The Bare Minimum Essentials of Ice Fishing.
This list includes the core products you will need to take ice fishing in order to have success, especially if you are just getting started.
01. Electric Auger
If you can’t punch a hole through the ice, then you are going to have a pretty hard time catching fish. I prefer to hole hop when I am ice fishing, so I would suggest an electric auger, because it is much lighter than a gas auger and a hand crank auger is way too much work to be mobile. I use the Clam Outdoors Drill Auger Conversion kit. If you have a quality drill, I would recommend investing in one of these kits.
Clam Outdoors Drill Auger Conversion Kit Combo
02. Rod, Reel and Line Setup
Once you are able to punch holes in the ice, then you can start fishing. There are plenty of combos that you can choose from to get started, I would just make sure the rod is something around 30” in a Medium or Medium Light power. Once you get some more experience you can pick out specific models for targeting particular species.
Clam Outdoors Ice Sniper Combo
03. Bait and Tackle
Now you need something to go on the business end of your set up. I would suggest starting with tungsten jigs tipped with maggots or wax worms. This is a good choice for catching a variety of species. If you want another piece of tackle to add to your tackle box, I would grab some 1/16 or 1/8 ounce pinhead minnows from Clam and tip them with maggots or wax worms.
04. Vexilar Ice Fishing Sonar
This will be the most expensive part of getting started, but if you want to catch fish and have a good time, don’t skip this piece. The Vexilar unit will let you know how deep you are fishing and if there are any fish below you.This will be incredibly helpful to let you know if you are in a good spot, or just sitting in the cold wasting time. The Vexilar will let you know if you found the honey hole, or if it’s time to punch another hole and move.
Vexilar FLX12 Ice Fishing Sonar
05. Sled or Five Gallon Bucket
Time to get mobile, and a sled or five gallon bucket will help you do that. If you have a lot of gear, a sled is a great option. You can easily fit all of your ice fishing essentials and pull your gear around from spot to spot. If you only have a few items, then a five gallon bucket will do the trick. The good news is, that everyone has a five gallon bucket in their garage and if you don’t they can easily be found at any hardware store.
Conclusion
These are the five items, I would suggest if you want to make your life easy as a beginner out on the ice. I did not include any specific clothing in this list, but make sure you bundle up, wear waterproof boots and prepare for wind. If you move around enough and mark fish on your Vexilar, you will have success! Good luck on the ice!