I've been crappy fishing down south for years, but just moved up north and the recent cold weather has me thinking about ice fishing. I have some basic tip-ups, etc., but I'm lost as far as what tactics to use. Any advice would be great.
Thanks!
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I've been crappy fishing down south for years, but just moved up north and the recent cold weather has me thinking about ice fishing. I have some basic tip-ups, etc., but I'm lost as far as what tactics to use. Any advice would be great.
Thanks!
check out the "Ice Fishing" forum ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by FSAngler
... cp :cool:
A fellow from another site just posted this and I thought it was right up your alley.
The hardwater season is nearly upon us. Many avid ice anglers have been preparing for months for that first shot at the ice. They have their rods cleaned, reels re-spooled, tackle boxes cleaned out, Vexilar charged up, ice auger tuned, and shelter prepared for another fast approaching ice season.
In garages all across the northern prairie the fore mentioned scenario is playing out, but if you have never ice fished you can’t relate. Believe it or not ice fishing is still a fast growing market in the outdoors industry. Popularity and technology of ice fishing are advancing like any other activity. Ice fishing can seem quite intimidating to someone who might want to get started. Ice fishing can be a difficult or simple as you want to make it. Once you gain the basic knowledge to catch fish through the ice you can (and probably will) grow into the products that help you catch more fish and be more comfortable while doing it.
Getting Started (If you have never ice fished)
To catch a fish any time of year all you really need is a string with a hook on the end and some bait. If ice fishing is something you have never done but would like to try for the first time it is best to find a friend who has some experience to take you. This will speed up the process of learning the basics and catching fish. Some people don’t have that luxury so here are some tips to getting started.
First you will need an ice rod. This can literally be an old hockey stick handle with some fishing line and a hook on the end. There are many ice rods on the market that won’t break the bank. You can find a good rod/reel combo with a small selection of lures and other tackle at most outdoors stores for $20 or less.
The next thing you will need is a way to get the hole in the ice. This is the biggest sticking point for most getting started. You can do one of three things when you are starting out and don’t know if you will enjoy ice fishing. The two least expensive ways to get your holes is to 1. Find a group of anglers who left holes behind that you can fish or ask someone if they could cut you a hole. It might be a good idea to get yourself a chipper bar to re-open holes that were left behind. (The biggest problem with this method is you are limited to where others have fished.) 2. Borrow an auger from a friend to give you the freedom to not rely on others. If you don’t like either of these ideas you can purchase a hand auger for as little as $35.
Once you have the basic gear to get started the next thing is stop at the bait shop. While at the bait shop, ask the shop keep what the hot bait is to catch fish and also ask if they can point you to an area where there have been good reports of fish being caught.
Once you have visited the bait shop, are on the ice, and have a hole dug from one of the methods mentioned earlier you are ready to fish. At this point it is easiest to simply find the bottom of the lake using a lead depth bomb clipped to the end of your line. Attach a bobber so the hook will stay eight to twelve inches from the bottom. Next, bait up your hook, drop it to the bottom and wait until the bobber dives to the bottom of the ice hole.
The Next Step (Once you decide you love it)
Once you have decided that you like ice fishing, (and I’m sure you will) the idea of comforts and technology to make fishing more enjoyable will come into play. This is the step that can be as simple of complex as you wish to make it.
First you will want to purchase an auger if you have not already. If you splurged for a hand auger in the beginning, this might be the time to upgrade to a power auger. The power auger will make cutting holes much easier, not to mention faster. With a little maintenance each season your first power auger can easily be your last.
The second thing you will want to do is invest the money into a flasher. A flasher is an electronic depth finder that will be your eyes under the water. The flasher will allow you to figure out depths and contours of the bottom. Once you find the depth and area you wish to catch fish the flasher will tell you if fish are in the area and when you really learn how to use it will tell you when there are fish around or on your bait. The flasher is so sensitive it will allow you to take the bobber off your line and start using more intricate jigging methods and presentations. This will allow you to catch more fish and will help you make small adjustments to your presentations to get on fish faster. Once you learn to ice fish with a flasher you will never fish without one.
The third item you will want is an ice shack of some sort. Ice shacks have taken on a life of their own. Today you can get as much or as little of an ice shack to meet your needs and wants. You can get ice shacks that fold up to about the size of a backpack, to insulated flip over shelters mounted right to the sleds, to hard sided houses where the luxury level is whatever your imagination can make it.
As you grow and learn more about ice fishing you will have more success with every outing. Fishing is an adventure in life so to speak. It can be whatever you want to make of it. The bottom line is that you are getting out and participating. Technology has made life easier and more fun.