A Beginners Guide To Buying Ice Fishing Supplies

February 11th, 2009 Posted in Fishing

Ice fishing is Winter activity that the whole family can enjoy. Unlike other Winter sports, it’s cheap to get fixed up and with tips from experienced ice fishermen, a Greenhorn can have an excellent chance at success their first trip or so out on the ice.

But what’s required to begin ice fishing? One has many options in fishing reels on the market now, a person could easily spend 100’s of dollars on ice fishing tackle and still wonder if they have all they need.

This is why I wrote this collection of basic ice fishing tackle that a Newbie will need to begin. What’s more is that for about a $100, you can obtain all the fishing supplies that the Fisherman will need to get out there fishing.

For starters, you will want to find an ice auger to bore holes in the ice. I’d get a five, possibly even a 6 inch ice auger for panfish. For bigger fish like Walleye, Pike or Channel Catfish, then If it was me, I’d get a 8, possibly even a 10 inch ice auger. When it comes to augers, you have two choices, power augers or the manual augers. Not surprisingly, the manual augers are less expensive but require more effort to use. You will also need a scoop to get the ice chips out of the ice hole.

Tip ups and rods. Many fishermen drill numerous holes over structure and use tip ups to increase their chances of catching enough fish for a fish fry. 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.

Line for ice fishing should be designed for fishing through the ice. The ice cold water can make the line break easily. That’s why you’ll want to be certain and buy fishing line made for ice fishing. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. The line you buy for ice fishing is the most crucial part of your ice fishing supplies.

The best ice fishermen will tell you to get some jigs and lures for ice fishing. Miniture jigs are a good choice for panfish like Perch, Bluegill and Crappie. 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. Ask around at your local sporting goods store to see what’s hot in your area.

Don’t forget to get something to sit on. A lot of seasoned ice fishermen use an ordinary five gallon bucket. A select few will even bring lawn chairs out on the ice, but a five gallon bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from the ice.

That’s all you need to begin catching fish through the ice. Make sure you get 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. You’re cleared to go fishing and have some fun. And most of all, be safe and follow all the safety rules for getting out on the ice.