“One wrong step and the ice breaks with a bang.” How fishermen comply with the ban on going out on the ice

13.10.2019

For many winter roads, winter fishing is not just a hobby, but a life credo. Many actions of experienced fishermen are automated, including walking on ice, avoiding dangerous areas and behavior on the ice surface. However, accidents still occur year after year, and some are fatal. The rules of behavior on ice are the same for all people, no matter whether they are fishermen or just going for a walk. Ice safety isn't just about falling through. In addition to falling through, there are other dangers in ice fishing.

Safe winter fishing - what you should always remember

Ice safety rules are not taken from the head just like that - they are written on the grief and misfortunes of people who have already found themselves in dangerous situations or did not survive. Water safety in winter is a complex concept. Low ice strength is not the only dangerous factor. Safety precautions on ice should be “kept” in the subcortex of every winter fisherman. The rules of safe behavior on ice will one day not only help you solve a difficult situation, but will allow you to survive in an emergency. In winter, rules of conduct on ice will help you avoid the following troubles:

Failure, which can lead to either banal wetness and a cold, or death.
Burning to death in a winter tent from the combustion products of the stove.
Hypothermia, freezing.
Fall on a slippery surface, bruises.
The possibility of getting lost (in bad weather, on large bodies of water or while intoxicated), at best - losing time, at worst - freezing.

Failure

Safe behavior on ice in winter is not only about correct movement on the solid surface of the reservoir. Danger may come from the outside. But let's start the review with the most obvious danger - cold water under the ice. You can either drown in it or get fatal hypothermia. When can you go out on the ice for winter fishing?

The safe thickness of ice for fishing is generally 7-10 cm. As you know, fishermen manage to walk on the ice almost as soon as it rises, and has not grown more than 5 cm. Such movement on ice can be dangerous. Among experienced fishermen there is a reservation - you cannot go out if the ice is broken through with an ice pick with one medium-sized blow. Naturally, the Ministry of Emergency Situations is tightening such indicators. A person of small mass can carefully walk on a 3-centimeter strong cover, and the surface will sag under the weight and crack. In this matter, it is better not to tempt fate and wait for normal thickness. In addition to thickness, an important factor is strength. The strength of ice can be determined by a number of characteristics. Usually, fresh, transparent ice from the first ice is strong, while melting ice in the spring is weak. Safe ice thickness for fishing (per person weighing 100 kg) is 7-10 cm or more. Even in such favorable conditions, safety requirements must be observed. If the layer is thinner, then even more so. What kind of ice is completely safe for fishing?

Safe ice

What kind of ice can you go fishing on? Officially, the permissible ice thickness for a group of people to move on it must be at least 10 cm while fishing. This is depicted on safety posters. The minimum ice thickness for fishing is 3-5 cm, depending on the reservoir, at your own peril and risk. You need to walk on this very carefully, according to all the rules (more on this below). It is not recommended to go to depths greater than 1.5 meters and far from the shore. 10 cm can support a person weighing 100 kg and allows the movement of a group of people.

Ice thickness table for safe movement:

At what temperature does ice form on a body of water?

The process of shell growth on bodies of water with flow, large reservoirs, and lakes with springs is much slower. The ice shell binds fast rivers and deep lakes last of all. The picture shows only approximate data, applicable, for example, to a small indoor pond.

The durable surface is usually transparent, with a bluish or greenish tint. Turbidity, bubbles, yellowness are signs of a fragile ice shell. A good layer freezes in calm frosty weather. The freezing layer can be covered with snow, which will stick together with water into a single white mass. Such a surface is fragile and fragile.

Safety on poor ice cover

Anglers are looking forward to the moment of first ice formation. The most desperate ones go out onto the ice as soon as it becomes available, neglecting safety requirements. The first ice is dangerous, first of all, due to its small thickness. The official rule of behavior on thin ice is one thing - do not go on it. If you find yourself in such conditions, you must strictly follow all safety and behavior recommendations.

It is impossible to determine the thickness of the ice by color based on the first ice - it is thin and transparent. If an ice pick breaks through with one blow, it is better not to go far from the shore, but to sit next to the coastal bushes. At depth, the ice strengthens later, so going out into the middle of the reservoir is dangerous. Safety on thin ice cover is the first priority of a fisherman who finds himself on a body of water in such conditions. Every second you need to be internally ready to go under water, and react confidently and quickly. The condition of the ice layer on different reservoirs may vary due to many factors - the strength of the current, wind, water composition, and the presence of springs. Therefore, good cover on that pond over there is not a reason to go out to the large reservoir, where waves were flowing just yesterday.

