This document provides a step-by-step guide to ice fishing for beginners. It outlines preparing gear like poles, lines, bait, and warm clothes. It instructs on selecting a lake based on depth charts and finding spots 10-16 feet deep. Details are given on drilling holes, baiting hooks, setting lines at 1-3 feet deep, setting the hook when a fish tugs, and reeling it in. Safety tips recommend checking ice thickness is at least 4 inches to walk and 6 inches for huts. The guide teaches ice fishing techniques to help beginners enjoy their first ice fishing experience.
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This document provides a step-by-step guide to ice fishing for beginners. It outlines preparing gear like poles, lines, bait, and warm clothes. It instructs on selecting a lake based on depth charts and finding spots 10-16 feet deep. Details are given on drilling holes, baiting hooks, setting lines at 1-3 feet deep, setting the hook when a fish tugs, and reeling it in. Safety tips recommend checking ice thickness is at least 4 inches to walk and 6 inches for huts. The guide teaches ice fishing techniques to help beginners enjoy their first ice fishing experience.
This document provides a step-by-step guide to ice fishing for beginners. It outlines preparing gear like poles, lines, bait, and warm clothes. It instructs on selecting a lake based on depth charts and finding spots 10-16 feet deep. Details are given on drilling holes, baiting hooks, setting lines at 1-3 feet deep, setting the hook when a fish tugs, and reeling it in. Safety tips recommend checking ice thickness is at least 4 inches to walk and 6 inches for huts. The guide teaches ice fishing techniques to help beginners enjoy their first ice fishing experience.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
This document provides a step-by-step guide to ice fishing for beginners. It outlines preparing gear like poles, lines, bait, and warm clothes. It instructs on selecting a lake based on depth charts and finding spots 10-16 feet deep. Details are given on drilling holes, baiting hooks, setting lines at 1-3 feet deep, setting the hook when a fish tugs, and reeling it in. Safety tips recommend checking ice thickness is at least 4 inches to walk and 6 inches for huts. The guide teaches ice fishing techniques to help beginners enjoy their first ice fishing experience.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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Introduction Works Cited
So you have decided to learn how to ice fish! “General Ice Thickness Guidelines,” With this step-by-step guideline you will be <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness. out on the ice and reeling in fish before you html> (accessed 11 November 2010). know it. This booklet will guide you through every necessary step of ice fishing with Ibrahim, Mohamed “Ice Fishing Black Clip Art,”
thorough instructions and figures. <http://www.clker.com/clipart-map-symbols-ice-
fishing-black.html> (accessed 4 November 2010). Reading this booklet will begin to show you how to properly prepare for your ice fishing “Ice Fishing Walleye,” < experience, tie on your jig, bait your hook, http://www.icefishingworld.com/walleye.html> and set the hook and reel the fish in. (accessed 8 November 2010). These steps should not only improve your Simonson, Nick “Ice Fishing Safety,” 9 November 2009, < probability for success, but also make your http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/ ice fishing fun and exciting. ice_fishing_safety.php> (accessed 8 November 2010). 2. Purchasing License 12. Now What?
Check the DNR’s website for the state that Once you have removed the hook from the you will be fishing in. On their website you fish’s mouth, you must decide what to do will find a list of prices for various types of with it. Use the regulations book that you licenses. If you only plan on fishing once, a received with your license to see if you can one or three day license would work fine. keep the fish. This will also help with identifying the species of fish. Remember Types include: that long cold walk out there? Time to pack 24 hour up and do it all again. 72 hour One week Season Epilogue 1. Collecting Gear
Buy or borrow the following items:
So now that you have read and understand the simple steps to ice fishing you are ready Ice fishing poles to begin your ice fishing experience. Jigs Bait (see step 8) Now go out put the steps into practice and Warm clothes experience the joys of ice fishing first hand! Auger (gas or hand powered) Enjoy and good luck! Portable ice house (optional) Figures for Jigs 1. 10. Setting the Hook
Fig. 1: Tie two regular knots on the line, Once you can see your pole tip bend, wait leaving a 2.5 – 3 in. loop. until a good firm tug and the set the hook. Set the hook by quickly and firmly flicking your wrists in an upward direction. This will lodge the hook in the fish’s mouth ensuring that the fish stays on the hook longer.
Fig. 2: Pinch the loop and slide the tip of the
loop through the eyelet of the jig. 11. Reeling the Fish In 3. Setting Up the Poles
Keep pressure on the line and reel in. If the You will want to put new line on the pole, fish pulls back hard just let it fight and stop especially if you haven’t used it for awhile. reeling, but keep the line taut. Avoid letting There are two different options for line, they the fish go to the bottom of the lake because are monofilament and braided. they may wrap themselves around weeds in Monofilament line is essentially a single order to dislodge the hook. Keep reeling nylon thread. While braided is different until you can successfully take the fish from fibers woven together. the water and through the ice hole. Either one is fine; it is mainly based on personal preference. Since the water is cold the fish are slower and will fight less so 4 lb. to 6 lb. test line should work. After you have put the new line on; tie on a jig. This action is explained on the next two pages.
6. Checking the Ice Thickness
Now that all the preparation is done, carry all of your gear out to the spot you have The ice must be at least 4 in. thick to be safe selected. Once you reach the spot, drill a to walk on and at least 6 in. thick to be safe hole for each person that is fishing or for for a portable ice house. The first thing to do each pole being used. You can refer to the as indicated on Minnesota’s DNR website is state DNR website for the maximum number to talk to winter resorts, other fishermen, of poles per person. and bait shops and ask about ice thickness. If the temperature has been consistently Drilling a hole 10-20 seconds with a gas below freezing and the ice is known to be at powered auger or 5-10 minutes with a hand least 4 in. thick; then go out and test every powered auger. 150 ft. or wherever the ice looks different.
8. Baiting the Hook
7. Setting Up the Site There are two ways shown on the next page When fishing for walleye look at the depth on how to hook a minnow. charts of the lakes that you plan on fishing. Look for dramatic changes in depth. The first way is to hook the minnow through the mouth and up behind the head (Fig. 5). These changes in depth are indicated by the Avoid hooking the minnow through the lines on the depth chart. So you want to be brain because this will kill the minnow. looking for lines labeled from 10-16 ft. The second way is to hook the minnow An example of a lake depth chart is below: through the midsection below the dorsal fin (top fin) avoiding the vital organs because this will kill the minnow (Fig. 6, 7).
Image retrieved from http://www.bonylakewi.org/images/BonyLakeBase.gif
5. Selecting the Lake 4. Selecting the Bait
The two live bait options for walleye fishing So now that you have read and understand are minnows and leeches. We will only the simple steps to ice fishing you are ready discuss the use of minnows for sake of to begin your ice fishing experience. simplicity. You can buy minnows at a bait Now go out put the steps into practice and shop or at select lakes area convenience experience the joys of ice fishing first hand! stores. Enjoy and good luck! And example of a minnow and a leech are below:
After selecting a lake and finding the right Fig. 3: Swing the jig through the portion of spot in 10-16 ft. of water. Drop your baited the loop you just slid the jig over. hook down to the bottom of the lake and reel up about 1-3 ft. This is the ideal location for catching walleye.
Fig. 4: Pull the line with one hand and the jig with the other hand, sliding the double knot snug onto the jig eyelet.
Figures for Jigs 2.
Tanner Olson Marshall Viland Peter Weber Lucas Gunkelman
