01-31-2020, 03:36 PM
DON'T TRUST THE ICE ON HOLMES CREEK RESERVOIR!!!!!
At least not until the coming cold snap. I messed up.
Conditions are changing so fast that I got ON the ice at 11 a.m. with no real issues, just a slushy edge. I fished on thick, but admittedly poor QUALITY ice (soft, chunky, waterlogged) until 2:30 p.m. It was at least 7" thick out in the open, and while easy to drill, you still had to drill it......
ON the ice I never felt any real concern, and had no problems or incidents, but............I almost couldn't get OFF the lake by that afternoon. In just 3 hours. EVERYWHERE along shore, the ice had gone so soft, I couldn't get within 20 yards of shore before you could feel it sinking or collapsing under you.
I tried to take out where I put in, and I didn't dare. Had to walk a couple hundred yards and explore three or four places where I FEEL like I almost went through.
Finally, had to make a Kamikaze run and just take the best option. I leant my upper body on my sled, and pushed in to shore like an Army crawl with my back legs. I was never in any real danger, but the potential was there. I DID go through to my waist the last few yards and got wet. Ice there was 5" of junk.
I'm lucky it wasn't worse. I glad I'm not older, frail, or overweight. Glad I took all my gear.
Thanks.
[signature]
At least not until the coming cold snap. I messed up.
Conditions are changing so fast that I got ON the ice at 11 a.m. with no real issues, just a slushy edge. I fished on thick, but admittedly poor QUALITY ice (soft, chunky, waterlogged) until 2:30 p.m. It was at least 7" thick out in the open, and while easy to drill, you still had to drill it......
ON the ice I never felt any real concern, and had no problems or incidents, but............I almost couldn't get OFF the lake by that afternoon. In just 3 hours. EVERYWHERE along shore, the ice had gone so soft, I couldn't get within 20 yards of shore before you could feel it sinking or collapsing under you.
I tried to take out where I put in, and I didn't dare. Had to walk a couple hundred yards and explore three or four places where I FEEL like I almost went through.
Finally, had to make a Kamikaze run and just take the best option. I leant my upper body on my sled, and pushed in to shore like an Army crawl with my back legs. I was never in any real danger, but the potential was there. I DID go through to my waist the last few yards and got wet. Ice there was 5" of junk.
I'm lucky it wasn't worse. I glad I'm not older, frail, or overweight. Glad I took all my gear.
Thanks.
[signature]