Ice Fishing: tools, gear and equipment
Checklist of what tools, gear and essential equipment to pack for an ice fishing trip.
Do you remember your first fishing trip as a kid? You might have had an old cane pole with a length of line on it, a hook and a bobber, and a can full of night crawlers for bait. A simple rig such as an old cane pole can still work great for fishing in the warm weather. .
Ice fishing, however is a whole different sport. Add a layer of ice to the top of the water, and lower the temperature to below freezing, and it changes the rules of the sport drastically.
You'll need some special equipment, tools, and gear, as well as some special clothing that will keep you warm on your fishing trip. To start with, you'll need to wear either a snowmobile suit or multiple layers of lightweight clothing. Be sure to put on some heavy duty socks and boots, a warm parka, (if you have no snowmobile suit), and a hat and winter gloves.
Wearing multiple layers is a good idea because you can remove some shirts or pants if you get too hot. While a snowmobile suit can keep you warm, sometimes you can get overheated when you're wearing one too.
To help keep your hands and feet warm, there are heat up bags that you can purchase at your local sports store. These bags contain a chemical that heats up when you rub it vigorously. You then stick the heat up bag inside your gloves or inside your boots to help provide additional heat.
One final note about attire: a pair of ice cleats that you can fasten onto the bottom of your boots will help you to keep a firm fitting on the ice.
A fish house, or a shanty, as they are often called, will help to keep you comfortable in the cold.
But, it's not necessary if you don't have one. A fish shanty helps to keep the wind and maybe the snow off of you. It also is a nice place to store your tools, gear, and equipment in.
If you don't have your own fish house, you might ask a friend, neighbor, or family member if you can borrow theirs.
You'll also need a fishing rod and reel that's specially made for ice fishing. This rod is shorter and stronger than a regular fishing pole. And, of course, you'll need a tackle box that has extra line, hooks, bobbers, sinkers, lures, and other assorted gear in it. A fish net and some glow in the dark lures would be handy pieces of equipment to have too.
For your ice fishing experience, you'll need an ice auger too. This auger will be used to drill a hole into the ice so you can reach the fish. There are two types of augers, either a power operated one or a hand operated one. The latter is recommended for ice that is no thicker than six inches.
Or, you can use a heavy duty device called an ice saw to make a hole in the ice with.
Because the winter days are often not sunny and bright, you'll also need to pack up a lantern and some flashlights with you. If you choose to ice fish in a shanty, it's going to be darker yet inside, so you'll welcome the light even more.
Finally, don't forget to pack your fish bait and some food and drinks for yourself. Then, you're ready to go ice fishing!
