Pole- can be made with wood or plastic. It has a long stick with a reel and trigger device. A flag is placed at the top of the stick using a spring. When a fish bites, the flag will bounce up and down (kind of like a bobber).
– Jigging Rod— a two foot pole that looks like your smaller, traditional fishing pole. You bounce the jigging rod up and down every few seconds to get the fish attention. Can be used with a jig.
Bucket or Chair—so you can sit comfortably on the ice
First Aid Kit
Always remember these following thing when deciding where to go ice fishing. And also remember looks can be deceiving. Always test the ice before going out to far.
New ice is usually stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not.
Ice seldom freezes uniformly. It may be a foot thick in one location and only an inch or two just a few feet away.
Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often dangerous. This is especially true near streams, bridges and culverts. Also, the ice outside river bends is usually weaker due to the undermining effects of the faster current.
The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process. The extra weight also reduces how much weight the ice sheet can support. Also, ice near shore can be weaker than ice that is farther out.
Booming and cracking ice isn’t necessarily dangerous. It only means that the ice is expanding and contracting as the temperature changes.
Schools of fish or flocks of waterfowl can also adversely affect the relative safety of ice. The movement of fish can bring warm water up from the bottom of the lake. In the past, this has opened holes in the ice causing snowmobiles and cars to break through.
Check for known thin ice areas with a local resort or bait shop. Test the thickness yourself using an ice chisel, ice auger or even a cordless 1/4 inch drill with a long bit.
Refrain from driving on ice whenever possible. If you must drive a vehicle, be prepared to leave it in a hurry–keep windows down and have a simple emergency plan of action you have discussed with your passengers.
Stay away from alcoholic beverages. Even “just a couple of beers” are enough to cause a careless error in judgment that could cost you your life. And contrary to common belief, alcohol makes you colder rather than warming you up.
Don’t “overdrive” your snowmobile’s headlight. At even 30 miles per hour, it can take a much longer distance to stop on ice than your headlight shines. Many fatal snowmobile through-the-ice accidents occur because the machine was traveling too fast for the operator to stop when the headlamp illuminated the hole in the ice.
Have the right ice fishing safety gear. Wear a life vest under your winter gear. Or wear one of the new flotation snowmobile suits. And it’s a good idea to carry a pair of ice picks that may be homemade or purchased from most well stocked sporting goods stores that cater to winter anglers. It’s amazing how difficult it can be to pull yourself back onto the surface of unbroken but wet and slippery ice while wearing a snowmobile suit weighted down with 60 pounds of water. Ice picks are vital ice fishing safety tools for pulling yourself back onto solid ice. Caution: Do not wear a flotation device when traveling across the ice in an enclosed vehicle.
RECOMMENDED MINIMUM ICE THICKNESS
One of the most important ice fishing basics is that of following ice thickness guidelines. While most anglers know intuitively that thin ice can be extremely dangerous, fewer may know that white ice or “snow ice” is only about half as strong as new clear ice. Follow the ice thickness recommendations below to maximize fishing safety.
2″ or less – STAY OFF
4″ – Ice fishing or other activities on foot
5″ – Snowmobile or ATV
8″ – 12″ – Car or small pickup
12″ – 15″ – Medium truck
Note: These guidelines are for new, clear solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe. Double the above thickness guidelines when traveling on white ice to ensure ice safety.
ICE FISHING SAFETY WHEN TRAVELING ON ICE
1. Share your fishing plans. It’s a good idea to share your plans with your family, friends, or neighbors. Let them know:
The name of the lake you’ll be fishing on;
The location of your fishing hot spot (i.e. north shore, south shore, etc.); and
When you plan to arrive home.
If the fish are actively biting and you decide to stay out longer, notify them of your change in plans.
2. Bring a friend. When going ice fishing, never go alone. A friend can:
Provide an extra set of hands;
Help you stay focused on safety; and
Alert authorities if something goes wrong.
3. Talk to the locals. They can provide information on ice thickness, water movement, and other information pertinent to the lake.
