| If you're the type of person that loves outdoor | | | | seconds. The ice skimmer looks a little like a small |
| activities so much that you don't want to stay inside, | | | | colander with a long handle. It is used to scoop out |
| even in winter, than you should look into ice fishing. | | | | the ice and snow that collect in your ice hole as you |
| Ice fishing is the only way to extend your fishing | | | | drill. |
| season beyond the time of year when the lakes | | | | Obviously, if you want to catch any fish when you |
| freeze over. Fishermen all over Canada and the | | | | go out on the ice, you are going to need an ice |
| northern part of the Unites States only have to stop | | | | fishing rod. Most ice fishing rods are very lightweight, |
| fishing for the few short weeks between the time | | | | and they are usually less than thirty inches long. |
| when the first thin layers of ice develop on the | | | | Presumably because they are smaller and require |
| surface of the water to when the ice layer is thick | | | | fewer materials to manufacture than their soft water |
| enough to support significant weight-loads. Once the | | | | counterparts, ice fishing rods are relatively cheap. |
| ice is thick enough these devoted fishermen can | | | | Because cold water makes fish sluggish, many fish |
| drive their cars out to the middle of their favorite | | | | are slower and weaker during the ice fishing season, |
| lake, drill a hole in the ice, and continue their favorite | | | | so hits are often light and difficult to feel. Your ice |
| outdoor pastime. Winter fishing is not for people who | | | | fishing rod should be very sensitive so that you can |
| are easily discouraged by cold temperatures, but it | | | | detect these small nibbles. |
| can be a fun activity for those who don't mind the | | | | Most people prefer to stay out of the frigid winter |
| cold, so if you think you can muster it, all you will | | | | winds when they go winter fishing, and in order to |
| need is a minimal amount of equipment to get | | | | do this they bring an ice shelter, otherwise known as |
| started. | | | | a shanty. Ice shelters are like large tents, except |
| The most important pieces of equipment you will | | | | they have a rigid support structure so they can |
| need before you start your hard water fishing | | | | stand up to the strong winds that accumulate across |
| expedition are an auger and ice skimmer. An auger is | | | | wide expanses of ice. They come in various shapes |
| a very large drill for boring holes in the ice. You can | | | | and sizes, depending on the conditions they were |
| buy a hand auger, which you have to turn manually, | | | | designed for, but they all have an open bottom, so |
| for ice that is only about a foot thick, but if you | | | | that their inhabitants can drill a hole and fish through it |
| need to drill through more than three feet of solid | | | | without exposing themselves to the freezing |
| ice, you are highly recommended to buy a power | | | | temperatures outside. It is because of the limited |
| auger, which works automatically and can usually | | | | space inside of ice shanties that ice fishing rods are |
| penetrate over forty inches of ice in under fifteen | | | | usually made so short. |