A sign of ice strength and safety is transparency, absence of cracks and bubbles, cracking and pressing when walking. On thin cover, each step should be preceded by a test blow with an pick or stick. It is strictly forbidden to test strength by stomping your foot and jumping! The backpack and box are hung on one shoulder so that they can be thrown off when falling through.

How to move on thin ice if it begins to crack and sag? First of all, stop and look around. If sagging occurs right before your eyes, you need to immediately lie down, as softly and smoothly as possible, without hitting the surface with weight. Then you need to crawl back in your footsteps. If everything is not so fatal, you just need to retrace your steps with smooth sliding steps, without lifting your feet. In general, it is better to stick to the beaten path and always walk on them. Potentially hazardous places:

The middle of a reservoir, great depths, channel flow.
Junction points of forward and reverse flows.
Mouths of rivers and streams.
Directly by the shore.
In the thickets of reeds.
Near objects frozen in water.
Sewage and waste disposal areas.
Narrow channels with currents, rapids between islands.
At the edges and gullies.
Water areas with frequent changes in water level and shipping traffic. Such a place can play a cruel joke - the fisherman will simply be cut off from the exit by a passing vessel, torn off from the main body of ice on an ice floe and carried out to sea.
Swamps and bogs are the most dangerous places. The warm gas released can make the apparently normal and hard integument weak and thin.

Avoid first ice covered with snow - it may just be crust, and underneath it there may be a gulley. In a group you should not come close to each other or gather together. You need to move in single file, no closer than 5-7 meters from each other. Each person should have a special life preserver on a rope, attached conveniently to the chest for quick use. It is advisable to have a rope with a load so that you can quickly throw it to someone who has failed. You cannot drill many holes at once - such perforation will weaken the already unreliable surface.

Loose spring ice is also dangerous. It is difficult to visually assess the ice condition in spring; everything is usually covered with snow. The way out is to stick to the path, check untrodden places at every step, avoid dark, yellow areas, cracks and hummocks.

How to walk on a frozen body of water

Safety measures on ice imply certain rules and recommendations for staying and moving on it. In addition to the danger of failure, on a slippery surface you can simply fall and injure yourself, break bones or hit your head. This is especially true for large older fishermen. How to walk on ice without falling? The following ice precautions will help prevent injury:

Use shoes with anti-slip soles or spikes.
Do not make sudden movements, maintain balance and pay attention to every step.
Do not shift your weight too quickly. First, the leg is placed, then the weight is transferred to it, smoothly and measuredly. The knees are bent, the torso is relaxed, ready to fall.
In case of a fall, it is important to group yourself correctly, fall on your side, backwards, or on your half-bent arms extended forward, using them to dampen your speed. It is important to control the position of your head to protect it from impact. Fall safety is practiced as a physical exercise.

The very process of being on a winter pond is a high-risk event. Usually all winter roads fulfill the requirements on an instinctive level. For beginners, it is useful to learn the rules of ice safety:

The established trails are the least dangerous areas, as it is clearly visible that many people have passed along them.
Strength cannot be tested by jumping or kicking. This must be done with a stick, pole or pick.
If you notice a crackling sound, fountains of water from cracks, sagging, a yellowish color or wet spots in the snow, you should go around this place (or crawl back if you have already gone too far).
You should not move in a crowd or chaotically, close to each other. The best option is in single file at a distance of at least 5 meters.
When moving on skis, the bindings must be unfastened so that they can be reset if they fall through.
The backpack and all belongings are worn on one shoulder or with relaxed straps, to be able to quickly get rid of the load - an important condition for safe movement.
It is strictly not recommended to go out into the pond without special life preservers or spikes with handles. These safety devices should be located on the chest so that they can be used quickly in an emergency. During first ice or spring, it is better to go fishing in a special waterproof float suit. It will protect you from hypothermia and drowning if you fall through. If there is no float, then you need to wear at least a life jacket.
Someone in the group has a 10-20 meter long rope with a crampon or a weight at the end.
If you need to overcome a potentially dangerous area, do not do it alone - only with a second person, with a rope or pole for safety. Naturally, when moving in a group, such a place is overcome one by one.
You cannot fish or walk near edges, gullies and holes, cracks, hummocks and dips.

