Not many people prefer to go to colder areas during the winter, but there are some exciting activities we can do. In some areas, natives take their winter activities quite seriously. When planning to have an ice fishing session, we should make sure that we have comfortable gears and clothes. An outdoor activity during the winter should be performed during clear, sunny day. There are thousands of fishable frozen lakes in North America and Northern Europe during the winter. Anglers of all skill levels and ages can enjoy the peaceful environment, during ice fishing.
Ice fishing is available in Canada, Alaska and Scandinavian states, if we visit these countries during the winter. Many of these lakes are located within close proximity of towns and villages. Winter ice fishing isn’t a difficult thing to do if we choose a day with the right weather. For this reason, we should start an ice fishing trip only during a clear day and cancel it, even if it is only overcast. Many ice fishing groups are built around a small community. We could stay in cabins with adequate amenities for tourists, including bunks, full kitchen, bathroom and others.
When we arrive on top of the frozen lake or river, we could see people of all ages sitting on their folding chair, some could be drinking hot coffee leisurely from their thermos. Many popular ice fishing sites allow travellers to rent small fishing pole, chair and other equipments. In these areas, our chances of finding anglers who want to help are quite good. It is also a good idea to ask them to accompany us, because not only they will provide us with valuable techniques but spots where fishes can be obtained quite easily. They could provide us with an insight at what time of the day fishes are likely to be caught and how deep we should look for them.
Depending on the distance, we could reach the lake or river on foot or with ATV, snowmobile or car. Some areas are cold enough to allow us drive ATV on top of the lake. However, we should be accompanied by the locals to help us confirm the thickness of the ice. We should also check online researches about safety during ice fishing. Other than reel and small fishing rod, we also need the line, tackle, bait, scoop, chisel, auger and bobber. We should ask experienced anglers about the best tools we use. Before we start ice fishing, we need to drill a hole with enough diameter, about ten inches.
We could use the chisel to enlarge the hole and scoop is needed to remove ice chips from the water surface. Instead of holding the rod continuously we can use the bobber to know when the fish nibbles the bait. After a successful ice fishing trip, we could go back to the cabin and cook our freshly caught fish for dinner.