4. Follow these ice thickness guidelines. Remember, ice is never 100% safe. Ice thickness can change very quickly.
2″ or less – STAY OFF! 4″ – Ice fishing or other activities on foot 5″ – Snowmobile or ATV 8″ – 12″ – Car or small pickup 12″ – 15″ – Medium truck
5. Purchase a flotation suit. A flotation suit is the most important item you can buy. If you fall through the ice, a flotation suit will keep you warm and make it easier to escape the frigid water.
6. Carry a pair of ice picks/rescue claws. Keep a quality pair of ice picks with you at all times. If you fall through the ice, ice picks make it possible for you to climb out. Don’t skimp on this life saving device.
7. Carry a throw rope. A throw rope can be used to pull a fellow angler to safety.
8. Leave the lake before dark. Navigation at night can be treacherous. Without familiar visuals or a navigation device, you can become disorientated making it difficult to find your way off the ice.
9. Install proper ventilation. If your ice shanty is heated, make sure you have good ventilation. A poorly ventilated shanty can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
10. Bring a portable power bank battery charger. Cold temperatures can quickly drain your smartphone battery. A quality charger can save the day. I would recommend buying a high capacity charger. While they’re a bit more expensive, they can provide multiple charges, and can charge multiple phones at one time. To avoid permanent damage, turn your phone off in extremely cold temperatures.
11. Respect the ice auger. Ice augers are built to drill holes quickly and efficiently. Before operating it for the first time, read the owner’s manual. In addition, avoid wearing loose clothing or jewelry. When you are finished with the auger, store it in a safe place. Lastly, always maintain sharp blades to avoid injury while drilling.
12. Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is very important. Dehydration can happen quickly in cold weather because your body is working hard to stay warm. Check out “8 Tips for Hydrating in Cold Weather.”
13. Layer up. Selecting the right number of layers is important. Beginners to winter activities tend to underdress, especially if it’s a sunny day. Choosing the right number of layers, based on temperature, can only be accomplished through trial and error. Before venturing out on the ice practice at home.
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), who chairs the subcommittee on emergency preparedness.
“The risk of a biological terrorist attack to America is an urgent and serious threat,” McSally said. “A bioattack could cause illness and even kill hundreds of thousands of people, overwhelm our public health capabilities, and create significant economic, societal and political consequences. Our nation’s capacity to prevent, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of biological terror incidents is a top national security priority. This hearing will highlight the threat of bioterrorism and ensure we’re taking the needed steps to prepare for and defend America against this threat.”
What can a family do to prepare for such an emergency?
Biological and Chemical weapons may be the most devastating and uncontrollable weapons ever rendered by man. Biological weapons are any man made weapon caused to disperse viruses, bacteria, or toxins derived from living organisms to cause death or disease within humans. Recent statistics claim that in the event of a future terrorist attack, the means in which the attack would be achieved would be through the use of bio-chemical weapons. This is not hard to believe, considering most bio-chemical agents can be created in ones own home with readily available materials. Due to the nature of biological and chemical weapons, the most widely predicted use for such weapons would be against the populace of a nation, where it may inflict massive fatalities and economic destruction. However this does not mean that a bio-chemical attack is unsurvivable, with proper knowledge and readiness it can very well be a crisis that one can overcome.
Don’t count on a vaccine being available. The flu vaccine that is currently used for seasonal flu will not work against any Chemical or Biological Attack. New strains of the virus require new vaccines, and these can take months or years to develop and even longer to produce and distribute on a large scale.
Stay informed. Should a pandemic of any kind flare up, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other governmental and non-governmental organizations will provide information on the spread of the disease, as well as updates on vaccines or other medications, tips for keeping yourself safe, and travel advisories. The WHO and CDC, as well as various national governments, already have websites in place to provide useful planning information to the public. Newspapers and TV and radio broadcasts will also help disseminate critical warnings and advice.
Get your yearly flu vaccine shot. While the current vaccine won’t protect you from every flu or any other “new” strains of the virus, it can help you stay healthy (by protecting you some flu virus strains), which may in turn help your body to fight the virus better if you do become infected.
Get a pneumonia vaccine shot. In past Chemical or Biological pandemics, many victims succumbed to secondary pneumonia infection. While the pneumonia vaccine cannot protect against all types of pneumonia, it can improve your chances of surviving the pandemic. The vaccine is especially recommended for people over the age of 65 or those who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or asthma.
