Careful planning and preparation is all it takes to make ice fishing the greatest time of your life or the worst. Easy? Take a look at the following tips and see how prepared you are to catch those fish!
Buy early
Make a list of the supplies you used last season and replenish them early. Make sure you get all those Glo-Buster Bluelights or Lindy Tazers. All you need to remember is four words: wise up, stock up.
Check the hole on the ice floor
Simply put, make sure the hole is clean. Chips or chunks of ice could cause entanglements in one’s fishing line and could make you catch fish or literally break your chances of getting any, as these could sever the line therefore losing your chance of getting that trophy of a lifetime bluegill. Remember to keep the hole clear of any barrier.
Fish more, get the big four
The bait you simply cannot go on without: wax worms, minnows, assorted PowerBait, maggots. It is best to keep these bait separated and as much as possible alive using coolers such as a small Coleman.
Clean `em all up
Inspect and clean the rods and fishing reels you are going to use. Q-tips are best for taking out the nicks in every nook and cranny of your ice rod. Non-freezing oil for lubing fishing reels is advisable.
Heat up
Do not forget to bring those heaters and pounds and pounds of propane cylinders. One cannot fish comfortably if he or she is as cold as the fish under the ice. Ice fishing should be fun and feel comfy too.
House up
The ice is harsh and cold but it doesn’t mean you have to feel that too. Ice tents should be cleaned out as well by putting over a light coat of lubricant at the joints. If there is any wear or tear, it is best to contact the manufacturer in order for them to send out the appropriate repair kit, as deemed necessary.
Gear Up
Better be safe than sorry, make sure you get a set of lifeguard spikes as well as a safety rope. Also, to feel less of the cold and at the same time be cool, pick up a fishing coat from the Carhartt Extremes Arctic Jacket. Avoid frost bits on your toes and feet, the best shoes are the Irish Setters Versa Trax to keep you warm all over.
Spoons
Considered the most simple of all other fishing lures, they got their name because they look like the head of a spoon. They act for the bait fish by doing a flickering and wobbling movement or action. Spoons are excellent for starters in lure fishing; easy to use and very affordable.
Spinners
The spinner is basically a blade wherein it does a rotating action on a spindle when being retrieved or taken back through the water as well as it gives off a flash as light is being reflected on the revolving blade, characterizing the bait fish’s scales and movements. This is a lure that is flexible because only can one verify and know the retrieve depth by the period or time frame one leaves before one starts a retrieve, one can also alter the speed of the revolving blade around the spindle, by either speeding up or slowing down one’s retrieve. For the Trout and Mullet, a smaller size is recommended, and a larger spinner with the pike liking, along with the treble hook in a red wool.
Surface lures
These lures are used on the water surface and considered to be the most explosively thrilling of all lures as one could actually see the fish taking the lure, and the anticipation and the expectation of one looking forward of the take is an exciting experience. The fish can be completely seen exiting the water when they send off at a surface lure. Since these lures are being retrieved on the surface of the water, they can be a good choice in areas that have a lot of weed.
Suspending plugs
Having neutral buoyancy and resistance, when the plug has dived or dropped to the required depth and left alone, it will continue on being suspended to that depth. For this reason, this type is perfect for pursuing your prey hidden near the weed beds, rocks or banks. When yanked in order to imitate life to the plug, it causes some crashing attack from your target.
Floating drivers
A necessity for all lure anglers, they cover a wide scope in diving depths; beginning from just beneath the surface up to fifteen feet or more. The diving depth is established on the point of view of the vane or fin to the body of the lure. The lesser the angle to the body of the lure the deeper it can dive. The shape as well as the size of the vane and the lures body contributes to the movement of the plug in the water.
Sinking plugs
These are excellent for deep water fishing, wherein the retrieve can start soon as the preferred depth is reached. This is accomplished by counting down before one starts the retrieval process. Therefore, the same depth will be reached whenever one casts. The distance that the lure has sunk down in a particular time, will give a suggestion of how deep or how far down the fish are situated when they strike; thus this is called the sink rate of the lure.
Soft baits
This is soft rubber bait that comes in various shapes and forms, with matching sizes and colors. These are commonly used for sea and fresh water fishing, which can be used on a weighted jig head handled in the same manner as the jerk bait, being managed as a plug is used.
Jerk baits
Having no movement of its own when in the water, the angler gives life to this lure; whenever the rod trembles or shakes or jerks, this lure can appear to have life. This lure for the most part, mimics an injured or wounded fish that the prey fish find tempting, and be compelled to thrust or lunge at.
This website uses cookies that are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the privacy policy. By accepting this OR scrolling this page OR continuing to browse, you agree to our Privacy Policy