THERE IS NO ICE FISHING IN ATLANTA

[Hard_H2O]

If you are just fishing the Jaycees contest then equipment you will need will be minimal.

At Scheels we have everything you need.

You can use your reels and just slap them on a rod. Many anglers use rods with no reel seat and use electrical tape or castration bands to hold the reel in place. I prefer tape that is rated for colder weather.

Lures or rigs can be a slip bobber rig with a minnow on an octopus hook or various spoons and jigs tilled with a minnow head or larvae like waxies or euro-larvae.

Last year the winner was a 9.45 pound walleye and second was a 5.67 pound walleye. There are also pike, tulibee, and perch in the mix.

I would spool up with 4 to 6 pound ice fishing specific line. I like the Clam stuff.

A scoop and some sort of chisel to clean out the hole will be needed. Something to sit on. A bucket or chair. A rod holder so you can set your rod down without it finding it's way down the hole.

Be careful with anything smaller than the hole. Phones and such have a way of ending up in the bottom of the lake.

My daughter has been living in Savannah for several years and now lives near Atlanta. A couple of years ago she was back home in MN with her boyfriend. He is from the Atlanta area. I got them out on the ice and he caught his first crappie and sunfish through the ice. He was very excited.

If you like the contest there are numerous places on Mille Lacs and Lake of the Woods that have sleeper shacks and guide services. Very approachable way to get started. Devils Lake is a great destination as is Red Lake. I am heading up to Sioux Narrows, Ontario the first weekend in January to chase lakers. We DIY it but Matt Crawford has Crawford's Camp up that way and he is a great guy to work with.

Good Luck.

[BASSCYN]

They are allowed. You can also buy 2 tickets and fish 2 holes. i would not run a tip-up but I would run one jigging pole and one bobber rig with a live minnow.

https://www.icefishing.org/about/faqs/

https://www.icefishing.org/about/official-rules/

Just curious...Why wouldn't you recommend a tip-up?
Just flying in from Atlanta, if fairly limited in my equipment. I wouldn't have a sled to pull a lot of gear out on the ice. I may be just working out of a 5 gallon bucket.
With a tournament of this magnitude I'm assuming live bait my be hard to come by and "keep" till I'm ready to fish.
Im still researching all of this. Really appreciate the help.

[Walks on Water]

Chiming in to emphasize the importance of good footwear, boots that will protect your feet from the ice you will be standing on. If you haven't experienced heat loss due to to conduction, you can't imagine how miserable it is. A closed cell foam pad to stand on can also make a big difference.

Be sure to have a good base layer. No cotton or other non-wicking material should be against your skin.

Personally, I won't use battery-heated gear(a wool sweater can never malfunction). A good base layer, an outer shell to protect from wind and wet, and in between, as many layers as required.
If you do overheat, don't start stripping right down. Remove your hat. If that doesn't do the trick remove one or both gloves.

If you are dressed properly you should have a great time.

[thomasthepikehunter]

Just curious...Why wouldn't you recommend a tip-up?
Just flying in from Atlanta, if fairly limited in my equipment. I wouldn't have a sled to pull a lot of gear out on the ice. I may be just working out of a 5 gallon bucket.
With a tournament of this magnitude I'm assuming live bait my be hard to come by and "keep" till I'm ready to fish.
Im still researching all of this. Really appreciate the help.

The Brainerd contest is very, very crowded. Think like Taylor Swift concert crowded. You aren't going to want your stuff more than a few feet away from you, and at that point a tip up doesn't make much sense. For whatever stupid reason, hook setting tip ups and rods are not legal in MN. For that reason, I agree, I would just run two rods. Tip ups have advantages, but they do have a learning curve. If you catch any fish at all in the Brainerd contest, you have a real good chance of winning something. Missing a hookset or missing a fish really sucks there.

Also the Brainerd contest has a reputation for somehow always being during a storm, or really cold. There's not much you can do about that, but it isn't like you have to be out there all day. I think the fishing itself is only 3 hours. The rest you can spend inside a fish house or walking around.

[Jack978]

I'm from Maine so not exactly an expert on the area you are going to but one thing no one mentioned so far is surgical gloves.  If you use them when handling wet stuff, it makes a big difference.   Don't keep them on all the time or your hands will sweat but when handling wet stuff, they are lifesavers.  Get a box of them at a drug store and don't be afraid to change them out often.

