Perch is the most common fish species in Finland. It is distributed all over the country from the southern sea areas all the way to the head waters of the river Utsjoki. The stripeshirts are the natural catch of an icefisher because they are so plentiful. You also fish for perch because they are delicious to eat. The statistics of the Game and Fisheries Institute show that in the year 1994 there were 575,000 people in Finland who went icefishing at least once a year.

Warm clothing suitable for winter outing is sufficient for a rookie icefisherman. If the hobby turns into a passion and icefishing the pastime of every and each weekend it is worthwhile to buy a decent overall. Footwear is an important part of your warmth preservation gear. If your feet get cold you get cold all over. At least the foot of the shoes must be watertight and large enough to fit a couple of layers of woollen socks in addition to your foot. Rubber boots with a detachable felt lining are very practical when you´re out there for several days and you have to be able to get your footwear dry during the night. You choose your headgear according to the situation; for mild weather a knitted cap is sufficient, a real snowstorm requires a warm fur cap. You also need to have several pairs of gloves with you, because a diligent icefisher will get his gloves wet at noon the latest. It is nicer to fish in the afternoon when you have dry gloves to change to. Icefishers often use gloves with open fingertips. This way you can feel the line and landing the fish goes quickly. When the frost really bites you can warm your hands in large fur mittens. A scoop for the sludge is a necessary tool when you must clean the ice from the hole. When fishing with a balanced jig a careful strike might show only as a slight movement of the line. If there is crushed ice in the hole you can´t see these movements and your counter strike will be oh so late..

A wise icefisher never goes on weak or doubtable ice. The life insurance of every man on ice is good safety equipment including a floating overall or vest, ice spikes and a sturdy line. Modern floating overalls are so light that wearing them doesn´t hamper your movements. The vest also protects your chest from the wind. The ice spikes are needed in case against every precaution you should fall through the ice. You always have to keep the spikes on your neck or in your breast pocket so that you can get them out quickly. The safety value of spikes in the rucksack or the pulka is nil, because when you´re swimming there´s no way you´ll get anything out of your rucksack. Every fishing team should have at least one long line. Your own gang might be cautious and keep to strong ice but there are all kinds of folk on the ice that you might have to pull out of the water with the help of the line. Survival equipment also include a box of matches packed watertight so that a wet fisherman can get first aid warmth by a fire..

On bright snowless ice the kick sled is a fast vehicle. If you want to make the sled move efficiently you must have a spiked shoe on at least one of your feet. It will have a good grip and give you excellent speed. When there´s more than 10 cm of snow on the ice it´s best to stay on foot. You pack the gear either in a normal rucksack or a stool rucksack which you can use as a chair when fishing. Many icefishers are in favour of a separate seat made e.g. of a large plastic bucket. The part touching the bottom is coated with foamed plastic. When you have a lot of gear with you a common plastic pulka is a cheap and practical means of transportation. The load can be fastened handily with the help of the so called "squid" for which you bore holes in the sides of the pulka.

A prerequisite for a successful icefishing trip is the you first make a hole in the ice through which you can get the jig down and the fish up. When the ice is thin an axe or an icepick is sufficient to break the ice for fishing but compared to these a proper ice drill is a tool and not a toy. The drill is the one most expensive purchase of the rookie icefisher; a good drill will cost you some fifty pounds or so. The first thing you have to decide is the diametre of the fishing hole. If you only want perch four inches will be enough. Then again, in case you also want to tickle the jaws of the pike, burbot, rainbow trout and trout it´s best to choose a six inch drill. A basic drill is sufficient for fresh water fishing but if you also aim to fish the Baltic you´ll have to buy a drill with a stainless blade. It´s hard to bore holes with a rusty drill..

Different blades of drills.

Spare blades of UR cost around £20 and even sharpening about £5. Detachable Mora blades cost less than £10 but you must attach them carefully not to change the angle of the blades. Sharpening of the blades should always be left for the professional because it is difficult to sharpen the drill so that it bites well and sinks lightly into the ice. For transport and longer treks from hole to hole you should always have a protective case in place. Never keep the drill lying on the ice, the blades are a threat to yourself, other fishermen and the lines. Each winter there´s need for miles of plaster to mend cut from the drill blades.

A basic icefishing rod will cost a few pounds. Most types have several different changeable tips available extending the possible use of the rod. The normal tip is flexible but when using e.g. a balanced jig you change in a stiff tip. Just one rod will do and get you a lot of perch. Competition fishers use fork rods. Their advantage compared to normal models is that you can slide your catch into the pack so that the other competitors don´t notice. By counting the reeling layers of a fork rod you get the jig easily back to the right height. The good side of light rods are their lightness and their sensitivity when fishing.They usually have a small reel but even when using a normal rod the fish is most often landed by alternating hands and not by reeling. The reel is needed as a storage space for the line when switching holes or places.

Different kinds of icefishing rods.

If the circumstances require or the fish are choosy you might have to use a tactics differing from the vertical jig. When the fish aren´t active the "mormuska" may be the only jig to yield. When the perch create the striking fervour a balanced jig lands fish after another while someone next by is baiting his vertical jig.The basic gear of any perch angler includes at least three rods: one for small perch jigs with a line of 0.12 – 0.15 mm. A basic rod for snell jigs and small balanced jigs with a line of 0.15 – 0.20 mm. The third is a rod for big vertical and balanced jigs with a line of 0,20 – 0.25 mm. You need the big jigs if the fish are feedin in deep water.