Ice fishing is Winter activity that the whole family can enjoy. Unlike other Winter sports, it's cheap to get and with just a little bit of knowledge, a beginner can be expected to have success their first trip at the fishing hole.
But what does a Newbie need to start ice fishing? A beginner has a variety of choices in fishing equipment available today, one can easily lay out hundreds of their hard earned money on ice fishing tackle and still come up short of the essentials.
It's this reason alone that I created this list of the basic ice fishing tackle that you will need to start. The real kicker is that for what it cost to fill a F-250 up with diesel, you could obtain all the fishing tackle that a Beginner will need to start drilling holes in the ice for those tasty fish.
To begin with, you will need an ice auger to make holes in the ice and snow. For Beginners, I'd want a 5 or 6 inch auger for Perch, Crappie and Bluegill. For bigger fish like Walleye, Pike or Channel Catfish, then I recommend a eight or ten inch auger meant for ice fishing. When it comes to augers, you have two choices, power augers or the manual augers. You need to keep in mind that the manual augers are less expensive but need more work to make a hole in the ice. You'll also need a scoop to keep the ice chips from the hole in the ice.
Next on the list are tip ups and ice rods. A lot of fishermen drill a lot of holes over bottom structure and use numerous tip-ups to increase their chances of catching fish. Also, most fishermen prefer to ice fish with a short rod. I recommend a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which strategy is best for your style.
The line you use for fishing should be designed for cold water that is associated with ice fishing. The near freezing water can make the line so stiff that it breaks easily. It's due to this that you will want to be certain and buy line specifically designed for ice fishing. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. Fishing line used for ice fishing is the most important part of your ice fishing supplies.
Be sure to get some jigs and lures to go along with your bait. Tiny jigs are excellent for Perch, Crappie and Bluegill. 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 suggest buying.
Be sure to bring along something to sit on. A majority of seasoned ice fishermen prefer an ordinary five gallon bucket. Some will even bring lawn chairs out on the ice, but a 5 gallon bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from the lake.
This is all you need to to start ice fishing. Also you'll need a fishing license and read up on the regulations for the body of water you plan on going fishing at. Getting a ticket for breaking a law can ruin any trip. Now get out there and start drilling holes in the lake. 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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