Ice fishing is a favorite pastime for many Wisconsinites, who have fond memories of going out on frozen lakes with their families with they were young. If you drive past any Wisconsin lake in the middle of winter after its iced over, you’ll almost certainly see at least one person out ice fishing. On this bonus episode of Wild Wisconsin, Bill Scott talks with See Yang about the appeals of ice fishing -- it's tougher to predict than open water fishing, and there's always something new to learn.
Get started January 18th and 19th with Free Fishing Weekend! Learn more and find free clinics at https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/anglereducation/freefishingweekend.html
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TRANSCRIPT
Announcer: [00:00:00] Welcome to Wisconsin DNR's Wild Wisconsin - Off The Record podcast. Information straight from the source.
Katie Grant: [00:00:12] Welcome back to another bonus episode of wild Wisconsin - Off The Record. I'm your host DNR's digital media coordinator Katie Grant. Ice fishing to someone who isn't from Wisconsin can seem like an absolutely crazy activity. But if you drive past any lake in the middle of winter after it's iced over, you'll almost certainly see at least one person out fishing. On this bonus episode of Wild Wisconsin, we're bringing you another story from Wisconsin's wild side. So sit back and listen in as Bill Scott and See Yang talk about ice fishing and a special opportunity in our state to give it a try. We'll be back after this.
Announcer: [00:00:50] There's nothing like the adventure of ice fishing in Wisconsin. The calmness of the frozen lake, the camaraderie with other anglers and the excitement of catching fish you normally can't get to in the summer.
January 18th and 19th you can ice fish for free during Free Fishing Weekend. Bring your friends and family. Have some fun. And make some memories ice fishing. For info on how you can host or join a Free Fishing Weekend event, go to dnr.wi.gov and search "Free Fishing Weekend." Wisconsin DNR -- adventures and memories.
Bill Scott: [00:01:20] We are talking ice fishing with See Yang. See -- when did you start ice fishing?
See Yang: [00:01:26] I actually, didn't start ice fishing til like I was in college maybe in like 2000. But yeah, that was when I first started. I met this younger guy who was a friend of my brother's, and, he got me into me, into it. And we were actually I'm from LaCrosse so...
We fished the backwaters of up on the Mississippi, and that's when I actually started ice fishing and got into it and started loving it.
Bill Scott: [00:01:49] So what really drew you to the sport?
See Yang: [00:01:51] I would say, you know, I guess like just the different way of fishing and just like not being able to predict as as well as you would in open water.
You know, like the way you fish it is a, you know, like the vertical fishing is so much different than your open water.
Bill Scott: [00:02:07] So I'm assuming you got your start on open water, correct?
See Yang: [00:02:10] Yes, I did. Yeah. I actually started when I was very young... My dad actually, he got me fishing and when I was a little kid, he would, he used to take us out to, um, to the creeks and we would fish for creek chubs and just, it started from there, which is, but then it's funny cause my dad and my brothers, they haven't fished ever since then, but I've always like, I grew to love it and I just been fishing all my life.
Bill Scott: [00:02:31] What is it that you like about it?
See Yang: [00:02:33] What I love about fishing and ice fishing in general too, is that, you know, just the learning opportunities that you... that it's never ending. You're always learning. You're constantly trying to figure out what the fish is doin' and and, and it's so cool to, um, learn fish behavior and you gotta how to adapt to them and try to figure them out.
So that's, that's what really I really like about that.
Bill Scott: [00:02:55] So other than the cold and lack of bugs, what are some of the attributes that sets ice fishing apart from open water fishing? What gives it its appeal?
See Yang: [00:03:04] You know, I think it kinda goes back to that, just the, the different different skills and different things you can do with it.
You know, you, it's easier to just get a group of a big group of guys to get out there and just hang out and do the ice fishing thing and, you know, like, you know better than getting your boat rigged up and know how to do a, do with all those, hassling with all those other things as far as open water. But yeah, I think just being able to get more people involved is, is what, you know, kind of draws other people to it. Yeah.
Bill Scott: [00:03:34] Tell us about some of the basic gear. What are the essentials to get started?
See Yang: [00:03:37] As far as first basic gear, I mean, number one thing is always your safety gear... Your ice picks, you know, some sort of flotation device and throwable. Also, your ah auger, handheld auger or gas powered. And nowadays they have, um, I mean those battery operated power augers.
Um, there's just, your some simple rod and reel and then just tip-ups. I guess that's pretty much what your basic needs would be if, uh, as far as what you need to just get it started, but you can always get into more of the other newer technology and newer things such as like, you know, like the flashers and things like that. Your jigs and plastics that come along with that. But usually live bait is probably your best bet.
Bill Scott: [00:04:18] Okay, what about safety?
See Yang: [00:04:19] As far as safety, like I said, you know, like having your, your ice picks, your spud to check the ice. And usually the general rule of thumb is that four inches of clear solid ice is best for ice fishing if you're traveling by foot.
So, yeah. And then if you, you know, like just following some, uh, guidelines as far as if you're, you want to take an ATV or, or truck out there, uh, just following those guidelines as far as how thick of ice you should, you should have a such as, uh I think for ATV it's between nine and 10 or something, and then suddenly got closer to that and then at least 12 to be able to drive a truck on it.
Bill Scott: [00:04:57] What if a person doesn't have gear?
See Yang: [00:04:59] If the person doesn't have any gear, there is ah the DNR have, they have several tackle loaner sites around the state and people can, are always welcome to go stop in those DNR sites and do rentals. Um, so what you do is you just you ask for that, and they'll be able to supply you with that and you just return it back when you're done with it.
And, uh, so there's a lot of opportunities that the DNR will have throughout the state that have those equipment for people who don't have that.
Bill Scott: [00:05:26] Where can a person learn basic ice fishing skills?
See Yang: [00:05:28] The...
