{"id":11679,"date":"2021-12-23T17:10:15","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T22:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sail.ca\/blog\/intoduction-ice-fishing-seven-questions\/"},"modified":"2022-10-25T15:01:03","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T20:01:03","slug":"intoduction-ice-fishing-seven-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sail.ca\/blog\/intoduction-ice-fishing-seven-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Fishing: An Introduction in 7 Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[231,242],"tags":[439,555,820,822],"class_list":["post-11679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fishing","category-ice-fishing","tag-winter","tag-fishing-rod","tag-ice","tag-winter-boots"],"acf":{"post_flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","content_anchor":false,"anchor_link_text":"","text_content":"Not a winter fan? That won\u2019t last long! You\u2019ll quickly fall in love with this amazing season after your very first ice fishing experience. It\u2019s a sport that truly helps you live the many pleasures of winter despite the cold. Why do so many people swear by this activity? To answer some of the most frequently-asked questions concerning this pastime, we reached out to Wil Wegman, Canadian Ice Fishing champion, seasoned fisherman, angling educator, and Rapala Pro Staff.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nArticle written in collaboration with Wil Wegman, Rapala Pro Staff.<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\nWil Wegman is an award-winning outdoor writer and seminar host who was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame in 1997. He has won the Rick Morgan Professional Conservation Award and the National Recreational Fisheries Award. He is an avid ice tournament angler and was a member of Team Canada at the World Ice Fishing Championships in 199. He has also won the Perchin for MS Event and Perch Trap Attack on Lake Simcoe.<\/em>\r\n\r\nThinking of ice fishing during the winter season? Check out our Ice Fishing Guide<\/a><\/span> for even more tips.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\nSee Wil Wegman's seven answers to the most frequently asked questions about ice fishing.\r\n
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  1. What is ice fishing and what are the differences between this sport and summer fishing?<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Can this activity be done alone?<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. What are the steps to follow to get ready for a fishing session out on the ice?<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  4. What should you bring with you?<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  5. What are the best times of year to go ice fishing?<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Where can you go to ice fish?<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Is there a specific technique to ice fishing?<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAnd to be sure that you\u2019re geared up to start your brand new activity, here\u2019s where to go!\r\n

    [stag_button url=\"https:\/\/www.sail.ca\/en\/fishing\/ice-fishing\" style=\"orange\" size=\"medium\" type=\"normal\" target=\"_blank\" icon=\"\" icon_order=\"before\"]Shop - Ice fishing gear[\/stag_button]\u00a0[stag_button url=\"https:\/\/www.sail.ca\/en\/rapala\" style=\"orange\" size=\"small\" type=\"normal\" target=\"_blank\" icon=\"\" icon_order=\"before\"]Discover the Rapala brand[\/stag_button]<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    1. What is ice fishing and what are the differences between this sport and summer fishing?<\/h2>\r\nWell, to begin, the name says it all! Most of the time, when you\u2019re fishing in open water, you\u2019re able to get around more easily. For ice fishing<\/a>, you\u2019re stationed in one spot. The advantage here is that you don\u2019t need to paddle. On the other hand, \u201cassuming you\u2019re in a boat for instance, it\u2019s fairly unencumbered, so if you want to fish on one side of the lake, travel 10 miles away, or fish a lake the size of Lake Simcoe \u2013 my home lake \u2013 at 722 square kilometers, you can fish all over the place in a boat. When you\u2019re ice fishing, you\u2019re relegated to a fairly small area, especially if you\u2019re just walking. That area can be increased if you\u2019re using a snowmobile or an ATV. So, you don\u2019t cover as much territory as you would in soft water,\u201d explains Wil.\r\n\r\nLuckily, cabins and heated portable ice shelters have really allowed for this winter sport to become even more accessible and become more popular than ever.\u00a0The advancements in gear \u2013 ice rods, tackle, sonar<\/a>, GPS mapping, underwater cameras, portable huts<\/a> and specialty heaters have all helped bring the sport of ice fishing to a whole new level.\r\n\r\nThe other big difference is that when you\u2019re open water fishing, you\u2019re casting out horizontally. For ice fishing, you drill a hole and drop your line down into it. \u201cThe positioning of your line and lure is completely vertical. The approach is different because the area where you\u2019re fishing is fairly confined,\u201d he adds.\r\n\r\nFinally, the species of fish vary per region \u2013 trout, brook trout, perch, etc. \u2013 and the gear must be adapted to ice fishing. One thing\u2019s for sure: the pleasure of fishing remains the same, whether it be in summer or winter.\r\n

    2. Can this activity be done alone?<\/h2>\r\nYes, with the condition that you\u2019ve acquired a sufficient amount of experience and basic knowledge of the conditions in order to avoid any possible danger.\u00a0Of course there are exceptions; like in some remote regions, or at first and last ice when it\u2019s highly recommended you fish with a buddy.\r\n\r\nFor your first few outings, it\u2019s strongly recommended \u201cto go with someone who is experienced and is confident in reading the ice conditions in order to make sure you don\u2019t fall through,\u201d advises Wil. This will also help you find safe spots at which to fish, how to rig your rods and tackle, drill holes and search for fish.\r\n\r\nThere are also all-inclusive packages from ice hut operations that include a fishing permit licence, basic gear (which consists of an ice fishing rod, basic tackle, live bait, and transportation to your heated ice hut where holes are pre drilled for you.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s also a great activity to introduce children to at a young age, as they will be impressed to lift fish to the surface from below the ice! They\u2019ll surely love to see how a sonar works if you bring one along.\r\n

    3. What are the steps to follow to get ready for a fishing session out on the ice?<\/h2>\r\nYour ice fishing trip will be perfect if you follow these guidelines:\r\n