Ice makes a lot of noise and creaks and groans.  I've taken southerners fishing and noisy ice freaks them out.  It's normal and unless you see a local running for the shore screaming don't panic.  If you do see a local running like that try to get in front of them and beat them in.

Depending on conditions ice cleats might be a wise investment.  If there is snow cover, you won't need them but glare ice without cover is impossible to walk on without a big danger of falling and potentially breaking something, you will regret.   Good luck.

[badbrad2186]

If you are targeting pike or walleye, get ahold of some tipups if the tournament allows these to be used. I am nearly exclusively a tipup fisherman, for all species that can be caught in NY.

Not only do they allow you down time from active angling so that you can eat and drink and socialize while still fishing, the sight of a flag going up still gets us guys in their 4th decade of doing this excited.

If you have time to set up tip ups and not jig you aren't fishing the right lakes. I use to be an exclusive tip up fisherman switched what lake I fish and I don't have time for tip ups 2 jigging rods one dead sticking and one I'm jigging with I usually have my limit and head long before other people are catching keepers..I also know the lake like the back of my hand and know all the spots to catch fish when no one else is

[thomasthepikehunter]

I'm from Maine so not exactly an expert on the area you are going to but one thing no one mentioned so far is surgical gloves.  If you use them when handling wet stuff, it makes a big difference.   Don't keep them on all the time or your hands will sweat but when handling wet stuff, they are lifesavers.  Get a box of them at a drug store and don't be afraid to change them out often.

Ice makes a lot of noise and creaks and groans.  I've taken southerners fishing and noisy ice freaks them out.  It's normal and unless you see a local running for the shore screaming don't panic.  If you do see a local running like that try to get in front of them and beat them in.

Depending on conditions ice cleats might be a wise investment.  If there is snow cover, you won't need them but glare ice without cover is impossible to walk on without a big danger of falling and potentially breaking something, you will regret.   Good luck.

For sure, cleats are great.

Nitrile gloves is not a bad idea, it does work, but I always found nitrile gloves to be a pain for not enough benefit. It might be because they don't make any big enough for me, but they are hard enough to put on indoors. Taking them on and off in the cold is not easy. There are ice fishing specific gloves that are ok. The neoprene ones are ok, but they too are kind of tough to get on and off, plus they really get a stink before long. They tear easy. What I found works really good is insulated crabbers gloves. Mine are Atlas 460. They slip right on and off, last years, don't smell. They even hold up to pike teeth, no need for jaw spreaders.

[BASSCYN]

The Brainerd contest is very, very crowded. Think like Taylor Swift concert crowded. You aren't going to want your stuff more than a few feet away from you, and at that point a tip up doesn't make much sense. For whatever stupid reason, hook setting tip ups and rods are not legal in MN. For that reason, I agree, I would just run two rods. Tip ups have advantages, but they do have a learning curve. If you catch any fish at all in the Brainerd contest, you have a real good chance of winning something. Missing a hookset or missing a fish really sucks there.

Also the Brainerd contest has a reputation for somehow always being during a storm, or really cold. There's not much you can do about that, but it isn't like you have to be out there all day. I think the fishing itself is only 3 hours. The rest you can spend inside a fish house or walking around.

Yes... the contest is from 12:00 to 3pm. They open the ice at 8:00am I dunno. This will define my level of commitment. lol. I cant expect to show up at 11:00 and find a viable hole. Storm? Lets hope not
Thanks for the insight

[BASSCYN]

I'm from Maine so not exactly an expert on the area you are going to but one thing no one mentioned so far is surgical gloves.  If you use them when handling wet stuff, it makes a big difference.   Don't keep them on all the time or your hands will sweat but when handling wet stuff, they are lifesavers.  Get a box of them at a drug store and don't be afraid to change them out often.

Ice makes a lot of noise and creaks and groans.  I've taken southerners fishing and noisy ice freaks them out.  It's normal and unless you see a local running for the shore screaming don't panic.  If you do see a local running like that try to get in front of them and beat them in.

Depending on conditions ice cleats might be a wise investment.  If there is snow cover, you won't need them but glare ice without cover is impossible to walk on without a big danger of falling and potentially breaking something, you will regret.   Good luck.

