True about the Ice "Erie"

[NoNameGiven]

Don't believe everything you hear !
It doesn't serprize me about the guy breaking thur off Canp Perry . There was open water there Sat. .
There is a lot of 6 to 8 inches of ice between Catawba , but you are crossing a crack . The same one that's in the same spot every year . Don't believe it ? Ask the guys that had to rescued tonight .
At about 5:15pm Sunday I was in the parking lot talking to a guy that said the crack had opened up . Went about 1 1/2 west to get in . About 20mins. later the coast guard was On thier way with lights a goin' .
The east wind starts moving water this way long before you feel it picking out . The current can take 4 inches off in just a few hours .
And the ice was only 4inches on the south south of Green; where a lot of the fish came from Sat. . I was fishing Starve Is. one day & saw 14" go to less than 8" in one day .
You can't fish out there just because it's your only day off .
I know I've pi**ed a few people off , that think I don't ice fish . You'd be wrong . I'm the first one on and the last one off . And I had sense enough to stay home today . Thin ice & wind don't mix . And 4' to 8' is thin to be fishing a lake this size .
My only real reason for writing this is to tell you what opened up , AND , everytime there's a rescue it makes us look worse . There's just enough crazy people in this state that think If we're not smart enough to protect ourselves , then we need to pass a law to protect them . BAN ICE FISHING . Think it can't happen ? Look at the gun nuts. PETA , trying to stop fishing . Seat belts .

[Krustydawg]

NoNameGiven,
I totally agree !!!!!!!! A couple of guys asked me to go today over in that area and I told them,"NO!" Anytime there is a risk of considerable wind you won't catch my a!* on that lake. They decided to take my advice after arguing about it for five minutes. They called me tonight and thanked me for talking them out of the trip. I'll be more than happy to go to a farm pond or marina and catch panfish. Atleast I know I will come home to see my wife and kids that evening. Lake Erie is no place to fool around when the winds blow on open water let alone on the ice. Everyone please use some common sense no walleye is ever worth risking your life !

KDawg

[NoNameGiven]

Those that haven't heard this morning , 14 people were taken off the ice . No one when the water . My guess is they came to the crack and just got on the phone . They were quoted as saying they were going back out today to get thier stuff . These people bug me the most .

[eric mc]

We fished 1/25/04 NW of Catawba State Park about 1.5 to 2 miles yesterday. We walked out and sat up. Just a few bites. We ended up coming in around 12:30 when the ice shifted and our shanty moved. We were only in 5.5 to 6" of ice. I did not see the 8" to 9" everyone is talking about. When the ice several other shanties moved in as well. The wind shifted to an off shore wind, we decided to pack it in.
Saturday we fished inside the Dike of Metzgers Marsh and caught 5 nice sized perch. But it was pretty slow. Hope they turn on soon.

[JohnRR]

NoName-based on other this post as well as other post, everything seems to bug you....

[Erie Ice Guy]

Mr. NoNameGiven sounds like an ice guide from the mainland that post on here and other sites.His Quote"I like to be the first out and the last in" sounds like a guides Quote from another like him on GoFishOhio site.He thinks he is the best guy on Erie on the ice.

Plenty of good ice out there around Catawba.Just use good judgement considering the wind speed,direction, and stay on the trails out there and you will be ok .

Erie Ice Guy

[Erie Ice Guy]

Here is the message from GoFishOhio




Reel_Magic
Gofishohio Member


Angler's Forum Member
as of Feb 2003
From: Just to clafiy
Some fish have been taken the last two days near were I fish at this time of year. Its shaping up to be a great start. I will be posting on the Ice Fishing Reports. My goal: Be the first one out and the last one back.

[wallydog1]

Some very good points of advise given.I was out sat 3.5 mile's off catawba saturday ice was fine.just got done eating the walleye that I caught and glad I went.as of sunday the winds were not to my liking
and stayed home.I was in more danger driving there on the icy roads that the hi way crew were not plowing or salting.As of people being able to say they told us so they did not tell me anything I did not know or was gonna figure out myself.I reported what I seen out there
with no B.S.People need to get as much info they can and make a sound choice.this whole week will be looking at the conditions before making the next outing.could be 10 to 12 inch's and the crack's can open enough not to be able to cross.just have to be careful.

