So you say you want to Ice Fish

[DTro]

Quote:

---

As with most outdoor pursuits, having friends or family to show you the ropes is a major, major, MAJOR benefit!

---

....and I have you to thank for sparking my interest.

Not sure if I should thank you or be PO'd.

Winter used to be my "off season"

Thanks......I think

[looneyducer]

My truck is warming up and I made a trade (next weeks use od item #4 for this weeks use of item #8) with a buddy of mine. Six minutes from now the Looneyducer will be on his way to Devils Lake. I'll start out fishing a red jigging shad across the humps on the North side of the main bay (not sure that really matters, but the access should be just bad enough to keep fishing pressure down) -- looking for say, 15 feet of water, plus or minus ten feet -- working east to west, and switch to some type of jigging spoon if I start marking uncatchable fish. There. Now you know everything I know -- spot and lure.

Mrs. Looneyducer is telling me I'd better get going. She really is the best. Wish me luck!

[Borch]

Kylersk,

I can't argue with you man. Time to get to know a piece of water can definitely tip the scales in your favor. Not always though but it usually helps.

Most of us have limited time like yourself. I don't get to fish as often or on as many lakes as I'd like to. So the equipment does help give me an advantage of being mobile and working lots of spots and patterns in the time I have.

I'll be hanging out with Hanson making swiss cheese until we find fish the weekend before Slabfest. Hopefully if it all comes together we'll be able to point folks in the right direction. If not, at least I know we'll still have lots of fun!

[Jarrod32]

I was going to post my list, but looneyducer beat me to it...almost exactly the same as the list I had put together, including the same debate/decision at #4.

A quick glance at the for sale forum - the first few pages - I spotted at least a half dozen portable houses, more augers (though they seem to sell quickly), and at least a couple flashers in addition to several hard side/permanent houses.

A person can get into this sport with used gear for not a lot of investment. Then, work on the upgrades...

[Sandmannd]

I like your list Looney. I'm curently working on #8. Actually working on trading a new laptop for a wheeler or sled. Just gotta find the right one to pull the trigger on. Nice list though, it takes time but it's fun when you get into it.

[kwiggy]

Quote:

---

10) A wheeled, insulated, hard-side ice house to retire in. Some people start here and stay here, but they really miss out on the mobility needed to search for fish.

---

While I might be jealous, I feel bad for those that start with everything. I am hoping to get a camera for Christmas to compliment the vex I got last year (after returning all my other gifts for store credit ). I started small and try to add something every year and I get excited every year about what I might be adding to my arsenal.

After about 4 years, I have realized I have been focusing on all the big, fancy expensive stuff. I have a terrible lure collection. I didn't even know what a swedish pimple or a chubby darter was until about two months ago. It's time I started worrying about the business end of things, not the fluff.

Merry Christmas everybody!

[fishinJohn]

I am in my second year of ice fishing and one thing in this post that is missing is this: Ice fishing is not easy! I am fairly well equipped, no hard sider or transportation but most of the rest (well, no camera yet...). I almost never catch fish! I always go to a different lake which is part of the problem and I avoid fishing popular areas. Snow has slowed me down a lot this year. Many people think that the new expensive gear is like cheating but I can say with certainty the gear does not catch the fish for you. I would spend some time tuning what works and what doesn't but almost nothing seems to work. The posts on the site I pay the most attention to are the ones where people give advice in understanding what the fish are doing. Still, it is tough. Where are the fish moving, well what are the temps of water in the different areas, where is the thermocline? Oxygen levels can dictate where they are but how do you know? What are they eating other than what I am baiting? How should I know? What impact does the pressure or other weather factors have? How should I know? Lots of answers but who is right? If you aren't getting bites should you change size, color, type of bait or lure first? What is the feeding attitude of the fish if they don't respond to active jigging, light jigging, or motionless presentations? Maybe a good thing to consider for newbies is limiting what/where you chase. Stick to one or two lakes and limit presentation to artificial bait and only go for panfish. When successful move on. I might try something like this next year, eat the pie slice at a time instead of sticking my face in it.

