i have been giving some serious thought about trying ice fishing for the first time. what tips do you have for a beginner?

Get a fairly cheap ice fishing rod so if you don't like it, you won't break the bank if you get rid of it. Also, get a spud bar, which is just a long chisel that is used instead of an auger but cheaper. Those tips have helped me so far, and I'm heading out on the ice for the first time this winter too. You should start posting in the Ice Fishing section of the forums, too, you can probably get some more info there.

darby, try and find a friend that goes and have him take ya, this is for safety and for learning. also look for a pond with lots of gills in it for the 1st. time. so you should catch some fish instead of stand around on the ice. i have a couple places i like to take people to that have never caught any fish through the ice before, because i can depend on these places to produce fish everytime out.....they just might not have much in size but their numbers should be high.

like skewl said, post more ?'s in the ice fishing thread. even better yet look through them and ya might find yer answers

Agreed on the points above. I might add that you shouldn't expect the fishing to be better through a hole than it is on softwater. Ice fishing takes patience and perseverance. Buy an ice fishing rod (don't spend more that $20), buy some small jigs (tear-drop jigs work well), buy some wax worms or small Gulp bait for the species you're targeting and then buy a hand auger ($60). A spud will work depending on the thickness of ice, but a spud will probably cost $30-$40 so you may as well go right to an auger. Find a partner and head out. Drill two holes and walk back and forth jigging both holes. After 15 mins...go drill a couple more holes and work them. The drill & go theory is necessary to find active fish and which depth they are at. Don't worry about a depth finder, just measure by the amount of line out. There's a basic start...now go spend some time reading up in the ice fishing section for more tips. There are big fish to be had through a hole as evidenced by the 26" walleye in my avatar. Good luck and let us know how you made out.

I would like to add to the list a bit  for safety reasons

A set of ice picks : The ice picks could save your life if you fall through the ice.
A rope: with a good size loop in the end to throw out to someone who fell through the ice .
A space blanket :The space blanket  can be used  to reflect heat  and act as a wind breaker  or as an emergency blanket .


here  is some ice safety tips from the MN DNR.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/i...index.html
 
Dress warm and in layers because nothing is worse then being cold .
Always tell someone where your going and when you expect to be back .

Good point Trev! Safety should be first and foremost - with catching being second!

safety is major on the ice,, up here we ice fish longer than open water,, seems to me,, waay back years ago, the club mag published a test on making holes,, if i remember right the power auger was the quietest with the hand auger 2nd,, if i recall right the hand chisel was so loud that the guy in the bottom of the pond couldn't take it, he had to come out.. pretty sure it was a club arcticle.. we use power augers here,, mostly jiffy's and eskimo's.. we use tip up's and some jig sticks,, the best jig stick is a cut bow off a spruce with a line tied to it,, the wind keeps the jig action going.,. watch your rules tho, some lakes here in maine have 5 trap limits and some are 2.. be safe all.. have a great day

kdarby:
I see lots of good adivce here, especially about going out with an experienced partner who knows ice safety etc. It'll also help you get a handle on gear and tactics for a specific type of fish--'gills, crappies, trout, walleyes--whatever it is that you're targeting.

I disagree slightly with the advice about a spud bar, though. If you're on 6 or 7 inches of ice, it may do fine. But anything more and I'd go with a hand auger. When you get to 10-12 inces, a power auger. Sucessful ice fishing means you want to stay mobile, and if you have to spud through a foot of ice, you won't be inclined to cut that next hole that might make the difference in your day.

If you're really interested in learning about ice fishing, or just want to have a great time, consider attending the NAFC Ice Fishing Fest in January. You can get all the details at: http://www.fishingclub.com/benefits...-fest.aspx

from the responses ive gotten i seem to be on the right track. thanks for the input. i think im going to take some from evey one and put it together.

darby, that is what we are here for and that is how most ?'s get answered on here. several people will make a couple of suggestions and someone else will add to them. once in awhile somebody will set down and right a page report for ya,but most of the time ya get yer answer in bits and pieces.

good luck and let us know how you do

well if your thinking of starting ice fishing its really hard and cold, unless your one of those lucky people that have a fish finder for the winter. i live in  michigan so there is so many lakes but with no fish finder and manual auger and of course age catching up to me its not as fun as it used to be!

Solid GOOD advice; and forgive the safety rehash, but here it is ANYWAY; always WEAR the ice claws, properly stowwed they aren`t in your way and are LIFE INSURANCE! As far as a rope and space blanket, again, if you or your partner need them NOW! leaving them in your vehicle can be a DEATH SENTENCE! Please HAVE them on HAND; cold water is impersonal, it doesn`t want to kill, it just DOES. The reason am saying this is because 18 yrs ago foolishly tread where strongly felt shouldn`t have and went in, luckily there was someone close by with a rope long enough to reach me and being a couple decades younger was able to get a do- or die grip on it; he hauled me out and literally DRUG me to his vehicle and got me all but stripped down with the space blanket around me and drove me to the local hospital; alone, even if had somehow gotten out of the water, would have simply collapsed onto the ice and died. Forgive me if seem overly dramatic, but IF you DO ever fall in and survive, you WILL ENSURE that it never happens to you AGAIN...do be SAFE and enjoy yourself, alot of fine fishing. Thanks.

lowel, this is very true and its always good to hear of 1st hand accounts. i too as a younger lad was saved by those that were at hand. but it was a human chain that was made by all those that were near by on the ice and we were lucky enough to have enough shanties near enough for those that got wet to get into and dry off.

you see its not just having the stuff but how to use it.

oh ya, just want to remember all just because you are standing on 10" of ice here, doesn't mean that the ice over there just a couple of feet away is that thick. many different things can change it.

Am sure most will agree, actually HAVING those ice claws UPON your person and the rope and space blanket NEARBY can be life saving and take up little to no weight or space, along with the kit. Hopefully never need them. Cheapest part of you kit probably, use clothes line, supposed to be 500lb breaking strenght, throws well. Once was USN aviation life support (PR), all aircrew carry atleast 1 space blanket in their survival vest, saw Bear Gryillus? use one once but never tried wrapping up in one with only wet undies and surviving for a period of time. Will say, he didn`t act (or look) comfortable, but obviously, he survived.

kdarby,you c an also try talking to the local ice fishermen.they are sportsmen too and most of them would be happy to give you some tips on whats working... ps find a way to bloc k the wind, it makes all the difference in the world. good luck and stay warm, let us know how you do

Properly equipted and warmly dressed, threr are few things better than catching a mess of fresh fish, slab crappie, hand sized `gills, and ofcourse those beautiful gleaming "tooth fairies out of a dusk kissed lake with friends; seems surreal sometimes to think you successfully reached into their very different world and touched them

All great advice form people that have obviously "been there - done that". Now...go give 'er a go when the ice allows and be sure to report back on yer first adventure into icing! GOOD LUCK!