Headed out to a sandpit along the Platte River tomorrow - worried about ice integrity as sandpits are spring fed and we're coming off rain and a 50 degree Friday. We have only fished it once before, middle of Summer on a 100+ day, and to cool off we speed trolled cranks down the middle of channel in 30' depth without hope of catching anything. We ended up with 8 suspended BCP from 15-17.5". Biggest crappies I've ever seen, and we swore we'd come back someday and try them through the ice. So, tomorrow is the day.

I am typically the point man, with auger, as I'm the lightest by 50 lbs of my buddies, and the others follow with vexis to check for depth and fish. I'll be tied off tomorrow with 50' rope behind me, just in case. I hope I don't need to be rescued.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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