How to get out if you fall through the ice

If you fall through the ice, the main thing is not to lose your composure and not to panic. Panic and wrong actions are the main causes of deaths. In 99% of cases you can get out, even if you are overweight and in poor physical shape. A person under the ice will become hypothermic within a few minutes, as a result of which mobility will decrease, and he will no longer be able to get out. Therefore, you need to act quickly - 3 minutes. It is important to follow certain rules of conduct for a person who has fallen through the ice. These ice rescue rules have been tested in many cases on water bodies. The likelihood of a successful outcome and safety are also affected by the presence of rescue equipment on ice - life preservers, ropes, poles, and a belayer. Modern society is such that if you fail, they can film you on the phone and give you advice, but they won’t help themselves. You need to rely only on yourself. If they help, of course it’s good, it will make the process easier.

How to help a person who has fallen into the water

The rescue of a failed person is based on the above safety principles. The main thing is not for the rescuer to fall into the water. First, notify the drowning person that help is on the way. Cheer him up, make him calm down and stop panicking, twitching and wasting energy. If there is a long rope, then it needs to be thrown to the person from a safe distance. But often you don’t have a rope with you. The longest item is a drill and ropes from a drag sled. You can use them by linking them together. You can only get to the place of the breach while lying down; it is better to take rescue gear or a knife with you. During the process, constantly communicate with the victim and instruct him. When he grabs the drill (rope), pull it out, having previously secured it to the surface with a knife, spikes or rescue ropes. To facilitate the process, the victim needs to throw a vest, life preservers, etc. into the water. – what to eat if possible.

Hypothermia safety

Further, first aid on the ice (for yourself or for the victim) does not end there. The main danger is hypothermia, hypothermia. You need to immediately remove your outer clothing and wring it out. You need to stand with your bare feet not on the snow, but, for example, on a sled. If there is no change, then put on, first of all, woolen items or high-quality thermal underwear. These items are warm even when wet. You have to constantly move. First aid to someone who has fallen through the ice can save his life. What if it’s -30 degrees outside and there are several kilometers to a warm shelter (car)? If you have a hot drink, drink it. Alcohol should not be consumed (only after final warming up and changing clothes). If there is good, dry, clean snow, you can rub yourself with it (for people with a normal level of hardening and physical shape). With hypothermia, the chills begin to stop, the pulse slows, and blood pressure drops. This happens when the body temperature drops to 30 degrees. After this, freezing begins, which can be fatal. It's a long way to the car - run. The main thing is not to stop.

Safety measures against fire in a winter fishing tent

Every year these sad statistics are replenished with new cases. Guilt is personal carelessness. You cannot stay in a cheap, non-breathable tent with a stove or gas burner with the door closed. It is always important to think about the removal of combustion products from the stove to the outside through the chimney when spending the night in a tent. Even candles in a tightly closed cheap Chinese tent will give you a headache after a while - the first sign of a lack of oxygen and carbon monoxide poisoning. The basic rules of conduct on ice in winter do not address this issue, but in vain. Cases of death are repeated among night fishermen from year to year. A person simply falls asleep and does not wake up. If you have any suspicions about the safety in the next tent, it’s better to take a look. Maybe this will save someone's life.

Behavior and safety when losing orientation

On large bodies of water, distant objects on the shore act as landmarks. When snowfall and blizzards begin, they are not visible, their tracks are covered. Therefore, it is important not to lose the sense of space and safety. It's good if you have a compass or navigator. When you don’t have any navigation aids with you, you need to walk to stay warm, drink something hot, and eat. You cannot fall into a snowdrift and fall asleep - this will only lead to freezing. Therefore, it is better to take care of geography in advance, before going out, ensuring your safety.

The formation of ice on the surface of water, be it a river, a lake, or a glass left in the cold, is an amazing phenomenon. It is related to the physical properties of liquid substances.

How ice is formed

In heat, water molecules form chains, long and stretched. It is thanks to this that water is a transition to such a state of aggregation as ice is possible only when the thermometer drops to zero. In this case, water molecules are arranged in special lattices. This actually looks like ice forming. The second name is freeze-up. It is designed in such a way that the freezing of reservoirs in it usually extends over a long period. This phenomenon is related to weather conditions. For the formation of first ice, it is enough that there is good frost for a couple of nights with relative calm. However, sudden warming, sleet with rain, wind and damp fogs can cause the water to return to its liquid state. Then the freeze-up period will extend for an unknown amount of time.

All summer and warm autumn, reservoirs accumulate heat, so by the beginning of the first frost, the water turns out to be warmer than the air surrounding it. No wonder, because there is much more! The contact of warm water and cooled air leads to a reaction called heat exchange.

