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Courtesy Marine General
Ice fishing gear
Ice augers and tackle come in a variety of styles and costs.
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James Smedley
Jamie Robinson of Wawa watches his fish finder (not essential gear … until you try one).
For hardcore anglers, there’s really no question about whether we take up ice fishing. We must – it’s the only way to catch fish from frozen lakes. Waiting out winter to drop a line is simply not an option. We adapt, using the equipment, attitude and knowledge needed to angle no matter the weather. Even in the harshest season, we’re comfortable, and we catch fish. In fact, good days on the ice rival the best days of open-water angling. We who love fishing can’t ask for much more than that.
But short-sleeved anglers in polarised glasses fishing with a gentle breeze blowing through their hair are not so sure about logging long hours on a sheet of ice.
There’s the cold and the barrier of ice between you and the fish. It can dull the enthusiasm, yet fair-weather anglers harbour a sneaking suspicion that we might actually be having fun and catching fish they’re missing. The next step is to join us. Here’s how:
Getting Equipped
Acquisition of gear sends a cold chill straight to our wallets. However, the ice fishing gear you need will not bore a 10-inch hole into the bank account. In fact, you can get started for much less than it costs for your open-water habit. A small selection of essential gear is all that’s required. Of course, once hooked, your gear accumulation can mean clearing space in the garage.
Sinking Holes
A six-inch hand auger is about as basic as you can get. Sharp blades and bit of muscle drill through thick ice easily. Expect to pay $50 to $100 (U.S.). Power augers sink larger-diameter holes much quicker and with less effort, but will absorb a correspondingly large chunk of our ice fishing budget – to the tune of $400 to $600 (U.S.).
Clearing Holes
Slotted kitchen spoons work, but the cook in the house will likely tell us to leave the kitchen utensils where they belong (or may say something stronger if you’ve already used the ladle). Best to get a dedicated plastic or metal hole skimmer to scoop slush and chunks of ice from our hole. Figure two bucks in the States or a toonie here in Ontario.
Setting Lines
The continental breakfast of ice fishing rigs includes a spool of line and a flexible stick bent over the hole. Attaching our line to the end of the stick suspends our bait off bottom. When the stick bends, it indicates a bite and we run over and set the hook. The cost would be just the line, if you find the right stick. The next giant step up the evolutionary ladder of ice fishing is a 24- to 36-inch jigging rod teamed up with a spinning reel (at least $20 or $30 U.S. for the two). The combination of the reel’s drag and the rod’s bend helps to play fish, plus the combo is easily moved from hole to hole.
Commercial tip-ups are a venerable and effective option to a rod and reel. They incorporate an underwater spool that trips a flag with a strike ($8-$15 U.S., minimum).
The Hook
A weighted hook occupies the business end of our ice fishing rig. It can be a combination of split shot sinkers crimped above a single or treble hook or a jig with a heavy body formed around a hook. Like plain hooks, the choice of colour and style is staggering but can be narrowed down to suit specific angling situations.
Hook size for both jigs and plain hooks is dictated by bait size. Tiny baitlike wax worms and maggots call for tiny hooks and tiny jigs. Larger minnows call for larger hooks. Size 12 up to 2 is a good range of hook size and 1/16- to 1/2-ounce jigs would cover most bait angling situations.
Save room in the ice fishing box for spoons and swimming lures whose seductive movement is instilled by jigging. They can be jigged clean or tipped with soft plastic or live bait.
You have these in your summer tackle box, so cost doesn’t count.
Getting Dressed
Heading onto the ice wearing steel-toed work boots and a jean jacket is a great way to be driven fish-less from the ice with an unrewarding experience under our belts. If the intention is to have fun, appropriate clothing is a must. Stay comfortable by dressing for the coldest conditions expected on any given day. Wear a windproof outer layer over several insulating layers that can be added or removed to suit the conditions. Since you’re a newcomer to the sport, I’m not going to get into either the cost or choices of ice-fishing shacks. Once we have you hooked, that’s a whole new expense … I mean indulgence. A good way to sample this is to get an ice-fishing buddy who already has one. In our part of the world, just reach out your hand and you’re sure to touch someone with one.
Learning to Catch Fish
Putting fish on the ice is the most complicated part. Determining where to fish, the depth to fish and the bait and lures to use demands that we acquire basic knowledge of the species we’re after and the lakes we’re fishing. Luckily there’s help out there. Books, magazine articles, videos and websites are packed with material for novice to expert on every species under the ice. The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. Simplify matters by concentrating on the winter tactics for one or two species.
Any fish you can catch in summer is still there waiting to be caught in winter – walleye, northern pike, crappies, etc.
Attending ice fishing seminars gives us the opportunity to ask questions of a knowledgeable presenter, but actually catching fish is the best teacher. No matter what we read, hear or see, successful tactics experienced firsthand have the greatest impact. Fishing with an experienced ice angler will result in a steep learning curve provided we take note of the tactics that work. Plus he or she will have an ice fishing house.
Joining one of many fish and game organisations in our area is another great way to connect with experienced anglers, tapping into a vast pool of angling knowledge.
Another strategy is to stay at a lodge and hire a guide. The chances of catching fish are good and by paying attention to how it’s done, there will be knowledge for the future.
It’s hard to argue with success, and every fish we catch brings us closer to becoming an accomplished ice angler. After a few successful outings, you’ll discover that ice fishing is not as cold as it is cool.
James Smedley, an award-winning outdoor writer and photographer familiar to our readers, lives in Wawa, Ontario, where his wife and daughters – lucky for him – are as hooked on the outdoors as he is.