Use anti-viral medications if advised to do so by a health professional or by the government. Two antiviral medications, Tamiflu and Relenza, have shown the potential to effectively prevent and treat avian flu. These are both available only by prescription and will probably be effective only if taken before infection or very shortly afterward. It should be noted that additional testing is necessary to determine how effective these drugs really are against avian flu. Furthermore, mutations in the avian flu virus may render them ineffective in time.
Use an alcohol-based disinfectant. Since it’s probably not feasible to wash your hands every time you touch something that may carry the virus, you should carry an alcohol-based hand cleaner with you at all times. These cleaners come in a variety of forms, and can be used any time you need a quick touch-up. Keep in mind, however, that the use of these cleaners is not a substitute for thoroughly washing your hands, and they should only be used to supplement hand washing.
Avoid exposure to infected. Right now, the only documented way to become infected with avian influenza is by coming into contact with infected birds or poultry products, and these routes of infection will continue even if the virus mutates so that human-to-human transmission becomes the greatest threat. Avoid handling any thing the infected has already touched, and try to prevent domestic animals (such as house cats/dogs) from coming into contact with Infected. If you work in proximity the dead or living infected, for example–take precautions such as wearing gloves, respirators, and safety aprons. Cook all foods thoroughly, to 165 °F (74 °C) throughout, and exercise proper food-handling techniques, as you would to protect yourself from other threats such as salmonella. Proper cooking kills the most virus.
Exercise social distancing. The most effective way to prevent becoming infected is to avoid exposure to infected people. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to determine who is infected and who is not–by the time symptoms appear, a person is already contagious. Social distancing, deliberately limiting contact with people (especially large groups of people), is a reasonable precaution to take in the event of a pandemic.
Stay home from work. If you’re sick or if others at your workplace have become sick, you should stay away from your workplace even in the absence of a pandemic. Given that people will generally be infected and contagious before they exhibit symptoms, however, during a pandemic it’s essential to stay away from places, such as work, where you have a high probability of being exposed to an infected person.
Try to work from home. A pandemic can last for months or even years, and waves of intense local outbreaks can last for weeks, so it’s not like you can just take a few sick days to protect yourself from workplace infection. If possible, try to arrange a work-from-home situation. A surprising variety of jobs can now be accomplished remotely, and employers will likely be willing–or even required–to try this out if a pandemic strikes.
Keep children home from school. Any parent knows that kids pick up all kinds of bugs at school. Avoid public transportation. Buses, planes, boats, and trains place large numbers of people in close quarters. Public transportation is the ideal vehicle for widespread spread of infectious disease.
Stay away from public events. During a pandemic, governments may cancel public events, but even if they don’t, you should probably stay away from them. Any large gathering of people in close proximity creates a high-risk situation.
Wear a respirator. The most virus can be spread through the air, so in the event of a pandemic it’s a good idea to protect yourself from inhalation of the virus if you’re out in public. While surgical masks only prevent the wearer from spreading germs, respirators (which often look like surgical masks) protect the wearer from inhaling germs. You can buy respirators that are designed for one-time use, or you can buy reusable ones with replaceable filters. Use only respirators labeled as “NIOSH certified,” “N95,” “N99,” or “N100,” as these help protect against inhalation of very small particles. Respirators only provide protection when worn properly, so be sure to follow the instructions exactly–they should cover the nose, and there should be no gaps between the mask and the side of the face.
Wear medical gloves. Gloves can prevent germs from getting on your hands, where they can be absorbed directly through open cuts or spread to other parts of your body. Latex or nitrile medical gloves or heavy-duty rubber gloves can be used to protect the hands. The gloves should be removed if torn or damaged, and hands should be thoroughly washed after removal of gloves.
Protect your eyes. Some Illnesses can be spread if contaminated droplets (from a sneeze, or spit, for example) and then enter the eyes or mouth. Wear glasses or goggles to prevent this from occurring, and avoid touching your eyes or mouth with your hands or with potentially contaminated materials.
