Sk8man

If you tighten down the release tension enough it should prevent the "sawing" action of the braid which damages the pinch pad. I've used it with the TX44's for a few seasons and so far there is no detectable wear. I locate the line as far back in the pad as possible too.

You are very right EsoxAC3. At the very least some sort of life jacket or floatable device should be carried with people out there. It is interesting that people are required to wear life jackets from Nov-April in boats but not out on the ice. I must also say however I'm not a big fan of governmental requirements/intervention in our lives but with some things you can't always depend on people to just use good common sense and this appears to be one of them. People (including me) become complacent about that stuff and they think it is only "the other" guy that it happens to ....until IT IS YOU and that is a rude awakening. The most surprising thing to me was that after many many years on the ice (starting at about 8 yrs old) that I thought there would be some warning (cracking sounds etc.) but it was just instantaneous and like dropping into a "slush hole". Worst of all is the realization that your legs and arms start going numb in seconds not minutes and as soon as you are out of the water hypothermia starts setting in and even walking is difficult. I had on a snowmobile suit and heavy boots at the time and it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. My left side was still bruised from the edge of the ice a month afterward. If it had been even a foot or two deeper I would have been "history". 2004....not one of my best years

I've been through myself twice and one of the times it was in 5 1/2 ft of water and I am 6 ft tall and I was all alone on the lake at 6:45 AM (that is the reason for my, comment in number 1). My next action after that time was to buy suits that float for myself and my son (Arctic Armor) and we both got to try them out in 3 ft of water coming back in near dark at Honeoye a couple years ago (late season)

I'm hoping more guys come the the fore here as I have talked with some of you out on the ice and others on the phone and I'm confident that you have great stuff to offer..... It would be nice to have a little resource here for folks to refer to

Oh geez...not only that but if you bring Ray along don't forget your hip boots for the BS or an extra comb so he can comb the hair on his back when he takes off some layers A big beach umbrella also helps him to adjust to conditions

I'm anxiously awaiting another season on the ice and thought that it might be an appropriate time to see if others here are willing to share any tips or helpful information they have discovered over the years to help out folks who might be interested but inexperienced to speed up the learning curve a bit. I'm not talking about divulging your life long closely held spots or derby tactics or anything just some helpful hints: I'll start it off with these as examples: (they can be specific fishing tactics, safety tips, things you have discovered to be comfortable etc.) 1. Wait until there is good hard ice at least 3 inches thick before going out there and don't go alone. Check thickness along the way at intervals. Remember: the most dangerous ice is not necessarily the hard clear stuff that may spook you or is slippery it is snow covered ice where you can't detect what is beneath you (gas pockets, faults, thin ice spots or other defects. 2. Take a "spud" or "ice chisel" with you besides having your auger and use it to "test" the ice. 3. Tape up some soft material (e.g. short section of swimming noodle) to the mid part of the rope of your sled for hand comfort 4. Carry a flashlight of some sort (inexpensive LED headlamp) for coming back in in the dark and it can double for "charging up" glow jigs as well. If using the headlamp get one that uses triple A batteries rather than the often hard to find disc type. 5. Carry "ice picks" on a cord and easily accessible in case of emergency (I also usually carry a boat seat cushion with a rope attached as well in my sled) 6. A propane or gas heater can be a welcome addition to your day as well as good warm gloves and heavily insulated boots 7. Dress in layers (plenty of them) to stay comfortable. You can always shed things if you get too warm and you don't want to start sweating because you'll be chilled. 8. Don't bring any more items than you'll actually need (I'm VERY guilty of this) because the trip out and back will seem MUCH longer as a result 9. Buy a good auger (whether power, hand, or battery powered drill type) and keep the blades sharp. Keep the cover over the blades when not in use because it keeps them sharp as well as protecting you from disaster. 10. Drill a bunch of holes when you first get to your spot whiie you are "fresh" and also so that you'll allow things to calm down (noise etc.) and any fish that were "spooked" may return to the area. 11. If you are "prospecting" or don't have a depth finder) drill some holes in an "X'" shape with holes spread out 20-30 ft from each other starting from shoreward working outward. That will allow you to determine a depth "range", give an idea of the "slope" of things as well as possible bottom characteristics (e.g. mud, weeds, gravel) and by jigging in the holes you may be able to see the direction of any fish action for further consideration. 12. Assess wind direction when you are at your spot and face your shelter (if you use one or your back if you just sit on a bucket) away from the oncoming wind whenever possible 13. Buy (inexpensive) hand warmers to put in your mits or gloves. They last for many hours 14. For your main jigging hole to help keep it from freezing over pour a little coffee or other hot liquid in it. 15 To keep bait alive and unfrozen I keep mine in a small Little Oscar cooler that has a lid that locks down. It is relatively small but holds a lot of fathead minnows and it is insulated so it can take the real cold 16. Bring a tape measure with you for game fish in case you get lucky. 17. If fishing from an ice shelter (Clam Frabill, Eskimo etc.) anchor it and help keep the wind out by placing snow around the bottom of it (skirt) "sealing it off" 18. White LED battery powered Xmas lights strung on the supports or taped to the inside work well for lighting when needed. 19. Don't try to change jigs right over your hole or open a box of hundreds of jigs balancing it on your knee in the snow.....and don't ask how I know this 20. Consider buying a hand held depth finder (one of my handiest purchases over the years) which saves a lot of time especially in unfamiliar places. It will allow you in clear (bubble free) ice to get depth readings as you go along and to spot bottom drop offs/contours. See pic. 21. Early ice and late ice are often the most dangerous times out there. Pay particular attention to areas where "bubblers" are used near docks where the ice may be undercut many yards away from the action (speaking from personal experience).

And there you have it .... the simplest solution is often the best one If it works for Rick and all the use he gives the boards I'd "take it to the bank".

Yeah Ray just graduated from the two tin cans and a string recently. He got the flip phone from Fred Flintstone (it is just like mine)

With both my Church 44's and Walleye boards I set the line as far back in the release as possible and I have the jaws tightened as much as possible (have to be careful not to tighten too much though or they could break). They are usually run on braid or 30 lb mono and I've only had it release once with a fish and huge gob of grass combined.