I've considered the nitrile gloves and I have them. Just seems like a pain...particularly trying to get them on with damp cold hands. But I get the advantages
Ice cleats ! That's the first mention I have heard of that. More research Thanks
...and if I hear ice cracking ...nobody is beating me off the ice . lol

[BASSCYN]

For sure, cleats are great.

Nitrile gloves is not a bad idea, it does work, but I always found nitrile gloves to be a pain for not enough benefit. It might be because they don't make any big enough for me, but they are hard enough to put on indoors. Taking them on and off in the cold is not easy. There are ice fishing specific gloves that are ok. The neoprene ones are ok, but they too are kind of tough to get on and off, plus they really get a stink before long. They tear easy. What I found works really good is insulated crabbers gloves. Mine are Atlas 460. They slip right on and off, last years, don't smell. They even hold up to pike teeth, no need for jaw spreaders.

insulated crabbers gloves?? Is that a typo? crabber?

[sploke]

insulated crabbers gloves?? Is that a typo? crabber?

Insulated, waterproof PVC gloves:

https://www.amazon.com/460-Vinylove-Resistant-Insulated-Gloves/dp/B00KY6JUYW


I use something similar, but in mitten form.  Gloves never keep my fingers warm enough.  I picked up a pair of these guys and absolutely love them.  Completely waterproof so I can dip my hands in the water with them with no concern, and they're roomy enough that I keep small handwarmers in them when it's really cold.  Super easy on and off, and the liners come out to dry them.  They're usually pretty damp inside by the end of the day from putting my wet hands into them, so overnight I pull out the liners, turn the rubber shells inside out and they dry easily overnight.

https://www.amazon.com/JokaTherm-Mittens-Size-10-XL/dp/B009IYMBDI

[thomasthepikehunter]

insulated crabbers gloves?? Is that a typo? crabber?

No. Looks like some just call them crabbing gloves. They are for commercial crab fisherman.

[BASSCYN]

Insulated, waterproof PVC gloves:

https://www.amazon.com/460-Vinylove-Resistant-Insulated-Gloves/dp/B00KY6JUYW


I use something similar, but in mitten form.  Gloves never keep my fingers warm enough.  I picked up a pair of these guys and absolutely love them.  Completely waterproof so I can dip my hands in the water with them with no concern, and they're roomy enough that I keep small handwarmers in them when it's really cold.  Super easy on and off, and the liners come out to dry them.  They're usually pretty damp inside by the end of the day from putting my wet hands into them, so overnight I pull out the liners, turn the rubber shells inside out and they dry easily overnight.

https://www.amazon.com/JokaTherm-Mittens-Size-10-XL/dp/B009IYMBDI

Interesting...I see the JOKASAFE folks make gloves too. Seems more functional than mittens for working with a reel etc.. But then again I've never worn a mitten in my life. lol I have no idea...
If the gloves are that good I can use them when I ride my Harley. Even in Atlanta, riding in 40-50 degrees my hands are always cold.
Appreciate the links. Thanks !

[BASSCYN]

A little late posting...but we did it !
Weather was extremely mild so the “Extravaganza” on Gull Lake was changed and spread out to several local Brainerd area lakes and on a Fish Donkey scoring system. This was fine except we were planning to fish pre-drilled holes lol. So we ended up hiring a local guide for a few hundred bucks and he took us out to the middle of North Long lake...drilled about 6-7 holes, provided rods, bait and 4 hummingbird sonars and left us to it. We didnt win anything, but we caught a lot of fish!. I caught 4 nice Bass, and enough sunnies for a fish fry. We also caught a couple of crappie. The bass did not count for the tournament however , but we had an absolute blast !!Can't wait to go back !

Thank you guys again for all the advise

[zcm_82]

Glad to hear it went well, even if not quite as planned. 

That was likely more help than hinderance, anyway. Those pre-drill derbies can be unproductive zoos sometimes.

[thomasthepikehunter]

For sure, the spreading out helped the fishing. I fished north long a bunch of times, and I honestly think it's better than gull. Gull gets hammered all year.

Hopefully you try the tournament again, I swear it's some kind of crazy weather every year, but it's usually cold, not hot.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I am happy to read that you had a good time, and caught fish. That is not a bad day of ice fishing anywhere, by anyone my man. Deep fried crappie fillets that were swimming earlier in the day is heaven on earth.

[icefishman]

Glad you caught some fish