When the water on the surface has a temperature of +4 degrees Celsius, mixing of the surface layer of water with the deeper layers will begin. The liquid that was on the surface becomes dense, and the warm water below displaces it due to its lower density. Thus, the entire water column cools evenly.

Freeze-up is a phenomenon in which the water temperature becomes equal to zero degrees, and ice appears on the reservoir. In real life, the temperature minimum may differ by several degrees. This is due to the presence of various impurities in the water, as well as the type of reservoir, its depth, current, and bottom topography.

Freeze-up on rivers

Freeze-up is an extremely dangerous period for going out on river ice. On a constant flow, ice forms later than on stagnant bodies of water. But the ice growth here occurs much faster due to the fact that the water is colder.

The main danger of first ice on rivers is change. Groundwater freezes and stops feeding the water artery, because of this the water level becomes sharply lower, and the first ice that forms begins to break. Ice floes are knocked down by the current into one place, where they then safely freeze, forming ice hummocks.

When can you go on the ice?

It is believed that ice 5 cm thick can support the weight of one person. However, winter fishing enthusiasts are not recommended to open the season until the ice thickness reaches at least 10 cm - it is believed that at this thickness ice cover has ended. This does not need to be checked every day. You don't need to go to the river all the time. It is enough to make simple calculations and roughly determine the date of going on the ice. It is believed that with existing ice of 10 cm and an air temperature of minus 5 degrees, the thickness of the cover will increase by 4 cm per day, at a temperature of -10 - 6 cm. The thickness of the ice will almost double if the temperature stays at -20 degrees for a day.

When the summer fishing season ends, it's time for the winter season. Winter fishing is almost no different from summer fishing. But there is only one danger - you can fall through the ice. Therefore, you need to follow safety precautions and know what the thickness of the ice should be for safe movement on the surface. If you follow all the rules, winter fishing will become even more exciting than summer fishing.

In early November, reservoirs and rivers begin to become covered with a thin ice crust. When exposed to cold, water crystallizes and creates a surface layer. Ice that can support the weight of a person is formed by the end of November - early December. But sometimes, due to the warm autumn, the ice crust begins to form only in December.

Early appearance of ice is possible only on those reservoirs that are located in northern latitudes. And already at the end of December you can safely move along it not only on foot, but also in other ways.

By this time, its thickness increases, and it can even support a car. The process of forming an ice layer:

The fishing season is open.

Ice layer growth rate

If the weather is calm and the air temperature is -1 degree, then the rate of ice formation on lakes and ponds per day will be 2.5 mm. Theoretically, in 24 hours at an air temperature of -5 degrees, the thickness of the ice cover will become 12.5 mm. Growth on large rivers and reservoirs occurs differently. Unlike shallow water, deep water freezes more slowly. The growth does not become faster even when it snows. From a thick layer of snow, a thin layer of ice is slightly submerged. Small cracks form on the surface through which water seeps in, causing the ice coating to melt.

The rate of ice growth per day can be determined from the table.

Large lakes, river confluences, their bends, rifts, underground springs and sewer drains have different thicknesses.

It is believed that the most permissible and safe thickness is 10 centimeters. But a person of average height can go out on the ice without fear if its thickness is 5-7 centimeters.
A fisherman with fishing gear can withstand a thickness of 8 centimeters. For a group of fishermen, it is better to move on a surface about 12 cm thick.
If the Ministry of Emergency Situations has officially established a place where you can cross the river, the thickness there will be higher than 15 cm.
With a thickness of 30 cm, travel by car is allowed.

Test of strength

When you arrive fishing, the first thing you should do is check the surface for strength. It is very important! If it turns out to be thin, the ice will crack and the person will fall into the water. Test of strength:

You need to know that it is easy to fall into the water if you test your strength with a kick. Therefore, under no circumstances should you do this. Determine that the surface is fragile and cannot be stepped on, possible based on the following criteria:

Today you can find out the strength and thickness of ice for fishing on a large body of water from the forecast of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which are regularly published.

The most dangerous places

Unformed or melted ice is considered dangerous. Therefore, in the spring and autumn, when it is just beginning to form or, on the contrary, has slightly thawed, you need to be especially careful. The most dangerous places:

Methods of transportation

In order not to drive a car on the ice, some fishermen leave it on the shore and then move on their own. Travel methods:

By ski. When traveling on skis, it is enough that the thickness is at least 8 centimeters. It is good if the surface is covered with a small layer of snow, since the skis slide too much on a clean surface. This method of transportation is often used by fishermen who come to fish by public transport.
On snowmobiles. A snowmobile is a heavy vehicle and can only be used if its thickness is more than 15 centimeters. It is advisable to have a small layer of snow on the surface.
Ice crossings. If you need to reduce the distance between two points, you can use legal ice crossings. The thickness in these places is more than 30 centimeters and you can easily move along them by car.

