Ice fishing

[Sho'Nuff]

I'm going ice fishing for the first time this weekend. My brother in law has been bugging me to do it for a long time, and I finally committed to go with my son.

Anyone here been ice fishing? If so, what type of equipment do you recommend? Not sure what we are fishing for. Maybe crappie (possibly the worst named fish of all time) or something else.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Why go fish for ice, you can get it right out of the freezer.

 

[PRAISE__SATAN]

I haven't gone ice fishing in years but from what I can remember and recommend with common sense.

Warm clothing is a must. Lotsa thin layers and some warmer layer to stop the wind. Warm boots with woolly socks. Better to have too much to wear than too little. Open lakes can obviously get a bit windy. -5C (23f) isn't cold but it gets cold sitting on your arse for a longer period of time

About fish species I can't say. We would want to catch the European Perch which doesn't exist in North America.

Also bring whisky. :awe:

I remember going ice fishing with my father or aunt/cousins as a kid. It was great fun. Being on the ice, catching a fish, setting up a camp fire in some place sheltered from the wind. Jolly good times.

 

[weirdichi]

Depends on how you ice fish. If you have an ice house with propane heaters, then it could actually get quite hot (but still bundle up). If you're on a bucket inside a flimsy tent, then dress in layers upon layers.

I've gone with friends and we rented a portable ice house that fit 4 people and it wasn't bad. However, I'm not an ice fisherman so it was boring to me, throwing in the line and waiting. Many people use this as an excuse to drink and play cards, so it's not all bad.

As far as fish, if you have the gear, you could possibly pull in some bass or if you're up north, even walleye and norther pike.

Have fun!

 

[zerocool84]

Bring some dynamite, you'll catch more fish.

 

[PRAISE__SATAN]

Depends on how you ice fish. If you have an ice house with propane heaters, then it could actually get quite hot (but still bundle up). If you're on a bucket inside a flimsy tent, then dress in layers upon layers.

I've gone with friends and we rented a portable ice house that fit 4 people and it wasn't bad. However, I'm not an ice fisherman so it was boring to me, throwing in the line and waiting. Many people use this as an excuse to drink and play cards, so it's not all bad.

As far as fish, if you have the gear, you could possibly pull in some bass or if you're up north, even walleye and norther pike.

Have fun!

Ice houses, propane heaters, tents? What is this I don't even. Must be a North-American thing.

 

[Apex]

Ice houses, propane heaters, tents? What is this I don't even. Must be a North-American thing.

Bah, that's nothing.

http://www.snobearusa.com/?q=node/59

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5nfQo8uuaw

 

[Jodell88]

If you're not ice fishing like this, you're doing it wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHf7IoNGVfo

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Depends on how you ice fish. If you have an ice house with propane heaters, then it could actually get quite hot (but still bundle up). If you're on a bucket inside a flimsy tent, then dress in layers upon layers.

I've gone with friends and we rented a portable ice house that fit 4 people and it wasn't bad. However, I'm not an ice fisherman so it was boring to me, throwing in the line and waiting. Many people use this as an excuse to drink and play cards, so it's not all bad.

As far as fish, if you have the gear, you could possibly pull in some bass or if you're up north, even walleye and norther pike.

Have fun!

My BIL has an ice shack and said something about jigging. Looks like I'm going to need to take a trip to the tackle shop.

I would drink heavily, but unfortunately we are going on Sunday which means I have to function for work the next day. So . . . we'll see how this goes.

 

[Newbian]

Grab some tip ups for lazy man fishing while you stay inside a tent of some sort that lets you look out to keep a eye on them and don't step in any fishing holes otherwise your foot will be nice and cold for a bit.

Also I hope someone has a ice drill with a motor on it.

 

[Newbian]

Ice houses, propane heaters, tents? What is this I don't even. Must be a North-American thing.

Around here at least it gets a lot colder then the 23f you mentioned and that's not even talking about windchill and you get a lot of that on a open lake.

A tent / ice house is needed especially if you are going to be jigging for a bit unless you just sit inside your truck on the ice and while I never used any heaters before getting out of the wind especially on a lake that can get very windy and cause the snow to blind you at times is the best thing usually.

 

[DrPizza]

Though 99.99% of the time people don't have this problem, this video should be watched by anyone who intends to venture out on the ice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gOW8ZaYqHA

 

[onza]

I ice fish every weekend. Love it man. Also those people falling thru the ice are r-tards.

Be safe and use your brain and you will be 100% safe.

Video's I made this year. Enjoy your experience!

