Thanks for making this video. I’m super new to ice fishing. Grew up with a family that wouldn’t allow this but now that I’m older I have the opportunity to! So thank you for all this great info!
I moved to Minnesota last year and tried ice fishing once with a guide and really liked it. I think this year I’m going to buy my own equipment and start doing it regularly
You should! You can probably gear up for under $200. Our ice fishing kit, rod & reel, and line for $110, buy a 6" hand auger and 6" scoop and some wax worms for $90. If i go this light i just throw it all in a back pack and carry the auger. It's alot quicker and lighter. Once you get multiple rods, electronics, bucket etc then you need to invest in a decent gear sled but you can definitely get out and stay mobile on under $200.
@@TheFishingNomad yeah.. Not sure where ya plan.. Or what ya consider up north.. But don't come up to MN now. Has been -35 to 0 degrees the whole week!!! 😂 will be great mid march though! And a million lakes to fish.
First season coming up. I feel blessed to live somewhere I have so much outdoor recreation now! And it's not all crowded out this way. Gonna head to my local outfitter this week and get all the basics. They have a big fishing derby up here every january and I wanna compete this year.
Amazing video pal, I am new to ice fishing and this was really helpful. I’m in calgary alberta, so I’m looking to find nice ice fishing places around here. Thanks
Using your auger in an up and down motion to clear the hole puts you at risk of chipping the blade on a rock and, believe it or not, ripping the blade from the auger altogether. Unless you know the water is deep, remover your auger as soon as it breaks through. I bought a 5" Swedish bore in 2012 and have drilled no less than 800 holes since and still have them on for this year. I have never sharpened them, I just followed my advice above and drown them with vegetable oil after every use before I put the cap back on.
I have fished on Oneida and it gets decent ice definitely enough to drive a 4 wheeler on as we did. I highly recommend joining a facebook group for ice fishing in New York State. The fb groups always post on ice conditions and you should be able to get daily reports. For gear make sure you wear snow pants, a coat, gloves, hat and snow boots.
Thanks for your you tube series. Nice job! I’m looking for safety spikes and see numerous options but none with the option to slide together like the ones you are wearing in video. I see plenty with singular safety covers(plastic) but Not what I need. Thanks! Brian
Hi Brian, these are made by Celsius and are on the cheaper end. I actually prefer the retractables by Frabill but needed to buy these to film while out of town. However, here is a link to one online seller that provides them but we picked them up at Fleet Farm in MN. www.sportsmans.com/fishing-gear-supplies/ice-fishing/ice-fishing-essentials/celsius-ice-fishing-escape-life-preserver/p/417702?channel=shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpPydovPl5wIVhsVkCh2n4QEYEAQYAyABEgI5PfD_BwE
Depends on if there are elevated bodies of water that freeze over. This typically happens in +3,000 ft of elevation in the nothern temperate regions of the US that also hold mountain chains. I do know it happens in Arizon a southern desert on the Mogollon Rim which is between 7,000-8,000 ft. It happens more commonly along the cascades and rockies in states that don't get cold enough at the sea level (Washington, Oregon, Utah). I don't beleive Cambodia or Vietnam have high elevation fare enough away from the ocean thermo winds and far north enough from the equator. There might be some bodies of water that freeze near the peaks of the Kravanh mountain range in Cambodia as I see the highest point here is 5500 feet but i doubt they are accesible if they exist. There are some ranges along Vietnam that get up to 10,000 feet but again I don't beleive they sport water that freezes over because they are looking like peaks without valleys that hold water. Looking at topographic maps your best bet would be Bhutan or South West China that have ranges with valleys with water bodies high enough in elevation to freeze over. This is all from my experience fishing alpine lakes and taking a quick look at topographic charts. Definitely doesn't mean this is accurate.
@@tailoredtackle8545 wow what a seriously well thought out response. I honestly thought the original question was sarcastic (hey can I go ice fishing in the Sahara desert?) But now I'm reconsidering my original take. Anyways thanks for the video and impressive commitment to answering a fan question sincerely.
@@nortfud5586 ha i know I thought the same way but then again I was super surpised about Arizona when I learned about ice fishing there 2 years ago. At first I thought the question was some classic BS but early when we launched this video there were a ton of kids responding in the comments saying their outdoor education teacher put our video on their syllabus and after I re-read it it sounded like a HW question. So I had some fun digging in. My favorite past time is scouting new hunting and fishing spots with mapping.
