Fishing through the ice is an Outdoor activity that can be done as a family. It’s relatively inexpensive to get outfitted and with tips from experienced ice fishermen, a first-timer can have an excellent chance at success their first trip onto the ice.

If you’ve ever wondered into a Sporting Goods store and looked at all the ice fishing equipment, you could get overwhelmed pretty quickly. You might be wondering “What are the basics I need to get started ice fishing?” Well, the basics are pretty simple and inexpensive. You don’t need all the high dollar fancy gear on the shelves to be a successful ice fisherman.

With this in mind, I sit down and made up this guide that will help you select the basic gear you’ll need to get started in the Sport of Ice Fishing. You’ll be surprised to know that most of this gear can be had for less than a hundred dollars or so. If you want to spend more, then by all means do so, but if you’re just wanting to try it out a few times, then the money invested is minimal.

To get started, you’ll first be looking at ice augers. It’ll be hard to start fishing through the ice without a hole! Many first timers choose a manual ice auger. For small fish, you’ll be looking at an auger that will bore a 5 to 6 inch hole in the ice. Should you want to catch bigger fish like Walleye, Pike, Musky, Bass or Catfish, you’re need a larger hole. One in the 8 to 10 inch range. Just keep in mind that the bigger the hole, the harder it will be to bore it with a manual ice auger. This is why you’ll see many ice fishermen using a power auger to drill their holes.

Next on the list will be your rod and reel. Some ice fishermen use what they call a tip up, others use short rods and reels. Others use a combination of both. If you really want to increase the chances of bringing home fish, drill multiple holes in the ice and use tip ups while fishing at one with a rod and reel.

Don’t overlook the line you’ll be using to catch fish. Regular fishing line will become brittle and break easily when fishing through a hole in the ice. Look for fishing line that is designed specifically for ice fishing. There are many on the market or you can order it through catalog retailers such as Cabela’s.

Now you need something to catch the fish. For panfish like Crappie, Bluegill and Yellow Perch, I like to use mealworms, spikes or nightcrawlers. I also carry along an assortment of ice fishing jigs and spoons. For the bigger fish such as Pike and Bass, I like minnows or tear drop jigs and spoons as these fish can be aggressive. It’s not a bad idea to check with local fishermen to see what they like to use on a specific body of water to catch fish through the ice. This will save you a lot of trial and error in the beginning.

Be sure to purchase something to sit on. A majority of seasoned ice fishermen make use of an ordinary five gallon bucket. Few Beginners will even bring lawn chairs out on the ice, but a bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from your fishing hole.

Other miscellaneous things you may need are an ice scoop to get the ice chips out of your hole, a cooler or other item to carry your fish in and maybe a portable heater. Some hardcore fishermen even take sonars to see the structure on the bottom of the lake. Ice fishing is easy to get started in. You can spend as much or little as you want so get out there and grab your gear. Be sure to read up on the regulations and safety rules before heading out.

You don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to get started ice fishing. You can find all the ice fishing tackle you need by visiting DealsOnFishingReels dot com. You name it, you can find it there. There you’ll find loads of great deals on all types of fishing gear including the reliable fishing reels for ice fishing.

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In my opinion, Walleye are one of the most fun fish to go after. They can be a real adventure, and with the right preparation, can be the type of fish you’ll be proud to bring into the boat!

There are few fish as interesting as the Walleye. They can be a real adventure as they can be in many diverse areas, but aren’t the kind of fish you can just sit there and wait to jump onto the line. Walleye are very cautious, and will carefully peck away at your line to determine if it’s the right thing to go after.

To make sure you get as many Walleye as possible, consider that you’ll have to look to see how you can pull them in. If you’re looking to do this, make sure that you have a better idea of when they’re near your line, and that you’ve given the Walleye a big enough target to focus on.

Look for ways to make your target bigger. More, Bigger bait, ways of catching the Walleye’s eye. This will ensure that they’ll spend more time around your lure and that they’ll be more likely to get hooked. As well, this will mean that you’re more than likely to have multiple fish see the line.

Focus on being in a sensitive zen like state. Being one with the line is the optimal way to focus on bringing the Walleye in. As you’ll barely notice them on your line, you need to focus on what is going on. Interpreting each little change on the line is important as it will allow you to know if it is a fish or something else, and when to act.

True, complete focus is the key to fishing for the best Walleye. This can be the real key for landing them, as you’ll need to be in tune as to when they might be on the line.

Walleye fishing is one of the best sports, and we always love sharing walleye fishing tips!

Learn more about Walleye Fishing. Stop by Chuck Gilford’s site where you can find out all about Walleye Fishing and what it can do for you.

To many an avid angler there is nothing quite like day spent fishing for king Walleye fishing in an upscale river area of wetlands. Sure it’s no secret that more than one of these elusive foes can be reeled in throughout well established river fishing holes. What precise, well oiled methods are best to exploit these watersheds to reel in and land these “big ones” whether it’s the Mississippi River or simply the good ole Red River as it streams through the Canadian province of Manitoba?

