Ask Bigfoot Chester: Advice for the Outdoorsman

Dear Bigfoot Chester,

I have just moved to the great state of Maine from away, and am relatively new to the sport of Ice Fishing. I found out the season starts in January and I am eager to get out and try my luck. A couple of my neighbors, Linwood and Vinyl, have invited me to go up to their camp and 'set a few traps', as they say, but it seems that this year, what with global warming and all, there doesn't seem to be much ice to fish on. My new friends assured me it was completely safe to go, but I don't know. Tell me Bigfoot, how many inches of ice is neccesary to safely go ice fishing in Maine.

Soggy in Schoodic

Dear Soggy,

Well I don'tknow how you Outa' Statas' do things, but up here in the good old state of Maine there are a few different ways to go about ice fishing when the conditions are 'marginal'. I would, of course preface my advice by saying that if you are taking your wife or your kids along, consult with your local game warden, or meteorilogist, and ignore what I have to say. I think the official number might be about 10 to 12 inches of solid ice to be totally safe. Go with that. If though, you are game for a little 'danger fishing', I'm your man.

There are several methods the intrepid fisherman can employ In cases of thin ice and still enjoy the fishy fruits of their fishing labours. When ice is only marginally unsafe, I always use the Auld Plank Method. In this case, you lay old boards, pieces of plywood, or what-not in a path to lead you to your traps. Walk in a zig-zag pattern on the boards and if the worst happens and you fall through, hang onto your board, now a floatation device, and swim to shore. When ice is moderately hazardous (2 inches or less), I usually use the Lifeline method. In this case, you and your fishing buddies take turns walking out to check the traps tethered to a good stout rope, while the other holds tightly to the other end while standing safely on shore. When you fall in, give a hard tug on the rope, and your buddy pulls you in. When ice is considerablely unsafe (1 inche or less), I generally go with the Human Chain approach. This is done by setting the traps very close to shore, for starters. When setting or checking traps, you and your buddies lay on your stomachs and slither across the ice, linked together by holding onto each others ankles. Of course, the more people you have fishing the better, as you can expand your range significantly. Be prepared for the worst. You should have an extra set of clothes and boots nearby for this trick. Finally, when ice is extremely unsafe (patches of open water, floating ice flows, etc.), I have seen a few guys employ the Waders or Scuba Method. When Ice is this bad, I forgo the extra dry clothes and go straight for the Neoprene suit. This way you can wade right out to nearest floating block of ice and climb up onto it, or if that fails, use the ice trap as a fly caster and fling the bait out into the open water as far as you can. As long as you are actually near some ice, I'm pretty sure it's legal. But as always, check with your local game warden.

So, there you have it, Flatlander, the inside dope on how us Mainers do it. If you follow my lead, there's no reason why a little thing like lack of ice should prevent you from enjoying some fine ice fishing. And remember, don't skimp on the beer. It'll keep you from panicking in emergency situations. Good luck Soggy and remember you didn't hear it here. Tell Linwood I said 'Hey'.

Bigfoot Chester