Aside from your rod, reel, and tackle, there are a few more things that you will need to remember when going ice fishing. First of all, make sure there is enough ice. (Rule of thumb is at least 4 inches). You want to go fishing, not swimming. Next, make sure you dress warm. Put on layers of clothes; a nice warm jacket, and don’t forget waterproof winter boots.
Now that you are all bundled up, what else do you need? Well, you need an ice auger to cut through the ice. You can get a power auger or you can get a hand auger. (I’m sure I don’t need to tell you which I prefer.) Then you will need a skimmer to get the pieces of ice out of your fishing hole. Unless you like standing or kneeling, you might want to bring a chair or a 5 gallon bucket to sit on. For the less rugged ice fisherman, you can bring a small shanty to block the wind. You can get a “pop up” or a “flip over”. Finally you will need a sled to haul all your gear out to the lake.
Does this sound like a lot to do just to go fishing? Well, like many have said before, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.”
