Our recent temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s will not allow local lakes and ponds to freeze. But don't expect these unseasonal temperatures to last.

In the mean time, hardwater anglers have time to gather and check their gear now as there's a good chance it was stashed last season with plans to give it another go, which never materialized for one reason or another.

Now's the time to put fresh line on reels, check tip-ups for damage, restock or rearrange ice jigs and lures in your tacklebox and if using a power auger, put in a new spark plug and start it with fresh fuel so you know it cranks-up when hitting the ice. The blade too should be checked for nicks and dents that can be filed-out or straightened to make it operate more efficiently and with less stress on the engine be it gasoline or battery powered.

Insofar as augers are concerned, some anglers improvise and use a cordless drill and attach an auger bit to drill, which makes an inexpensive ice auger that may make drilling a little easier than when using a manual auger.

Of utmost importance is ice safety. Anxious to walk on water, far too many early-season ice fishermen take chances and venture out onto thin ice. Five inches is marginal on most lakes. Anything less is asking for trouble and it seems every year there are always one or two guys who fall in at Ontelaunee Reservoir, a premier ice fishery in upper Berks County.

Unlike ponds and lakes in the Pocono's, Ontelaunee and Blue Marsh in Berks, Lake Nockamixon in Bucks and Leaser Lake in upper Lehigh County, don't freeze as quickly or as deeply as in the Pocono's. Ice anglers need to be prepared to what Frabill, the top ice fishing equipment maker dubs "Self-Rescue."

The folks at Frabill say time is of the essence when falling through the ice where frigid water and wintry temps suddenly encase you. When wet, hypothermia sets in quickly. And if you're alone or at a distance from other anglers, you can't depend on them or wait for others or emergency crews to come to rescue you.

"You are your own best chance of getting out alive," says Frabill.

Frabill says to always carry a set of ice picks and another set of outerwear to change into upon exiting the icy depths. Same goes for boots. Studded or wire variety boot cleats make surer footing when traversing slick ice.

We'll have more ice information once area waters freeze to safe conditions although the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says there's never safe ice.

SPORTSMEN'S

FEDERATION LOOKING FOR ONE GOOD PERSON

The Lehigh County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs (LCFSC) is on the hunt for a chapter president (male or female). LCFSC is the local chapter of the statewide Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs with the local chapter having been in existence since 1935.

The pay is gratification in that your efforts are going toward perpetuating the hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation heritage in Lehigh County.

The state organization oversees local chapters by providing a statewide, untied voice for the concerns of all sportsmen and conservationists and strives to protect and enhance the environment and our natural resources. It's also a staunch supporter for protecting our Second Amendment Rights.

The federation and all its chapters act as a sportsmen's liaison to the game, fish and boat commission and voices the states' sportsmen's concerns on fish and game programs and issues.

The Lehigh County chapter president organizes informational meetings among its local fish and game associations, and is the local voice for the state federation. It also mans the children's Daisy BB gun shooting range at the Lehigh Valley Outdoor Hunting/Fishing Extravaganza held annually at the Kempton Fairgrounds.

Franklin Hoffman, has been the tireless president of the Lehigh County chapter for the past several years and because of age, he's retiring from the position that has been held by such noted local sportsmen as Charlie Neff and Warren Wannamaker.

If anyone is interested in this position, contact Hoffman at franklinhoffman@hotmail.com or Bob Danenhower at bobstaxidermy@ptd.net.