Ice fishing is for those that love fishing but live somewhere with cold winters such as Canada. The general technique of ice fishing is drilling a hole in the ice of a lake and catching fish with lines or spears. Before you can start ice fishing, there is some important things you should know first.
Shelters
It is quite common to bring a fish house or some form of shelter out on the frozen lake with you. Being out in the cold all day is not a fun experience. Since buying an ice shack can be expensive, many services now offer a rental service. There are also many resorts in places in North America that offer an ice shack rental service while you stay there.
Equipment
Unlike other types of fishing, ice fishing is much more specialized. You need specific equipment if you want to catch fish. You will need something to cut a hole in the ice. This can either be an auger, chisel, or ice saw. The size of the hole should roughly be 8 inches. However, the size will vary depending on what type of fish you want to catch. One thing to note is that when it gets very cold, it is recommended to carry a heater. Not only is it for warmth, but also is to keep the fishing hole from freezing. Once the temperature reaches around -20 degrees Fahrenheit, it will become difficult to keep the fishing hole open.
Three main types of fishing will occur when ice fishing.
The first technique is jigging. It involves using a light fishing rod with colorful lures or jigs with bait such as minnows. The fisherman will sit at the ice hole and produce a jig effect by lifting the pole every few seconds.
The second technique involves using tip-ups. Line is put on the spool with a swivel attached. You place worms or minnows on the hook and the hook is placed in the water. The overall design of tip-ups is to make the fishing less intense. It makes it easier to pull in the fish.
The third method is spear fishing. This will require a larger hole to be cut and decoys to be placed in the hole. The angler will wait for fish a fish to appear and then plunges the spear at the fish. This method is most common for fishing lake sturgeon.
Modern Fishing
Ice fishing has drastically changed in recent times. Ice fisherman have become much more mobile with the help of powerful augers, light gear, and sonar units. This style of fishing shares some similarities with trolling as the fishmen will try to go where the fish are instead of staying in one spot. This has improved the catch rate of ice fishermen.