Ice Fishing Tips

For many anglers cold weather means not fishing, but for those anglers who enjoy standing on a frozen lake and looking through a hole in the ice, colder weather means one very important thing. Ice fishing. In this article I'm going to do my best to provide you with some practical ice fishing tips to help you be more successful.

For me personally, ice fishing, has always been a "band-aid" for not being able to fish normally, and it's also a great excuse for having a few adult beverages. But the bottom line is that I've done a lot of it over the years, and in the process learned a few tips. These tips will help you become a much more successful angler.

The first tip is to make sure you're prepared. Obviously fishing on the ice means that it's going to be pretty cold, so you must dress accordingly. The most important parts of your body to keep warm are your hands and feet. If either one of these appendages become too cold, your ice fishing trip will be over. Remember the old adage, that it's easy to take layers off, but more difficult to put them on. Bundle your hands and feet up, and if you become too hot, start taking layers off.

A great technique is to wear a pair of glove liners under your gloves, as a way of layering. This way when you need your fingers, you can take the outer gloves off and still have some protection. Glove liners are a wonderful idea for anyone who's going to spend an afternoon on the ice.

The next tip is to make sure you're fishing at the most opportune times. This simply means that you should be on the ice when the fish are going to be the most active. How do you know when the fish are going to be the most active? Simple. By paying attention to the weather and moon. These two factors play a huge role in the activity level of fish. Plan your trips onto the ice around the phases of the moon and frontal systems, and you'll catch more fish.

If you like to use bait while ice fishing, gang hooks are a great idea. You see, gang hooks are simply a pair of smaller hooks tied in tandem, which enable live bait to be presented in a totally natural way. And if you like to use synthetic baits while ice fishing, pre-tied gang hooks enable you present twice as much bait, effectively doubling your chances of a hook up. They are attached to your line using a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12) which is all but invisible underwater. If you use bait of any kind, gang hooks should be a part of your repertoire.

These tips will make you more successful while ice fishing. How am I so sure of this? Because I know they work, because I've personally been using them for more than 20 years.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!


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