Ice Saturday-Natick

[nsvencer]

I was hoping to make my first ever foray onto the ice this weekend, but with the current weather I'm a bit nervous of the conditions. Any thoughts on Ice conditions for Saturday with the weather we're having right now in MA? I'm planning on heading to a friends house and then a pond near by in Natick.

Also, any tips for a newbie? Thanks!

[Bob Parsons]

Rain may thin the ice a bit and may even make some edges tough to access the safe ice, especially the further east/south you go. I think it is a check to see what you get kinda deal, which is what I plan to do at A1 on saturday.

[nsvencer]

Yeah, that is what I was thinking. Hopefully it is still good when we get there Saturday. I'm really excited to see what all the ice fishing is about!

[jeffsod]

Always a good idea to carry ice picks when venturing out on the ice!

You can buy ice picks from sporting goods stores or you can make a set by taking two standard flat head screwdrivers and drilling a hole in the handles and tie them together with a string long enough to strecth around your neck so they are handy in an emergency. You want to wear them around your neck so you will need to setup the tips of the screwdrivers to go together easily somehow either using a piece of tape or drilling holes up in side the handle. Make sure they come apart easily and would be good if they float and are brightly colored. Carrying a whistle on this line is also a good idea. You cannot be too cautious ICE IS NEVER 100% SAFE!

There is still plenty of thickness on many ponds but there will be lots of standing water left to drain off from todays rain. One thing you have to be very wary of this time of year is the actual ice structure. Rain melts thru the plate taking away the cross structure leaving a bunch of ice crystal 'cones' with no cross structure. So the ice may be very thick but have little actual strength. The best way to visualize this is to chop out a chunk of ice from the plate and lay it in front of you and look closely at the makeup. If you see an inch of clear see thru ice at the bottom of the chunk and a bunch of clouded ice above it with lateral lines you are looking at some risky stuff.

Surely the plate will have risen after today's rain making access to the plate difficult maybe requiring a plank. Also be very weary of accessing ice from the Eastern or northeastern side of any pond now. The spring sun is beating hard on those areas and if there are rocks around all the more reason to be leary.

[bdowning]

Maybe we should be asking about which ponds have iced out on the Cape, at least partially. I suspect after this storm and a warm Saturday, places like the outer Cape should have a fair amount of open water by Sunday.

Any reports?

I'm wavering between hitting what's left of the ice in central Mass and doing the open water thing from shore down south on Sunday. It's that 'tweener time of year. :rolleyes:

-bd

[Bob Parsons]

Bill, I bet that area by the herring run on maspee-wakeby is open for shore fishing