Ice Fishing

Nothing will ruin an ice fishing trip faster than cold feet. Luckily for anglers there are plenty of choices to keep one's toes toasty in a range of winter conditions. The following is a rundown of footwear options and things to consider when buying boots.

Pac Boots

I've been out on several productive panfish ice outings recently. Black crappie have been the target species on most, although bluegills and yellow perch were also in my crosshairs at times.

Two things fascinate me about panfish. Their inquisitiveness and their fussiness in what they will and won't eat. When curious onlookers want to stay lock-jawed, I use a variety of dropper rig combinations to try to get them to open up.

The essential gear you need to ice panfish isn't extensive. An assortment of baits, a light action rod and a good auger are the key ingredients. Spicing up this menagerie are sophisticated tools, such as electronics. These aren't mandatory, but they'll help you catch more fish. The following items represent a well-rounded toolkit for coaxing pannies topside.

Safety Gear

Flats, as their name suggests, are relatively uniform; however, within them subtle structure and cover variances exist.

When the hard water finally sets in, anglers everywhere will be converging on its frozen surface to drill their way through to the fish below. Show up without an ice auger, however and your chances of success are virtually nil.

There's nothing quite like ice fishing. An adventure on a frozen lake can provide good catches, a welcome relief from cabin fever and great memories. But few other outdoor activities require as much caution and awareness. A plunge through thin ice can easily prove fatal; so too can other hazards such as hypothermia, vehicle injuries or carbon monoxide poisoning in a tightly-sealed ice hut. Fortunately, being aware of a few safety rules can eliminate these unpleasant risks.

The Cardinal Rule

Ice season is here! Given our winter so far, it's likely there's safe ice in close proximity to your favorite fishing grounds no matter where you are within North America's ice belt. This said, always tread cautiously and regularly check conditions as thickness will fluctuate within a lake and heavy snowfalls can impact ice quality.