By fishing directions
Based on the above, we will carry out the initial classification according to fishing directions:
- Jig tackle. These ice fishing rods are used to catch predatory and peaceful fish in still or slow-moving water.
- Float rods, or floats. They are mainly used in lakes and reservoirs for peaceful fish.
- Postavushi. Fishing rods for passive fishing of peaceful and predatory fish in still waters. Unlike floaters, visualization of bites occurs by guards and nods.
- Live bait fishing rods, or live bait. Used for active fishing of various predators.
- Zherlitsy. A type of live bait for passive fishing. Unlike fishing rods, they do not have a fishing rod as such.
- Fishing rods for the current. Specially equipped fishing rods for catching peaceful fish on rivers with medium and strong currents.
- Fishing rods for trolling, or lures. Gear for catching predators with artificial bait. Often anglers give some of the above gear some versatility. This is usually observed among beginners when an insufficient number of fishing rods for winter fishing have been purchased or manufactured, and they are forced to re-equip the existing ones.
Advice! For the convenience of winter fishing, try to have gear for all occasions.
Mobile battery Canyon CNS-TPBW8
Although this gadget is not directly related to fishing, but rather is a universal device for charging smartphones, it is very convenient to use to power an action camera and, for example, an electrically heated vest. In our case, the battery must have a capacity of 8,000 - 10,000 mAh and produce 5, 9 or 12 V.
The Canyon CNS-TPBW8 mobile battery is equipped with a Li-Polymer cell with an automatic controller and two USB ports for simultaneous charging of two gadgets. A special feature of this model is the presence of a wireless charging module. This means that you can simply put your smartphone in your pocket along with this power bank and it will charge there without connecting wires. But for this, the smartphone must have wireless charging function. The device body is made of plastic without protection from scratches and impacts. If you need a protected case, then this is present in the Awei P98K 8000 mAh model. It is worth remembering that for any power banks, the operating temperature should not fall below 0 degrees, otherwise the built-in battery cell will greatly lose capacity and may even fail. You can store it in minus, but do not use it. So it’s better to charge your gadget closer to your body under a warm jacket.
Types of fishing rods
Before moving on to a description of the equipment of the listed fishing rods, it is necessary to describe the types of fishing rods that are, in principle, used for ice fishing. Winter gear is built on the basis of the following common fishing rods: 1. Balalaika. This is the name given to fishing rods in which the reel and handle are one piece. To wind the fishing line onto the bobbin, you need to unscrew the safety screw and remove the spool. In this case, the fishing line is first threaded into the entrance hole from the outside, then tied to the reel. After installing the spool into the reel, the final winding of the fishing line occurs.
2. Fishing rods with handles and legs. These are the most common types of fishing rods for winter fishing. They differ in the design and size of the reels and overall dimensions, which allows them to be used in different types of gear. 3. Fishing rod for trolling, or lure. Of course, there is a lot of fishing gear for winter fishing, including those you can use to shine. They can be built on a previous model of fishing rod, but for serious fishing for pike perch or large pike, it is better to have a special tool. Most often this is a blank up to 70 centimeters short, which is equipped with a large inertial, small inertial-free or multiplier reel.
Other types of winter fishing rods, although they have external features, can be classified in one of the listed groups in terms of functionality. The exception is girders, which do not have a fishing rod at all, and therefore are not considered in this chapter.
About equipment and gear
Before you go winter fishing, you need to prepare the necessary equipment; here is a list of things that should be in the luggage of everyone who goes fishing in winter:
Warm clothes
Having warm clothes plays a big role in winter fishing. After all, if a person freezes, he is unlikely to be able to fish for a long time. You don’t need to listen to those who say that in order to stay warm you need to drink alcohol. This is a misconception, alcohol only makes nerve cells less sensitive and therefore it seems that the cold is not felt.
The surest way to stay warm is to wear warm clothes. Now there is a huge amount of waterproof thermal underwear on the market, and if you can’t buy it, you can simply wear warm sweaters in several layers
Ice pick
A device that can be used to check how strong the ice on a pond is, as well as its thickness. Everyone must have this device, because it is responsible for the safety of the fisherman.
