How to Get Your Gear Ready for Ice Fishing

Here is a run-down of the basic fishing tackle and riggings that are often used in ice fishing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chisel
• Augers
• Drills
• Insulated buckets
• Tent or other shelter
• Sonar
• Fishing rods and reels
• Tackle, including line, hooks, bait
• Cold weather accessories, like gloves, cleats, glare-reducing sunglasses, properly insulated snowsuits or parkas

1. The first thing you need to do when ice fishing is to actually make a hole in the ice. Do this with either a chisel, or with the help of augers or drills. An ice chisel is a large chisel with a sharp blade. Augers can be used but remember these are hand operated. Sometimes power drills are in order, which are power operated spiral blades. These can make holes quickly. Power drills that are used are gas or electric.

2. An insulated bucket is used to hold bait for you.

3. Ice shelters are used to provide shelter from the extreme elements while fishing. Ice fishing shelters can be anything from almost permanent wood or plywood structures with sleeping areas inside to conventional tents or canvas structures.

4. Sonars can be helpful to find the fish that are deep below you, and sometimes can be helpful finding the places to actually create the ice holes. Finding fish accurately is one element of a sonar: choose one that not only is appropriate for the elements, but is lightweight enough for you to pack around.

5. Fish tackle and fish riggings include all the fishing bait, rod and reels you’ll need for the fishing part. Depending on the fish, choices in rods or jigging sticks can be found. Cold weather fishing line is important to use as this is specially made for the elements, and is manufactured to resist kinking and twisting in the cold weather. Hooks and baits for ice fishing include sharp hooks, attractants if you like to use those, floats, weights, ice flies, and lures.

6. Lastly, choose the appropriate clothing to wear. Fishing for long periods of time without adequate clothing will result in a miserable time fishing. Hats keep in the heat for your head, cleats will help walk on ice, sunglasses can reduce the white snow-glare from the ice, and good parkas and snow suits can keep you warm all over.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding a compass to the tackle and fishing gear is a great idea.

[SmithM99]

on 7/27/2008 thanks, like to ice fish