Fishing Weights
Fishing weights are either lead or steel and attach directly to your line in different ways. The split shot is a small, rounded weight with an opening on one side that widens by pinching fins on the opposite side. After running your line through the opening, you can close the split shot on your line, where it will remain. Split shots provide extra weight, allowing you to cast farther and keep live bait submerged in running water. A rubber core sinker is heavier than a split shot. It has a slot on the side with a rubber core inside. You attach this sinker by twisting your fishing line around the rubber core when you need more weight to keep your bait near or on the bottom. Casting sinkers have a loop on the top where you tie your line; they add weight so you can cast for extra distance. The bullet sinker has a bullet shape and slides onto your line through a small hole in the nose. This streamlined type of weight goes in front of lures such as plastic worms to keep them down.
Fishing Floats
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A fishing float, also called a bobber or bob, is a plastic or wooden device that attaches to your line. The float suspends your live bait above the bottom at the depth you wish to fish. By watching a fishing float carefully, you will see if a fish bites your presentation. Bites from a fish make the float bob up and down in the water, or go entirely under when the fish grabs the bait and takes off. The most common float is a round red and white bobber that casts more easily than other types. Usually made from plastic, bobbers attach to your line with a spring clip. This allows you to position the float up or down your line depending on the depth of the water. Other types of floats include slip bobbers, usually made of balsa wood, that are oblong and thin. Another float, the pencil-style bobber resembles a pencil. It gives you the advantage of a very sensitive float that alerts you to the lightest nibble.
Manual Ice Auger
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Anyone desiring to go ice fishing first must solve the problem of drilling a hole in the ice. One way is with an ice auger, an important fishing supply for ice anglers. The manual ice auger is the one most people use for this purpose. This is an excellent tool if the ice is not extremely thick. When the ice thickens to greater levels (over 12 to 18 inches), using a manual auger can be exhausting. In areas where the ice does not reach great thickness, the manual auger is a quiet and efficient method of drilling a hole. The auger has two very sharp blades on one end and a handle on the other. You use your shoulder and arm strength to corkscrew a hole through the ice. Augers are lightweight, easier to transport than gas or electric ice augers, and much less expensive. The Bass Pro Shops website states that most sell for less than $75. Keeping the blades sharp is important and makes drilling a hole much easier.
