Ice fishing through "Hunting Doldrums"
By - Chad Baart
With fall seasons behind us and spring seasons still out of reach, we find ourselves caught in the doldrums of winter. Not only is cabin fever driving us nuts, but we are driving our families crazy because our call to explore the wilderness is hampered by deep snows and short days, or is it?
I grew up in the Great Lakes region and winter was a time of increased activity. I would find myself cruising down the mountains on a set of skis or buckling into a set of snow shoes to catch a glimpse of whitetails hanging in their yarding areas. My favorite winter past time however, was drilling a hole into a frozen lake and pulling out more fish that I could ever imagine on a humid summer day.
This love for sitting on the ice has carried over to my adult years and is very much a part of life in our household. What better way to spend some time with your entire family than a day of ice fishing.
The most expensive piece of equipment you will need to get is an auger, however most decent hand augers will still be under $100.00. Ice fishing poles are fairly inexpensive too. What you use depends entirely on your budget. I have seen people use everything from coat hangers to battery powered jigging machines and they all caught fish.
Before heading out to your favorite lake in the winter, make sure that you know what the conditions are like. Local tackle shops are a great source at letting you know how safe the ice is. I myself will not head out until there is around 6 inches of good ice. I have seen guys head out on far less ice but you are taking your chances. I want to be around when spring hunting seasons open!
What type of bait that you use depends on what type of fish that you are targeting and what your state regulations are. My favorite baits for most fish are cut bait and larva. It seems like whatever swims below the ice has a taste for either.
You may find the weather to be on the cold side so dress appropriately. Don’t be surprised if you end up taking your coat off when the skies open up and the sun shines through. Bring yourself and the kids a thermos of hot chocolate and some snacks.
Transporting all of your gear onto the ice can be done many different ways. Some people use their 4 wheelers, some snowmobiles, while others carry a 5 gallon bucket with just what they need. I find that my preferred method is a plastic sled purchased from Wal-Mart for $10.00.
As you prepare to take on ice fishing, you will find it has a lot of versatility. There is no real set way to ice fish and it all becomes a matter of preference. If all goes well and the bite is on you too will enjoy the doldrums of winter!
