Ice Fishing: 5 Reasons Why You Should Try It

Winter is the season where most families get together and enjoy the holidays. It's a lazy season with not much to do but eat, spend time with family, and watch televised sporting events. Most places are closed during this time, especially in the country's northern parts, where snow falls heavily. Golf clubs and restaurants are probably closed while public parks are too cold to enjoy and peppered with snow all over, leaving people lazily indoors for much of the holiday season.

It's the same for anglers all over the country as fish are in a state of hibernation during this time. Technically they're not hibernating as they will not sleep for long periods. They will, however, rest and cease a lot of activity. The season prior sees fish eat a lot of prey to have a lot of energy. As their metabolism slows down due to the cold, they can conserve most of what they've eaten throughout winter, only needing to feed on prey a few times. Because of this rest, fishing during winter may be the hardest throughout the year, which is why many anglers avoid doing so. Yet, despite the challenges of fishing during winter, many anglers have found ice fishing one of the most rewarding and unique fishing experiences an angler can have. Here are the top 5 reasons every angler should try ice fishing for every still unconvinced.

Reasons to Get Into Ice Fishing 

1. Unique Experience

There's nothing like walking in the middle of a frozen lake, drilling a hole, and fishing from where you stand. Unless we're talking about Alaskan anglers, then winter is the only time of the year most anglers will ever be able to experience ice fishing. Walking around a frozen body of water is exciting in itself because of the lack of the need for a fishing boat despite being far out of the land. The usual scenery takes 180 during the holiday season in terms of location. When ice fishing in mountainous states like Montana and Idaho are blanketed with snowmaking for a Dr. Seuss-like Christmas atmosphere all while fishing.

The method of fishing is also unique as equipment specialized for winter fishing, such as drillers and ice shanties, are used. Rods, reels, and tackles can be substituted for ice fishing traps called tip-ups. Live bait is also more reliable as its scent is much more appealing. When the weather becomes too cold, anglers then escape to ice huts, portable shelters that provide protection from outside elements, from strong winds to the temperature. 

2. Surprisingly Active Sport

In the past, ice fishing used to be a sport where fishers would cast their line and wait all day for a single catch, mostly because fish aren't as active during the winter. However, because modern-day fish finders are more accurate, anglers can actively search for fish anywhere in the area, only needing to check the site constantly. The need to actively search for fish has made ice fishing a very active type. This is especially true when trying to locate fish for hours, wearing multiple layered, thick clothing, and carrying her around. What once was a type of fishing mainly associated with sitting and waiting has now been transformed into a very active one.

3. Less Competition

As stated above, there weren't many people active during this time. Maybe it's the cold, or perhaps it's the utter lack of things to do, but most people will probably be home for the holidays. However, for an ice fishing angler, this presents a prime opportunity in being one of the few people going out to fish during this time. However, it has to be noted that not every ice-fishing spot is entirely vacant. Popular ice fishing spots, especially in Minnesota and Idaho, can be home to many anglers spending their holidays catching fish. In a pandemic, ice fishing gets around safety restrictions. In most scenarios, ice fishing is usually done while maintaining a reasonable distance between one angler to the next. Despite having fewer people nearby, it is also great to partner with you in case of emergencies.

4. Bigger Fish

For anglers wanting a record catch, then ice fishing may be for you. Though fish are often hard to find, because of their slow metabolism and lack of the need to eat food, they make up for being at their most significant during this time. Wintertime usually presents fewer opportunities for fish to sustain their energy, hence why they stock up before heading into winter in the first place. Anglers can take advantage of that by dropping some irresistible live bait that will entice any bass or trout into taking a bite. According to other anglers, fish are tastier than algae, which is usually why freshwater fish taste muddy are gone because of the cold.

5. A Reason to Get Out of the House

It can be a lot to take in, cooped in a house for long periods. It doesn't help that covid restrictions had a lot of people stuck indoors. Maybe another couple of weeks doing nothing but eat turkey and watching football won't do anyone good. Since people were indoors for most of the past year and the year prior, maybe a family fishing trip outside would be a great idea. A fishing trip is a great idea to try winter camping or a mountainside skiing lodge, which offers ice fishing tour guides. 

The winter holiday season doesn't have to stop at home. Ice fishing can be a unique activity that will kill boredom. Regardless of how fun it can be, people should still be careful during this time of year as the cold can be both fun and unforgiving. Be sure to wear the right clothes and always take care.