Glad you are safe. We all can learn from your story.

Anytime I am around water with waders on I have a bungy cord around the top to hold in the air in case I stumble or fall down. The fire department had ice picks that stay retracted until you need them, both are on the same cord to put around your neck until needed.
This summer try your waders with a bungy cord around the top to see if it works for you. JMO

Glad you're okay and took the extra time to prepare.

Dang it man
Glad your safe

Your no fool...you were prepared ! So Iam thinking a lanyard with a sliding knot on your spud is not a good idea ????

Wow. I'm glad you were prepared and are home

Glad your safe! Stories like yours are what keep the rest of us safe.

Think you could get your spud back with a strong magnet and a rope? Just don’t go back out on that ice!

Glad you're safe.

Nessmuck: I think in this situation it would have been a different story if I had the lanyard around my wrist, this spud is made out of 1 and 1/2 inch black pipe 5 feet long, but it gives that dull thud I like to hear on good ice, just took one to many steps before I checked the ice.

glad your ok , I did this when I was young , now if I think I need ice picks I don't go on the ice ,and this year there is bad ice

Trapper Dahlgren: Always carry ice picks around my neck, good ice or not. They say you get smarter with age, sometimes I wonder.
With the warm temp, we have had at night, I should have known better

If the ice freezes up to where it would be safe enough to go back out on and you would want to try and reteieve the spud, harbor freight sells a cheap magnet that will lift up to 80 lbs. ( or so they claim- but they are strong!)ive used them to retrieve traps and an axe that slipped out of my hand while chopping around a feed pile in deep water... Definitely not worth risking your life over retrieving it, but it is an option or maybe could come back with a canoe in springtime and get it then . glad you ok!

Did water safety/ self rescue training years ago. Wearing Mustang flotation bib pant and coat we had to jump in lake in middle of January (at -20). Most people don't realize how much energy it takes to use ice spikes to break ice and to roll out of the hole and once you get out it isn't over making your way to shelter is a struggle depending how far you are from truck or home.

Having ice spikes readily available and sealed material to start a quick fire are essential based on my personal experience.... the smart phone in coat pocket will not do much in this situation...must of us need to go back to the old way of doing things but again it always happen to others.. been there not fun.. scary stuff,

Glad you made it out ok , I carry ice picks a lot and while ice fishing I wear a striker float suit

I trap with a Frabil jacket that I use for ice fishing- PFD plus built in picks. I also have Frabil floating bibs, I found it interesting that the bibs are not an approved PFD and not Coast Guard approved... Reason: if you wear them without the jacket you can float... but upside down. Good to know lol.

Eagleye: Someone on T-man years ago, convinced me not to wear chest waders while beaver trapping on ice conditions, it went something like this: If you go thru the ice and your over your chest waders, they fill with water and its darn near impossible to kick them off, (if you thinking clearly.) You can wear a wader belt, but if you go thru the ice, the air in them will turn you upside down in the water. Made sense to me so I quit wearing them. But, back then they didn't fit like the ones are available now, these were the old black rubber type, that you could fit 2 people in most of time,

A good story ending! Just those small protocol guidelines can save a life. I'm very glad you carry spikes something so simple and easy to do.

Done the same too many times, none were worth it.
Glad to hear you made out ok.

Osky

Glad you're ok.
Been through the ice more times than I ought.