Basic Things You Should Bring When Ice Fishing

Now that it’s getting colder, many fishers out there are gearing up to go to their favorite ice fishing spots to chill out and get a couple of good catches. If you are still an inexperienced fisher, do not worry, because as long as you have the basic tools and equipment with you, then you’re set to have an amazing ice fishing trip with hopefully lots of fish caught. 

Here are some essentials you need to pack with you when you go ice fishing.

1. Heavy Clothing

As the name of this activity implies, ice fishing is done when the water is covered with a thick layer of ice, and you are going to be fishing through this layer. This means that the temperature will be below zero degrees Celsius. It also means that if you do not have enough layers of clothing on, and protection for your extremities, you might end up sick or even suffering from frostbite. Make sure that you are wearing a heavy-duty jacket or parka, and pair that with thick gloves. Also opt for non-slip boots that have a good grip on the ice because you do not want to slip on it when you are moving around, or when you have a fish you want to reel in.

1. Augers

To first start ice fishing, you need to create a hole in the ice that you are going to fish through. This can get dangerous if you do not have the right auger to drill through the ice. Any mistakes can lead to the ice cracking, and you getting an unwelcome icy bath.

1. Rods

Getting the right rod is important when you want to fish. This is also twice as important when you want to go ice-fishing, as the required hard water tackle is one that you can depend on to reel in your fish every time you get a bite. You need it to be light in weight so that it does not add to the mass that you will be reeling in, and it has to be easy to keep your grip on so that it does not slip out of your hands and into the icy water beneath you.

1. Bait

To catch fish, you need the right bait with you. What bait you get largely depends on where you go ice fishing, so check the rules and regulations of the place to understand what kind of bait is allowed when ice fishing.

1. Hooks

The hooks you bring with you need to be very sharp so that fish get caught easily on them. Dull hooks will result in a few fish because they will easily slip off the hook that you use. If you plan on having a big catch, then get a bigger hook so that you have a better fighting chance when reeling in a fish after it takes the bait.

Having this equipment is essential before you go on the next ice fishing trip. Of course, there are more advanced tools out there that you can get, but they do not guarantee that you will go home with a catch. The most important thing to remember is to remain patient so that you end up with a great catch and a story to take home with you.

Exploring Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and home to the most amazing aquarium I have ever seen!

Benagil Cave, Portugal

This cave is the hottest tourist stops on the southern coast of Portugal. The trails in the area all lead to this cave, hotels are set centered around this cave, and entire tour groups organized just to get a glimpse of this majestic cave.

The people in that inflatable boat in the entrance paid around €30 per person to sit at the opening of the cave and never see this view. The people inside the cave either swam in or rented paddle boards for €15 just to scoot inside the cave for a few moments before they have to paddle back and return the board.

By coming in on our own dinghy, we were able to make it in all the way in and have no one telling us when its time to leave. We roll in when we want and we left when we were ready!

This is one of the best parts about cruising, you have the flexibility of time and the peace to enjoy where you are for as long as you want.

Algarve, Southern Portugal

When you think of cruising, you probably think of arriving somewhere with white sandy beaches. You should skip that thought and come sail to the rocky limestone cliffs of Algarve on the southern coast of Portugal.

Waves and rain water have eroded away the soft stone to create giant cave structures that litter the coastline. Based on the steep cliff face, you can assume that the water is incredibly deep right up to the waters edge, and you would be right!

We didn’t dare to bring our floating home, Wisdom, close to the rocks, but we did give it a go in our dinghy Brad! We motored along the coast in our little inflatable going in and out of the caves that litter the coastline.

The depth right up at the cliff face was roughly a steady 30 feet deep, but it quickly dropped off to over 100 feet in no time! We wanted to anchor outside of one cave and swim in, until a local told us that was not a viable option! Outside that one cave was more than 100 feet deep, but inside the cave was a soft sandy beach where we landed the dinghy and had a relaxing afternoon.

Algarve is a beautiful stop on our way into the Mediterranean Sea and one worth stopping at, even if for just one more day in Portuguese waters!

Sunsets Never Get Old

My favorite part of ocean sailing is sunset. The sky turns into beautiful palate of colors as the sun dips down on the horizon and night watch begins. While some sailors fear night sailing, I actually quite enjoy it. The sails are set before sunset for the rest of the night; if we think we will need to reef at some point in the night, we reef while the sun is still up that way we have no surprises in the dark. The only thing left to do is watch for navigation lights in the distance, which in my opinion, makes ships easier to spot in the distance!

In an attempt to capture the beauty of the sunset as the light played with the sail, I experimented with my iPhone’s panorama feature. There are some artifacts as the lifeline seems to have a break in it and the boom seems rather jagged, but the overall feel of the expansive sky changing in color from dark to colorful prevails!