Fishing is fun and it is more fun when you are going for ice fishing in the winter season. Fish are cold blooded and in the winter, they get very lethargic. And so, fishing in the ice gets easier and better. To spend good times, you can go for ice fishing.
However, if you don’t know how to rig your ice fishing rods and reels before going for fishing, you can never win the race. And for your convenience, we have come up with the easiest tricks of rigging ice fishing reels and rods! Have a look!
Process of Rigging Ice Fishing Rods and Reels
Step 1: Selecting the Ice Fishing Rod
You have to go for a rod that is great for open water fishing. In some cases, the anglers also use a shorter rod. The baits will easily drop through the holes bored and so, settling for a shorter rod is a wiser idea. In almost all ice fishing shacks, shorter rods are better.
Step 2: Go for Sensitive Rod
In the cold water, usually, fish move slowly. So, if you get a rod that is made of boron fiber or graphite, it will be easy for the fish to see the bait. Also, it will be easy for you to feel when the fish will take the bait.
Step 3: Rod Action Selection
You have to go for the right rod action when you are ice fishing. As you need to present the bait more prominently, you have to select the right rod action. In cases of vertical jigging, if you go for fast tip, it will pass on more action to the lure. It will be perfect if you are fishing in the late winter days. Here, the fish will be a little aggressive when biting the bait.
If you are ice fishing in too cold weather, you will surely need to go for slow action. Light actions will more fluid action. It is great for the lazy fish. Here, you can comfortably use rods and also can switch between them.
Step 4: Deciding Reel and Line
When you are up for selecting reel, you always need to settle for the one that is designed for ultra light fishing. In the winter, fish are seen less active. The reason behind this is they are cold-blooded. So, you do not need to put too much fight in comparison to the summer days. And you have to avoid heavy lines too.
Go for a spincast reel that has a high-grade gear system. Also, make sure that the drag works great when you are fishing.
Step 5: Go for Light Test
If you are ice fishing, it is better to settle for lines of 2-6 pounds test. There are anglers that go for nylon monofilament line. There are also people that settle for the lines that are particularly made for ice fishing purpose.
Step 6: Get Ready with Tiny Jigs
Panfish usually settle for tiny insects along with plankton. In the winter, Bluegill and crappie also go for jigs that are less than 1.77 grams.
Step 7: Prepare for Large Fish
If you are going for the larger game fish species, you can go for the tiny spoons. Spoons wobble their way and go through the water because they are retrieved. You can fish them down in the up-and-down motion when you are planning for ice fishing.
Step 8: Get Swimming Lures
You can also get some swimming lures. As these are made of metal, these are thin is design. Also, the flat nature of swimming lures help in your ice fishing sector. They also have fluke in the end. So, it gets a swimming motion automatically.
Step 9: Pick up Live Bait
If you are an angler, you already know that nothing can be better than live baits. In most cases, when an angler is ice fishing with swimming lures or tip-ups, he goes for live baits. It makes catching the fish easier for you. Also, fish meat makes the target go through a natural taste and smell. We bet that the targets cannot get this from the artificial lures.
Step 10: Opt for Spring Bobber
If you want better fluid lure or bait action, you can settle for a spring bobber. It is basically a bobber and it adds with the line as a spring wound. It has some buoyancy to it. So, it can easily smoothen up the jerkiness of the swimming lures, spoons or the jigs. It also helps in detecting when the target takes the bait!
FAQs on Rigging Ice Fishing Rods and Reels
Can you use a regular fishing rod for ice fishing?
Yes, you can use a regular fishing rod when you are ice fishing. There are a lot of people who use the conventional fishing rods for fishing in the ice. On the other hand, you must know that there are several ice fishing rods and reels that are specially designed for the ice fishing purpose. This can afford you some additional advantages.
How do you attract fish while ice fishing?
Keep the moving process slow because fish usually get lazy when it’s winter. Try to move slowly but keep moving. All you have to do is waiting for the sticky bottom layer. Go for live baits for catching fish while ice fishing. Try to keep your jig moving for maintaining the vibration. You can also go for depressions on any detailed map.
How long are ice fishing rods?
As we have already said, according to professional anglers, you must go for ice fishing with a rod shorter than the regular fishing rods of the market. An ice fishing rod that is 24-28 inches will be ideal for ice fishing. If you are settling for regular rods, go for a shorter one.
Final Verdict
In the winter, ice fishing is fun. But if you don’t know how to rig your ice fishing rods and reels, you can never be a seasoned angler. So, to capture the proper method of ice fishing, you have to be perfect in rigging rod and reels.
Skim through the step by step process we have mentioned and you will never do mistakes!