September 19, 2009
A First Timer’s Guide To Getting Ice Fishing Gear
Going fishing on a frozen body of water is Winter activity that the whole family can enjoy. It’s relatively inexpensive to get started and with knowledge of where to find a place to fish, a first-timer can have an excellent chance at success their first trip or so out on the ice.
But what does a Newbie need in order to start ice fishing? A Newbie has many options in fishing gear on the market now, a person can easily shuck out 100’s of dollars on ice fishing tackle and still come up short of the essentials.
It’s this reason alone that I created this guide about essential ice fishing tackle that a Beginner will need to get out on the ice. The big surprise is that for less than what a Family of for can eat out at a steak house these days, you can obtain all the fishing gear that a First Timer will need to start fishing on the hard water.
First off, you will want to find an ice auger to bore holes in the ice and snow. For Beginners, I’d want a 5 or 6 inch ice auger for panfish. For bigger fish like Walleye, Pike or Channel Catfish, then For Beginners, I’d want a 8 or 10 inch auger meant for ice fishing. You have two choices, power augers or the manual augers. It’s no secret that the manual augers are cheaper to puchase but require more effort to drill a hole. You will also need a scoop to keep the ice chips from the hole in the ice.
You’ll want to buy quality tip ups or ice rods. The majority of fishermen drill numerous holes over rock piles, weed beds and other types of bottom structure and use numerous tip-ups to increase their chances of catching their limit of fish. Also, most fishermen prefer to ice fish with a short rod. I’d get a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which strategy is best for your style.
Fishing line should be designed for ice fishing. The frigid waters can make fishing line brittle. For this reason you’ll want to make sure and purchase fishing line made for fishing through the ice. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. The line is the most crucial part of your ice fishing equipment.
The best ice fishermen will tell you to get some jigs and lures for your tackle box. Tiny jigs are excellent for panfish. Also tear drop jigs and tiny spoons will come in handy when the panfish get finicky. As for bait, panfish love mealworms and spikes while larger fish such as Walleye prefer Worms or baitfish like smelt. Be sure to talk to local fishermen to see what’s they recommend a Beginner use their first time out on the ice.
Make certain to purchase something to sit on. Many seasoned ice fishermen bring along an ordinary 5 gallon bucket. A select few will even bring lawn chairs out on the ice, but a bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from the lake.
And this is all you need to to start ice fishing. Be sure to buy a fishing license and read up on the regulations for the area you plan on fishing. Getting a ticket for breaking a law can ruin your fishing trip. You’re cleared to go fishing and have some fun. Don’t forget the most important fishing tip, be safe and follow all the safety rules for fishing on the ice.
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