Fishing is the World's Most Dangerous Sport!

Tonight I came across a very informative television show called manswers. Besides discussions on boob shapes and bikini sizes, I learned that fishing is the world's most dangerous sport. In fact, they were saying that fishing is the sport most likely to cause death, and that no other sport even comes close.

Of course, most of the deaths come from drowning, hitting submerged objects while driving too fast, or just driving while intoxicated.

I guess this is another great opportunity to remind you guys to wear your PFDs - because if you fish often enough, you WILL end up in the float one of these days, and if you plan on fishing into old age, you might as well face that fact and make it a habit to wear flotation jackets.

When is it safe to walk on ice?

Every year people drown because they step out on thin ice and fall through.

So when is the ice thick enough to support walking - and fishing?

You need a minimum of 5 inches of ice under your feet to even consider going for a walk on the lake.

Here is my list of the top 10 tips to keep yourself safe on the ice. I wrote this in 2004, but it's still valid - of course.

1. There is no universally safe ice thickness. Each body of water has certain properties that affect how much ice is considered safe. Use common sense, and ask people who have more experience than yourself how much ice is required for safe conditions.
2. Wear a personal flotation device, better yet a one piece insulated floating suit
3. Don't fish alone, and let someone know where you will be and when you will be back.
4. Test the ice in front of you with an ice spud or an auger
5. Be very wary of river ice, because current makes ice thickness vary quite a bit
6. Snow is a great insulator, and as such it can make the ice strong, but it can also prevent it from freezing. When fishing on snow covered ice, pay close attention, the snow can hide weak spots and cracks that you would otherwise see.
7. Slush indicates decaying ice
8. Always carry a nylon rope and a few large nails, they can provide the grip you need in case you fall through the ice and can't grab on to the edge. Face the direction you came from, kick out with your legs, or use your nails to grab on, and roll off as far as you feel is necessary to be safe again, do NOT stand up immediately, you will likely just fall through again. (self-rescue technique)
9. If you see someone fall through, do not run toward them, rather extend a rope or an object that they can hold onto.
10. Again, there is no universal set of rules for how thick ice has to be for safe fishing, but as a rule of thumb, these are "minimum requirements" you should memorize:

• 2 inches of ice is extremely dangerous, do not even attempt to walk on ice this thin
• 4 inches of ice may be sufficient to walk and go ice fishing
• 5 inches may be enough to support snowmobiles ( do not park them close to one another)
• 8 to 12 inches may be enough to support cars or small pickups ( do not park them close to one another)
• 15 inches may be enough to support medium trucks ( do not park them close to one another)