Dispose of potentially contaminated materials properly. Gloves, masks, tissues, and other potential bio-hazards should be handled carefully and disposed of properly. Place these materials in approved bio-hazard containers or seal them in clearly marked plastic bags.
Prepare for disruption of services. If a pandemic strikes, many of the basic services we take for granted, such as electricity, phone, and mass transit, may be disrupted temporarily. Widespread employee absenteeism and massive death tolls can shut down everything from the corner store to hospitals.
Keep cash on hand at all times as banks may close and ATMs may be out of service. Discuss emergency preparation with your family. Make a plan so that children will know what to do and where to go if you are incapacitated or killed, or if family members cannot communicate with each other.
Emergency Water Filter System
Stock up on necessities. In the developed world, at least, food shortages and disruption of services will likely not last more than a week or two at a time. Still, it’s essential to be prepared for such an event. Store a two-week supply of water for everyone in your household. Keep at least 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person per day in clear plastic containers.
Store a two-week supply of food. Opt for non-perishable foods that don’t need to be cooked and that don’t require a lot of water to prepare.
Make sure you have an adequate supply of essential medications.
Seek medical attention at the onset of symptoms. The effectiveness of antiviral medications decreases as the illness progresses, so prompt medical treatment is imperative. If someone with whom you have had close contact becomes infected, be sure to seek medical care even if you do not display symptoms.
Method of Infection: Inhalation, Intestinal, Cutaneous (through the skin)
Incubation Period
Inhalation: 1-60 days
Intestinal: 3-7 days
Cutaneous: 1-2 days
Lethality
Inhalation: 90-100% untreated, 30-50% treated (this percentage rises the longer it takes to receive antibiotics.)
Intestinal: 50% untreated, 10-15% treated
Cutaneous: 20% untreated.
Treatment and Vaccine: Antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin and Doxycycline are available through the centers for disease control, the sooner one receives treatments the higher the chance that they will survive.
Inhalation: Initial Flu like symptoms such as; fever, headaches, abdominal pain, chest pain, vomiting, and coughing, but with no nasal congestion. Eventually it will lead up to severe respiratory problems, where the victims will die of asphyxiation from the lungs filling up with blood and fluids.
Intestinal: Begins with abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, sore throat and a painful ulcer at the base of the tongue.
Cutaneous: At first red itchy bumps begin to form all over the body, then they collapse into painful ulcers which later scab over.
Cover your nose and mouth with fabric, wet fabric if possible, this will filter out a portion of the deadly spores.
Leave area of attack immediately.
Take shallow breaths or if possible, hold your breath until you leave the area of attack.
Limit your movement from a contaminated area to a secure area. Constant movement will spread the deadly spores. Once you reach a safe area remove your exposed clothing and place them in sealed plastic bags.
Take a cold (hot or warm water may open pores) shower as soon as possible with copious amounts of soap. Wash your eyes with a saline solution or just warm water.
Await antibiotic treatment. The key to survival is early antibiotic treatment.
Method of Infection: Inhalation, Cutaneous/Mucous membranes
Incubation Period
Inhalation: 10-15 days
Cutaneous/Mucous membrane: 1-5 days
Lethality: Nearly 100% within 1 month, without any treatment. Rapid medical attention would likely decrease the chances, however little or no medical data is available.
Treatment and Vaccine: No vaccine available. Antibiotics like, combined Amoxicillin and Clavulanate, Bactrim, Ceftazidime, or Tetracycline must be consumed for 50-150 days to effectively purge the toxin.
Inhalation: Begins with fevers, chills, sweating, headaches, body aches, chest pain and congestion. Later the neck glands begin to swell and pneumonia will develop. Painful open sores start to develop along the internal organs and mucous membranes. Dark pus-filled rashes may also form.
Cutaneous/Mucous membranes: Painful ulcers along the point of entry, and swollen lymph nodes start to form. Increased mucous production from the nose and mouth.
Cover your nose and mouth with fabric, wet fabric if possible, this will filter out a portion of the deadly spores.
Leave area of attack immediately.
Take shallow breaths or if possible, hold your breath until you leave the area of attack.
