The ice fishing

Ice fishing is the sport of catching fish with lines and hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Fisherman may sit on a stool on the open expanse of a frozen lake or sit in a heated cabin on the ice with bunks and amenities.

It is a popular pastime in Russia, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Germany.

Shelters

Many fisherman fish with no protective structure, merely heavy coats and gloves and other winter wear. Longer fishing expeditions can be mounted with simple structures. Larger, heated structures can make multi-day fishing trips possible.

A structure with various local names, but often called a ice shanty, ice shack, fish house, bobhouse, or ice hut, is sometimes used. These are dragged or trailered from shore using a vehicle such as a snowmobile or truck, to a suitable location on the lake. Some fish houses are elaborate, and can be equipped with lights, heat, bunks, cooking facilities, and the like. At the opposite extreme are portable, tent-like structures designed to be easily moved.

In Russia, ice fishing is often a social activity. Not infrequently, the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol is involved. Some resorts have fish houses that are rented out by the day (called ice huts); often, shuttle service via snowmobile is provided, eliminating any need for sobriety on the part of the participants.

In Finland, solitary and contemplative isolation is often the object of the pastime. In Finland, fishhouses are a rare occurrence, but wearing a sealed and insulated drysuit designed out of space-age fabric technology for emergency rescue teams is not.

Fishing equipment

Icefishing gear is highly specialized. First, an ice spade, saw or auger is required to cut a circular hole or larger rectangular hole in the ice. Power augers are sometimes used. A strainer is sometimes required to remove new ice as it forms.

Three main types of fishing occurs. Small, light fishing rods with small, brightly colored lures may be used in jigging for fish. Tip-ups, which carry a line attached to a flag that "tips up" when a strike occurs, allow unattended or less-intensive fishing. The line is dragged in by hand with no reel. In spear fishing a large hole is cut in the ice and fish decoys may be deployed. The fisherman stands over the hole while holding a large spear attached to a line.
The preparation of a fishing hole has involves the transportation of tools and supplies out onto the frozen lake usually by sled, clearing of deep snow from the fishing site with a shovel, cutting the hole itself, and the removal of chunks of cut ice with a skimmer.

The making of a fish decoy requires a great amount of care and precision. The curve of the tail must allow the decoy to swim accurately and its weight must ensure proper flotation. In conventional practice, fishermen lower fish-shaped decoys into holes cut through the surface of a frozen lake. The fisherman lies flat on the ice, covered by a dark tipi, and readies his spear to stab the approaching prey.

Becoming increasingly popular is the use of a flasher. This is a sonar system that tells you the depth of the fish, which can be useful when trying to catch them.
There are also underwater cameras available now. These allow you to view the fish and watch how they react to your lure presentation.

Dangers

Ice needs to freeze to at least four inches in depth to support walking humans, and a foot to support vehicles. However care must be taken, because sometimes ice will break and move with currents, leaving open areas which refreeze with much thinner ice. On the Great Lakes, off-shore winds can break off miles-wide pans of ice stranding large numbers of fisherman. Late-winter warm spells can destroy the texture of the ice, which, while still of the required thickness, will not adequately support weight. It is called "rotten ice" and is exceedingly dangerous.
Some ice-fishermen will continue to fish, but will carry a pole horizontally to hold them, if they fall through. Fisherman may carry a self-rescue device made of two screwdrivers connected by a string to help pull themselves back onto the ice out of the water.

Social implications

Ice fishing has long been considered a "quasi-sport", in that some people claim that very little skill is really involved and that success is dependent upon just good fortune. This has led many other sportspersons to consider ice fishing to be merely a pastime for people who have few constructive or edifying activities in their lives. However, research by the AIFA (American Ice Fishing Association) has shown that ice fishing can have very calming and relaxing effects for the fishermen/fisherwomen. The AIFA also concluded that icefishing not only helps manage the fish species population, but also contributes to both community economic growth and to the emotional well-being of the participants.

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