Traditional fishing is generally regarded as a solitary sport, but nothing compares to the isolation on the ice. Standing out in the middle of the lake overlooking the endless amount of open ice in all directions, not knowing how far it truly extends or what the fishing might be like in any given direction. Then looking down at the open hole you are jigging your rod into, realizing that there is the slight possibility that the ice could give out from under you. Finally, after a 10 minute fight with what might have been the biggest fish of a lifetime, but it’s sheer force snapping the line leaving the anglers mind confused as to what kind of fish he had on, but also what he did wrong to cause the crucial mistake. These are all thrills that haunt ice anglers, but it is also what keeps bringing them back, time after time, to the unknown under the ice.

Compared to open water fishing, ice fishing takes on a whole new reel of responsibilities and challenges. Any lake covered with ice cannot be assumed safe to fish. There is a whole safety aspect that coincides with being out on the ice.

Sophomore Conrad Knust tries to be as safe as possible on the ice.

“When going ice fishing, I always make sure the ice is thick enough and I never go alone to ensure if something bad happens, there will be someone there to help.”

The general depth for “safe ice” is 4 inches. Anything more is safe to walk on and fish on. Anything less is a risk. Also, the air temperature has to be cold. If the temperatures were to rise to above freezing, there is no telling how fast the ice would melt. Most ice anglers don’t walk out on the ice without their precautionary ice picks.

“Whenever I go ice fishing, I always go with someone,” sophomore Estelle McLaughlin said. “We make sure the ice is 6-8 inches thick. We also bring a throw rope, so if someone were to fall through the ice, we have a rope to throw to them. We also leave before dark to avoid any accidents due to the inability to see.”

After the long set up an ice angler must complete, most prefer to have more than one rod ready to go.

“When going ice fishing, I try to have at least two rods rigged with different baits to have the best opportunity to catch as many fish as possible,” Lloyd said.

The gear that open water anglers varies greatly from traditional fishing gear. Open water fisherman need their long fishing poles along with a reel and some bait. Ice fishing however, requires an extensive amount of gear that goes beyond the basic necessities of open water fishing. Ice fishermen need an auger so that they can reach the fish. An auger is a tool that drills through the ice and creates a hole that allows the angler to drop their bait in and fish. Rods and reels are also a necessity but they are much different than the typical fishing rod. They are very short, between 24 – 28 inches compared to the traditional rod that is 6 – 8 feet. Also, although not needed, most ice anglers like to have an ice fishing tent so stay out of the elements, and a fish finder.

“Fish finders are a tool that I feel almost make it cheating since you can easily find the fish. Although it would be cool to have one and experiment with sometimes, I am perfectly happy having the challenge of finding the fish myself,” Lloyd said.

Fish finders can be key to having success because in the winter, fish like to stay in schools and can be hard to find. A fish finder allows the angler to see potential fish in all different directions in a certain radius which makes it easier to locate these schools of fish.

“I have been ice fishing since I was five years old, so I grew up loving fishing,” McLaughlin said. “I do have a special place in my heart for ice fishing, because those are the times when we keep the fish and clean them to eat.”

For many anglers, ice fishing comes second to open water fishing. It is an activity that they do to waste the winter away and get back to the spring and open water. But for others, winter is the season that tops all others due to what can be caught under the ice.

Sophomore Logan Lloyd, who has been ice fishing since he was eight, loves the uniqueness of the sport.

“I love how it is a sport that you can just walk out onto some ice that is safe, drill a hole, and potentially catch a bunch of fish.”