“They’re right where we left them,” I blurted out while quickly dropping another small sucker to whatever was stealing them below. It was a private thought that worked its way out during last season’s first-ice foray.

I was pretty certain they were walleyes, as I’d fished them in the months leading up to ice season. They remained right off of a point on the first shoreline break where we’d had two flags fly before drilling the rest of the holes. We jigged up a few perch and walleyes amongst those tip-ups right at dark, before gingerly creeping back to shore. We were on solid ice, a good 6 inches of it, but you never can be too careful. Even when prepared, I’m not the guy creeping on a few mere inches like I once was. Age, kids and some dodgy experiences will do that to you.

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” said Teddy Roosevelt more than a century before social media would commercialize and so readily invite it. At this point in the season, if you consume any digital media content at all, you’ve probably already seen people ice fishing. They may be in Alberta, the high Rockies or even northern Minnesota. But chances are, you’re not fishing the lakes they are, and chances are higher that even so, your ice-envy may be growing by the minute.

Take a deep breath, get your deer gun ready and spend some time chasing other fall pursuits. Ice will be there when you come out of that wormhole. Freeze-up this early can be short-lived should the mercury rise back to more average values, and extremely early ice usually suffers that fate. Again, those few early ice fall-throughs, whether personal or publicized, tend to shape your thoughts on the matter.

Those past experiences on thin ice also inform you as to what essentials you need for any first-ice trip. Just a small kit with safety equipment can be a lifesaver. Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to buy a few products off the shelf to protect yourself should the ice give way. I’ve even gone as far as pushing a canoe out on the ice with a rope tied around my waist to stay safe — but here are some better options.

Flotation Suit

There’s no excuse not to own one these days, as performance has dramatically risen, with value-minded options galore. They’re flexible and have tackle pockets, with quite a bit of thought and ergonomics going into their design. They shed water, rather than wick it up your leg like the coveralls of old, and really make ice fishing that much more enjoyable. You won’t know they float until you need them to, and that’s fine by me.

Spud Bar

At the start of every season, I never leave the truck without a spud bar, and no spud is safe without “tuning it.”  Take any fish ruler and start swinging that bar at the ice. Take good strong strokes, then physically measure inches of ice and how many hits in the same place until you start to see water. On average, each swing can remove 1 inch of ice, but every spud and person is different. For me, an aggressive chisel spud bar that shows water after only one or two swings means it’s a no-walk-zone. It should take a good three or four hard swings with the spud until I’m finding the 4-plus inches of ice that make me comfortable.

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Spud anything that looks different than what you just walked on. Spud the milky ice, the black ice, the snow-covered ice and the stacked ice. All of it tends to have slightly different thicknesses early, and you never know where there could be a spring, inlet or other underwater current. Eventually, you’ll get better at “reading” that ice, but there’s still no substitute for a good spudding.

Ice Picks

Put them around your neck and forget about them. No matter how many times they get in your way, move them out of the way — but keep them on. Early ice can be some of the worst to climb back onto, especially when it’s black. Add water to that surface and there’s no substance that’s slicker.  

Cleats

Speaking of slippery, you should really have something on your feet to keep grip. Boot treads won’t cut it. The worst that I’ve ever seen was a foggy first-ice trip on black ice when I was the only one who didn’t have them. I literally couldn’t move out there, it was ridiculous. Never again. After seeing some ice injuries in person and even a concussion, there are more reasons than simply grip to be wearing these on early ice.

Throw Rope

There are convenient ropes set up, ready and in a bag for you these days, but it really can be any kind of rope you’d like. Preferably, it would be 25 feet in length or longer, and have a relatively heavy item tied to the end for accurate throwing. While I’ve never had to use mine, I can imagine plenty of scenarios where it would be preferable to finding a stick on shore, an auger bit or other long item to pass to a soaked friend after they’ve gone through the ice.

Before you start checking all your favorite first-ice hotspots, remember that we still have a few weeks to go. It’s a good time to prep your gear, get a few last items, and think about lakes you’d like to fish. If you still have open water, there’s plenty of time to find first-ice spots. If not, take your time and be safe out there before you start swinging that spud bar.