Imagine if you could determine when your favorite hard water fishing hole is ready to entertain you simply by looking at a calendar. When many of us of older vintage were just kids, you almost could do that. By the time January rolled around, most lakes and ponds in New York and New England were sporting ice caps 6 – 8 inches (or more) thick.

Antiques are generally 100-years old, so don’t be thinking antique. Vintage is a bit more subjective because it just means “of age.” Antiques dealers consider an item to be vintage if it is at least 40 years old. And forty years ago, Winter meant just that,,,, cold. We’ll go with that. Today it is possible to go an entire winter without seeing your favorite lake or pond sporting enough ice to carry your weight, or most certainly not the weight of you and a friend or two.

It would be easy to launch into a discussion about all of the equipment you could collect as you prep for an ice fishing trip, whether it be to one of the Great Lakes, or a 5-acre pond 20 minutes from home. But before you pack up your ice auger and hand warmers, you better think about the common sense and a few other items you should bring along.

You might have read that common sense is a form of “practical decision-making” and the ability to imagine the possible consequences of a decision you make before you make it. It may start with, gee, that ice doesn’t look all that thick maybe I shouldn’t venture out on it,. Or maybe, I’m going to give it a go anyway. That decision could end with you going home with a pail full of crappies and perch or getting pulled back through the hole in the ice that was created when it collapsed under your weight.

Here's a basic checklist of things that will help keep you safe while out on the ice:

Common Sense has to be at the top of your list of things you need at hand should you go ice fishing.

Common sense will tell you to make sure the ice on whatever waterbody you are going to is thick enough for the activity you plan.

Ice Picks are spikes with handles that ice anglers have draped around their necks when they venture out on the ice. Consider them mandatory. Without them you may not be able to claw your way out if you fall through. Note: they’ll do you no good if they are on your sled or at the bottom of a bucket.

As they say, keep your friends close and keep your ice picks closer. They may make the difference between a close call, or a tragedy.

GPS and Compass might be advisable is you are going to be fishing big waters, but not so much so on that 5-acre pond. The compass is and “old timey” backup to modern technology.

Rope is handy, especially is one end is tied to your waist – and if you are alone – the other end to a tree. In any event, having 25 feet or so next to you might come in handy for the lucky soul who is trying to save you.

Ice Cleats, Ice Creepers, a rose is a rose. Whatever you call them they certainly make navigating on the ice easier. More so as you charge across the ice trying to get to a flag that has popped in the air. If you refuse to wear creepers, wear a helmet. It may stop you from cracking your coconut if you hit the ice too hard.

Spud Bars you are thinking are great to chop holes in the ice, and they are if you don’t have a hand or power auger. Actually, a spud bar could be a necessity if you don’t have either. But a spud bar is also good to have to check the ice out in front of you as you make your way out to that spot you just know has a lunker waiting for you that will be nearly impossible to wrestle back through the hole you cut.

Be safe, be sensible!