Ice is never safe, remembering that could save your life. One reason i recently joined this site is because i just got married and i promised my wife that i would try to fish on a ice covered lake that has other people fishing on it. so as you can probably tell there are lakes i show up to, and leave, for her sake. I carry a lot of gear life jackets, plus a throwable, picks, 100' rope with a soft ball attached to use as a heave line, and a collaspeable boat hook. cell phone is always clipped to collar, There are times i take my life jacket off , but i still carry a whistle, or air horn. My sled is heavy because of all this gear, and my fishing gear / grills / coolers and a lot of times, i dont fish where the fish are because of safety reasons. Being safe does hamper my fishing on Ice. After hunting season, i have 3 and a half long months before the boat goes in. Reason this is so long is, I was in the USCG in the 70's had to save and recover people, Face's of family and friends of folks lost, waiting at the dock for there loved one's is a memory i have.