[Shortdrift]

Reel Magic is a darn good ice guide as far as I am concerned. He has a lot of savy about where to and where not to go as the season progresses. Many of my friends have used him and are quite satisfied with his service. He gets you out first thing and gets you in as one of the last groups.

[Reel Magic]

Just to set the record straight. I have not taken a customer of the mainland this year yet. There are guides with more experience than me. if you want to fish with them I will give you phone numbers. I cater to a unique group. If you want to work for your fish , move a lot, stay late leave early , then I may be your guy. As far a risk go you are always taking a risk on the ice. Manage that risk, be conservative, keep your eyes and ears open. Most of all learn from mistakes. We all make em. I would no more fish Green with a 30 knot NE wind that I would the pass in a hard west wind. I have watched ice do some crazy stuff. Yep I think I’m a #### good guide and I can prove it. There are guys as good or better out there, guys I learned from. I will be learning till I’m dead I hope. Be safe and tolerant we need to stick together.

[NoNameGiven]

Well I hope you can tell by his hand writing that Reel Magic IS a different person . he he
Maybe you're right . A lot of things p**s me off . One thing is people who can't keep from trying to start trouble .
I see all our rights being taken from us in the name of safety . I'd hate to see it happen to ice fishing . I've heard people talking in the pass when there a rescue , "why do they let them go out there ? They should stop that ."
If you don't respect this lake it will get you . If you don't have a lot of time on it , go with someone that has: or atleast don't be the last ones in or think you can ride any old where .
I heard today that a lot of the guys rescued were from the Akron, Canton area . If you need someone to keep you out of trouble let me know . And it won't cost you a cent . I garantee fish or your money back .

[nonoamegiven2]

""And it won't cost you a cent . I garantee fish or your money back ""

Sounds like a lot more blow than go -- but there are a lot of you guys on Erie......!!!

[Hawk]

Hey No Name Given,

I really respect your point of view about the dangers of ice fishing Erie and protecting our rights to fish it. I'm from Massillon(Stark Co.) and read this post daily. I would not even think of venturing out right now after the blow the last few days. Each year it is a gamble to wait until conditions present the safest possible time to go out. Even with 18" of ice last year I still wondered about being safe-especially since my boy was making his first trip with me-yes, he caught the largest of the day by 4lbs over dad-10.6lbs hanging on his wall. Not only is it always unsafe on ice but take into account what happens when you fall and dislocate a shoulder or break a bone-it does happen. God gave us a brain-so I tend to use it. I will continue to ice fish Erie only after enough solid reports come in about the ice-the fish are always in the water-I just don't want to swim with them this time of year.
I want to know where to get jumbos through the ice-the boy is driving me nuts to try it through the ice. ldbhh@sssnet.com

Thanks, Hawk

[CJHughes]

BAN ALL ICE FISHING is the only answer, too many stupid people . That will leave more walleye for me in the SPRING . Wait , don't they have to rescue people every spring and summer from the big lake also . BAN ALL fishing on Lake Erie . SAVE the STUPID PEOPLE ! If just one of the stupid people are lost it is way too many , BAN ALL FISHING ! WAIT, BAN ALL RESCUES from Lake Erie in 5 to 10 years all of the stupid people will be gone and no one will get upset from hearing about all of the rescues . Thats it BAN ALL RESCUES

[bob oh1]

:-)

[Buckeye]

I tend to agree with Nonamegiven when he posts messages cautioning folks to be careful out on Lake Erie ice. I have fished on Erie thru the ice since Steve Szuch took us out in my early teens. I learned a lot from he and other ice fishing veterans thru the years. I don't claim to be an expert, but I always apply common sense with my years of experience when making the decision to go fish or not. Knock on wood....I have never been stranded or wet.

I have seen some people take enormous risks to catch a few 'eyes....some got wet, some got rescued on the outside of open water, but thankfully all are still alive. 9 out of 10 of those folks simply did not know better.

It is easy to get bashed on this message board even when you are trying to do the right thing. What may seem obvious to me or other experienced ice fishermen may not enter into a first timer's thoughts. I understand there are lots of folks that have tons of ice fishing savvy from the thousands of lakes in WS, MN, MI, or even downstate in Ohio. The problem is Lake Erie is comepletely different. Here are a few of the things that make the ice on Lake Erie different from other lakes.

