Ice fishing tips for beginners
If you’re an ice fisherman or someone looking to get into this sport for the first time, you need to know that conditions tend to vary from day to day as well as location to location. Fishing in the winter is not for the faint-hearted, however, if you are well prepared it can be a fun experience. In this blog post, we will share some ice fishing tips for beginners that will help you get started. We will also be providing some basic safety tips that you need to keep in mind to help you keep safe while fishing in cold weather.
Use a fish finder
A very important tip is to avoid fishing blindly. These days, it is a challenge to go fishing without a fish finder and if you do, you risk trying to fish in a spot where there are no fish. A fish finder will help you find a spot with fish so that when you drill a hole in the ice, you will find something swimming underneath. The recommended fish finder to use is a modern, high quality, and compact one because this helps you assess your situation better and if you know how to read this device, the deeper sonar will help you find uneven areas and bottom mounds much quicker. Fish Finder Tech can help you understand what are the best fisher finders and what features they offer, to narrow down your search when looking for the best one. This device also allows you to always view your bait on your phone screen as well as anything that swims up to it.
Choose your bait
Fishing bait, or fishing lures, is an effective way to catch fish. Many people still use live bait when fishing in the form of worms, leeches, minnows, and insects. If you walk into any bait shop, you will find all forms of live bait as this is the most popular type of bait used by fishermen. You also get other forms of lures such as plugs which is a hard plastic fishing lure that resembles a baitfish. Spoons are also commonly used and these are curved, concave lures made from metal. Alternatively, you can opt for plastic soft lures which fit naturally into any surroundings. For ice fishing, you will want to go for live bait in the form of wax worms, maggots, wigglers, or spikes. When using this bait, you can just drop it into the water and then leave it alone or jig the bait slowly to attract fish. As a beginner, this is also the best option to go with.
Invest in proper clothing
Investing in the right selection of clothing is very important because you will be dealing with ice-cold weather conditions. The ice is cold so if you are not prepared, you will not enjoy your experience one bit. When ice fishing, you need to dress warmer than you would for a skiing trip because skiing gear is designed for a body that is constantly moving but with ice fishing, you will be sitting still most of the time. You must also pay extra attention to footwear because if your feet are cold, your entire body will be cold no matter how warmly you dress. Aim for modern breathable and moisture-wicking clothing that has sweat absorbent underwear. Also, avoid overdressing because this can cause restricted movement and sweating.
Learn how to drill a hole in the ice
Drilling your hole is considered one of the most critical parts of ice fishing and there is a lot that must be considered. You need to scout for your spot early so that you don’t end up fishing the water blindly and you need to choose the ideal Auger tool to use because this is the best tool and it comes in variations which include a hand Auger and a Drill Auger insert which works as a power drill instead of manually. It might also be wise for beginners to go with someone experienced because you do not want to make simple mistakes such as drilling where the ice is too thin.
Consider your safety
Some important safety tips include:
- New ice may support one person but thawed ice might not.
- Avoid ice formed over flowing water and currents. This signals danger.
- Schools of fish can influence ice safety.
- Don’t drive on ice.
- Avoid alcohol.
Safety regulations are important because they can save your life.
