![]() ![]() In this category, it’s best to consult the experts at Sportsman’s Warehouse for local preferences on colors, patterns and types of lures that are working in the area you plan to be fishing.Ī small, clear plastic box is all that’s needed for ice fishing gear. You will need some blades, jigs and live bait rigs. Get to know how to keep the bait fresh and rig live bait for excellent results in fishing for pike and walleyes.īaits are low-cost items individually, but it’s easy to get carried away and it can really add up. Some of the biggest fish are pulled through a hole in the ice while using live bait. See a spot that looks like it should be good for ice fishing? Simply punch in an icon and then you can fish that exact spot through the ice with ease. You can mark spots on your GPS during the summer and then go back to them in the winter. There’s a big advantage to using the unit you have on your boat, especially if you have GPS. Hook the depthfinder from your boat to the mount, attach the battery and transducer and you are ready to fish for about half the cost. Several companies offer battery and transducer packs that allow you to ply the sonar you use in open water into ice fishing situations. Some models have the option for high power or low power, which comes in handy for fishing in weeds.Īnother great option is to buy a portable ice pack for the sonar on your boat. The flashers allow you to set the depth ranges. Most of these units will allow you to change the cone angle to wide for shallow water and narrow for deeper water fishing. A starter model will run about $200 or you can add features and extras that bring the price up to about $600. You can choose between a flasher or an LED screen. These units have drop-down transducers with cone angles made specifically for hardwater work. Vexilar, MarCum, Humminbird, Lowrance and Garmin are examples. Several companies make portable sonar units that are specifically designed for ice fishing. It’s an investment well worth the money even at the very beginning for the ice fisherman just starting out. They are reliable and will work in any conditions and plow through ice up to three feet thick. ![]() Gas-powered augers are the mainstay of ice fishing. Augers that attach to the drill you already own are one option and save you a little money. Incredibly, the six-inch auger had drilled more than 50 holes through a foot of ice with an 18-volt cordless drill when the battery finally died. When I saw the first ice auger attached to a cordless drill a decade ago, I was pretty skeptical until I saw it work. You really have two options these days, the gas powered auger and the electric. ![]() Hand augers really just don’t “cut it” for the serious ice angler. One of the first and best investments you will want to make is in a power auger. Use four to six pound test for the lighter rods, eight to ten pound test for the heavier ones. Spool the reels up with a good ice fishing line. You will use and depend on your drag more than normal.Įquip one of the lighter rods with a spring bobber for finicky panfish. You don’t have much rod to fight the fish, so in ice fishing, the line and reel are doing more of the fighting than in an open water situation. You do want a reel with a quality drag, however. Simply open the bail and let the line spool off. Spinning reels do not need to be high-end, expensive models because you will not be casting them. Since rods and reels are fairly inexpensive, I suggest getting about four, two with a little more backbone for larger fish such as lake trout and walleyes and two light bite models for crappies, bluegills and perch. We’ll also spend some of our time in search of panfish. Most of us will fish some for larger fish such as pike, walleyes and trout. The models of rods and reels you will need will depend mostly on what species of fish you plan to target. Of course, this topic is listed first because you must be connected to the fish in order to get it on top of the ice. Let’s explore the options for a basic setup for ice fishing that will make it fun, not too much work and above all, productive. And that’s one of the beautiful things about this great sport you can start small and work your way up as high as you choose to go. Most of us fall somewhere in between those two extremes. I know people who have ice shacks that feature satellite TV and microwaves and cost more than a new pickup truck. Or, you can invest thousands in shelters, electronics, underwater viewing, rods and reels, baits and an ATV or snowmobile. With a cheap rod and reel, a hand auger and a bucket to sit on, you can be ice fishing for about a hundred bucks. One of the great things about ice fishing is this: You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like. The author says ice fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it. ![]()
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