Emergency Survival Supply

Name just about any activity that the entire family can do in the Winter and you can count on it costing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to outfit yourself and family. But there is one sport the family can do that you can get started in for less than a hundred dollars or so. This sport is Ice Fishing. It’s wholesome fun that you and your family will enjoy, plus you just might fill the freezer with tasty fish!

If you’ve ever wondered into a Sporting Goods store and looked at all the ice fishing equipment, you could get overwhelmed pretty quickly. You might be wondering “What are the basics I need to get started ice fishing?” Well, the basics are pretty simple and inexpensive. You don’t need all the high dollar fancy gear on the shelves to be a successful ice fisherman.

With this in mind, I sit down and made up this guide that will help you select the basic gear you’ll need to get started in the Sport of Ice Fishing. You’ll be surprised to know that most of this gear can be had for less than a hundred dollars or so. If you want to spend more, then by all means do so, but if you’re just wanting to try it out a few times, then the money invested is minimal.

Before you can even get a hook wet, you’ll have to figure out how to get a hole in the ice. Enter the ice auger. For Panfish, you’ll need a five to six inch auger. For larger species such as Pike and Walley, you’ll want to get an eight to ten inch ice auger. If you really want to go cheap and don’t mind a little hard work, get the manual ice auger, otherwise you might want to spend a little extra and get a power auger.

Next on the list will be your rod and reel. Some ice fishermen use what they call a tip up, others use short rods and reels. Others use a combination of both. If you really want to increase the chances of bringing home fish, drill multiple holes in the ice and use tip ups while fishing at one with a rod and reel.

Line for ice fishing should be designed for fishing through the ice. The near freezing water can make the line break easily. That is why you’ll want to be sure and purchase fishing line made for fishing through the ice. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. The line you buy for ice fishing is the most critical part of your ice fishing equipment.

Beginners will want to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. Small 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 hot in your area.

Unless you don’t mind standing all day, you had better think about bringing something to sit on. Many ice fishermen simply use a 5 gallon bucket. This works great and you can put gear in it to haul it back to your vehicle. Some will bring lawn chairs but they’re less practical. Some die hard ice fishermen will shell out considerably money and buy a ice hut and small heater. While expensive, these are very nice and make the coldest day on the lake enjoyable.

That’s all you need to get started. Also you’ll need a fishing license and read up on the regulations for your local area. Running afoul of the law for breaking a law can put a damper on your ice fishing efforts. Now go out and bring home some tasty fish. And most of all, be safe and follow all the safety rules for getting out on the ice.