My grandfather, a man who I’m relatively confident has never had a drop of alcohol in his life, always said that if you’re going to go ice fishing, you need to bring beer. It’s his belief that you either have to be drunk or crazy to go sit out in the cold and wait for fish that never come. But, for those willing to brave the weather (or bring a heater), ice fishing can be a fun and rewarding activity that doesn’t even have to break the bank.
What do I need?
As with any outdoor sport, you can spend as much or as little money as you want to get started. The first thing you’ll need is a fishing license. If you’re 12 years old or older, a license is required in Utah to catch any species of fish on a public water body. A residential fishing license in the Beehive State will run you a little over $20. You’ll probably want something to use to catch fish, and it’ll probably have to be something more than bailing twine tied on a stick. For beginners, a simple pole picked up from your local outdoor store (or Walmart) will do the trick for $20 or less. After that, you’ll probably want something to drill a hole in the ice with and to scoop out the ice when you’re done. A hand auger will run you on average about $50, with a scoop to clean out the excess being under $10. Finally, you’ll probably want something to sit on, as you’re hopefully going to be out there a while. You could go all out with a fancy camp chair, but in a pinch, a $5 five gallon bucket can serve as both a seat and a livewell. That covers the basics, so before lures we’re looking at right around $100 to get you started. As said before, you could get really fancy with a tent, propane heater, electric auger, etc., but when it comes down to it, you really don’t need to drop a lot of dough to get started.
What Do I Use?
The lures you’ll want to use depend on what you want to catch. For trout, worms work great on most bodies of water throughout the state. If you’re a summer fisherman and you’ve got some Powerbait lying around, that’ll work for rainbows in the winter, too. Lake trout generally like metal jigs and spoons, but you can also just use smaller fish. If you find yourself at Fish Lake, yellow perch are plentiful and have no bag limit. For perch, try some rattling lures, such as the Rapala Rattlin’ Rap.
Know Before You Go
As with summer fishing, it’s important to check the weather forecast as well as the fishing report. While you may be able to fish in a blizzard, it may not be pleasant. Additionally, it may be worthwhile to check the fishing report for whatever lake you’re planning on trying out. The Utah DWR publishes weekly fishing reports for water bodies across the state at https://dwrapps.utah.gov/fishing/. You can also check the ice conditions on various lakes to make sure you won’t be falling in the drink at that same website.
Conclusions
Whether you’re an experienced angler or brand new to sport, ice fishing can be a fun way to spend a winter afternoon either by yourself or with friends and family. The relatively low cost barrier for entry makes it a great hobby to pick up, though if you decide to take my grandfather’s advice, the beer bill might start to rack up quickly. If you do decide to try out ice fishing, best of luck to you, and in the words of CW McCall, “Keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your . . . tail,” and stay tuned for more on the MidUtahRadio Outdoor Corner.
