“Thick and blue, tried and true. Thin and crispy, way too risky.” Winter is here, but is the ice safe? Ice conditions vary across the state, and even across a single water body. The only way to know if the ice is safe is to check for yourself. Here are some important reminders from the Maine Warden Service about checking ice conditions: 🧊 Accessing lakes and ponds should be avoided unless you can be certain of ice conditions by checking ice thickness for yourself. Before stepping out, use a chi

Anyone can learn to ice fish! Let's start by setting up a trap (also called a tip-up). There are several different styles of traps but they are all designed to sit on top of the ice, hold the fishing line, and indicate when a fish tugs on the line by triggering a flag. The steps for setup are all about the same: 1️⃣ Pick a spot and use a chisel or any type of auger to drill a hole. 2️⃣ Use a skimmer to clear snow and slush out of the hole. 3️⃣ Open your trap and raise the flag. 4️⃣ Pull out enou