Ice Fishing - An Exciting Alternative!

By Nancy Batson

Winter is on the way so here is some timely information on ice fishing.

Ice fishing is a specialized form of fishing that you can expect to see in colder parts of the world including Alaska, Great Lakes region, Canada, Sweden, and Russia.

Ice fishing involves cutting a hole into a frozen body of water with a spear, auger, or axe.

Once a hole has been cut, fishermen either sit on stools or erect little cabins called ‘ice shanties’ that can be heated in order to fish for longer periods of time.

Ice fishing can be done in a day or over several days depending on how long a person wants to fish.

For fishermen that enjoy spear fishing in winter months it is important to ensure that the ice fishing tent is tall enough and has enough room to allow standing and movement.

Hexagonal tents are often the best for this ice fishing. A lot of tents fold down into backpack sized packages, complete with arm straps for easy handling. Larger ice fishing tents may be packed and moved on ice fishing sleds.

There are three ways to ice fish:

· Spear fishing
In this method, fishermen stand above the hole and wait for fish to smell the decoy they have set up. When the fish surfaces, the fishermen will spear the fish.

· Light fishing
This is done using a small fishing rod and lure. Once a fish has been baited, the fisherman pulls in the line using their hands instead of a reel.

· Tip Ups
Using a flag as an indicator, the fishermen set up lines around the hole with bait and leave them. When the flag starts bouncing they pull the lines in to see what has been caught.

Using sonar equipment, fishermen are able to see where the heaviest fish activity is under the ice so they can set up camp closer to them. Underwater cameras are also used to see where the fish are.

This form of fishing is different from other types because the methods are so different. This form of fishing is more about waiting for the fish than trying to bait them using casting skills.

Types of fish that can be caught include: trout, crappie, and lake sturgeon. There is a danger to this type of fishing, however. Setting up camp on weak spots in the ice could cause an accident or even death.

So, bundle up and enjoy an ice fishing outing this winter.