Fishing through the ice is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age. Unlike other Winter sports, it's cheap to get started and with knowledge of where to find a place to fish, a Newbie can be expected to catch some fish their first trip or so out on the ice.

But what's required to begin ice fishing? One has a variety of choices in fishing supplies on store shelves, the Fisherman could easily spend 100's of dollars on ice fishing tackle and still come up short of the essentials.

This is why I wrote this collection of basic ice fishing equipment that a Greenhorn will need to start. The big surprise is that for about a $100, you could buy all the fishing supplies that a Newbie will need to start fishing on the hard water.

For starters, you'll need to buy an auger meant for ice fishing to cut holes in the ice and snow. I'd get a five, possibly even a 6 inch ice auger for Perch, Crappie and Bluegill. If you want to go after bigger fish like Bass, Pike and Walleye, then If it was me, I'd get a 8, possibly even a 10 inch auger. You have two choices, power augers or the manual augers. Not surprisingly, the manual augers are not as expensive as the power augers but need more effort to use. You'll also need a scoop to get the ice chips from the hole in the ice.

Next on the list are tip ups and ice rods. A lot of fishermen bore numerous holes over bottom structure and use numerous tip-ups to increase their chances of catching their limit of fish. Other fishermen prefer to ice fish with a short rod. I'd get a few tip ups along with a good rod so you can see which strategy is best for your style.

Fishing line should be designed for cold water that is associated with ice fishing. The frigid waters can make fishing line brittle. For this reason you'll want to be certain and get fishing line made for fishing through the ice. Cortland makes a product called Ice Line that is great. The line you buy for ice fishing is the most critical part of your ice fishing equipment.

The best ice fishermen will tell you to get some jigs and lures designed for ice fishing. Miniture jigs are a good choice for Perch, Crappie and Bluegill. Also tear drop jigs and tiny spoons will come in handy when the panfish get finicky. As for bait, panfish love mealworms and spikes while larger fish such as Walleye prefer Worms or baitfish like smelt. Ask around at your local sporting goods store to see what's they suggest buying.

It would be wise to get something to sit on. Most seasoned ice fishermen make use of an ordinary 5 gallon bucket. Few Beginners will even bring lawn chairs out on the ice, but a 5 gallon bucket will also help you haul your gear to and from the ice.

This is all you need to begin catching fish through the ice. Don't forget about buying a fishing license and read up on the regulations for your local area. Being fined for breaking a law can put a damper on your ice fishing efforts. Now get out there and start drilling holes in the lake. Never forget the first rule of ice fishing, be safe and follow all the safety rules for being out on the ice during Winter.