First Ice Checklist

First Ice Checklist

By Todd Reed

The ice around the state of Iowa has locked up nicely this year and has provided anglers an escape to nature during these cold months.  I have loved ice fishing for about three decades and with each winter a new excitement comes over me. It isn’t really about the gear, size of fish or numbers of fish caught in a day, but the new adventures and friends that this lifelong hobby has given to me.  With any activity or sport there are must have items to make our journeys successful and enjoyable for us. This month I will provide a checklist of those items in four easy to remember categories.

Small Gear
We are ice fishing, so I mean really small gear!  In the small gear category are the items you can carry in a bucket or a rod case.  Rods/reels, jigs, plastics, bait, flashlight, hand warmers and ice scoop. All of these items, and possibly more, can easily be placed into a bucket or rod case to take with you on the ice.  Of these items the rod/reels and jigs are things you want to customize to your style. Ice rods come in all different lengths, and jigs come in every color and pattern imaginable. You will want to experiment a bit with rod lengths to see what suits you and your style of ice fishing the best.  I like to move around throughout the day, trying dozens and dozens of holes, hardly ever setting up a shack to fish. This style allows me to use longer rods when hole hopping, The 36” Jason Mitchell Dead Meat stick is awesome for this, however it would not be a good choice and be uncomfortable to use while sitting in a shack.  I also have 16” rods and numerous in the 20-28 in lengths as well. When hole hopping on a windy day the shorter rods are key to detecting the most faint of bites while the 24” rods are a good multi-use length. I encourage you to try a lot of different rods, as they all act very different with lengths and available actions, not to mention ones that include spring bobbers attached to them.  Most ice anglers, even strangers will let you jig a rod for a minute to see if you like it, asking questions to those anglers to get their opinions on what they like is a good way to get first-hand information while you try it also. This brings me to the next part of our gear to pay close attention to, your jigs. Jigs come in many sizes and some rods are much more stout than others. The smaller jigs in 2mm or 3mm size won’t be very useful on heavier action rods; you won’t be able to feel them very well.  Trying different sizes is important to the fish and having a few different actions ready for those small jigs is key, while using small jigs as mentioned I like to use a spring bobber on the rod. The spring bobber will detect the smallest of bites and have you catching fish while others may not be able to feel them. Always have a good supply of jigs with you of varying color and sizes. If you like to go for bass, perch or walleyes then have a few spoons in your box too, those bigger fish love the flash a spoon gives off!  Experiment when you can and fine tune your rods and baits, that will have you catching more fish this ice season.

Big Gear
Augers and shacks would fall under this category.  Once you have made the big purchase, each winter it is more about fine tuning and maintaining your larger equipment.  If you have a gas or propane powered auger start the year with a fresh spark plug. The cost is only a few bucks and will help you get that motor started without any worries.  No one wants to be the guy that has to pull the cord twenty times to get things started for the day. If you have caught on to the electric augers, or drill augers then your maintenance is simply to have batteries charged up and blades sharpened.  Depending on your auger brand and the frequency you drill holes, you may have to replace blades every year. If your auger is cutting rough, then you need new blades. Shacks are another tool that anglers need to maintain once the initial purchase is made. Checking for holes and rips and patching them is an important thing to do each year.  A small tear is not a big deal, but it will lead to a large tear and may lead to purchasing a new, expensive cover. Another item that you may want to invest in are runners for your shack. These hardened plastic strips that attach to the bottom of your shack will give your shack sled a much longer life.  They will also help in pulling your sled across the ice and snow.

Safety
Any article about ice fishing should include this topic, a topic that we often forget about.  Each time on the ice, anglers should do four things to ensure their safety. First, when venturing out you should always be with someone.  Discuss the worst scenario of someone falling through and what to do. We never want it to happen, but a quick ten-second conversation could save your or your friends life.  Next, always carry a long rope and a flotation device. I like to use a throw-cushion found in smaller boats for this flotation. They have two fabric handles to grab onto and make a nice padding to sit or kneel on while fishing.  Lastly is wearing your ice picks. This $5 accessory is probably the most important of them all, never go on the ice without them. I always keep mine in my rod case, I know I won’t go fishing without my rods, so I always have my ice picks with me.  Be safe, check the ice often and make a plan that you hopefully never have to follow.

Clothing
The last item to consider while heading out to the frozen waters is clothing.  Nothing is fun if you are cold. Dress in layers, wear a hat and get the best pair of waterproof insulated boots that you can afford.  You can always take layers off, you can’t put them on once you leave home.

Ice fishing is a fantastic sport that has given me countless hours of enjoyment with friends, family and children throughout the years.  Winter is never boring once the lakes and rivers freeze, it just presents a new challenge in the sport of fishing!