2013-2014 Season:
Episode 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MuLT5RBuGA
Episode 3 - Rippin' Lips with GF (12.22.13) http://youtu.be/8a6bCwrnllY
Episode 4 - Fishing Upper Red Lake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpMISvJ6_Cw
Episode 5 - Tip-Ups Greater than Hole Hopping (on the docket for next week!)

Misc Fishing Vids:
13.8" slobber Crappie vid http://youtu.be/YSVi_dC77Is
28" Walleye http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNYkCuQ6raY

 

[skyking]

hey those are nice vids man.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Read this:

It was a cold winter day. An old man walked out onto a frozen lake, cut a hole in the ice and dropped in his fishing line. He was there for almost an hour, without even a nibble, when a young boy walked out onto the ice, cut a hole in the ice not far from him. The young boy dropped his fishing line and minutes later he hooked a Largemouth Bass.

The old man couldn't believe his eyes but chalked it up to plain luck. But, shortly thereafter, the young boy pulled in another large catch.

The young boy kept catching fish after fish. Finally, the old man couldn't take it any longer. "Son, I've been here for over an hour without even a nibble. You've been here only a few minutes and have caught a half dozen fish! How do you do it?"

The boy responded, "Roo raf roo reep ra rums rrarm." "What was that?" the old man asked. Again the boy responded, "Roo raf roo reep ra rums rarrm."

"Look," said the old man, "I can't understand a word you're saying." The boy spit the bait into his hand and said, "You have to keep the worms warm!"

 

[PRAISE__SATAN]

Around here at least it gets a lot colder then the 23f you mentioned and that's not even talking about windchill and you get a lot of that on a open lake.

A tent / ice house is needed especially if you are going to be jigging for a bit unless you just sit inside your truck on the ice and while I never used any heaters before getting out of the wind especially on a lake that can get very windy and cause the snow to blind you at times is the best thing usually.

Yah. -5C was just an example. This morning it was -26C, I wouldn't go ice fishing when it's that cold. With an ice house you'd need a snowmobile. It gets awfully expensive for just a hobby. It'd be cheaper to buy your fish on the market. Part of the fun of ice fishing is to ski or walk to the nearest lake and enjoy winter, especially in spring time in March, April and first days of May when the sun is shining after months of darkness. Sitting in an ice house, where's the fun in that. I don't get it.

This is how probably 99 % of us Finns ice fish when ice fishing [PIC]:
http://www.vastavalo.fi/albums/userpics/10716/normal_2012-04-11_7340.jpg

 

[lupi]

If you're doing it from a shack, need to dress warm but wind won't be an issue and if you have a heater even less so. Just need a basic rod and gear as all you're doing is dropping the line down the hole. I only went once on lake michigan, and it was actually a rather neat experience.

 

[DrPizza]

I've started considering ice fishing the past few years. But, I don't want to invest in an ice shack (nice vids, btw, Onza), without knowing that I'd enjoy it. And, I don't want to go & sit out in the wide open in the wind and cold, with a dozen holes in the ice to keep an eye on, especially if the action is going to be slow.

Seems like it's an investment in a whole new set of equipment. And, I'd need someone to show me where to fish on certain lakes. Open water, I can move around easier in the boat - and I know that sometimes, you move over 20 feet, and it can make all the difference in the world - between catching 2 per minute & getting skunked. Seems like it's a hell of a lot harder on ice to keep moving all the time.

 

[onza]

Ice fishing is VERY VERY difficult to find fish. I'll be completely honest though.. Never been skunked in my life. MNDNR's website has lake maps of the depths / transitions and it's totally helps in located fish.

 

[skyking]

Please correct me if my thinking is flawed.
Could you build a light folding tent open on one side, and screw it to the ice when you get out there? I'd think the ice would take a pointy self driver for wood OK.

 

[onza]

Please correct me if my thinking is flawed.
Could you build a light folding tent open on one side, and screw it to the ice when you get out there? I'd think the ice would take a pointy self driver for wood OK.

elaborate more?

 

[skyking]

a 3 sided wooden base with a light framework, with a cover. Cheap guy uses tarp or plastic for cover.
The wood base has holes in it, and you take your cordless out on the ice and shoot some screws in this to keep it from blowing down/away. face the opening out of the wind. sit on chair and fish out of the wind.

 

[Jeeebus]

Ya I'm gonna be honest with you, this is more my choice for fishing:

 

[monkeydelmagico]

walleye.....yum

ripping around on snowmobiles and shack hopping can be fun. Be careful, alot of booze involved.

 

[D1gger]

http://fishingtipsandtechniquesforbeginners.com/fishing/ice-fishing-gear/

Make sure you page down to see the photo's of the gear