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Ice
Fishing - An Exciting Alternative!
By
Nancy Batson
Winter is on the way so
here is some timely information on ice fishing.
Ice fishing is a
specialized form of fishing that you can expect to see in colder parts of the
world including Alaska, Great Lakes region, Canada, Sweden, and
Russia.
Ice fishing involves
cutting a hole into a frozen body of water with a spear, auger, or axe. Once a
hole has been cut, fishermen either sit on stools or erect little cabins called
‘ice shanties’ that can be heated in order to fish for longer periods
of time. Ice fishing can be done in a day or over several days depending on how
long a person wants to fish.
For fishermen that enjoy
spear fishing in winter months it is important to ensure that the ice fishing
tent is tall enough and has enough room to allow standing and movement.
Hexagonal tents are often the best for this ice fishing. A lot of tents fold
down into backpack sized packages, complete with arm straps for easy handling.
Larger ice fishing tents may be packed and moved on ice fishing
sleds.
There are three ways to ice
fish:
· Spear fishing In
this method, fishermen stand above the hole and wait for fish to smell the
decoy they have set up. When the fish surfaces, the fishermen will spear the
fish.
· Light fishing This
is done using a small fishing rod and lure. Once a fish has been baited, the
fisherman pulls in the line using their hands instead of a reel.
·
‘Tip-ups’ Using a flag as an indicator, the fishermen set up lines
around the hole with bait and leave them. When the flag starts bouncing they
pull the lines in to see what has been caught.
Using sonar equipment,
fishermen are able to see where the heaviest fish activity is under the ice so
they can set up camp closer to them. Underwater cameras are also used to see
where the fish are.
This form of fishing is
different from other types because the methods are so different. This form of
fishing is more about waiting for the fish than trying to bait them using
casting skills.
Types of fish that can be
caught include: trout, crappie, and lake sturgeon. There is a danger to this
type of fishing, however. Setting up camp on weak spots in the ice could cause
an accident or even death.
So, bundle up and enjoy an
ice fishing outing this winter.
Still looking for
information on Ice Fishing? Check out FishingPilot.com a website specializing
in consumer fishing information!
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