I’ve seen some serious ice palaces throughout my years ice fishing, but not everyone needs all that fancy equipment. Beginners often feel overwhelmed and have no idea where to start, but it’s really not all that different than traditional fishing methods. A budget friendly set up and some basic equipment is all you really need. The following list is all the necessary equipment to get you started ice fishing this winter.
Best Beginner Ice Fishing Equipment
By far the coolest thing about ice fishing is that you don’t need all that fancy equipment. you don’t need a fancy bass boat to be on a level playing field with the pros. All you really need is an auger, some basic ice fishing equipment and way to stay out of the frigid cold. If you have no idea where to start the following list should give you a good idea of what you need.
Floating Ice Awls
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been going ice fishing or confident you are on the ice, everybody needs a pair of safety Ice Picks/Awls. I get that nobody wants to spend there money on safety equipment that they hopefully will never need, but it’s extremely important. If you ever fall through the ice you’re going to need a set of floating Ice Rescue Awls to get out.
Auger
If you’ve never hit the ice before the first thing you’re going to need is an auger to drill through the ice. Basically the same tool that’s in your landscapers truck, augers will cut through even the thickest ice. From a simplistic standpoint augers come in two basic models, power units and manual units.
Personally I go with a manual hand auger(while I’m still young) because they’re cheap and not all that difficult to use. I’ve been using one of these budget 8″ Eskimo Hand Augers for the past couple years and I’ve never had much trouble getting through the ice. After three seasons of use and more holes than I can count, the blades are still sharp.
If you’re getting a bit older you might want to go with a powered unit, but they can be a bit pricey. My father had a heart attack a few years ago and since then he’s been swapping out all his manual fishing gear. Instead of a manual Auger he uses a 43cc Eskimo Power Ice Auger. With a 2 stroke engine and a little basic upkeep this power auger starts on the first pull every time. In no time at all you’ll have either a 8″ or 10″ hole through the ice.
Slush Skimmer
With extreme temperatures your hole won’t stay open forever. You’re going to need something to scoop out all the slush that starts to fill in your hole. You can use a small slotted serving spoon or cheap plastic skimmer, but a purpose built ice skimmer will work a lot better.
Slush skimmers are cheap and you won’t have to get on your hands and knees to scoop out the ice. This Celsius Telescoping 3′ Slush skimmer is the perfect alternative to a slotted spoon. With a 3′ telescoping handle you won’t even need to get out of your chair to scoop out the slush.
Ice Shelter
Throughout the years I’ve used just about every type of ice shelter you can think of. From the extremely pathetic rigged up tarp contraption to permanent diy solutions. Some ice shanties look more like a mini cottage than temporary shelter. With all the different options out there nothing quite beats a portable ice shelter.
Portable ice shelters work just like your favorite hunting ground blind, but they have a lot more insulation. There are a ton of different options on the market, but I personally prefer the Eskimo 3-4 Person Insulated Fishing Shelter. It’s fully insulated and roomy enough to comfortably fit 4 people with a little bit of gear.
Heater
You’re ice fishing so a heater should be pretty self explanatory. Personally I use the Mr. Heater Big buddy propane heater which is a little bit overkill, the smaller little buddy heater will work just fine.
What you’re looking for is a heater that’s indoor safe with all the necessary safety features. It needs to have an auto shutoff if the unit is tipped over or the oxygen level gets unsafe. Without having to worry about carbon monoxide you can spend your time fishing rather than worrying.
Rod and Reel
Unlike traditional fishing, ice fisherman don’t really need a fancy rod and reel combo. You aren’t going to be making long casts and unusual reel patterns. All you need is a budget rod designed to work straight down through a hole in the ice.
If you’re new to ice fishing try starting out with a budget setup like this Shakespeare Ugly Stick GX2 Reel and Rod Combo. It’s a light setup that’s designed to be used for multiple applications. Even though there are better ice fishing rod/reel combos on the market this unit offers the most bang for your buck.
Tip Up
My favorite thing about ice fishing is that I can sit back relax, drink a beer and maybe even read a good book. The worries of the world seem to melt away around you. Tip Ups allow you to set down your rod and continue to fish while you’re doing something else. Just like a bobber going under the water, tip ups notify you when you have a fish on the line.
With all the different tip ups on the market you’d think there might be a few differences. All tip ups work pretty much the exact same way. They work just like a reverse mouse trap setting off your flag when you have something on your line. Personally I like the Frabill Classic Wooden Tip Up because it’s a little bit sturdier, but there are cheaper models available.
Sled
Unless you have a permanent shanty setup you’re going to have to get all your gear out onto the ice. I use the same sled that I bring out during the duck and deer hunting seasons. It’s a basic utility sled that I bought at my local farm store years ago. If you don’t have a sled check out these Shappell Jet Sleds that are designed for hauling heavy gear. It will keep all your ice fishing gear dry and seriously reduce the load on your back.
Ice Fishing Lures
Jigs and spoons are the most common lures of ice fisherman world wide. Since your fishing in a vertical line your options are pretty limited. The cool thing is ice fishing lures are normally pretty cheap. The following list are a few of my favorite ice fishing lures.
- Acme Kastmaster
- Slender Spoon
- Rapala Jigging Rap
- Northland Forage Minnow
- PK Spoon
- Williams Nipigon
- Nils Master Jigging Shad
Different Ice Fishing Bait
If you aren’t comfortable using common lures like jigs and spoons you might want to stick to natural lures. The most popular live baits are going to be the same as with traditional freshwater fishing. Use a combination of minnows, worms, leaches, maggots and even commercial dough balls. Most of the time you’re going to use live bait with a tip-up, but they can also be used with a traditional rod/reel setup.
Fishing Seat
Ice fishing is all about patience so you’re going to have to sit for extended periods of time. Most people use some variation of a lawn chair or chair that fits onto the top of a 5 gallon bucket. Personally I never felt comfortable on traditional ice fishing chairs. Instead I use my Alps Outdoors Stealth Hunting Blind Chair which fully rotates and can be adjusted vertically for a comfortable setup. When I’m half assing it and only plan on using a tip up and drinking a few beers I’m just going to bring along a comfortable lawn chair.
Various Other Equipment
It would be impossible for me to mention everything that you could possibly need to bring along with you. Pretty much anything that could come in handy while fishing during the summer or camping is going to be a good addition to your bag. Below is a few of the other items I bring along when I’m going ice fishing
- Fishing Shovel
- Towels
- Neoprene Gloves
- Portable Fish Finder
- Ice Scoop
- Board For Cutting Fish and Insulation From Ice
- Knives and Pliers
- Nail Clippers
- Various hooks, weights, floats and other fishing equipment
- Hook Removers