Early Ice - Pro's and Con's

USSFN:  12/28/02 - As winter sets in, many anglers in the north are looking forward to getting out on the ice for some great cold weather action.  As anxious as you might be to take advantage of the early winter bluegills and perch, one "CRrrrraack" could turn you into a statistic.

A general rule of thumb is to make sure that you're on at least 5 inches of ice.  Sure, there are those that will venture out on 3 - 4 inches.  If you're one of those, it's a good idea to have some spikes with you to help climb out of the water and/or securely tie a life line to a tree on shore.  If you hear the ice cracking under you, lay down on the ice to displace your weight over a greater area.  Use the spikes or lifeline to pull yourself to safer ice before attempting to stand or crawl again.