Going fishing on a frozen body of water is Winter activity that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age. Unlike other Winter sports, it’s cheap to get fixed up and with knowledge of where to find a place to fish, a Greenhorn can have an excellent chance at success their first trip onto the ice.
But what does a Newbie need in order to start ice fishing? One has a lot of choices when choosing fishing equipment available today, a Newbie could easily lay out 100′s of their hard earned money on ice fishing tackle and not have the basic gear to get out on the ice.
So I’ve put together this guide about essential ice fishing gear that you will need to begin. What’s even better is that for about a $100, you should be able to get all the fishing supplies that a Newbie will need to begin fishing on the hard water.
Okay Newbie, for your first purcase, you will want to find an auger meant for ice fishing to cut holes in the hard water. For Beginners, I’d want a five or six inch ice auger for panfish like Perch, Bluegill and Crappie. For bigger fish like Walleye, Pike or Channel Catfish, then I recommend a eight or ten inch ice auger. You have two choices, power augers or the manual augers. Not surprisingly, the manual augers are cheaper to puchase but need more work to use. You will also need a scoop to scoop the ice chips out of the hole you’re fishing.
You’ll want to buy quality tip ups or ice rods. Many fishermen drill a lot of holes over bottom structure and use tip ups to increase their chances of catching fish. Not surprsingly a lot of fishermen prefer to ice fish with a short rod. For Beginners, I’d want a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which tactic you like for catching fish.
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. Due to this, you will want to be sure and buy line made for fishing through the ice. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. Fishing line used for ice fishing is the most critical part of your ice fishing tackle.
Beginners will want to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. 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. Talk to the people at your local bait store to see what’s a good choice for your fishing spot.
It would be wise to get something to sit on. Many seasoned ice fishermen use an ordinary 5 gallon bucket. Few Beginners will bring along lawn chairs out on the ice, but a bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from the ice.
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 your fishing trip. Now get out there and have some fun. Don’t forget the most important fishing tip, be safe and follow all the safety rules for ice fishing.
