What is Ice-Fishing?

It is interesting to have fun on frozen ponds during the cold winter. You can enjoy fishing in the silent, cold environment with your family and friends. Ice fishing is an activity of catching fish with lines/fish hooks/ spears through an opening in the frozen surface of the water body. Ice fishing awards you good yummy fish, and it is just another casual fun time pass with your buddies during winter. During ice fishing, you usually stay in structures named as ice shanty, ice shack, fish house, bob bounce, ice hut and so on. They can be either portable structures which can be dragged near to the frozen pond or permanent structure built near it. In olden days it was practiced as a need for survival during the cold winter, but now it is more of a fun or social activity. Most ski resorts offer the ice house and equipment needed for ice fishing. Native Americans did ice fishing almost 2000 years using spears for their survival.

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When you do ice fishing, make sure that the ice surface is thick enough to hold you and your equipment, else it's going to be very dangerous. If the icy surface needs to hold your weight when you walk, it should be at least 4 inches thick. If you need to drive your vehicle over it, it should be at least 15 inches thick. If you are planning to do ice fishing during the middle of the winter season, drill in the middle of the ponds, and if the season is nearing to spring, drill in a place nearer to the land, because the fish may move to different places depending on the season. Drill a hole with a depth of 3 to 20 feet, for the best availability of fish, and check the traps every 30 minutes.

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While ice fishing, please follow the rules and regulations set in your location. There are regulations for the line limits, the type of species that can be fished, and the time for fishing. Choosing the right equipment for ice fishing is another important aspect to be kept in mind. To deploy your bait through the hole, use ice traps called ‘tip-ups’ or specialized jigging rod. Use small or big shiners, chubs or earthworms for bait. They are usually constructed of wood and wire. It has a spool with line, a mechanical trigger mechanism, and a flag that pops up when a fish pulls line from the spool. After setting your bait on the hook, lower it down and set the trap! Snap the hook as soon as the fish gets trapped. The equipment you may need are a drill for drilling the hole, a fishing rod or reel to pull the fish to the surface, fishing line to hold the fish, a tackle box for holding all these accessories. Apart from these, you need to protect yourself from the extreme temperature by wearing a proper winter clothing and building a temporary shelter. 

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Experience every winter activity like Ice fishing, snowboarding, skiing, to enjoy the dark winters. Use a comfortable ski lift and go to the mountains to explore the alps.