Boer
The drill is what immediately comes to mind for many when the conversation turns to winter fishing. You can’t go fishing in winter without a drill, because it’s used to make a hole in the hole. It is recommended to buy a drill with the ability to change blades.
Scoop
The scoop is needed to free the hole from ice slurry and large pieces of ice. If you do not free the hole from ice fragments, it will quickly close again, and you will have to waste time drilling the hole.
Feeder
In the cold, many species of fish live deeper than usual, and special equipment will be needed to feed them. In order to feed a fish using a special feeder, you need to tie a rope to it and release it into the hole.
Fishing box
A useful thing, you can put bait, groundbait, and some small gear in it. It can also be used as a seat.
Bagorik
A hook is a device for fishing for fish. If the fish is larger than the hole, with the help of a bogorik you can hook it by the gills and expand the hole to the desired size.
Spasalka
A lifesaver will help a fisherman get out of a pond if he suddenly falls into a hole.
Jig tackle
For fishing with a jig, the best winter fishing rod is the balalaika and its modifications. This tackle may have a reel or a drum instead of a reel, or be made in the shape of a filly, but the essence is the same - it is the lightest fishing rod, in which there is not a single superfluous element. You can read about a self-hooking fishing rod for winter fishing here. Fishing rods for reelless fishing are made especially light, this is due to the fact that during such fishing the fisherman’s hand is constantly in motion and in order for the bosom to get less tired, everything unnecessary is removed, every gram of weight is important.
In any case, fishing rods for winter jig fishing consist of the following elements: • Handle. It connects a device for storing fishing line with the handle itself. This is the part they try to make as easy as possible. • Whip. An analogue of a summer rod blank, only for winter fishing a short plastic pole is used. • Nod. This is the most important element of a jig fishing rod. It performs two functions: it transmits vibrations from the angler’s hand to the jig and serves as a bite alarm. • Fishing line. In mormyshing, as this type of fishing is also called, the thinnest fishing lines are used, from 0.06 to 0.12 millimeters. • Mormyshka. Lure for equipping with bait or for your own animation. When fishing, the jig sinks to the bottom, and the game recommended for the fish that is going to be caught begins.
Underwater camera
In recent years, advanced fishermen have begun to use special underwater cameras when ice fishing with great pleasure. Such a device allows you to quickly assess not only the presence of fish in a selected place, but also its behavior and bottom topography.
For example, with its help you can see whether there are fish at all in this part of the reservoir, how it reacts to the play of the bait, and which particular fish are interested (or not) in your gear. The camera comes with a battery pack that allows the camera and included 7-inch display to run all day long.
The display has a built-in video recorder and a memory card slot, which makes it possible to record video of what is happening under your hole. The high sensitivity of the camera sensor allows you to transmit very high image quality to the screen on a clear day and in relatively clear water at a depth of up to 6 m. To work at greater depths, infrared and conventional backlight diodes are built into the camera body, which can be turned on separately if the camera cannot cope with low lighting underwater. To make it easier to read information from the screen, a visor is included in the kit. The entire set fits into an elegant case, and to make the device ready you just need to connect the plugs in the battery pack and turn off the power switch. The backlight level can be adjusted using resistors. In Russian online stores, this camera is sold for about 10,000 rubles, but we bought this device from this Aliexpress seller.
AVT miniDR underwater fishing camera
Float rods
Many types of winter fishing rods are assembled on the basis of a fishing rod with legs. Winter float tackle was no exception. Here is the general principle of its construction. 1. We wind a fishing line with a diameter of 0.12-0.14 millimeters onto the reel. 2. Next, we put a float on the fishing line. 3. Below the float we distribute a load of several pellets. 4. We tie a leash made of thin fishing line, in accordance with the likely size of the trophy. When fishing, the equipment is lowered to the bottom, and the float is installed so that it is below the surface of the water. This will allow him not to freeze into the ice that covers the hole.
No alcohol
Often, even experienced fishermen take various alcoholic drinks with them, citing the fact that they warm up perfectly.
