Some ice picks come with extra long cords designed to be fed around your neck and down each sleeve for super quick access when you need them. If the picks are constantly in your way when dangling around your neck then tuck the picks in an outside pocket near your chest. They are within easy reach and easy to find every time. That is why they have such a long stretch cord. Sticking the ice picks deep in a pocket or in a tackle bag won’t help much if you fall in without warning.Īny time I am on the ice, my ice picks are always around my neck. Safety gear doesn’t do you any good if it’s not within reach when you need it. See how it’s done, with and without picks! Take a look at the video below and watch Aaron Wiebe of Uncut Angling demonstrate how to get out of the ice. Simply explaining how to get out of the water is not enough. Lay as flat as possible on the edge of the ice and use your picks while kicking in the water. It can be challenging to get orientated but if you stay calm, you’ll see your tracks. If you ever do go through the ice, always remember to pull yourself out towards the direction you came from. Reach hand over hand and drag yourself along until you get a sense of the motion required to move yourself across the ice. Grab your picks and dig into the ice in front of you. Start by laying down on your stomach on the ice in a safe spot. It takes just a few simple steps to practice. Start learning the motion needed to wiggle out of the water and back onto safe ice. I encourage you to also test out the picks on safe ice. Go through the actual motions of calming yourself and reaching for your picks. Then, start training your brain to immediately calm down and reach for the picks. Simply imagine plunging into the bone chilling water and gasping for breath. But you can practice by thinking through the scenario. Obviously, you’re not going to dive into sub-zero water just to practice crawling out with picks. Using them effectively requires practice. Now that we are all on the same page and know what ice picks are, how do you use them? It’s not good enough to just buy a pair, hang them around your neck and forget about them. Also, the grips are easy to hang onto and work for large and small anglers alike. They are designed to hang around your neck so they are ready at a moments notice. Quite simply, ice picks work because they allow you to get purchase on wet ice so you can pull yourself from the water by hand. Ice safety picks are nothing more than a couple 1” steel spikes imbedded in hand grips that are connected by a 5 or 6 foot stretch of cord. You simply can’t get traction on the edge of a slippery surface.Įnter the ice pick. Even if you remain calm, crawling back onto safe ice is nearly impossible. Many people who go through the ice succumb to the panic and exhaust themselves trying to escape. Once you’re immersed in the icy water, the hypothermia clock starts ticking. The shock of frigid water temporarily saps all reason from your brain and if you let it, panic sets in. It’s not falling though the ice that kills you. Read on to learn all about ice safety picks and the best options for you. Not sure what ice picks are? Trying to figure out which ones to buy? Then you have come to the right place. Frabill retractable ice picks are a top choice and the ones we carry. There are several options on the market but at the end of the day, the best ice picks are the ones you never leave at home. So, what are the best ice fishing safety picks? However, a few essential pieces of ice fishing equipment might mean the difference between a close call or a tragic fishing season.Īrguably, the most important piece of safety gear are ice picks. Even the most cautious anglers find themselves in perilous conditions on ever changing sheets of ice. A terrifying prospect for sure and a situation anyone who has walked across a frozen lake has thought about.ĭon’t kid yourself either. We are, of course, talking about falling through the ice. Ice fishing without the right safety gear, or the common sense to go along with it, results in accidents every winter. Ice fishing season is finally here and oh boy, are we excited! While drilling holes and catching fish is our focus, we never loose sight of safety.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |