Beginning Ice Fishing
 

Greetings! We just found out that my kids' schools' ski clubs have been cancelled for the season, so we're looking for another activity. One option is ice fishing. Can those with ice fishing experience provide a basic list of "needs"? I'm thinking in terms of value rather than niceties.

Thanks!

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Spikes!

On wrists at all times in case you fall in.

Beginning Ice Fishing
 

Well, I hate to over-state the obvious, but first of all, you need ice (then, spikes are very nice).

1. Safe ice and a fishing license
2. Chisel or “spud” as some call them. Serves 2 purposes, one to check ice thickness as you walk out and two, to actually chop your hole.
Nowadays fishermen are using expensive augers both gas and battery. The chisel does what an expensive auger can’t do; walk out and check ice as you go.
2. Bait bucket and live bait (smelt or shiners or even small suckers)
3. Ice fishing traps or “tip ups” as some call them. You can also sit by a hole and jig with a small jigging device with a lure and cut bait, NO JIGGING WITH LIVE BAIT IN NH.
4. WARM, Waterproof clothing. Nowadays you can spend big dollars on ice fishing clothing but a good wind breaking coat will do. Wool or synthetic.
5. Keep the kids from getting bored by targeting species like sunfish and bass which readily take bait through the ice. The salmonids like lake trout and rainbows are more finicky. NO TAKING OF SALMON THROUGH THE ICE in NH
6. Stop by AJ’s in Meredith and he will set you up with the basics or cruise craigslist, if you don’t mind “jumping the shark” as there is usually lots of used stuff for ice fishing for sale.

Well yes these:
https://www.amazon.com/Celsius-ILP-1...F698KF2DRQ9YND

but also these:
https://www.amazon.com/Kahtoola-MICR...g%2C220&sr=1-4

Thanks for the tips so far. We have microspikes, but will take a peek at the other spikes.

May sound dumb, but I hadn't thought about the fishing license—thanks for the reminder.

How does someone avoid pulling up a salmon?

I'll continue to look up the suggested gear—please continue to share tips.

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Usually, if you suspend your bait more shallow than deep (in deeper water) you may (not guaranteed) catch salmon, whereupon F&G suggests cutting the line and leaving the hook in the salmon’s mouth. Rainbows are caught in sandy areas near shore in very shallow water. Lake trout love the bottom so you should have your bait near it. Panfish, like perch, bluegills will be in schools and so will white perch and they can be anywhere in the water column. Bass love the weeds and structure like submerged trees and rocks. Pickerel can be found in slack waters around weeds.

Check NHFG web site
 

We have the “let’s go fishing “ program.
Not Sure if this years schedule because of Covid.
We teach ice fishing basics and advanced all winter. Some classes run over a couple of days with classroom time and then an outing on the ice. I am an instructor for this program. It’s very informative and a great way to get started with some confidence in knowing ice safety,fishing laws and where to start to find fish on the body of water you’re on.

"We" being the NH Fish and Game (I just looked it up) or something different?

If it's in the right place—we close camp in late October but would drive north if it would work out—I think it might be perfect.

Please pass on any updates, if you can remember—there's nothing listed as of now.

Thanks for the tip!

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If you get into it...
 

....I would highly recommend a battery-powered ice auger. When I first started ice fishing in my late teens, I used a manual chisel. Not a problem when the ice is 6" thick, but when it's 18"...2' or more in February, you can spend 30+ minutes just digging your hole. For a long time, I had a gas-powered auger. However, they are heavy, they stink, they're loud, and you have to lug around a can of gas, too.

About 7 years ago, I bought an Ion, (brand name), battery powered auger. Absolutely love it. Light-weight, quiet, goes through 2' of ice lickety-split. I think I paid around $550 or so for mine, new, at AJ's. I agonized for quite a while about spending the money, but if you ice fish a fair amount, especially on this lake where the ice can get very thick, it is well worth the money.

www.Ebay.com has lots and lots of ice fishing items. Enter "ice fishing" in the Ebay search and you get 50,244-results.

Eskimo 8" diameter, hand powered ice auger, $52.85, shipping included

Eskimo 6" diameter, hand powered ice auger, $54.99, shipping included

I would go with the six inch which is plenty wide, enough, and weighs a little less to carry. There's a four inch diameter that also works just fine, too, and makes it lighter to carry and easier to keep sharp with a small sharpening file on the two replaceable, tungsten cutter blades.

Drilling through 8" thickness of ice with a hand powered ice auger takes about 30-seconds with a sharp auger. Using the hand powered auger shows the user how the ice is variable like when you hit a soft spot or a hard spot because ice formation can be tricky-wicky. You never know what you are standing on and drilling it by hand gives you a better hands-on feel for it than using a power auger.

Is like the difference between a chain saw and a hand saw. A sharp hand auger drills it fast and works totally super-duper.

.........

Like, one of the forum members here, had a Kawasaki Mule atv equipped with a propane powered ice auger attached to the rear of the Mule on a swing arm, and unfortunately sunk the Mule through the too thin ice, close to Welch Island ....... boo-hoo-hoo!

What happened is that big propane ice auger on a swing arm cuts the holes so fast that he lost track on cutting and actually cut a round line of holes, all around the vehicle, just like that wily e coyote cartoon, and it sunk!

My ice fishing experiences are possibly more about what not to do.

Cutting the hole...

I had no auger but I did have a 20" chainsaw. After some trial and error I decided that a triangular hole was best. Once the hole was framed a broom handle was used to push the block down and away.

Once this method was established I invited a friend. He enjoyed making fun of my low cost hole making equipment. Wishing to return the harassment I asked him to "stand over there for safety" as I fired up the chainsaw. My aim was true and the rooster tail of icy slush covered him head to toe. Shortly after that he started shivering and wanted to go home. What a wuss!

Transporting the gear...

Like all hobbies, ice fishing requires "stuff". I wanted to haul mine on a sled rather than carrying it off shore. When cut to size, my father's old wooden water skis fit perfectly under a beat up wooden crate I found in the barn so I nailed it all together. A throwable pfd served as my butt cushion. I was very proud of what I had built!

I took this contraption on its maiden voyage to Bolton Lake in central CT. My chainsaw, fishing gear, radio and lunch were safe in the crate and the pulling was easy. Upon arrival at the "good spot" I unloaded my gear. Then I noticed a dark object moving toward me from shore. As it got closer I could see that it was an animal. The animal then appeared to be a dog. The dog was in full gallup. It was a German Shepard.

Was it curious? Was it aggressive? Did I need to defend myself somehow?

No, he just had to pee and did so on my ice fishing sled.

I guess he was claiming it as his own. I don't blame him. It was a pretty nice ice fishing sled.

Funny
 

Same thing happened to me first time I played tennis.
I left a nylon windbreaker outside the link fence- sure enough, a dog came by and "marked it".
My friend said,"So much for your tennis career".
Still became city champ a few years later!

Great Story! I'm dying laughing right now!:laugh::D