Ice Fishing Skills: Using a Bobber

Series Summary

Ice fishing can take place anywhere you have ice and fish in the same place. Well, a tray full of ice cubes and Stouffer's tuna casserole won't quite do the trick; the ice needs to be covering a body of water which is home to hearty fish who can live in very cold water and are accommodating enough to nibble on the bait of foolhardy humans wearing thermal suits or 12 layers of clothes. Apparently, ice fishing provides an ideal opportunity for introspection and contemplation in the Scandinavian countries and an opportunity to socialize and get drunk in the ice fishing lodges and resorts in North America, though the Finns and Norwegians have been known to mix vodka with their isolation. Ice fishing is a popular wintertime sport in Canada, Russia and the United States as well as in Scandinavia. Forest Lake, Minn. hosts one of the most popular ice fishing contests in the U.S. every February. In this series of ice fishing videos, viewers will learn assorted tips and tricks for becoming a more effective ice fisherman. An expert will discuss keeping bait such as minnows, worms and maggots alive and fresh. Not sure what jig rod or fishing line to use? Will a bobber or a strike indicator be a more effective way to find out if the fish are biting? Watch this series and catch more fish.

Video Transcript

"Let's talk about a method that most people equate with kid's fishing, but that's actually using a bobber. And, sometimes, whether you're a kid or an adult, it's a very, very good technique for determining when you have a bite. Some of the jigs they use for ice fishing are very, very small and very, very light. And, it's often hard to feel when you have a bite, especially when you're fishing for fish like black croppys, which are notorious for being very soft biters. So, if that's the case, all you need to do, and this is a very small bobber. You can purchase slightly bigger ones if you wish. There's different styles, some are round, like this, like the traditional bobber. Others are long like a pencil. You simply hook the top, and the bottom onto your fishing line. Make sure the bobber's secure, and it's at the particular depth you want to fish. And then you just lower that down the hole, let the air inside the bobber, and the buoyancy of the bobber keep the jig right where you want it. And, you can still jig up and down a little bit, every once in awhile, to give the jig some action. And then, in between, you can simply allow the bobber to keep the jig up, right at the surface of the water. When that bobber starts to move, when it goes underneath the water, you know you have a bite and you can set your hook."