Five things I learned today from this "truck fell through the ice" article...
- Thread starter Josh
- Start date
#6. Darwin was right.I have lived in the western part of Cascadia all my life. So I've never spent a winter anywhere that it gets REALLY cold. Around here, as most of you know, lakes only freeze once in a long while. So ice fishing isn't really a "thing" in these parts. Which is fine by me as it sounds deathly boring.
But I do know that it's a popular pastime and that people do drive on the ice. But this article taught me some interesting facts...
Sunken Ford Super Duty Dives 22 Feet Into Frozen Lake With Trailer Attached
The driver of this Ford Super Duty on a frozen Minnesota lake rolled over a big crack and sent his truck straight through the ice.www.thedrive.com
- Not only do people drive on ice, but they are willing to do it multiple MILES away from shore?
- Someone thought a full size 3/4 ton pickup pulling a giant trailer was the right vehicle for such an adventure?
- Cars going through the ice is such a common occurrence that there are towing and recovery companies that specialize in pulling cars back out?
- Of all the things that insurance won't cover, somehow this guy is going to get his truck fixed/replaced because companies cover frozen lake driving?
- People are still ice driving despite this being an incredibly warm winter across the US and MN breaking high temperature records in January?
That would be much appreciated by the body recovery folk.
This Nat Geo video is cool AF....
This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice. “Wild ice skating,” or “Nordic skating,” is both an art and a science. A skater seeks out the thinnest, most pristine black ice possible—both for its smoothness, and for its high-pitched, laser-like sounds.
This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice. “Wild ice skating,” or “Nordic skating,” is both an art and a science. A skater seeks out the thinnest, most pristine black ice possible—both for its smoothness, and for its high-pitched, laser-like sounds.
The fishing aspect of ice fishing is actually super fun imho. I only made it out twice locally during the big freeze this year but I look forward to it every season.
The fun aspect is because there’s no current or wind affecting your presentation, so any action on your spoon or jig is because you made it so. And perch are delicious.
The fun aspect is because there’s no current or wind affecting your presentation, so any action on your spoon or jig is because you made it so. And perch are delicious.
Ryan Smart
Steelhead
As someone who grew up in Minnesota and had spent most of my life in the upper Midwest before moving west a few years ago, all the discussion of ice fishing and driving on ice is interesting.
Obviously ice fishing is very popular there, and with 4-6 months of frozen water, the other alternative is no fishing at all. As others have pointed out, there can definitely be quite a social aspect to ice fishing, but don't discount the "consumption" aspect too - lots of people primarily ice fish to catch walleyes, pike, Perch, and panfish for meals. Species that people usually fish for sport and practice C&R aren't as conducive to ice fishing anyway - bass, muskies, sturgeon, etc.
As for driving on ice, it can be done completely safely once there is enough ice. Many of the large lakes will have designated roads that are maintained by the local resorts for their customers. Flying across a lake at 100 mph in the dark on a snowmobile can definitely be more hazardous - legally you're not supposed to leave big piles of frozen slush on the ice from fishing holes or ice houses, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen and can be quite a hazard to snowmobiles.
If you ever do find yourself next to a lake with 18-24" of good ice on it and want to go for a drive... one important tip is to leave your windows down and seatbelt off as you're driving, so you can get out of the vehicle if something unexpected happens and you go through the ice!
Driving on a Minnesota lake in mid-winter isn't 100% safe, but it's probably quite a bit safer than taking a drift boat or raft down a sketchy river where one mistake can flip you or push the boat into a big logjam!
ryan
Obviously ice fishing is very popular there, and with 4-6 months of frozen water, the other alternative is no fishing at all. As others have pointed out, there can definitely be quite a social aspect to ice fishing, but don't discount the "consumption" aspect too - lots of people primarily ice fish to catch walleyes, pike, Perch, and panfish for meals. Species that people usually fish for sport and practice C&R aren't as conducive to ice fishing anyway - bass, muskies, sturgeon, etc.
As for driving on ice, it can be done completely safely once there is enough ice. Many of the large lakes will have designated roads that are maintained by the local resorts for their customers. Flying across a lake at 100 mph in the dark on a snowmobile can definitely be more hazardous - legally you're not supposed to leave big piles of frozen slush on the ice from fishing holes or ice houses, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen and can be quite a hazard to snowmobiles.
If you ever do find yourself next to a lake with 18-24" of good ice on it and want to go for a drive... one important tip is to leave your windows down and seatbelt off as you're driving, so you can get out of the vehicle if something unexpected happens and you go through the ice!
Driving on a Minnesota lake in mid-winter isn't 100% safe, but it's probably quite a bit safer than taking a drift boat or raft down a sketchy river where one mistake can flip you or push the boat into a big logjam!
ryan
This!
It's an acquired taste i suppose, no need for alcohol and friends to make it fun, and there is plenty of solid fishing skills involved. It has its own culture and people, like anything else. Grew up in NH, I miss getting out there during the winter. Day outside is doing anything is better than a day inside. Love the ice sounds on a good hard freeze day, love the clear winter cold, love seeing a monster run make the water boil under the tip up, and hand lining in something big or setting into a solid laker on the jig rod is lots of fun.
