A Beginners Guide To Buying Ice Fishing Supplies
Ice fishing is a sport that can be done as a family. It’s relatively inexpensive to get outfitted and with knowledge of where to find a place to fish, a first-timer can have an excellent chance at success their first trip or so out on the ice.
But what’s required to begin ice fishing? There are a lot of choices when choosing fishing equipment in the stores, a Beginner can easily spend 100’s of dollars on ice fishing tackle and not be sure they have what the need to get started.
So I’ve put together this guide about essential ice fishing gear that a Beginner will need to begin. What’s more is that for less than what a Family of for can eat out at a steak house these days, you should be able to buy all the fishing gear that a person will need to get started ice fishing.
Okay Newbie, for your first purcase, you’ll need an auger meant for ice fishing to cut holes in the ice and snow. I recommend a 5 or 6 inch ice auger for panfish like Perch, Bluegill and Crappie. For bigger fish like Walleye, Pike or Channel Catfish, then I recommend a 8, possibly even a 10 inch auger meant for ice fishing. You can get the power augers or the manual augers. Obviously the manual augers are not as expensive as the power augers but need more work to use. You’ll also need a scoop to get the ice chips from the hole in the ice.
Next on the list are tip ups and ice rods. Many fishermen bore numerous holes over structure and use tip ups to increase their chances of catching fish. Others prefer to ice fish with a ice rod rather than tip ups. If it was me,I’d get a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which technique you prefer.
The line you use for fishing should be designed for fishing through the ice. The near freezing water can make the line so stiff that it breaks easily. Due to this, you will want to make sure and get line made for fishing through the ice. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. The line is the most crucial part of your ice fishing tackle.
Any good sporting goods store will advise you to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. Tiny jigs are excellent for panfish. 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 they recommend a Beginner use their first time out on the ice.
Make certain to get something to sit on. A majority of seasoned ice fishermen prefer an ordinary five gallon bucket. Few Beginners will bring along lawn chairs out on the ice, but a bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from the ice.
And that’s about all you need to start ice fishing. Make sure you get a fishing license and read up on the regulations for your local area. Being ticketed for breaking a law can ruin your fishing trip. 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.
Tags: bass, crappie, fishing, fishing gear, ice fishing, lake fishing, musky, panfish, pike, river fishing, walleye, winter fishing