[Chode2235]

I would completely agree with your post too. In fact, when starting out too much equipment can confuse you. When you start out, and as you get better you need to learn how to understand and react to the fish; not learning to read your depth finder.

too much equipment can distract you learning what you need to be learning, and properly cutting your teeth on the ice.

[hanson]

Quote:

---

Maybe a good thing to consider for newbies is limiting what/where you chase. Stick to one or two lakes and limit presentation to artificial bait and only go for panfish. When successful move on. I might try something like this next year, eat the pie slice at a time instead of sticking my face in it.

---

I think that is very sound advice.

I think an important aspect to a day of fishing is knowing what your targeted species is, and if the lake you are fishing has a good population of that species. You don't have to pick a "popular" lake but pick one that has a solid reputation anyway. I wouldn't totally avoid community spots on these lakes either, sometimes those are your best bets for getting into fish without cutting a lake into swiss cheese.

Obviously fishing bluegills would be a great place to start just getting into ice fishing. On many lakes in the winter, the pannies "hole up" and it makes it really easy to locate them. This is usually your community spots but not always. Many good panfish holes go overlooked and typically holes are decent fishing from early ice to late ice. Obviously both early & late ice provide great shallow water fishing for gills as well.

One little problem with deciding your targeted species is bluegills is their finicky nature. Somedays you can be sitting on 5' of fish on your flasher and cannot get them to move no matter what you throw at them. Experienced fisherman can catch these fish but a much refined finesse approach is required.

I think the best way to master the next rhealm of fishing (jigging & spoons) is to get on a good perch lake and have fun. Ottertail, Winni, Cass, Mille Lacs all have abundant perch populations with lots of structure. Auger holes up and down the humps and breaks and work from hole to hole to hole with your jigging spoons. Couple days fishing perch like this will teach you A LOT about ice fishing. Walleye fishing isn't too much different but you won't contact as many walleyes as you would perch. Repetition is good when learning new techniques and pannies and perch provide good action.

Guess I really prefer to not overanalyze things but when you spend a lot of time on the water or ice, patterns start to develop that you pay attention to. Is this important to the beginner? Not really, but the more you fish, the more experience you'll have to go back on to notice these patterns.

[EyeSkater]

Like almost 100% of you I started with very little equipment. I made my own tip ups, scoop, gaff, and sled. I fished on the cheap and had a ball. I caught a lot of fish too. I simply progressed to the point that I wanted to get really serious about catching very large fish through the ice.

There's really no need to give you my equipment list; it makes me blush to think how fortunate I am. Between fuel injection, mapping gps, custom rods, and lots of other stuff...I fish big, fast and comfortable.

Our sport has grown so far and fast in 20 years it's amazing. Ice fishermen have a collective history of being inventive and frugal. Midwesterners...Yankees...Canadians and generally conservative in attitude. It's still hard to imagine guys who would spend $10K or more to replace their ice gear if lost...but I would.

No matter how much gear...nothing gets more elemental or closer to the bone than kneeling in the snow and hand-fighting a big predator fish. Money can't replace that!

'Eye-Skater

[palisade1kid]

Quote:

---

I am in my second year of ice fishing and one thing in this post that is missing is this: Ice fishing is not easy! I am fairly well equipped, no hard sider or transportation but most of the rest (well, no camera yet...). I almost never catch fish! I always go to a different lake which is part of the problem and I avoid fishing popular areas. Snow has slowed me down a lot this year. Many people think that the new expensive gear is like cheating but I can say with certainty the gear does not catch the fish for you. I would spend some time tuning what works and what doesn't but almost nothing seems to work. The posts on the site I pay the most attention to are the ones where people give advice in understanding what the fish are doing. Still, it is tough. Where are the fish moving, well what are the temps of water in the different areas, where is the thermocline? Oxygen levels can dictate where they are but how do you know? What are they eating other than what I am baiting? How should I know? What impact does the pressure or other weather factors have? How should I know? Lots of answers but who is right? If you aren't getting bites should you change size, color, type of bait or lure first? What is the feeding attitude of the fish if they don't respond to active jigging, light jigging, or motionless presentations? Maybe a good thing to consider for newbies is limiting what/where you chase. Stick to one or two lakes and limit presentation to artificial bait and only go for panfish. When successful move on. I might try something like this next year, eat the pie slice at a time instead of sticking my face in it.

