Icefishing-For Beginners

Have you ever tried fishing in the winter months? This is the time everyone gets out on the lake. Even if you dont own a boat you can fish those places you always wanted to.

Here are a few tips on ice fishing. First of all, you dont need a lot of fancy equipment.A set of five tipups and a hand auger are all you need to get started.

A set of basic tipups with line will cost around seventy-five to a hundred bucks. Tipups are a simple affair where you set the cross sticks on the ice with your spool below the water line. Unless there is a lot of snow on the ice this should not be a problem as the
water will even out to the top of your hole. I know youre saying, how do you keep the line from freezing? This is accomplished through the use of braided line, sometimes called squid line. Theses lines are usually 18-25 pound test. Fill your spools to within 1/4 inch of the rim, for that big one that wants to run. After you have done this its time to add a leader. I normally use 8-14 pound test monofillament. If you are on a lake with a lot of
large fish go with heavier leaders. I use a swivel between my squid line and leader. This gives the bait a chance to move around without twisting the line. It also makes it easier to change hooks, just buy the pretied leaders and hook them on your swivel and youre ready to go fishing.

Finding Bait
Dont know what the fish are biting on? A stop at your local bait shop will get you some pretty good tips on what is working. Its a good idea to pickup a couple different types of baitfish. You never know what they are biting on today. Pick up a dozen of two different
types to get started. When hooking the bait on the hook I like to hook them just behind the dorsal fin. Most fish will take the bait from the rear, so you want the hook where it
will do the most good.

On The Lake
Now youre on the lake with your traps in hand and you need to get to the fish. This is where your auger comes in. Whether you opt for a hand auger or a power auger, you need
to find a place to fish. A good place to start is around points, as fish use these spots to find bait fish year round. If you know of a deep hole within walking distance, head out
there without further delay. Fish will hang on the edges of the hole looking for baitfish all year. Get that auger powered up and lets drill some holes. Drill a couple to start with and
after you get a couple of traps set up drill the other three. Be sure to check your states lawbook as some places restrict the number of traps. If you dont get any flags after a while, dont be afraid to move.
Thats just about it for getting started. Make sure you are dressed for the weather to make your day more enjoyable. Dont forget the kids, they make good runners when the bait bucket is out by the last trap in line.
Stay warm and good fishing.

About the Author
Written by Ron Shannon; contact at hobbit@midmaine.com
Outdoors With Ron at www.outdoorswithron.com

The author lives in central Maine and spends much of his time in the outdoors.

Ice Fishing Tips

Ice Fishing Depth Sounder
If you ever need a quick depth sounder when ice-fishing, you can make one with a small bobber and bell sinker. Just attach the sinker to the bottom line retainer of the bobber and the hook or lure to the top retainer. This makes it easy to find the water’s depth.
One of the most effective tools for any ice fisherman is the fantastic Evening Secret to swarming hungry fish to your spot. A great way to increase your ice catches.
Falling through the ice
If you are out with a buddy ice fishing – and there is a possibility of breaking ice, make sure to stay at least 10 feet apart to spread out your weight. You should also each carry long poles; they can be used to straddle the hole to help you climb out. Make sure to have a poncho, waterproof matches, safety pins, bandages, knife, candles, bouillon cubes, and cocoa or soup. Put all of them in a watertight metal can which can be used to heat water over a candle in an emergency.
Freezing
If you are an ice fisherman and consistently have problems with your hole freezing up – instead of pouring anti-freeze into the hole (which shuts down fishing action), use denatured alcohol. It is less expensive, has no odor or taste, and is available at any pharmacy.
Bait
If you are an ice fisherman (which 2 million people are in the U.S.), the following bait will bring you even more success.
For Bluegills use tiny ice spoons (1/32 to 1/80 of an ounce), ice flies or No. 10 or 12 gold hooks. Tip them with gall worms, crane fly larvae, mousies, mealworms, wax worms, or maggots. Fish the offering with a light tremble or quivering movement. Try levels from one to three feet off bottom, over depths o f10 to 20 feet. A murky or weedy bottom is best for them.
For crappies, use a Swedish Pimple jiggling spoon, Rapala ice fishing plug or live minnows fished on No. 2 to 6 hooks. Crappies can suspend at just about any depth, from a few feet below the ice to just off bottom, in water from five to 20 feet deep. Move often.
Yellow perch – use the same baits as for crappies and bluegills. Also try jigging spoons sweetened with the eye from a freshly caught perch or a tiny strip of meat sliced from a perch or bluegill.
Trout – shoal areas, the mouths of inlets, and points have produced the most rainbows, browns and brookies through the ice. You can catch them on about every kind of bait or lure you can think of. Wet flies and nymphs with a sp lit-shot crimped a foot above for weight are good, as are minnows, spinners, jigging spoons and ice rapalas.
Pickerel, Pike, Muskies – live minnows or dead ones rigged to hang horizontally in the water are the best producers. Tip-ups allow you to spread your baits over a wide area in weedy coves and on points where these predators rove under the frozen lake’s surface searching for prey.