I walked into Canadian Tire the other day. I thought I would spend some of my hard earned Canadian Tire Christmas Card money. There is very little ice-fishing gear in my inventory, so I thought I would use my gift cards to buy some new equipment.
The fact that I have very little equipment may surprise some of our website visitors, but there is nothing “Pro” in my ability as a fisherman and hunter. Just ask the boys of Triple L, or Rip N Tear! This is why I would love for some of you who are knowledgeable to submit some stories or news items. You can do this by registering on forum or our main website (not our blog).
Anyway, I was in the middle of buying some new ice fishing equipment…
I walked up and down the familiar aisle in the store trying to consider my options. After several passes I picked up:
- a wooden tip-up ($4.99)
- Trilene 8lb test line ($3.99) – stay away from the expensive “for ice-fishing” stuff only because the benefits do not out way the increased cost!
- a bait spreader as per a previous article $2.99
With still some more gift card money to burn, I visited a different aisle and saw a rack of ice fishing rods. They were ‘calling’ to me you could say. The rod and reel combos glistened under the fluorescent store lights as I spun a few reel handles. I stayed away from the baitcasting style because I had read that they can freeze up on colder days. In the back row of the hardware I saw a lightning rod/spinning reel combination. I picked it up. Spun the reel. Checked to make sure it was a med/heavy action rod (in case I hook into some lakers). I even looked at the spool on the reel to make sure I could get enough of my new 8lb test Trilene on to it. The labeling on the small reel confirmed that there would be enough line capacity. For, $27.99, the price was agreeable so I took it off the rack and put it into my cart. I am hoping to try it out later next week. When I got get home, I started to spool the line onto my new reel while watching a “Leaf” game on television. I felt good. Confident. I was confident because I had considered all the important details. That was until I read the following article at Fish Ontario.com:
A 28-inch medium-action jigging rod might be standard for most ice anglers, but it’s not always the best choice. There are options. Today’s rods are so sophisticated and plentiful, though, that selecting the right one for your type of ice fishing can be a dilemma, unless you keep target species, rod power, and lure application in mind. Once you’ve narrowed those down, you can decide on rod materials, length, and construction…
Read the entire article here.
After reading that article I wished I could have had the knowledge this writer did. Yet, I suspect that my $27.99 purchase will still work for me this week when I head out to the ice. It has to right?
-Bill Anderson
Muskoka Outdoors
