Information about Ice Fishing

Ice fishing is the activity of catching fish with lines and hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Fishermen may sit on the stool on the open expanse of a frozen lake or sit in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.

Locations

It is a popular pastime in Canada, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Germany.

In the United States, people from Alaska, the states around the Great Lakes, and other areas with lakes and long, cold winters enjoy the activity. One of North Americas biggest ice fishing contests is annually held in Minnesota but was called off in 2006 due to incredibly warm weather.

Shelters

Many fisherman fish with no protective structure, merely heavy coats and gloves and other winter wear. Longer fishing expeditions can be mounted with simple structures. Larger, heated structures can make multi-day fishing trips possible, but these are often eschewed by seasoned fishers, many of whom do not use these larger shelters.

A structure with various local names, but often called an ice shanty, ice shack, fish house, or just plain shack, bobhouse, or ice hut, is sometimes used. These are dragged or trailered onto the lake using a vehicle such as a snowmobile, ATV or truck. The 2 most commonly used houses are portable shelters and permanent. The portable houses are usually made of a heavy material that is usually water tight. The 2 most common types of portable houses are when your shelter flips behind you when you don't need it or a pop up shelter so it the only means out is through a door. The permanent shelters are made of wood or metal and usually have wheels for easy transportation. They can be as basic as a bunk heater and holes or having satellite TV, bathrooms, stoves, full size beds and may appear to be more like a mobile home than a fishing house.

In North America, ice fishing is often a social activity. Sometimes frequently, the consumption of alcohol is involved. Some resorts have fish houses that are rented out by the day, often, shuttle service via Snow Track or other vehicles modified to drive on less ice than a standard truck is provided.

In Finland, solitary and contemplative isolation is often the object of the pastime. In Finland, fishhouses are a rare occurrence, but wearing a sealed and insulated drysuit designed out of space-age fabric technology for emergency rescue teams is not.

In North America, Houses will appear to create a city on various reefs where fishing is great.

Fishing equipment

Icefishing gear is highly specialized. First, an ice saw or auger is required to cut a circular hole or larger rectangular hole in the ice. Power augers are sometimes used. A strainer is sometimes required to remove new ice as it forms.

Three main types of fishing occurs. Small, light fishing rods with small, brightly colored lures or jigs with bait such as waxworms, fat heads or crappie minnows. Tip-ups, which carry a line attached to a flag that "tips up" when a strike occurs, allow unattended or less-intensive fishing. The line is dragged in by hand with no reel. In spear fishing a large hole is cut in the ice and fish decoys may be deployed. The fisherman stands over the hole while holding a large spear attached to a line. This method is often used for lake sturgeon fishing.

Becoming increasingly popular is the use of a flasher, similar to its summer cousin the fish finder . This is a sonar system that provides depth information, as well as indicates the presence of fish or other objects. Underwater cameras are also now available which allow the user to view the fish and watch how they react to your lure presentation.

Dangers

Many fishermen will go out with 2.5 inches of good ice for walking on but the recommended is 4", 5-6 inches for Sleds (Snow Machines, Snowmobiles) 7-12 for light cars and 14-16 inches for full sized trucks. However, care must be taken, because sometimes ice will not form in areas with swift currents., leaving open areas which freeze with much thinner ice. On the Great Lakes, off-shore winds can break off miles-wide pans of ice stranding large numbers of fishermen. Late-winter warm spells can destroy the texture of the ice, which, while still of the required thickness, will not adequately support weight. It is called "rotten ice" or soft ice and is exceedingly dangerous. Some ice-fishermen will continue to fish, since even with the bad ice normally 8 inches is more than enough. Fisherman may carry a self-rescue device made of two spiked handles connected by a string to help pull themselves back onto the ice out of the water.

Many cars, trucks, SUVs, snowmobiles, and fish houses fall through the ice each year. Current environmental regulations require the speedy recovery of the vehicle or structure in this situation. Divers must be hired, and when the trouble occurs far from shore, helicopters may be employed for hoisting.

Other risks associated with ice fishing include carbon monoxide poisoning from fish house heaters and frostbite due to prolonged exposure to wind and the temperatures associated although most new houses are fitted with air exchange systems that allow air flow preventing poisoning.

Contests

Ice fishing contests offer prizes for the largest fish caught within a limited time period, many offer a prize for the biggest fish caught as well. Some people take their ice fishing very seriously. In Michigan, USA, "Tip-Up Town, USA" can bring 40,000 people out onto Houghton Lake for festivities which include ice fishing, snowmobiling, snow sculpting and fireworks.

In Finland, ice fishing contests have been marred by repeated scandals, where both contestants and organizers have been caught cheating. Contestants have smuggled previously caught and frozen fish with them. And organizers have awarded the prizes to stooges, not really even participating in the competition, to avoid paying prize monies, which often rise to very high sums.

References

• Native-American Ice Fishing.