Ice Fishing - A Cool Sport!

Ice Fishing requires one to catch fish after cracking a perfect hole in frozen waters. It calls for specialized equipment and clothing for fishermen, which includes specially designed sharp fishing gear to penetrate frozen surfaces, such as fishing lines fitted with hooks or spears. Ice fishing also calls for a lot of patience, stamina and ability to withstand extreme weather conditions as anglers are required to sit by icy waters, often in an open surrounding – unless they have invested in a heated shelter or basic shanty arrangement by the fishing spot. At times, these cabins (as the shanties are called) are fitted with bunkers and other creature comforts.

The sport is actively followed by people living in very cold places, such as Canada, Alaska, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Norway. The US population inhabiting the area surrounding the Great Lakes and others living in very cold places that have long winter months also popularized this outdoor sport that sustains many lives too. Lake Erie, in particular is known to completely freeze and allow for maximum scope for ice fishing though the other bays along the Great Lakes do so only partially but still allow for lots of ice fishing fun, especially for species like the Yellow perch and Northern pike!

The essential kit includes an ice auger, a pick, an ordinary or power saw (for cutting circular holes or even a bigger rectangular one through the surface) possibly a strainer for removing newly formed ice (if any). Besides the above basic ice fishing gear, fishermen also need to gain more in-depth knowledge of the sport, its techniques and handy hints to avoid the dangers involved with ice fishing. To begin with, the 3 categories of ice fishing approaches are called Jigging, Tipping and Spear Fishing. In jigging for ice fishing, compact, lightweight rods are fitted with attractively colored, bait (popular forms are moussies and wax worms); other times, tip ups can be used that allow for unattended fishing since the fishing line is joined to flag that gives the signal on snagging a bite – all the angler has to do is pull it up! Spear fishing as the name indicates, involves requires the ice fisherman to stand guard over the chosen fishing hole waiting with the tool in hand to pick up a catch by claiming it with an accurate shot; Lake Sturgeon is a great spot for this kind of ice fishing.

To enjoy the excitement of this sport, fishermen need to be aware of the pitfalls to avoid injuries and frustration associated with practicing it wrong; some of these are covered here:
• Always check to see the spot chosen for ice fishing has a minimum thickness of 4 inches and can support the weight of humans walking over it. At least 12 inches thickness to the ice is required for it to be considered safe for taking vehicles over it and checking for rotten ice – that looks solid but may give way when cars go over, is a smart move as uncertain, weather conditions (e.g. off shore winds) cause this weakness in it’s texture that may render it weak.
• Read and research about ice fishing spots that could be adversely affected by CO poisoning caused due to using heaters in shanties and frost-bite caused by over-time exposure to chilled weather conditions and how you can avoid this. The American Ice Fishing Association gives more info these and more topics, such as how the sport helps manage fish species population, boosts economic development and can be a calming experience.