Ice fishing – Winter camping this year and everything is frozen over?
No problem, you can still fish!
Ice fishing is not so different from fishing without snow and ice, except that you are sitting in front of a hole in the ice.
Even beginners can do it.
Ice fishing is particularly popular in the north, for example in Norway.
There you can visit a beautiful lake with a roof tent.
You can find three tips for beginners here.
Camping Ratgeber:
Security: risk of burglary & cold
Important: As soon as you want to set foot on the frozen lake, you should have familiarized yourself with local warnings and make sure that there is no risk of collapse.
You should also take a fellow angler with you who can help you or call for help if necessary.
Another important tip for you: Dress warmly!
You should pay particular attention to warm shoes.
It’s also worth taking a heating pad and a rescue blanket.
And a suitable chair is worthwhile, otherwise sitting on the ice for hours can get very cold.
You should also check in advance whether ice fishing is even permitted on your chosen water.
Safe on the ice: preparing for ice fishing
You should pay attention to this so that your ice fishing experience remains safe:
- Heed warnings about the risk of falling in on the ice
- Take fellow anglers with you (get & provide help)
- Dress warmly (especially important: warm shoes)
- Take a chair, heating pad & rescue blanket with you
- Check: Is ice fishing permitted on the water?
Find out more about the right accessories now: 
Equipment: Fishing rod & line
The fishing rod should be rather short, as you don’t have to cast it far.
With a long fishing rod, you have to handle it unnecessarily.
Instead, you fish directly from a hole right in front of you.
You should also avoid using fishing lines that soak up water.
These can then freeze and break.
You should pay attention to this with your equipment:
- Short fishing rod (long ones only get in the way)
- No absorbent fishing lines
Hole in the ice: drill or punch?
If you want to start ice fishing, you first need to make a hole in the ice.
You can use an ice auger or ice pick for this.
For safety reasons, an ice auger is recommended, as the vibrations from the ice pick can make the ice brittle.
Cheaper models are available from 25 euros.
Depending on the desired fish size, you can make the hole up to 25 centimetres in size.
Use these tricks to make a hole in the ice:
- Ice auger (for sale from 25 euros)
- Ice axe (BUT: ice auger = safer)
- Hole size: up to 25 cm depending on the fish
This is what an ice auger looks like in action: 
Fishing for beginners: more tips
As a beginner, you should first familiarize yourself with fishing in general.
A solid understanding of the basics of fishing, such as bait selection, fishing knots and the correct handling of the fishing rod, forms a basis for successful fishing.
You will also benefit from this knowledge when preparing for ice fishing.
Here you will find fishing explained from A to Z (or rather: from A to N):
