Ice Fishing

In andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t north-dakotaandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt North Dakotaandamp lt aandamp gt it s a favorite for many outdoorsmen and women but ice fishing requires some safety rules to go along with the fun One of the biggest challenges is finding out if the ice is thick enough Nancy Bolt is the Boat and Water Safety Coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Bolt says this year people are seeing more challenges because of all the snow we have In order to drive a pick-up out onto the lake the ice needs to be at least 12 to 15 inches thick But there are other challenges that come with the snow andamp quot I ve heard of people drilling holes and the water coming because there s so much weight on the ice with all this snow that of course puts pressure on the ice So you re drilling the hole and punching the hole in there and then you ve got water that s seeping up between the ice and the snow and that just makes it a little more miserable but it s just something to be cautious about andamp quot says Nancy Bolt ND Game and Fish Boat and Water Safety Coordinator Bolt says that knowing the lake you re fishing on is also important Knowing where the springs are what is underneath the ice in spots and factoring in where the sun has hit the ice are just a few things to consider andamp quot It s always good to drill holes and I know a lot of them out there have already done that and they re pretty confident but with that much snow on the ice right now the bigger challenge they re going to have is getting out to their fish houses or out to their favorite spot and not putting all their effort into burying their 4-wheel drive andamp quot says Bolt Bolt says if you plan on visiting a lake you re not sure about asking people at a local bait shop is the best way to get information