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Breaking up ice with aluminum boat

I was hoping to hunt all gun season in a spot that's best accessed by boat. It looks like I'll only get a few days of hunting before the launch starts to get icy as it's the first part of the lake to ice over.

What are folks experiences breaking up thin ice with a boat? It's a 1983 junker of an aluminium fishing boat that I got for free and I could care less if it takes some dings, but I don't want to destroy it.

Just ease the boat along and have some weight in the front and let the weight break the ice. If its freezing have a plan for the landing also. Trailers pull a lot of water out and the landings ice up. Move your tail lights on the trailer up higher so you don’t bust them backing the trailer in.

Have a plan b for how you are getting back to the landing. A lot of ice can be made while you are out hunting. Carry some bags of salt for sprinkling the ramp. Drain your trailer at the waters edge. Bring waders and a maul. I fish the river at redwing all winter long. Where there is a will, there is a way. Be smart and plan for the worst.

Spoken like true duck hunters

slow and steady breaking ice, remember when landing is icy the truck will stop when it gets to the water.

Thank you for the tips, very helpful

Isn’t that a little noisy

Duck hunters, Mississippi walleye fishers also.

Musky fisherman too. That late season bite is fantastic, but you're breaking ice at the launches, and wearing neoprene waders while freezing.

And a perch fisherman once :).

We had to on the walleye opener May 1st in Hayward

We used to break ice fairly often when getting to the discharges at the power plant throughout the winter. Biggest problem we encountered (happened twice) was hitting a substantial piece of ice with the motor that one time sheared a blade off the hub or damaged the blade(s).

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