---

It sounds like you are at least looking at all of the issuse that will face a guy while fishing.

My advice is to go to a known area and start catching fish.

The only way you'll get good is to practice.

The other thing would be to hook up with a fisherman that

can teach you how to use your gear.

The learning curve will get a lot shorter.

When I take out new/novice fishermen I'll start in an easy spot to get the mechanics down pat.

Then we move on to more challanging oppertunities.

I'd offer up my time to help you.

I'm 2.5 hours north of the T.C. area.

Pannies are 1 thing eyes and pike are another.

They are all catchable once located and their moods determined.

You can read all you want ,but to transfer that information

into fish catching confidense is another thing.

The offer is there.

[looneyducer]

Quote:

---

If you aren't getting bites should you change size, color, type of bait or lure first?

---

Change location first. I never switch size, color, or type until I start marking fish that do not bite. No lure will catch fish that are not there.

[minnbowhunter]

Years ago there was nothing high-tech about Ice-fishing. The cost of all the gear that is available is out of reach for many folks in this day of soaring costs just to get by. My first fishing tools consisted of my old beat up pick-up truck that I sat in to stay out of the cold while I watched the tip-ups that sat in holes that were drilled by the guy that was fishing there before me. No high-tech nuthin. Guess what, My two boys and me had a ball. Get what you can aford, the cost of your equipment has little to do with how much enjoyment you can have. I have a nice wheelhouse and all the goodies after fishing for 35 years, but still go out and watch my tip-ups from the truck from time to time. One of the boys (now grown with families of their own) sit with me. We have some wonderful talks and are able to solve most of the worlds problems while waiting for a flag.

[Mankato-Ice-Man]

My collection has been built slow over the past 8 or so winters as well.

I do the "one big purchase a year" and I get the little stuff (jigs, rods / reels, must have gadgets) when I can or when I find good deals.

Year one- Used Shappell house and hand auger

Year two- Clearance gas auger

Year three- FL18

Year four- New Shappell house

Year five- Upgraded to Lazer gas auger

Year six- Camera

Year seven- Mopeod for camera - only fished 2 times that year

Year eight (this year)- well, made up for the last couple of "slow" years-- 14' wheel house (used off hsolist for 2400.00) and an electric auger. Can not wait to get the house out and take my 5 year old son out.

I agree totally that you can start slow, keep your eyes open for bargins and find great friends to fish with that might have things you dont have. Just as importantly I think, if you got a bargin on something and its time to upgrade, pass that bargin along to someone else that needs a hand in getting in the ice fishing game. Same goes for your time / experience. If there are people, young or old, that want to try out ice fishing, take them out, start them slow and get them just as hooked on a great winter hobby as we all are.

I wouldnt trade my humble beginings for anything, becuase I appreciate what I have now and take care of evertyhing to keep it in the condition it was the day I purchased it. At the same time, if someone has the cash to do it differently, I dont feel jealous or look down on them for it. I can out fish them any given day only to be outfished by them the next day. If I got someone hooked on ice fishing because they spent a couple years fishing with me and using my stuff and they went out and bought everything I had all in one shot, I would be a little bit proud of that.

Happy and SAFE Holidays everyone!

[Crazy4 Ice]

Love the post and after reading all 7 pages one word comes to mind EVALUTION Ice fisherman evolve to the environment they are willing to tolerate. The variables are many and point of view vast. It could be a time issue and making the most of your time on the ice fishing or fixing. Personally the cold pushed me to get "high tech" and out of the weather with my first single man portable. Dtro is wise to list this post for new comers as he knows where most of us will eventually evolve to and that is the gear he listed. You can try to fight it but if you continue to ice fish you WILL find most of the listed gear in your possession.