Security measures

To avoid problems and various troubles during winter fishing, you need to follow a number of rules. Security measures:

First, they determine whether the ice is durable or not, and only then stand on it.
If there are trodden paths, then it is better to follow them.
If the surface begins to crack, you need to return immediately.
It is better to avoid places with many fishermen. Otherwise, the ice may crack due to excess weight.
You cannot go out for winter fishing during heavy snowfall or rain, as well as at night and in heavy fog.
To protect yourself in case of ice cracking, the ski bindings are unfastened. Do not put your hands in the loops of ski poles. The backpack is hung on one shoulder.
Places with strong currents are avoided.
If there are several fishermen, then during movement the distance between them should be at least 5 meters.
You cannot jump on ice or ride on ice floes.

Fishermen, no matter how absurd it may sound, often simply cannot wait, and this is not understandable because they sit for many hours at the hole to catch fish. Such a rush often applies to winter fishing, that is, many simply cannot wait for the ice to really gain a foothold on the river and there will be no danger of walking on it. If you still want to go and do your favorite hobby in winter as soon as possible, you need to know some rules that will allow you to determine the thickness of the ice and the dangers of walking through it, and don’t forget your Nokia w666. Places where a river flows into another river should be immediately avoided, in principle, just like a river that is located below the location of the dams. In such places, ice often simply cannot gain a foothold and a thin crust of ice forms, which can break even with a weight of 50 kilograms. The most typical ice in order to walk on it must exceed a thickness of 10 centimeters per 100 kilograms. You can also determine by eye how thick the ice is on the river. If everything under the ice is dark, then this is a clear sign that the water is not far away, that is, the thickness does not yet exceed 5 centimeters, and it is not recommended to walk on such ice. Places where water seeps in, springs gush out, or reeds grow indicate that here the differences in ice thickness may be too characteristic and you may simply not guess where the fisherman is stepping. The most important factors that can even save a life are the creaking of ice, which immediately indicates that a person is either approaching thin ice or it simply cannot withstand the mass, so it is better to return along the same path. Ice can also vary in thickness if it is covered by a thick layer of snow. Snow, as a rule, saves you from the cold and therefore the cold does not penetrate under the snow evenly and ice does not form evenly.

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Many anglers prefer winter fishing to summer fishing; they look forward to the onset of cold weather to make holes and catch the long-awaited fish.

At the same time, many people forget that winter fishing is quite specific and requires compliance with safety rules. It is important to know what is the safe thickness of ice for fishing, otherwise your favorite hobby can result in extremely disastrous consequences.

If you ignore the characteristics of the ice sheet, it is easy to end up underwater while fishing. Some fishermen take even more risks - not wanting to walk, they get to the fishing spot by vehicle, and as a result, rescuers who arrive at the scene have to get not only the fisherman, but also his car out of the water.

Time of ice formation in Russia

Most regions of our country are located in cold latitudes, where the winter period often lasts more than 3 months. At the same time, the first ice capable of supporting an adult appears in closed and flowing water bodies around the end of November.

Ice that can support the weight of a passenger car appears on the reservoir only in mid-January. It is worth taking into account what weather conditions were like throughout this period. If the air temperature rose to 0 and stayed for about 3-4 days, the strength of the ice decreased by 25%.

In mid-January, specialized ice crossings across the reservoir begin to operate. Basically, in such areas, the thickness for safe passage is maintained until the beginning of spring, if short-term thaws did not occur during the winter period. It is advisable to cross a body of water at a ferry crossing, since specialists always monitor the thickness of the ice in a given place and block traffic if danger arises.

Important! Remember that ice is installed in different regions of our country at different times. To avoid danger, before fishing you should monitor the weather forecast in the area, as well as read the official statements of the authorities regarding the thickness of the ice.

What should be the minimum cover thickness?

In most regions of our country, fishermen go out on the ice if the thickness of the ice on the reservoir exceeds 7 centimeters, while the safest is ice whose thickness exceeds 10 centimeters.

Crossing the pond on foot can be permitted if the ice thickness exceeds 15 centimeters.

