Ice fishing is a sport that can be done as a family. Unlike other Winter sports, it's cheap to get fixed up and with just a little bit of knowledge, a first-timer can be expected to catch some fish their first trip at the fishing hole.
If you've ever wondered into a Sporting Goods store and looked at all the ice fishing equipment, you could get overwhelmed pretty quickly. You might be wondering "What are the basics I need to get started ice fishing?" Well, the basics are pretty simple and inexpensive. You don't need all the high dollar fancy gear on the shelves to be a successful ice fisherman.
It's this reason alone that I created this collection of basic ice fishing tackle that you will need to start. What's more is that for less than what a Family of for can eat out at a steak house these days, you should be able to buy all the fishing equipment that a Newbie will need to begin fishing on the hard water.
Before you can even get a hook wet, you'll have to figure out how to get a hole in the ice. Enter the ice auger. For Panfish, you'll need a five to six inch auger. For larger species such as Pike and Walley, you'll want to get an eight to ten inch ice auger. If you really want to go cheap and don't mind a little hard work, get the manual ice auger, otherwise you might want to spend a little extra and get a power auger.
Tip ups and rods. Many fishermen bore a bunch of holes over rock piles, weed beds and other types of bottom structure and use tip ups to increase their chances of catching their limit of fish. Other fishermen prefer to ice fish with a reel and ice rod. For Beginners, I'd want a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which one catches the most fish in your area.
One crucial element of your fishing equipment you should not take lightly is your fishing line. Normal fishing line becomes brittle and will break easily in the frigid weather. You'll want to get fishing line that is meant for ice fishing. There are several on the market and your local bait store or Sporting Goods store should have a good selection.
Be sure to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. Miniture jigs are a good choice 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. Talk to the people at your local bait store to see what's a good choice for your fishing spot.
Unless you don't mind standing all day, you had better think about bringing something to sit on. Many ice fishermen simply use a 5 gallon bucket. This works great and you can put gear in it to haul it back to your vehicle. Some will bring lawn chairs but they're less practical. Some die hard ice fishermen will shell out considerably money and buy a ice hut and small heater. While expensive, these are very nice and make the coldest day on the lake enjoyable.
That's all you need to get started. Make sure you get a fishing license and read up on the regulations for the body of water you plan on going fishing at. Being fined for breaking a law can ruin any trip. Now go out and start drilling holes in the lake. Never forget the first rule of ice fishing, be safe and follow all the safety rules for getting Outdoors in the Winter.
If you've ever wondered into a Sporting Goods store and looked at all the ice fishing equipment, you could get overwhelmed pretty quickly. You might be wondering "What are the basics I need to get started ice fishing?" Well, the basics are pretty simple and inexpensive. You don't need all the high dollar fancy gear on the shelves to be a successful ice fisherman.
It's this reason alone that I created this collection of basic ice fishing tackle that you will need to start. What's more is that for less than what a Family of for can eat out at a steak house these days, you should be able to buy all the fishing equipment that a Newbie will need to begin fishing on the hard water.
Before you can even get a hook wet, you'll have to figure out how to get a hole in the ice. Enter the ice auger. For Panfish, you'll need a five to six inch auger. For larger species such as Pike and Walley, you'll want to get an eight to ten inch ice auger. If you really want to go cheap and don't mind a little hard work, get the manual ice auger, otherwise you might want to spend a little extra and get a power auger.
Tip ups and rods. Many fishermen bore a bunch of holes over rock piles, weed beds and other types of bottom structure and use tip ups to increase their chances of catching their limit of fish. Other fishermen prefer to ice fish with a reel and ice rod. For Beginners, I'd want a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which one catches the most fish in your area.
One crucial element of your fishing equipment you should not take lightly is your fishing line. Normal fishing line becomes brittle and will break easily in the frigid weather. You'll want to get fishing line that is meant for ice fishing. There are several on the market and your local bait store or Sporting Goods store should have a good selection.
Be sure to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. Miniture jigs are a good choice 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. Talk to the people at your local bait store to see what's a good choice for your fishing spot.
Unless you don't mind standing all day, you had better think about bringing something to sit on. Many ice fishermen simply use a 5 gallon bucket. This works great and you can put gear in it to haul it back to your vehicle. Some will bring lawn chairs but they're less practical. Some die hard ice fishermen will shell out considerably money and buy a ice hut and small heater. While expensive, these are very nice and make the coldest day on the lake enjoyable.
That's all you need to get started. Make sure you get a fishing license and read up on the regulations for the body of water you plan on going fishing at. Being fined for breaking a law can ruin any trip. Now go out and start drilling holes in the lake. Never forget the first rule of ice fishing, be safe and follow all the safety rules for getting Outdoors in the Winter.
About the Author:
You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to get started ice fishing. You can find all the ice fishing tackle you need by visiting DealsOnFishingReels dot com. You name it, you can find it there. There you will find loads of great deals on all types of fishing gear including the reliable fishing reels for ice fishing.
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