Ice fishing is the sport of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen lake or river. The fishermen sit on a stool out on the open ice, or in a shanty or in one of the many varieties of heated ice fishing houses. Ice fishing is most often a social activity in North America. There are two kinds of ice fishing structures, portable and permanent. Where the fishing is the best, the portable ice fishing structures start to look like a city.
The fisherman uses an auger, ice saw or chisel to cut a rectangular or circular hole in the ice. The holes are generally 8 inches in diameter. Power augers are used sometimes too; axes are good for chopping the holes. A large metal spoon called a skimmer is used to skim out the new ice as it forms and also the slush that remains after cutting the hole.
A simple way to ice fish is by using a small, light fishing rod. Small and brightly colored jigs or lures with bait like fat heads, wax worms, crappie or shiner minnows are used for tackle. With this type of ice fishing the fisherman sits at the hole in the ice and every now and then lifts the pole which creates the jig effect.
Another way to ice fish is to use Tip-ups. Tip-ups are made of plastic or wood with a spool of line attached. A thin piece of metal then goes from the spool to the flag. A black line is put on the spool and at the end of the black line a swivel is attached. Next, a piece of fishing line with a hook on it is attached to the swivel. Bait is placed on the hook. The hook with the bait attached it put into the water under the ice. When the flag is lifted the fisherman will know that there is a fish on. The fisherman pulls and then lets the line slip through his hands as the fish struggles. The battle will go on until the fisherman gets the fishes head to the hole in the ice and is quickly lifted through.
Fishermen have gotten quite sophisticated with their sonar systems, power augers, and handheld GPS devices. They use maps and surveys and longitude and latitude coordinates to pin point where the fish will are. Ice fishing houses have become almost luxurious and can fit a small party inside.