1) Size. Lake Erie is enormous and in the majority of winters never freezes over completely. Sheer size also makes for huge ice flows that once moving in open water will destroy acres of otherwise good ice when they collide. The lake doesn't freeze in a night or two either. It is constantly moving and refreezing. You can go from 10" of ice to 2 in and instant. Also distance from shore plays into ice safety in low visibily or darkness. Being lost or off the trail could put your life in danger from any of the hazards that are there even in the best ice.

2) Winds. Erie's size is the reason why wind effects the stability of the ice. Wind from any direction over 30 mph will cause water surface to "bounce" and and erode pressure cracks causing potentially dangerous crossings. Any NE wind more than 10 or 15 mph will raise the water level in the western basin 1 to 4 feet causing water to push up on shore ice and pressure cracks also making for dangerous areas. Anyone that has ever been on Lake Erie ice for several years knows there are perrenial cracks in the same places each year. Even moderate wind can open and close these cracks.

3) Current. There are literally millions of gallons of water flowing from west to east from primarily the Detroit river (90% of all the water in Erie comes thru the Detroit). This means there is significant current that is amplified and deflected towards the surface around islands, reefs, and points. The west end of the lake is just like a huge river. This is why you will never catch me fishing the south passage between Catabwa and Starve Island. I have heard of as much as 6 to 8 inches of ice eroding away from the underside in a matter of hours in that area. This could turn 10" of good ice dangerous and those people on wouldn't even suspect it.

There are places that aren't effected as much as others by some of these factors such as the area between Green, Rattlesnake, Middle and South Bass islands but there are no guarantees. You get less effect from wind there but current makes some areas unsafe no matter how cold the winter is. I know of 4 drowning deaths on Lake Erie from ice fishing accidents and all were near the islands in areas known to be unsafe. Ignorance and/or poor judgement were the causes. Every trip out is a risk but then again so is driving down the road.

If you want to fish Lake Erie ice by all means go for it but don't dismiss the caution you hear from experienced Lake Erie fishermen as overblown. Err on the side of caution and if nothing else follow the common herd.

Be safe and have fun.

[bob oh1]

Good post!!

[Longspur]

Great stuff Buckeye !!!!

Longspur

[scottyboy]

Great post buckeye. I'm pretty much a rookie when it comes to lake Erie. I fished it a couple of times last year and had a great time. I think I can speak for most new comers when I say that I enjoy all the information I can get. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

[Raybob]

[b] 'Someone's going to get killed ...'

P-I-B chief: ATV riders irresponsible

By RICK NEALE, and JASON FREED

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CATAWBA ISLAND -- When the ice started cracking Sunday night between Catawba Island and Put-in-Bay, Jack Stables listened to the reports of stranded fishermen crackling in over the radio.

"I was waiting for a body count," he said.

Stables, the Erie-Ottawa Regional Airport manager, and a variety of other local agencies pitched in to rescue 14 trapped anglers from crumbling Lake Erie ice floes. Winds were clocked at 30 knots and temperatures were down in the teens -- "very dangerous" conditions, Stables said.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hoisted three groups off the ice, totaling 10 people, and deposited them at Catawba Island State Park. Three of the strandees were picked up by an airboat piloted by Put-in-Bay resident Todd Blumensaadt.

No injuries were reported.

Put-in-Bay Fire Chief Mark Wilhelm said irresponsible ATV riders were lucky to escape the treacherous ice with their lives Sunday. He said a small band of riders motored from the mainland to Put-in-Bay -- and a 4-year-old child was riding on the back of one of the vehicles.

"Someone chewed them out and fortunately they left their four-wheelers at the island and flew back," he said. "Someone's going to get killed out there."

Wilhelm said three snowmobilers got stuck while they were marking a three-mile ice trail from Put-in-Bay to Catawba Island using old Christmas trees. Pat Chrysler, a licensed Put-in-Bay ice guide, said the trio were islanders John Dodge, Bill Neff and Chris Ladd.

Wilhelm said they were rescued by airboat about three miles west of Catawba Island.

