There's an old duck hunter's poem that starts with the lines: "The hunters of ducks are a crazy breed, a hole in the muck is all they need." As a duck hunter, I can appreciate those poetic words of wisdom. As an ice-fisherman, I can see how a slight twist to the opening lines of the duck hunter's poem could be just as appropriate for ice-anglers; that is, "a hole in the ice is all they need." Once the ice forms on northern lakes and ponds, that is.

Whether or not we are at the beginning of a major or minor period of climate change -- or even in a period of weather flux at all, is a matter best left to the scientists and best argued, it seems, by politicians. Regardless, things aren't likely to be drastically different in the next several years any more than what they were for the previous several years.

That being the case, I'm safe in saying the lakes and ponds on the northern end of Indiana are going to freeze over sooner each winter than the lakes and ponds in central and southern Indiana. I'm on firm footing when I say popular fishing lakes and ponds in the northern third of Indiana always freeze hard enough for a month or two each winter to provide a layer of ice substantial enough to keep the fishermen on top separated from the soft water under the ice. I'd be on "thin ice" if I were to make any such claims for the central or southern part of Hoosierland. In fact, once a person gets much south of Indianapolis, there are plenty of winters when the ice on popular fishing lakes never freezes adequately to be called "safe" for fishing

Safe and lasting ice in the northern third, what I think of as the "ice zone" of our state, generally comes on in the last half of December and generally lasts into the last part of February. Safe and lasting ice in the middle and southern part of the state is subject to the whims of winter more than dates on a calendar.

IS ICE EVER SAFE?
So when is ice safe? Unless you're at an indoor ice-skating rink, there is no sure answer. Ice is tricky, and just because a lake or stream is frozen all the way across does not mean the ice is thick enough to be safe for people wanting to fish on the frozen surface.

Here are some general guidelines:

• Two inches of clear, solid ice is usually safe for one person walking.
• Four inches of the same kind of ice is usually safe for ice-fishing.
• Five inches of the same kind of ice is usually safe for snowmobiling.
• Eight to 12 inches is usually safe for vehicles to be on ice, but driving on ice should be avoided whenever possible. Traveling in a vehicle on ice is commonplace in states to our north. Almost anywhere in Indiana, it's an accident waiting to happen.
• New ice is usually stronger than old ice. As ice ages, the bond between the crystals weakens, reducing the strength of the ice even if melting has not occurred.
• Wind speeds influence ice formation. Light winds speed up the formation. Strong winds force water from beneath the ice and can decay the edges of the ice.
• Snow can insulate ice and keep it strong. It can also insulate it to keep it from freezing. When ice is covered by snow, great precautions need to be taken to determine ice thickness before starting any activity. Snow can also hide cracked, weak and open-water spots.
• Slush is a danger sign. Slush indicates that ice is no longer freezing from the bottom. Slush also indicates weak or deteriorated ice.
• Ice conditions always change with time. Temperature, precipitation, wind, amount of sunlight, water depth and water quality are all factors that affect ice strength and thickness.
• Before you head onto ice, check with a local bait shop, conservation officer or local angler for known areas of thin ice or open water.