>>1457844>Is there a /fish/ recommended beginner's guide to ice fishing?I set a buddy up this year that had never been.
>Hooks?Medium to small. If you've got really small that's great, but I wouldn't try too hard to find an assortment that's got hooks smaller than #10, you can catch some really dink fish on a #10. Otoh, if you're jigging spikes or waxies in the weedline for sunnies and they all clear out, a #10 hook is going to be pretty marginal if you can get the northern that's spooked the sunnies to eat a shiner or fathead, so get some #4s or something too. Color isn't super important, but if a selection has a couple of each color in each size, you might as well have options. Get some jigs if you like, both weighted hooks and jigging lures. Don't feel obligated, bait fishing works better most of the time anyways.
>Line?Get ice specific 4 lb mono and 2 lb mono or fluorocarbon. Use cases can be made for heavier and lighter, but this will cover you for 90% of everything. I like having 2 different colors for easy visual selection, but it doesn't matter.
>Weights? Buy a clip on depthfinder and some pinch on weights. Nontox if you care. You'll mostly use the little ones.
>Rods?Get something cheap but sensitive for panfish. The less backbone the better. My most productive crappie rod is a Shakespeare Noodle, I paid 12.50 for it, and put a $7.50 reel on it with electrical tape. Get something with a little more backbone for walleyes and pike, and stick an add on wire bobber if you want.
>Chair? Bucket lid seats work, but if you've got a small camp chair you can use that too.
>House?Anything to block the wind will be fine, this is a good place for a DIY solution. Otherwise those insulated hub houses are great.
>Heater?Sunflower heater on a 20 lb LP cylinder works good and is cheap.
>Auger?Hand augers are fine until the ice is 3+ feet thick, then they suck. Find a buddy to split the cost of an auger with. I really like my Ion.
