Many of us think of fishing as a summer activity. Hot sun, warm breeze, and the crash of the waves on our favorite shoreline is what you may be envisioning right now and on a cold winter’s night it’s hard to blame you! Old Man Winter’s grasp can be hard to escape, but many anglers don’t just escape-they embrace it!
The hot sun is replaced by the glow of a heater, the sound of waves replaced by laughter in the ice shack, and the warm breeze-well this is South Dakota the breeze isn’t going anywhere it just isn’t warm anymore! Fishing may look, sound, and feel a little bit differently this time of year than it does in the summer but that doesn’t mean there isn’t fish to be caught and more importantly fun to be had!
Everything seems to slow down a little bit during winter. Activities such as baseball, softball, swimming lessons, and everything else that seem to steal our summer days have quieted down. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season passes, January and February bring a time of quiet. The awesome fisheries we have across South Dakota remain year-round and if now is your time to unwind and relax, ice fishing is a great way to do so! If ice fishing is something you’d like to give a try but aren’t sure where to start we’ve got you covered!
Ice fishing, a first, looks like a major financial commitment. A four-wheel drive vehicle to pull your hard shack, which is loaded with an auger, numerous rods and reels, and enough electronics to broadcast a high school football game where do you even start? Fortunately, you don’t need all this to get into ice fishing!
Fishing, in general, is a sport that allows you to become as financially committed, or not, as you would like. You can be in line to purchase the latest new gadget or catch a limit using the pole you got for your 12th birthday. Ice fishing is no different.
The most important piece of equipment needed, and this sounds cliché, is an auger to drill the hole you’ll fish out of. Ice augers now come in a variety of forms. They are powered by batteries, propane, gas, or even the angler themselves! This will be your most important, and as a new angler, your biggest financial commitment.
As you’re looking at these options, there are a couple things to consider. The first is how the auger is powered. A staple of the industry, the two-stroke engine, is becoming less and less prevalent but is still an option. In fact, an item many anglers may find in their garage or laundry room can now power most augers! Augers powered by electric drills are a light and simple option that utilizes a tool many anglers may already have. Propane or other electric powered augers are also options.
Many first-time anglers will look for the cheapest option. A simple, hand powered auger will always be the cheapest option. However, unless you are an Olympic athlete, boast multiple powerlifting championships, and/or have played NFL football this is often not the best option. For individuals that do not fall into these categories, such as this writer, cutting through 20 inches or more of ice is quite a proposition especially when doing so multiple times. Physically exhausting yourself and working up a sweat in cold weather is not going to make ice fishing an enjoyable experience for you. Spending the money to purchase an auger you are confident operating is going to be a wise investment in your ice fishing career and your back and shoulders!
Once you’re able to get your line down to the fish, literally, it’s time to set up how you’re going to target them. You don’t need to be too complex to be successful. A 20-24” medium fast rod and small reel with 4-pound line will get the job done nicely, whether you’re targeting walleye, jumbo perch, bluegill, crappie, or trout. Pairing this with a 1/32-1/8 oz jig with a wax warm, spike, or minnow will get bites across the entire state. To keep your rig even more simple, you can drape this offering under a bobber and you’re ready to fish!
Flashers or other sonar equipment are a nice to have, but not required. If you’re simply going to be a hanging a bobber, the main benefit they provide would be setting your bait at the correct depth. Fortunately, that can be done for about $1.29. A dropper weight, which is exactly what it sounds like as most anglers aren’t all that creative, is a heavy chunk of lead that clips to your line/jig that drops down to the bottom. From there, you can set your bobber stop accordingly and know you are within as many inches of the bottom as you would like. For most species, 3-6 inches is about perfect.
Now that you’ve got your auger, your rod/reel, a couple jigs and some bait you’re just about ready to hit the water. The last component of becoming an ice angler is good winter clothing. An ice shack, whether hard sided or pop- up, is a nice item to have, but it’s far from critical especially if you’re just looking to take advantage of the warmer winter days as you get started. Likewise, a specific “ice suit” and other type of clothing are great to have, but not essential. Your favorite hunting or chore coat, bibs, and boots are a great starting point. If you’re in need of some good winter clothing, this is a wise investment anyways and can be kept in your vehicle for winter driving safety.
The days are short, nights are cold, and is there really a sane person that enjoys shoveling snow? Why do so many people get excited for winter in South Dakota? Well, if you ask them, you are likely going to find out it’s because they love chasing jumbo perch, walleyes, trout, and taking advantage of the fishing opportunities we have in this state through the ice. If you want a reason to look forward to when the snow flies, give ice fishing a try! You’ll likely find that Old Man Winter makes a pretty good fishing buddy!
Learn More About Ice Fishing
Want to learn more about ice fishing? We’ve got everything you need to hit the water! Whether your goal is to learn about augers, ice safety, ice rods, spoons, or plastics we have everything you need to build your skills as an ice angler!
