Ice fishing is as Midwestern as hotdish and vaguely Canadian-sounding accents. Of course, it’s not only practiced here – plenty of places and cultures around the world do it – but it’s certainly a common practice around this time of year. Tents dotting swaths of frozen lake, standing strong against the stiff wind, and dedicated outdoorsmen braving subzero weather just for that perfect catch…few sights inspire more chutzpah, so we’re not at all surprised that you’ve caught the bug, so to speak, and want to give ice fishing a whirl yourself!
But you can’t just saw a hole in any backyard pond, pop a rod in the water, and wait for something to bite. Ice fishing is an art as much as it is a sport, and each outing requires careful planning beforehand in order to be successful. Don’t throw in the towel if you’re inexperienced, though! There’s a first time for everything, and with advice from Fractional Toys, your inaugural ice-fishing trip is bound to be a blast.
First Thing’s First: Rent an Ice House
Why all the fanfare and investment for my first trip, you may ask? You might shy away at spending the money for such a luxury if you’re unsure that you’ll continue ice fishing in the future. There’s considerably more to wager. However, there’s considerably more to gain, too, with an ice house rental from Fractional Toys.
We’ve delved deep into the why’s of ice house rentals in the past – check out our entry on the topic on our recreational rentals blog. If you don’t have time to read all of that, here’s the gist of what ice house rentals provide for you:
More Safety
Ice house rentals keep you toasty and warm while you try your hand at angling. If you haven’t battled the cold for extended periods of time, you’ll need one – that’s a whole other kettle of fish (pardon the pun).
Sitting in one space, as you would while ice fishing, means you’re not generating as much body heat, which means you open yourself up to the real danger of hypothermia. Don’t tango with sickness – have a safe and stress-free trip with an ice house rental.
A Place to Pee
You’ll waste time trudging across the lake to do so and thus miss the perfect catch! Ice houses have conveniences right next to your tackle, making heeding nature’s call quick and comfortable.
More Privacy
Enjoy the intimacy of sharing a space with someone – and not sharing that space with every other ice fisher on the lake. The thin walls of a tent don’t do much to isolate your conversation, but an ice house’s enclosed space makes your experience feel much more personal and private.
Safety, privacy, and bathrooms – that’s a diverse bunch of benefits, if we ever saw one! That’s why, at Fractional Toys, we recommend that every first-time ice fisher invest in recreational equipment rental with us. Your ice house and its accessories take care of all the details so you can focus on the big things – the big fish.
How to Catch a Big One While Ice Fishing
So you’ve got your ice house. Now what? Those fish aren’t going to catch themselves, so it’s time to hit the lake! We love your enthusiasm, but hold on a sec. The success of the actual fishing portion of the trip, like we said above, depends on preparation and research.
Buy the right bait.
If you need to buy new equipment, check out what makes the fish in your lake of choice bite. Any angler will tell you that fish are finicky when it comes to lures, and sporting for them during the winter season is no exception. Get your background research done ahead of time and come to the lake prepared with the right bait.
The internet is host to countless fishing forms where outdoorsmen discuss what made for successful (or horrible!) fishing trips to particular places, so read up and heed their advice. They’ll also probably spill hot spots and hidden gems that a particular lake has to offer.
Learn about different types of fish.
Different species behave differently in different seasons. How’s that for a mouthful? In perhaps clearer terms, the way a given fish behaves in the summer may change drastically by the wintertime.
If you’re only used to fishing in one season, make sure to get a good grip on the yearlong habits of your target species before heading out.
Expect the fish to be lazy.
There’s no other way to say this. Generally speaking and in this context, fish are looking to conserve their energy in the winter months, so they may give up on fast-moving, energetic baits. Keep things relatively slow-moving and sluggish.
Safety first!
Ice fishing comes with its fair share of hazards, so make sure you have all the safety equipment – and there’s quite a bit of it – before you hit the lake. The internet is, again, a wonderful resource if you’re unsure what you’ll need.
Take to the Lakes With Fractional Toys!
Our ice house rentals are just one part of what can make your trip a blast. As a provider of recreational equipment rental services, we’ve got a whole fleet of toys!
Call our Oakdale location at 651-340-0937 or our Coon Rapids store at 763-406-2488 to see what’s available.