OK, I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool ice fisherman. I usually like to go 1-2 times each winter and those numbers aren’t set in stone. Deep down I’m always halfway worried about breaking through the ice. That would be miserable! And it doesn’t help a bit when you’re standing by your ice hole and you hear the harmonic sound of a crack coming across the ice toward you.

As my daughter used to say, “Daddy, you’re not exactly known as Captain Safety” but despite that reputation, let’s start off by covering a few safety rules. Everyone will tell you to not fish unless there is a good 4 inches of ice. If the snow is melting on top and there’s a sheet of water on top-beware. Carry a thick grass rope so if someone falls in you can throw it to them and pull them out. Having a tent heater might be smart.

I don’t ice fish enough to buy an ice hut but they are nice since they block the wind and you can have a tent heater in one. They can be a simple pop-up hut or something more elaborate.

TOOLS

You’re going to have to get a little gear. First, you’ll need an auger. I just have a handheld one but if you fish much, you’ll want a gas-powered one. They allow you to move around faster until you find the fish. If all you have is a hand auger then you won’t move around as much as you should.

You’ll also want a little dipper to dip the ice crystals out of the hole so it doesn’t freeze shut. Then you’ll want a sled to lug your gear out to your spot. Forever I just used my daughter's little plastic red sled but a few years ago I bought a larger one at a rummage sale.

I load my gear into one or two 5-gallon buckets. You’ll also want a chair to sit on unless you want your tail to freeze to the ice. Tie a rope to the sled and off you go. If there’s a lot of snow you may want to wear some snow shoes.

For rods, you’ll want some short ice fishing rods or tip-ups are popular too. For lures, I use the little ice fishing jigs and mealworms, worms, or some kind of attractant bait. Due to the ice-cold water, the fish will be more sluggish, so fish slower than normal.

No need to worry about having a cooler to keep your catch in, just throw them on the ice and throw a little snow over them. Just use your God-given cooler!

I don’t think that most Idahoans realize how blessed we are to live here. For four years I had a consulting deal that I was flying to South Dakota for. I had to fly through Minnesota, which is the ice fishing capital of the world and on nearly every flight home I met someone flying here to experience the perch fishing on Lake Cascade. So, get out and enjoy the great Idaho Outdoors.

Needless to say, dress warm. You’re going to be semi sedentary so overdress a bit. And you might want to wear some sunglasses so you don’t get snow blindness. If it is a sunny day, it can get bright out there.

Your ice hole cannot be larger than 10 inches which makes sense to prevent others from falling in or twisting an ankle if the hole gets covered with snow or has only slightly frozen over. You can use up to five rods with up to five hooks on each rod. A few waters have different regs so don’t trust me, double check.

So, don’t sit home bored stiff, grab an auger, and go do a little ice fishing before the ice all melts.