5 Ice Fishing Tips
Ice fishing has been practiced for a very long time, and once you get good at it, it can yield great rewards. I’m going to teach you five ice fishing tips to make your experience more enjoyable and profitable. Before we get started, you should know that ice fishing is not a walk in the park, and like anything else, it has its dangers. Make sure the ice that you will be fishing on is at least 4 inches thick. To test this, drill a hole in the ice and stick a tape measure down into it, hooking onto the bottom of the ice. If it’s 4 inches or more, it’s safe to walk on. Now, here are five tips for a successful ice fishing trip.
- Covering the Fishing Hole
- Fish are very sensitive to the light, and when you drill your hole, the light will shine through the hole much brighter. Make sure you cover your fishing hole to reduce the amount of light that enters your fishing hole
- Aim Low
- Lowering your hook all the way to the bottom of the lake will increase your chances of catching a fish. Since fish have limited options for food during the winter, they will venture to the bottom of the lake to search for any bugs or vegetation to eat. So lowering your hook as low as you can will be your best bet.
- Using a Bobber
- A lot of people don’t feel the need to use bobbers because they fish in the summer and caught fish will struggle, making it easy to identify when you have a fish on the line. However, in the winter, fish will have less energy, and will struggle a whole lot less. Using a bobber will make it much easier to identify if you have a fish on your line or not. Pieces of foam, straws, or even soda cans will work for this.
- Be Patient
- Patience is extremely important when ice fishing. Again, fish have less energy in the winter, and will not be as insistent on obtaining your bait. You need patience for regular fishing, but even more for ice fishing. Don’t give up when you don’t catch something within the first five minutes. Keep trying and be patient.
- Keep Warm
- Make sure to dress very warmly. Ice fishing takes time, and wind on a frozen lake can be extremely rough. However, make sure you have some measure of mobility left. If, by chance, the ice begins to crack, you want to be able make it off the ice at a quick but steady pace.
I hope these five tips help you, but remember that safety should be your number one concern. Never venture onto ice that you think may be unstable. Freezing water can be deadly. Good luck, and be safe!