"People don't use their heads. Four different agencies were toned out for the rescue yesterday," he said. "Tens of thousands of dollars, that rescue mission is going to cost the taxpayers.

"We're risking our lives out there."

Dodge and Neff were featured Thursday in a News Herald story about the Catawba-to-South Bass ice crossing. That story included a list of Ohio Department of Natural Resources safety tips, describing use of snowmobiles and vehicles on ice as "extremely dangerous."

Scott Cichoracki is a petty officer at U.S. Coast Guard Group Detroit. He said the helicopter picked up two people 3 miles northwest of Catawba Island at 6:23 p.m.; four people 2 miles due west of Catawba Island at 6:37 p.m.; and four people 3.5 miles northwest of Catawba Island at 6:52 p.m.

Identities of the 10 anglers rescued by the helicopter were unavailable. But one was Kevin McBroom of Brimfield, who was likely hoisted from the ice during the 6:37 p.m. mission.

McBroom ventured onto the lake from the mainland with five fellow fishermen, driving a quartet of four-wheelers. But he ended up trapped on an ice floe with three companions about 400 yards wide and a mile long. It was his first Lake Erie ice fishing experience in the area.

"It was pretty scary. I'll tell you what, those (Coast Guard) guys kicked butt," he said. "They were so professional it wasn't even funny."

McBroom said his group had to abandon its ATVs and equipment on the ice. The items were retrieved and returned to Port Clinton Monday afternoon.

"It was an experience. It was my first time up here. It was kind of spooky," McBroom said. "You could see the ice heaving up."

Chrysler estimated 20 people or more were actually out on the ice during Sunday's break-up, but some were "self-rescues" who reached land without help.

Joe Kostura, who runs a commercial airboat service between Put-in-Bay and the mainland, said at least 10 inches of "good ice" still encase the waters near South Bass-Rattlesnake-Green islands. Ice fishermen there are reporting no problems, as opposed to the Catawba Island channel.

Contact staff writer Rick Neale at 419-734-7506 or rneale@fremont.gannett.com

Email this story

Originally published Tuesday, January 27, 2004
http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20040127/localnews/303132.html

[The amateur]

Where did those old timers drown either last year or the year before I beleive? These guys were supposedly experts and had fished together for years? Was it the areas mentioned above?

[Airwave(OH)]

I believe they were off the north side of SouthBass and were riding out into a blinding snow storm and could'nt see where they were going.

[LookntoFish]

I'm from the Wooster area where the “experienced” guys were from. I didn't know any of them, but know one of their buddies, Bunnie Bower, who runs a bait store. Evidently they were out fishing and the weather turned. They decided to hang it up and head in. By this time the visibility was reduced to the point they couldn’t see land. Who knows if they stopped to think about the dangers of heading the wrong direction? In hind sight, you could easily get turned 180 degrees w/o reference. They basically rode off the ice. There is a lesson here. I won’t go on the ice w/o a GPS and compass (in case the GPS fails which can happen in heavy cloud cover).

Lake Erie ice is very very intimidating. I grew up in Northern MN and Ice fished a solid 4 months every year. I have never respected ice as much as Lake Erie ice. Back in the mid 90’s the lake froze well. I walked out a mile or so from Marblehead and seen people driving by me in vehicles all day. I finally went in and got my van and drove out further towards S.Bass. I stopped a couple miles out to fish and had current I couldn’t believe. My 1oz pimple was probably 10’ to the side of me. I didn’t stick around long.

I’m going to check things out in the morning and proceed with extreme caution. You can trust I won’t be in the lead, I’ll watch the wind closely with weather radio in hand and I’ll stop well before the farthest guys. I won’t hesitate to turn back if anything seems unstable. I hear the crappie and perch in the bay are picking up!

I thank you all for sharing and stay safe!

[Spindoctor]

Airwave-I was out there with John Hageman that day. I did not like the ice anyway. You could see the open water on the flyover. Spindoctor-(formerly Budman)

[Buckeye]

I was also fishing with John that same weekend and remember seeing the chopper and air boats over by Sugar Island. From what the fire chief told us that evening, the 3 were old timers that made a bad decision to venture out in near white out conditions and got off the trail. They drove into around 8' of open water on a shoal between islands.