Use the ice fishing essentials checklist to map out the must have, need to have, and good to have ice fishing gear
Ice fishing is an awesome way for anglers to access a body of water without owning a boat. You can get out on the ice and fish areas not reachable from shore with a short list of “must have” ice fishing gear. If you want to catch fish consistently throughout the season, there is a slightly longer list that includes “need to have” ice fishing gear. Lastly, if you want to step your game up and fish like the pro’s, you should invest in the “good to have” elite ice gear. Here is a checklist of the must have, need to have, and good to have ice fishing essentials.
Must Have
Strong Winter Clothing: Jacket, snowpants, hats, boots, gloves
Safety Picks: Emergency ice picks to climb out of the water
Ice Cleats: Metal spikes worn on boots to walk on ice
Ice Auger: 6-10 Inch ice drill to cut holes in the ice
Ice Scoop: Ladle to remove slush from your hole
Ice Rod & Reel: Smaller rod & reel to fish over an ice hole
Micro Jigs: Small jigs to fish your bait
Spikes: Wax worms or euro larvae to use as bait
Need to Have
Jigging Lures: Ice fishing lures that sink to target larger game fish
Ice Spoons: Light reflecting lures to target larger eating fish
Tip Up: Ice fishing trap with live bait to spread out for trophy fish
Minnows: Bait to tip your jigging lures or use live under your tip up
Bucket: Storage for your gear and a stool to sit on
Sled: Transports your ice fishing gear long distances
Good to Have
Power Auger: automatic ice auger that drills holes for you
Flasher: Fish finder to locate fish and present your lure
Underwater Camera: Used to find panfish and identify bottom consistency
Shelter: Pop-up or flip-over shelter to fish in poor weather conditions
Portable Heater: Heat source to fish at night in your shelter
