Anglers who want to extend their fishing time into the cold winter months often participate in ice fishing. Getting started is relatively easy if you know what basic supplies are needed to start.
Ice Auger - Manual and gas-powered augers are used to drill holes through the ice. Manual ones are suitable for a beginner to use as long as they remember to keep the blades sharp. A dull blade makes it extremely hard to drill through ice, no matter the thickness.
Ice Scoop- Used to scoop the drilled ice out of the freshly drilled hole.
Chair- A comfortable chair or five gallon bucket to sit on.
Tip Up - A type of fishing apparatus that is placed over a whole cut or drilled through the ice. They are usually made of wood or plastic and have an attached flag on a spring type pole. When a tip up is set, the flag is down; when a fish bites, it pulls the latch, allowing the flag to pop up. This way, an angler can have several set on different holes at the same time, and still keep track of what poles have most likely caught a fish.
Jig Pole – A small pole resembling a typical fishing pole in miniature. It is extremely flexible and comes complete with reel. They are perfect to use when fishing a small area or the angler does not want to only have tip ups set about.
Line- Any good, cold weather line will do to start.
Line Cutter- A small pair of fingernail clippers makes an excellent line cutter.
Depth Finder – A small weighted clip that you attach to your line. Dropped into the hole, it will pull your line out until it touches bottom. Then, pull your line in two to three feet and mark your line. Next, pull it out and remove it before baiting hook. This allows you to make sure you keep your hook approximately two to three feet above the bottom for optimum fishing.
Bobbers – Small floatation devices attached to your lines that sit on top of the water. When the bobber is pulled beneath the surface, the angler has visual proof that a fish has taken the hook.
Hooks – Numerous hooks are used for ice fishing. This area is trial by error. Some people swear by spinner hooks, while some will use regular jig hooks. Special hooks such as those that glow in the dark, suitable for night fishing, and other specialized hooks exist. An assorted collection for different times of day and different species of fish is a good idea.
Bait - Basic bait used for ice fishing of smaller fish includes wax worms, mouses, small minnows, and flies. The main baits used to attract larger fish are minnows and smelt.
Ice Shack- In years past, an ice shack meant building a wooden structure, often complete with storage, chairs, a heater, and more. While many anglers still rely on ice shacks such as these, placed semi permanently on their favorite lakes, small portable units do exist. Tent like in structure, they come assembled on a sled base, to make hauling across a lake to your favorite fishing spot easier, complete with holes that pop out of the base so you can place them directly over your drilled holes.
Fishing License- Ice fishing follows many of the same rules that apply to any other type of fishing. A license is required from your local DNR or license outlet.
Common Sense – Ice fishing does have risks not associated with other types of fishing. Be aware of ice thicknesses and listen to DNR warnings concerning thaws and ice conditions.