Authorized transportation of vehicles on ice becomes available only if the thickness exceeds 30 centimeters.

It is worth remembering that the ice is not equally thick in all places. Even when the optimal thickness is reached, thin areas that pose a danger are observed in the central part of the reservoir, near the shore, as well as in the area of the confluence of rivers.

How to determine the thickness for fishing?

There are several ways to check the thickness of the ice on a pond yourself and protect yourself from falling under water.

Important! When going out on the ice in winter, regardless of whether you are a fisherman or a person who just wants to shorten the path, you need to take an ordinary stick with you. The fragility of the ice ahead is always checked with a stick, since kicking can cause an instant fall into the water.

The ice is checked with a stick as follows: tap on the frozen surface and watch for the appearance of water. If water appears on the surface, the ice has not yet frozen sufficiently and it is completely unsafe to walk on it. There is a certain way to leave thin ice: move slowly, do not panic or make too sudden movements, your feet should slide along the surface and not come off.

Another way to determine thickness is the color of the ice. Transparent years are considered the strongest and safest. If the surface has a bluish or greenish tint, you can stand on such ice - the thickness has reached the minimum acceptable safe values.

The most unsafe is considered to be matte ice that has a yellowish tint. It deteriorates very quickly, and walking on such a surface can lead to disastrous consequences.

You should also avoid areas of ice on which there are no traces. If no one has walked in this place before, most likely the thickness is insufficient.

Signs of fragility of frozen water

The main signs of fragile ice include:

ice has a loose structure and opaque color;
water begins to flow out of the holes;
while fishing you hear the crackling and squelching of water;
Often dangerous areas are covered with snow; it would be better to avoid them than to put your life in danger.

Safe indicators

Do not risk your life and do not go out on the first ice, the canvas is at the stage of formation, any rash action can cost you your life. Depending on its thickness, ice on reservoirs is usually divided into several categories:

minimum thickness - about 7 centimeters. On average, this thickness is enough to support the weight of a person. It is extremely undesirable to go out on such ice, but if you do find yourself on a body of water, start moving towards the shore without lifting your feet from the surface;
safe thickness - 10 centimeters or more (minimum 15 centimeters for reservoirs with salt water);
dangerous thickness - less than 5 centimeters. If you get on such ice, you are more likely to fall under water.

It is worth remembering that even in mid-January the ice is not always dense enough to support a person’s weight. According to observations, if the temperature rises to 0 degrees for about 3 days, the ice becomes unsafe.

Dangerous areas

All fans of winter fishing should wait until the thickness of the ice on the reservoir reaches 10 centimeters. It is worth remembering that there are always areas on a lake or river where the ice remains dangerously thick throughout the winter. Such areas include:

surface covered with a thick layer of snow;
areas where there is a strong current;
places of underwater springs;
places where rivers merge, or where a river flows into a body of water;
places where wastewater is discharged into water.

How ice thickness increases with temperature

Air temperature, °C	Ice thickness on the reservoir, cm
	Less than 10	10-20	20-40
	Ice gain per day, cm
-5	4	1,5	0,5
-10	6	3	1,5
-15	8	4	2
-20	9	6	3

Travel rules

crossing a pond try to stick to those areas where the path has already been trodden. When stepping onto clean ice without traces, be sure to probe the surface in front of you with a stick;
if you are fishing in a group, it is worth spreading out from each other at some distance;
It is advisable to travel to the drilling site on skis;
If you take a backpack with equipment with you, you should wear it with only one strap. This will allow you to quickly throw the load aside if you fall through the ice;
Necessarily take a rope with you when fishing, the optimal length is 20-25 meters. A weight is attached to one end of the rope and a loop is made. This allows you to provide assistance to a fisherman who has fallen through the ice if necessary.

It is advisable not to go ice fishing on your own. It is also important to warn your loved ones about exactly where you plan to fish.

Rules of conduct when getting into water

try to calm down, do not make too fast movements with your arms and legs;
Do not wet your head under any circumstances;
call loudly for help;
try to cling to the ice;
try to get out onto the icy surface, helping yourself with your feet. Don't stop trying if it doesn't work;
if you manage to get out, slowly crawl to the shore without getting up;
do not stop to rest outside, it is important to get to a warm room.

Useful video

Watch this helpful video about the thickness of ice a car can support:

Winter fishing is quite a pleasant pastime. To prevent it from turning into an emergency, you need to carefully prepare and learn more about the thickness of the ice on the body of water where you plan to fish.