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Drill and Chill: Ice Fishing Easy Way to Warm Up to Winter

January 19, 2010 - Q: What do I need to do to get started ice fishing?

A: "A smile and sense of adventure" is a good place to start, said Scott Snell, a master guide who runs Wilsons on Moosehead Lake. But the state is going to want you to get a fishing license.

You can buy one from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Web site, print it and be ready to go. If you want to start with a fishing derby, the license is part of the ticket.

Before you start buying gear, Snell makes a good case for hiring a Registered Maine Guide for fishing. You really don't know if you're going to like this. So it's worth the money to pay someone who has all the gear, can show you how to use it, pick the right bait and find the right spots.

After you get a feel for it and decide this is for you, you're going to need to find something to make a hole in the ice. Augers – picture a giant corkscrew – come in manual and power models.

Once you have your hole, you're going to need a scoop to clear the slush that forms and keep your hole from freezing over. The scoop looks like a long-handled ladle with holes in it.

Then you need some traps. These are the rigs that do the fishing. The line is attached to a frame that holds the reel underwater so it doesn't freeze, and there is a flag that pops up when you have a bite.

It's great that the reel won't freeze. But what about the angler?

Snell said there's no excuse for being cold while ice fishing. There is great clothing, especially snowmobile suits, that will keep you warm in all conditions.

Anything else?

Well, you need thick ice. Use that auger to drill a hole so you can measure thickness, and stay away from moving water.

Once you find a safe spot to fish, think about the wind. From which direction is it blowing? If it's coming all the way across a big body of water, it's going to be strong and cold. Try to set up on the lee side of a windbreak.

But why spend a day wrapped up in layers in the middle of all that wind and ice waiting for a fish to trigger a flag?

"It's a very social activity," Snell said. "A lot of times you have a bunch of people." There can be a lot of socializing, and cookouts on shore are not rare. It's fun.

Maybe more fun than warm-weather fishing. "You can't get five or six guys on a boat," he said.

CARL NATALE / ASK AN OUTDOORSMAN, Portland Press Herald, January 14, 2010


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