Wash skin with soap and water.
Run your eyes through warm running water for 10-15 minutes.
Await medical treatment from response teams. If you begin developing a fever, seek medical attention immediately.
Ricin
Organism Responsible (Type): Ricinuss communis (Plant derived toxin)
Method of Infection: Inhalation, Intestinal, Injection
Incubation Period
Inhalation/Intestinal/Injection: 2-8 hours
Lethality: With a standard high dose, lethality becomes a devastating 97%. Most victims will die within 24-72 hours after the initial symptoms.
Treatment and Vaccine: No treatment available except activated charcoal for ingested Ricin. Vaccine is experimental at the moment.
Inhalation: Sudden onset of fever, cough, chest pain, and nausea. Then one begins to feel joint pain and a shortness of breath. Respiratory problems begin to get more severe as time passes.
Ingestion/Injection: Abdominal pain, nausea, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
Cover your nose and mouth with fabric, wet fabric if possible, this will filter out a portion of the deadly spores.
Leave area of attack immediately.
Take shallow breaths or, if possible, hold your breath until you leave the area of attack.
Wash your body, clothes and contaminated surfaces with soap and water, or a mild bleach solution if you have become directly exposed.
Await instructions from medical response teams.
Gas Attacks
Gas attacks have been around since the 5th century BC, when they were used as chemical warfare.[1] Today, the release of toxic gas might also be the product of a terrorist attack or industrial accident.[2][3] While you should hope that you never have to experience this, knowing how to recognize and respond to such a threat could save your life.
Chlorine Gas
Be aware of any yellow-green gas floating around with the strong smell of bleach. Some soldiers in WWI described it as pepper and pineapple. If you are exposed to chlorine gas, you may have trouble breathing or seeing and will feel a burning sensation.
Move quickly into an area with clean air in order to minimize exposure to the gas.
If indoors, exit the building as quickly as possible.
If outdoors, move to the highest ground. Since chlorine gas is more dense than air, it will sink to the ground.
Grab a cotton pad or any fabric and soak it in urine. Hold it up to your nose as a mask. The Canadian military survived the first large-scale chlorine gas attack in WWI by using urine instead of water, under the presumption that the urine crystallizes the gas.
Remove all clothing that may have been exposed to the gas, being sure not to let the clothes touch your face or head. Cut the clothes off so that they don’t need to make additional contact with your skin as they’re peeled off. Seal the clothes in plastic bags.
Clean your body thoroughly with a lot of soap and water. Rinse your eyes with water if your vision is blurred or your eyes burn; if you wear contact lenses, throw them away. However, water mixed with Chlorine gas can turn into Hydrochloric acid, so be careful.
Call emergency services and wait for help to arrive.
Mustard Gas
Be aware of a usually colorless gas that smells like mustard, garlic, or onions–but note it doesn’t always have an odor. If you are exposed to mustard gas, you may notice the following symptoms but they may not appear until 2 to 24 hours after exposure:
redness and itching of skin, eventually changes to yellow blistering
irritation of eyes; if exposure is severe, there may be light sensitivity, severe pain, or temporary blindness
irritation of respiratory tract (runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness, bloody nose, sinus pain, shortness of breath, and cough)
Move from the area from where it was released onto higher ground, as mustard gas is heaver than air.
Remove all clothing that may have been exposed to the gas, being sure not to let the clothes touch your face or head. Cut the clothes off so that they don’t need to make additional contact with your skin as they’re peeled off. Seal the clothes in plastic bags.
Rinse any exposed parts of your body with plain water. Eyes should be flushed for 10-15 minutes. Don’t cover them with bandages; however, sunglasses or goggles are fine.
Call emergency services and wait for help to arrive.
Tips
Purchase and use “Self Powered Radios” AND “Self Powered Flashlights”. In anyemergency, especially one of this magnitude, batteries will be unavailable. Get this equipment AHEAD of time. These devices will keep you informed and you’ll also have reliable lighting as well. The latest of these designs will also charge your cell phones as well.
Listen to qualified medical responders at all times, even if their instructions contradict this article. This article MAY NOT be 100% accurate, and medical responders probably know best.
