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Ice fishing is a sport that the whole family can enjoy. It’s relatively inexpensive to get and with tips from experienced ice fishermen, a first-timer can have an excellent chance at success their first trip at the fishing hole.

But what’s required to begin ice fishing? A Newbie has so many choices in fishing supplies on store shelves, the Fisherman could easily shuck out 100′s of dollars on ice fishing supplies and never get what they really need.

So I’ve put together this list of essential ice fishing supplies that a Newbie will need to get started. The big surprise is that for less money than it cost for a trip to the grocery store, you should be able to buy all the fishing gear that you will need to get started ice fishing.

Before anything else, you’ll need an ice auger to bore holes in the ice and snow. If it was me, I’d get a 5 or 6 inch auger meant for ice fishing for Perch, Crappie and Bluegill. If you want to go after bigger fish like Bass, Pike and Walleye, then I’d get a 8, possibly even a 10 inch auger meant for ice fishing. You have two choices, power augers or the manual augers. It’s no secret that the manual augers are less expensive but need more effort to drill a hole. You’ll also need a scoop to get the ice chips out of the hole you’re fishing.

Your second purchase needs to be tip ups or an ice rod. Most ice fishermen bore numerous holes over rock piles, weed beds and other types of bottom structure and use tip ups to increase their chances of catching enough fish for a fish fry. Also, most fishermen prefer to ice fish with an ice fishing rod. I recommend a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which tactic you like for catching fish.

Fishing line should be designed for cold water that is associated with ice fishing. The frigid waters can make the line break easily. For this reason you’ll want to be sure and purchase fishing line made for fishing through the ice. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. Ice fishing line is the most critical part of your ice fishing supplies.

Any good sporting goods store will advise you to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. Miniture jigs are a good choice for Perch, Crappie and Bluegill. Also tear drop jigs and tiny spoons will come in handy when the panfish get finicky. As for bait, panfish love mealworms and spikes while larger fish such as Walleye prefer Worms or baitfish like smelt. Be sure to talk to local fishermen to see what’s preferred on the waters you’ll be fishing.

It would be wise to bring something to sit on. Many seasoned ice fishermen bring along an ordinary 5 gallon bucket. A select few will even bring lawn chairs out on the ice, but a five gallon bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from your fishing hole.

And that’s about all you need to to start ice fishing. Don’t forget about buying a fishing license and read up on the regulations for your area. Being fined for breaking a law can ruin any trip. You’re cleared to go fishing and have some fun. Never forget the first rule of ice fishing, be safe and follow all the safety rules for getting out on the ice.