Agreed but probably not a good idea for a beginner. We don't want them spooked their first itme going out and there is too much to think about for your first time to be risking ice conditions. Also just FYI if your traveling, midwest has consistent ice levels on almost all lakes when they freeze over but most of the lake in the west and upper northest and river/spring fed so the ice varies substantially. Here in WA, having 5 inches of ice means that some parts of the lake are guaranteed to be 2 in max
I have recently switched over to the thickest insulated duck hunting boots instead of classic winter boots because they are fully waterproof. Lately I have found that water is my biggest enemy out there from drilling so many wholes. So I have been using the Lacrosse Alphaburly in 1600G thinsulate which is 100% pure waterproof. I get them a size up and use extra thick Smart Wool socks. I use these in -20 easily and with the smartwool socks i get just as much warmth as winter boots but the guarentee of waterproofing makes a world of a difference. However, duck boots can be tough to walk in. I would go and try a handful of them at a retailer to find which ones bend the best for you. www.amazon.com/Lacrosse-376032-Alphaburly-Hunting-Realtree/dp/B07T7HHQKQ/ref=sr_1_22?crid=3QWSH1G0C98YD&keywords=lacrosse+duck+boots+men&qid=1642449358&sprefix=lacrosse+duck+boots%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-22 www.amazon.com/Smartwool-Unisex-Trekking-Heavy-Womens/dp/B000JTN162/ref=sr_1_15?crid=GTLR3KVP9NFZ&keywords=smartwool+mountaineering+socks+men&qid=1642449608&sprefix=smartwool+mount%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-15
Yes there is a large difference. If you are just going out once and not taking it very seriously you can use a freshwater rod but they are way less sensative and make ice fishing challenging. You will miss way more fish and catch less fish. You also can't fish them inside of a shelter because they are too long. I would say check out our Multispecies Ice Fishing Combo but we just sold out for the year. Our ice gear has become way more popular than we ever expected. We will be back in stock in October 2021
@@tailoredtackle8545 Thanks, I will check my local fishing store for an "Ice fishing" specific rod. I am just doing it for casual family fun, but need to maximize my catch too lol
1:45 he doesn’t mean go put a trap or jig 5 feet from somebody jeep a bit of distance or atleast ask. I know that’s one thing that gets annoying is when your out there catching fish then people come and set up right next to you even though they have been fishing 100 yards away all day
Lololol he says 5 inches is the minimum 🤣 😂 someone doesn't wanna get sued!! Just 4 days ago went out on first ice of 2 inches max at 6ft 195 lbs. Did just fine 🙂 GREAT VID FOR TRUE BEGINNERS THO!
I'm gonna go ice fishing later. I get to do this once a year. So I watched this video for a review. Edit:If you are going fishing for food like I am later, use the eyes as bait instead of maggots. I have a better experience with them.
No but if you are fishing in less than 6 ft of water (trout, bluegill, spear fishing) you need to be quiet. They can't typically hear the noise but they can feel the vibration and it spooks them. Anything deeper than that and the vibration doesn't carry.
In the midwest yes, but on the east and west coast there are tons of lakes that have current and springs because they are often chained to rivers and streams. Ice isn't uniform on these lakes so 3" means plenty of spots with
you also need lots of money. this is sick ! now what you need to have is ..... I started with a spud worms and a stick with hook and line. FFS !! This really is a scream !!
Well you don't need to buy the advanced gear. The beginner gear we cover first includes bucket ($20), 6" Hand Auger ($60), Ice Rod Reel ($60), Ice Fishing Line ($10), Ice Tackle ($40), Bait ($5), Safety Spikes ($5) which ends up being $200. That is relatively affordable for any full season fishing or hunting activity. Actually one of the cheapest.
so this is meant for beginners that are fishing popular bodies of water. In the ice fishing world, all popular bodies of water have large "shanty towns" where a mass of permanant and semi permant shelters congregate. This is where I am directing the beginners to go. These popular spots on popular lakes will always hold atleast 5-10 shelters. When that is the case it is kosher to fish closer.