I think Dtro's intention was to help and give a vision to all interested in fishing the reality where you will be if you love the ice like most of us do. Why reinvent the wheel over 15yrs when you can just cut to the chase and do it right the first time. Yes, the investment the first year for the gear is significant however I've spend more just trying to get it right with multiple houses, light sources, bait buckets, cheap rods, ...

All in all, you can say this post is over the top for a newbie however we are just bringing that newbie into their future if they want to enjoy this sport over a long period of time. The fact is if you are comfortable you will fish more often and for longer periods of time giving you more experience which will keep you coming back for more year after year.

[blackdog1101]

I'm a rookie, and I just want to thank everyone who posted in this thread. I've learned a lot.

Right now I've just got a hand auger, a couple of tip ups, a jigging pole, 2 rods, a bait bucket, and a Jet Sled to pull it all in. I'm going to take it slow as I add more gear. I think my first big expenditure will be a Fish Trap, because when I'm cold, it's just not much fun.

[bozosdad]

You said it Blackdog1101...thanks for all the information. I have been a "lurker" since the ice was just forming and I believe I am addicted. All the information for a newbie is invaluable and sometimes intimidating. Finally registered because I have so many questions and wanted to post but didnt want to sound like an one-who-thinks-I-am-silly.

I too am a first year rookie. Been out many years ago with my Dad back in ND and froze my tail off. That will make a 8yr old lose interest fast. Now living in MN and want to expose my kids (11yr,4yr,2yr)to the great resources available. I want them to catch that addiction and share in having lifelong fishing buddies.

I would LOVE to have half the items on most of everyones list but reality and $$ dictate what I have. I am doing what most everyone else does and build the inventory as I go. Thanks to my brother and a friend that donated a hand auger and a sunflower heater. Started buying items here and there (so not to tip off the wife) and now find myself frequenting FF,Gander,and Cabelas online.

Been out 3 times so far this year and been an adventure! Still learning...so if you see a guy cussing at the ice cause he cant get the hand auger to drill a hole (user error I'm sure) try not to laugh too loud.

[Jim Almquist]

Welcome to FM bozosdad . Its great to get your children exposed to Ice fishing but much better when they are warm and catching fish Now you need to hit the garage sales and pawn shops and see if you can get a locater and a portable for cheap and then work on the wife about how nice a gas auger would be. It takes time and a few upgrades but the best part is seeing the fish come up the hole

[Matt Johnson]

I remember back when I first started ice fishing...

My dad and I would walk out and sit on buckets only to catch a couple fish each day. We had a 6-inch Mora hand auger (which I still have today might I add ) and we would plunk it down and wait it out. Every fish, big or small, was awesome!! Somedays I wish I could go back to that sort of excitement, now my expectations have changed.

I took out my brother-in-law the other day and he rarely ice fishes. We sat over a spot and caught fish after fish. Granted most were small but I got to be a part of that excitement again by watching him get all twirled up over every fish he caught. Boy was that a great day!

Point in hand here... no matter your gear or what you're using, if you're having fun then it makes it all worth while. Some of my most memorable and fun days on the ice were when my dad and I sat side-by-side in a cheap 2-man fish house. We didn't have a flasher and we only had jig-poles, but we caught a lot of fish and we had smiles on our faces the whole day

Yes, I agree with what dtro is saying when he mentions the comparison between money used for ice fishing versus open water fishing. And all the new toys and gadgets sure are nice to have. I mean, I can't imagine fishing without a flasher, mainly because I'm become accustom to using one. But just for one day, I wish I could go back to when I first started ice fishing and regain that excitement for something "new"

Have a Merry Christmas everyone and good luck on the ice!

[rockman]

Ah, the days of jiggle sticks,4 lb. trilene,a orange teardrop under a foam, or styrofoam bobber with the toothpick in the middle,and the added waxie, or my old favorite bait-goldenrod grubs.How I remember them well.But, how far some of us, including myself, have come, with the equipment.And it didn't happen overnight,by any means.Point is, the fish don't know the difference between the jigglestick, or the custom rod.You can catch fish on both.But I agree with Matt J, the 'magic' of waiting,and then watching the bobber go down, was the cool part of the old days of icefishing for me.