Now that you are prepped and ready to go on the ice

here are a few tips and tricks to remember.

 

Cutting the Ice

Cutting holes the key to cutting holes in the ice is using a sharp tool. Regardless of the type,

• Spud
• Hand auger
• Power auger

The cutting blade or Edge must be razor sharp. That’s the key to making the holes quick and easy.

Ice Spud Tip

Drill a hole in the handle near the top of the ice spud if it doesn’t have one already and attach a lace strap that can be loop around your wrist to prevent losing the Spud when it goes through the ice.

Ice Hole Cleaner

The small dip net used by tropical fish fanciers works great for removing ice chips from your ice fishing hole.

Depth finders or fish locators

Using a depth finder or a fish locator for ice fishing is priceless tool for locating and catching fish. A good quality flasher type unit works the best and can be used to identify depths, structure, fish, and bait location. As long as the ice surface is smooth and wet you can get a depth reading directly through the ice eliminating cutting a lot of unnecessary holes.

 

 

Bait Bucket

A Styrofoam bucket with a lid works best for live minnows when you are ice fishing. The insulating qualities of the container will keep the water from freezing better than most other types of containers.

Emergency gaff if you are a hook a lunker and you don’t have a gaff use the curved handle of your ice spoon.

Slip the curved handle under the gill cover of the fish and haul the fish out of the hole.