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I am just now turning 50 years old and I have never ice fished. I’ve been a fisherman my whole life but never on ice, even though I’ve lived a half hour south of Green Bay for the past 18 years. I have zero equipment for the sport, and I know if I ever got into it, I’d have to have the latest and greatest in rod and reel outfits, auger, electronics, clothing, etc... I’m really debating if I should just leave the sport alone to avoid pouring that kind of money into another hobby. I hope to retire in about four years, and there’s a part of me that thinks if I really get the fishing bug in winter, I’ll head south to find open water. I also don’t have an ATV or snowmobile, and I’ve had some knee and ankle surgeries that will make long distances across snow covered frozen lakes a bit of a pain. I’d be curious to know how many of you ice fish just to pass the winter blues, and how many do it because they love it more than most other outdoor activities. I’d also be curious how many of you still love doing it after you have passed the half century mark, and how long you plan on going with this sport.
Hey there! Welcome to the site! I'm sure if you spend some time browsing all of the different sub-forums, you'll find a wealth of knowledge about the sport to get you up to speed on how things go.As far as starting to ice fish at 50, I don't believe that it is too late for you! I'm not familiar at all with the Green Bay area for ice fishing as I'm from the Finger Lakes region of New York, but I'm sure there are tons of places that you could fish with short walks from the parking lot. You could also make a post on the Wisconsin sub-forum to find a fishing partner that would be willing to take you out and bring you back on the bigger bodies of water. For gear, I would start out by looking for mostly used equipment like an auger, flasher, and shanty. Most areas that have decent ice fishing have tons of posts on facebook marketplace, craigslist, garage sales, and local fishing forums for used equipment that you could deck yourself out for a fair price. I personally wouldn't start out buying used rods/reels unless you are an avid open-water guy and know what to look for on an abused rod/reel. You can get used jigs/lures on marketplace as well. I would guess that you could get fully loaded on gear for less than $1000 if you're willing to do some leg work online. Personally, I prefer ice fishing to open water anymore since I don't have a boat. Winters where I live are inconsistent and ice varies greatly from year to year. I've been ice fishing for 16 years and have no plans to ever give it up.
I’d be curious to know how many of you ice fish just to pass the winter blues, and how many do it because they love it more than most other outdoor activities. I’d also be curious how many of you still love doing it after you have passed the half century mark, and how long you plan on going with this sport.
I joined this site years ago to start a little research but didn’t post much cuz I didn’t have anything to contribute. I think at the time I was remotely interested, that’s why I joined, but knowing my tendencies to go all in, I figured I better step away at that time. Now my kids are gone and I’m thinking I might want to get into it and get what I need before I find myself on a reduced retirement income. That should explain only three posts since 2010. Thanks for the commentary gents.
Understood. Hope I didn't come across as a jerk. As others have said it doesn't cost much to give it a try. Especially since you are already an open water guy. You have everything you need to get started except a way to get through the ice. A hand auger can be purchased cheap and converted to a drill later if you so chose. One more thought is if you live near Green Bay and you are an open water fisherman then you must know someone who is an ice fisherman that would let you tag along. Good luck whatever you decide.
Find a friend who ice fishes - - Go out with him (or her) a few times - - And see if you like it.
You can ice fish successfully for almost nothing. A hand line, warm clothes, a spud, a license which u already have. I seem to have more success when I hit the ice as a minimalist rather than taking all the toys.
Yes, more time on the water is always better.