Mukman
Life of the Party
Growing up in Minnesota, the local Lions Club would tow an old beater out to the middle of the lake. You’d buy a ticket and guess the date and time it would go under. Now that’s some rural Minnesota entertainment for ya, you betcha! One year the damn thing just sat on an ice floe and drifted around for a few days before it went under. Middle of April. Geez. Then Denny’s service station would haul it out of the lake and she’d be ready for the next winter.
Yeah, but you're missing the thrill of the frost 'bite'!
Zak
Legend
You can still place your bets on the Joe's Pond contest I linked above!
BriGuy
Life of the Party
Because it is organic and better for you than freezer ice.
FinLuver
Native Oregonian…1846
I’d only do it, sitting in some kinda boat or raft…that had been lowered into place by a helicopter, while I, gear, and cooler n Themos are in it.
A fellow went through the ice on the lake where our cabin is located in 2021. He was driving one of those all terrain track vehicles made in Finland. If I remember correctly the machine without the trailer weighed right around 5 tons and he had a 650 pound snowmobile loaded in the bed of the thing. He had the vehicle for years and drove it the 75 miles out the rivers and trails every winter in February or March. He did not survive, I'm surprised the driver of the Ford truck did.
Our place is 75 miles off road and it took 3 1/2 hours for Troopers to get there. It went down in 40 foot depth. The heaviest thing I ever hauled out there was a freight sled with 3 barrels of fuel and a load of plywood on it. Right around 2000 pounds including the weight of the sled. I used my Skandic to pull and was traveling around 30 mph when crossing the lake. I thought that was a heavy load but when I learned how much the fellows track vehicle weighed I couldn't believe he trusted it on the lake. I don't have to haul freight any more and drive my Ski Doo Tundra when I go in winter, it's light and fast enough I don't fear the ice. I wasn't born here but this makes 20 years and I still don't drive my Chevy Truck on lakes.
One of these although it was an older model.
I'm not sure if he was pulling the trailer or not, wasn't out there when it happened but my cabin neighbor was following him on a snowmachine and told me that it simply plunged through head first and disappeared.
Our place is 75 miles off road and it took 3 1/2 hours for Troopers to get there. It went down in 40 foot depth. The heaviest thing I ever hauled out there was a freight sled with 3 barrels of fuel and a load of plywood on it. Right around 2000 pounds including the weight of the sled. I used my Skandic to pull and was traveling around 30 mph when crossing the lake. I thought that was a heavy load but when I learned how much the fellows track vehicle weighed I couldn't believe he trusted it on the lake. I don't have to haul freight any more and drive my Ski Doo Tundra when I go in winter, it's light and fast enough I don't fear the ice. I wasn't born here but this makes 20 years and I still don't drive my Chevy Truck on lakes.
One of these although it was an older model.
I'm not sure if he was pulling the trailer or not, wasn't out there when it happened but my cabin neighbor was following him on a snowmachine and told me that it simply plunged through head first and disappeared.
Last edited:
BriGuy
Life of the Party
I ice fished with a friend a few times as teenager in Montana. Here's what I liked about it:
- We fished in a small wooden shack on skis with a 5 gallon drum converted to a wood stove, so we didn't freeze our butts off or get hemorrhoids.
- Since it is dark in the shed and it's light under the ice, when looking down the hole you can see everything (like watching TV). It gets quite exciting when you see the tiny fish scatter and the big bruisers cruise through.
- It gets even more exciting when you hook one of those big bull trout and manage to pull it's head up into the hole only to see a huge mouth with sharp teeth thrashing from side to side. Sadly, we never got it out of the hole -- even after it made three passes.
That experience was quite cool. Just one more way to get you fishing jollies. Of course, I might not think the same if I had to do it in the cold and wind while sitting on a bucket.
Chris Bellows
Steelhead
I have lived in the western part of Cascadia all my life. So I've never spent a winter anywhere that it gets REALLY cold. Around here, as most of you know, lakes only freeze once in a long while. So ice fishing isn't really a "thing" in these parts. Which is fine by me as it sounds deathly boring.
But I do know that it's a popular pastime and that people do drive on the ice. But this article taught me some interesting facts...
Sunken Ford Super Duty Dives 22 Feet Into Frozen Lake With Trailer Attached
The driver of this Ford Super Duty on a frozen Minnesota lake rolled over a big crack and sent his truck straight through the ice.
Were they drinking Jack and Pepsi?
CougarZeke
Smolt
I went ice fishing with my uncle and cousins last winter on Devils Lake, ND. Interesting experience. We weren't roughing it per se in this Sno Bear. There wasn't much of a concern about dropping through the ice. I was there for 5 days and the hi was 18. No IPAs in North Dakota that I could see.
I had no idea those existed. Interesting, but VERY ice fishing specific.
SnoBear Snow Machine | SnoBear Website
snobearusa.com
They sure don't give them away either! Seem to run $70-90k for even a used one. New models can be over $100k.
SnoBears | Blake's Marine | Devils Lake, North Dakota
Check out Blake's Marines selection of SnoBears! Hit the ice with portability and ease! We buy and sell!
www.blakesmarine.com
