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Ice Fishing

from: Rob Lore

The sport of catching fish through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water is called ice fishing. Fisherman use lines with hooks or spears. Those who are ice fishing may sit out in the open on a frozen lake, or they may more comfortably sit inside a heated ice fishing shelter. Their ice fishing shelter may be a portable ice fishing shelter sometimes called an ice fishing shelter shanty, or a more permanent ice fishing house. Some ice fishing houses even have bunks and other conveniences.

Ice fishing is popular in Finland, Sweden, Russia, Norway, Germany, and Canada. In the United States people who live around the Great Lakes, in Alaska, and in other areas with lakes and long, cold winters participate in ice fishing. One of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie, can freeze over completely, while the other ones do not usually freeze over entirely. The bays of the Great Lakes do freeze though, and they are quite popular ice fishing areas. Northern pike and yellow perch are the most common catches in these areas.

The ice fishing equipment and ice fishing gear used is highly specialized for the type of ice fishing. An ice pick, an auger, or a saw is used to cut a small circular hole or a larger rectangular hole in the ice. Sometimes even power ice augers are used. At times a strainer is needed to remove any newly formed ice.

There are three main types of fishing for the sport of ice fishing. The ice fishing equipment and ice fishing gear needed for each type is different.

The first is called jigging for fish. Ice fishing by jiggingt requires light, small ice fishing rods with brightly colored, smaller ice fishing lures, or bait such as moussies or wax worms.

Allowing for less intensive or unattended fishing, ice fishing tipups are sometimes used. Tipups are a line which is attached to a flag that "tips up" when a bite occurs. Ice fishing lines are pulled in by hand and no ice fishing reel is used.

For spear ice fishing, the fisherman stands over a large hole with a spear in hand. Spears are most often used for Lake Sturgeon fishing.

There are some dangers in the sport of ice fishing, and care must be taken before going onto any ice. The ice needs to be at least four inches thick to support the weight of walking humans. The ice needs to be at least a foot deep to support the weight of a vehicle. Late winter warm spells and offshore winds can destroy the texture of the ice, and then it is referred to as "rotten ice." While the ice may be thick enough, it will not adequately support weight. Other dangers include carbon monoxide poisoning in ice fishing shelters from heaters, and also frostbite from extended exposure to cold temperatures and wind.

Ice fishing has been considers a "quasi sport" for a long time because some people say that there is little skill involved, and that success is achieved only by good luck. But research by the American Ice Fishing Association shows that ice fishing can be a very calming sport for everyone. Research by the American Ice Fishing Association also concluded that ice fishing helps to manage the fish species population, and it also adds to the economic growth and the well being of those who participate in ice fishing.