BEACH LAKE, WAYNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Winter is here, and for many anglers in Northeast Central Pennsylvania, that means there will be ice fishing opportunities.
While ice fishing is fun, there are a few precautions anglers should take to have a safe ice adventure.
The National Park Service emphasizes that the most important thing to remember when ice fishing this year is the mandatory cold weather life jacket regulation that is currently in effect until April 30, 2023.
Regardless of your age, the National Park Service urges everyone to wear a tight fitting life jacket while boating and ice fishing on the Upper Delaware River this winter and check it often to be as safe as possible.
The condition of the ice and its thickness is the main concern, as most bodies of water do not freeze uniformly.
Four inches of solid clear ice or eight inches of white or “snow ice” is the minimum thickness of ice needed to be considered safe to walk on.
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If you’re not sure, the National Park Service advises that you take regular test holes as you hike, with each test done at least every 150 feet.
Avoid any ice near moving or open water and any dark, honeycombed or porous ice.
Make sure you tell someone you’re going fishing and when you plan to return or bring a friend.
Children must always be with a parent or guardian when venturing out on the ice.
If you fall on the ice, don’t panic and keep calm.
To get off the ice, use safety spikes. If no safety options are available, try swimming, which allows your body to rise to the surface and gives you a chance to grab onto the ice.
Keep your clothes on while in the water as they can isolate you until you are free.
Once on the ice, distribute your weight by staying low and extending your body as much as possible so that the remaining ice does not break beneath you.
If someone you are fishing with falls, the National Park Service recommends that you remember the RTRG.
- Access (long stick or fishing rod)
- Launching (rope, life jacket or anything that floats)
- Rowing (A row or pushing a boat)
- go (ask for help)
If you are wet, immediately change into dry clothes and go to a warm shelter.
The National Park Service emphasizes that if you’re cold, you’re cold and you should take the proper precautions to avoid frostbite and hypothermia.
To treat frostbite, soak the affected area of pale skin or exposed flesh in warm water.
Hypothermia can be seen as shivering and loss of judgment and can be treated with warm fluids, dry clothes, a blanket and a warm coat.
If these problems persist, seek medical attention immediately and remember to stop fishing if you or someone you are fishing with becomes cold or tired.