10 Ice Fishing Tips For Beginners

These 10 ice fishing tips for beginners will help those ice fishermen just starting out to have an enjoyable ice fishing experience. Ice fishing can either be fun and exciting or it can be a miserable day. For the most part, ice fishing is a lot of fun. You just need some tips to help you get started.

1. Be aware of the ice- Be sure you are aware of the ice you plan to fish on. Be sure the ice is completely frozen and is at least 3-4 inches thick. You don’t want to fish where there are strong currents or river mouths. If you aren’t sure of a particular area, avoid that area and find another area to fish.
2. Tell someone where you are going- This is an important ice fishing tip for beginners. You may not be able to give specifics, but a general area will suffice. Be sure if a storm or other disaster happens, try and stay where you are. This way if you need a rescue someone has a general idea of your location.
3. Use tipups- Tipups are great tools for telling you where your fishing holes are and if you have a bite on your line. You may encounter smaller fish setting off the flag or it may be windy outside. A good trick in these cases is to reset the depth so that your bait is not on the bottom. Smaller fish tend to congregate near the bottom of the river or lake.
4. Dress warm- Another great ice fishing tip because if it is cold outside and you don't have enough clothing on, you will not enjoy your ice fishing experience. Dress in layers, because it will keep in the heat and keep put the cold air. You can add or remove clothing as needed. Don’t forget to wear gloves too.
5. Don’t forget the compass- You may not think you need a compass, but it may come in handy in case of crisis. You might believe that you cell phone’s GPS is good enough if you get lost. But what if you don’t have service? The GPS won’t work.
6. Get a stool- This is a great ice fishing tip for beginners because you don’t want to be cold sitting on the cold hard ice. When heading out for ice fishing, be sure to bring along something to sit on such as a small stool or bucket. In stores, you can purchase a bucket/seat that is a seat but you can also store bait and tackle in the bucket.
7. Use a simple rod/reel combination- Try using a 24 inch light action rod/reel. The Frabill 24” Ultra Light Panfish Popper Plus Ice Combo is a great started reel because it  is easy to use and has a spring bobber. Plus you can use it during open water season as well.
8. Have the right equipment- This is a very important ice fishing tip for beginners because without the right equipment, ice fishing will be useless. It is not expensive to start ice fishing. You just need to the basics to start out with. The basics include a rod/reel, drill, seat, rigs and bait.
9. Ice picks- Another great item to carry with you when ice fishing is ice picks. These are important to have for safety. These can be worn around the neck with a rope and are used when someone falls through the ice. Hopefully, you will never have to use these.
10. Use the right lures- This is a crucial ice fishing tip for beginners because without the right lures, you won’t catch any fish. Ice fishing lures comes in various shapes, sizes and colors. Try and use silver, white, pink or orange lures. Be sure to carry plenty of various lures in your tackles box.