Are those who fish for Walleye in rivers a different lot than those who ply lakes in search of prey? Perhaps. A lot of lakeside fishing can be said to be simpler and much easier than working a riverbed or fast moving streams. Precious water levels in lake watersheds stay fairly constant, and within limited ranges throughout the seasons of the year. It usually takes long term drought weather conditions or heavy rainwater from major weather disturbances to bring about severe and extreme low or high water levels in any lake water system or systems. Yet it’s no secret that river anglers consider it a matter of basic course to expect and even battle rising or falling stages of river water heights. Add additional constructs and difficulties to the fishing mix as the river bottoms can be bet to be in a constant flux. It’s no simple lake bed simply lying undisturbed deep beneath a lakes surface. Sandbars in any river system can be counted on to appear and magically disappear miraculously almost by themselves ,with changes occurring regularly , for no apparent reason or rhyme , and sometimes with changes accruing it seems – almost on a daily basis. Yesterdays or the last fortnight’s conditions oft don’t apply today – to the star fisherman out on the prowl for Walleye at his favorite river fishing hole or holes.

Its not only perch fish that you have to contend with. In these cases you and your fishing buddies are up against one of the smartest fishes to come across your fishing rods – the great Walleye fish. Yet you have to think like a Walleye. It’s an Old Icelandic proverb that to catch fish you “have to think like a fish”. Well at least if you want to be recognized with a Manitoba provincial master angler’s award.

An important and noticeable log pile may be just the ticket to a large fish catch. Especially in the case of an apparent pile of logs among submerged – and probably not apparent series of submerged rocks. This is a case where a good electronic fish finder can be worth its weight in gold. Many even experienced fishing folk, think of modern fish finders simply as tools to locate fish only. Yet the flip sides of these devices is that not only are modern fish finders useful for spotting fish prey and schools of fish but also that they detect and isolate features on the bottom surface of rivers and lakes. Bingo not only does the sports electronic device spot fish but also in these cases submerged rocks along with the current breaking log pile on the river’s surface. You would be best to mark down this Walleye and Pickerel fish magnet with your GPS. Read pooling of nourishment and prey not only for your hunt but also for the various smaller fish that Walleye seek to feed upon.

Learn to “read ” and appreciate river water currents and you will long away on the road to successful fishing in rivers and river beds – not only in this case for Walleye fish but any of any of desirable fish species that you may well want to hook and land. What are the tricks of the sportsman’s trade? The pros seem to record and note, that water depth along with the torrents speed around objects in rivers and streams provide those all important and treasured “current breaks”, where you will find your most elusive as well as challenging fishing prey. Next search and discover areas in regards to slower moving even “slack” waters where nourishment for the fish , seem to gather and pool, and you will have discovered your pot of gold where your fish will congregate and assemble to feed. It’s no accident, all in all, it can be said – that the fish are where their favorite foods of the season are – and the exact locations where the avid, polished fisherman will land those master trophy Walleyes.

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No doubt about those Pickerel and Walleye fish are just plain wily smart. Say what you can, but even the dumbest Walleye fish seems to more than intelligent when it comes to evading novice fishing sports enthusiasts. Even then it can be well said that is better to be out on the prowl for those “creatures of the deep” rather than back “at the office” in that hot boring, city. The early bird gets the worm, and that smart aquatic creature of the deep gets your minnows and bait,

The Walleye fish is the largest member of what be called or considered the “Perch” family and is regularly referred to as a “walleyed pike fish” or even a pickerel. However the Walleye fish family in truth is neither pike fish nor a pickerel in strict scientific ichthyologist terms. As specimens the largest giant varieties can grow as heavy in weight as 20 pounds (9 kg), although the most common catch is in the 1 to 3 lb ranges. A catch of 6 to 10 lbs is in the trophy class and classifications. These are the pride of many Manitoba “master anglers” and Northern Ontario trophy fisherman. Interestingly enough you can bet that these fine fish are just so tasty and delicious to eat that you will not see too many trophies of this size or category fish hanging on the wall or mantle.

If there is one type of aquatic and water landscape condition and conditions that Walleye and the Canadian pickerel fish like, it is cold water living and swimming. Generally it is held that these fish prefer water temperature conditions of less than 29 degrees Celsius of water temperature as the general rule of thumb. Hence conditions such as in Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin or the vast cooler lakes of Lake Manitoba especially in the Lake Manitoba Narrows regions or the very large Lake Winnipeg inland sea are more than ideal.

Catch one Walleye, odds and experience will tell you that there are plenty more of these fish, waiting to be caught in adjacent waters. Why is this? Generally Walleye fish school and other fish from that same schooling group just loitering around waiting for you just to tease and taunt them with fresh bait or a bright colored lure or jig. Experienced anglers can well note and advise you’re that in the greatest amount of cases, Walleye and Pickerels hold near the bottom of the lake waters. Not unlike Goldeye fish and the patterns of landing trophy sized Goldeyes. When fishing at these depths watch your line (or lines if local fishing and game laws and regulations allow), for any lateral or unusual movements and strip. In these cases simply remove or retrieve your fishing line by hand. It seems that Walleye fish take their food very slowly, thus the hook must be set the very moment and second that a fish takes the fly or it will simply reject it.

Some people like to travel and lie on the beach for their vacation or vacations. Others like city shopping and dining. Yet nothing beats the excitement and comradeship of a day spent fishing with your buddies fresh from the fishing lodge or lodges, and then frying up your catch of fresh Walleyed Pickerel.

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