In fact, the basic feelings are intoxicated, which is why a person exposes his life to even greater risks. First of all, he may not be able to cope with the oncoming sleep, and falling asleep in the cold is practically doomed to death. Next, the ability to think critically is lost, which in an extreme situation is a very important parameter for survival. Remember, although a large number of fishermen drink and return home unharmed, many of them still die because of this.
Postavushi
Postavushi are types of fishing rods for winter fishing that fishermen do not actively use. Although the float described above is also in its own way a set-up, we here mean gear in which nods of various models serve as bite alarms. The essence of the bait is to equip it with a stationary bait that can be pecked by both predatory and peaceful fish. The nod in postavushah does not carry an animation load, but serves purely as a bite alarm function. Since such passive gear is usually used in several pieces and placed at a distance from each other, the guard should be clearly visible to the fisherman. For fishing, a fishing rod with legs is used, which is equipped with a fishing line the size of the trophy, usually a diameter of 0.14 millimeters is sufficient. At the end of the fishing line you can tie a large jig, spinner or hook with a sinker. These fishing rods are used to catch pike perch with sprat, rotan with meat, and crucian carp with worms or bloodworms.
Heated vest
Winter is winter, and when spending a long time in the open space of a river or reservoir, even well-insulated fishermen begin to freeze. This is understandable - after all, it’s one thing to drill holes, which involves physical activity, and another thing to sit with a fishing rod in your hands near it, pulling out one hole after another.
A good help in heating can be not only a glass of good cognac or hot tea from a thermos, but also a special electrically heated vest. It is powered by an external USB power bank (purchased separately) and can heat your body under the jacket for a long time (depending on the battery capacity). In Russian stores, such a vest can be found for about 3,000 rubles, and on Aliexpress its cost will be approximately half that. In any case, such a gadget will be a certain insurance against hypothermia, or a convenient heating device if the office is poorly heated, and there is absolutely no time to warm up with some tea. You can buy such a vest on Akiexpress, for example, from this seller.
Fishing rod for the current
If the question arises of how to choose a winter fishing rod that can be used for fishing in the current, feel free to buy a version with legs with a handle and an open reel that will hold up to 50 meters of fishing line 0.18-0.20 millimeters thick. In order to prevent the tackle from tipping over, you need to insert a lead weight into its handle. Such fishing rods are equipped like a summer feeder: with various loop mounts. Basically, for winter fishing you need to choose one of the following equipment: • paternoster; • Gardner's loop; • inline; • helicopter.
Blesnilnik
We have already talked about it in the chapter on fishing rods; we will also add a few words about the equipment.
The fishing line used is exclusively monofilament with a thickness of 0.14 to 0.28 millimeters, depending on the weight of the bait, the likely trophy and the fishing depth. Thicker veins simply will not be able to give the chosen bait the desired game. The following baits are used for trolling in winter: • vertical spinners; • amphipods; • balancers; • silicone on jig heads; • rattlin wobblers. Using a multiplier or inertia-free reel on spinners will allow you not only to quickly reel in and collect the tackle, but also, through the use of a friction clutch, to catch larger fish. Source
Echo sounder Praktik 6S
This device is interesting because it was originally created specifically for ice fishing and specifically for sub-zero temperatures. It has compact dimensions, light weight, protection against water penetration (standard class IP67) and a very good operating life from one battery (one AA battery is enough for 2-3 fishing trips).
The new version received not only a new case with shock protection and convenient buttons, but also an improved interface with additional functions. The device is equipped with a sensitive sensor that scans an underwater zone in a 40° cone to a depth of up to 25 m. In this version (S), the sensor cable is non-detachable, but the manufacturer also offers a model with a detachable cable, which costs 400 rubles more. The device’s screen is non-touch, black and white, but has enough contrast to clearly see information under bright sun and vice versa in cloudy weather. There is also a backlight. The presence of fish is indicated on the display by the corresponding icons, there is a zoom of the bottom zone and a pro mode that allows you to track the movement of the spoon.
