The Fur Hat Ice Tour How-To Series is brought to you by ESKIMO.
I grew up going out ice fishing with old guys who probably hadn’t even heard of depth sounders or GPS. But they knew where the good spots were and could return to them every time by triangulating off stuff like a dock, a fence line, and a port-o-potty.
Besides the fact that you don’t need fancy electronics to have an enjoyable and successful time ice fishing, this education taught...

The Fur Hat Ice Tour How-To Series is brought to you by ESKIMO.
January and February are not known for providing balmy weather to the northern parts of the country. Ice fishing certainly leans into that fact, and a good-quality pop-up shelter is pretty much mandatory for any halfway serious ice angler. But those Arctic winds ripping across a lake can mow down even sturdier objects than your little tent. Torn seams and broken poles can be just...

The Fur Hat Ice Tour How-To Series is brought to you by ESKIMO.
I’ve lost or broken a ton of ice fishing gear, either dragging my sled to the lake or pulling it behind a snow machine or Can-Am way out across uneven ice. The mix of heavy and/or sharp equipment with fragile rods and electronics is simply a recipe for disaster.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Even if you’re a passive ice angler, a quick trip to the hardware store and an afternoon...

Ask my friends and they’ll likely tell you that I have the annoying habit of always trying to tack fishing on to a hunting trip or hunting on to a fishing trip—even when that doesn’t make a lick of sense. Add foraging (which we’ve dubbed cast and grasp) and I’m truly in heaven. It’s like each added element of adventure and additional species to pursue increases my enthrallment exponentially.
Cast-and-blast floating is a tradition in my family and...

The Fur Hat Ice Tour How-To Series is brought to you by ESKIMO.
Bait selection for ice fishing can be as simple or complex as you want it to be—but you should want it to be complex. When it comes to fishing (like so many other pursuits), the more thought and effort you put in, the greater reward you’ll often receive.
In this video, MeatEater Fishing Director Miles Nolte shares his thought processes while rigging up to fish a lake containing two...

The Fur Hat Ice Tour How-To Series is brought to you by ESKIMO.
One of my favorite elements of ice fishing is prospecting around with a sled in tow, trying to find fish, generally turning the surface of a frozen lake into Swiss cheese. Punch a hole, drop the sonar transducer, drop the jig, jig the jig, move on, repeat. Do it enough times and you’ll eventually, hopefully, find fish. This a pleasure with sharp auger blades—and a real pain in the...