Ice fishing
They can be as basic as a bunk heater and holes or have satellite television, bathrooms, stoves, full-size beds and may appear to be more like a mobile home than a fishing house.
Some resorts have fish houses that are rented out by the day; often, shuttle service by Snow Track or other vehicles modified to drive on ice is provided.
The size of the hole depends on the type of fish sought, generally suggested is 8 inches (20 cm).
The angler sits at the hole in the ice and lifts the pole every now and then, producing the jig effect.
This is a sonar system that provides depth information, as well as indicating the presence of fish or other objects.
These flashers, unlike most typical fishfinders, display the movement of fish and other objects almost instantaneously.
Underwater cameras are also now available which allow the user to view the fish and observe their reaction to the lure presentation.
The days of drilling hole, waiting and hoping that a fish will swim by, are starting to fade.
With light gear, battery-operated sonar units, and fast and powerful augers, an angler can conceivably drill and check hundreds of holes in a single day.
[5] Using sonar, the angler can determine the depth of the water, bottom content, weed and structure cover, and even see if there are fish there.
If they are using "tip-ups" they can carpet the area at different depths and with different presentations (the number allowed being determined by local laws) and see what is the most productive.
There are also many lightweight and highly mobile portable shelters that mount on plastic sleds and collapse for transportation.
Offshore winds can break off pans of ice which are miles wide, stranding large numbers of fishers.
Just such a circumstance occurred in Lake Erie in February 2009, with 100 fishers having to be rescued by helicopters, local authorities, and the Coast Guard.
[8] Late-winter warm spells can destroy the texture of the ice, which, while still of the required thickness, will not adequately support weight.
Many cars, trucks, SUVs, snowmobiles, and fish houses fall through the ice each year.
Other risks associated with ice fishing include carbon monoxide poisoning from fish house heaters and frostbite due to prolonged exposure to wind and low temperatures, although most new houses are fitted with air exchange systems that allow air flow, preventing poisoning.
Conversely, throughout North America—especially in the northern parts of the Midwest and throughout Canada—many large and well-organized contests take place yearly.
It is sometimes known as Canada's ice fishing capital, and every year it is host to a very large and well-organized contest.
[13] In Hwacheon, South Korea, a large ice fishing festival is held every January.
The Ice Festival draws nearly a million visitors every year,[14] and thousands of people have taken part in a contest to catch fish in a frozen Hwacheoncheon (a tributary of the Han River).
[15] In North America, common mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) are frequently caught accidentally while ice fishing.
There is a myth that mudpuppies left out on the ice will survive the winter and return to the water when it thaws.
