Here are a few bits of advice that I would give to anyone wanting to give ice-fishing a try:

1. Find an experienced ice fisher to serve as your mentor, guide and instructor. If you don't know someone who ice fishes, check with local sportsman's clubs or visit Web sites such as www.iceshanty.com. In lieu of a mentor, go to a popular ice-fishing destination and visit with folks who are fishing. Ice fishers are usually very sociable and likely to take a rookie under their wing.

2. Dress warmly unless you know that you will be spending most of your time inside an ice shanty. I generally wear a base layer of polypro underwear with a heavier layer of quality long underwear such as DuoFold over them. I then add an outside layer of fleece or similar, and I'm usually warm enough to fish on most days. I always carry a pair of insulated coveralls in case I find myself sitting on a bucket for a long period of time, and/or the weather is bitterly cold. Good quality waterproof boots are a must. Bring along two pairs of good quality gloves. You will have to remove your gloves to tie and retie hooks, set tip-ups, remove fish from hooks, bait hooks, etc., and it's easy to get the insides of the gloves wet. Finally bring a warm hat that covers your ears.

3. You won't need to spend lots of money to get started. For example, you can easily make a jigging rod by inserting the top 18 to 24 inches of a broken rod into a hole that you've drilled into the end of a 10-inch section of 1-inch dowel rod. Tape one of your reels to the dowel rod with electrical tape, and you are in business. Basic jigging rods retail for about $10 at most sporting goods stores. A spud bar is a cheap option for chipping ice that is less than 10 inches. You can also re-open old holes with a hatchet or small hand mattock. A plastic ice scoop rounds out your basic "get started" gear.

4. Think small for terminal tackle. Ice jigs 1/64 ounce or less with a small profile are best to fool wary panfish or trout. Tip them with one or two maggots or wax worms.

5. Many novice ice anglers use line that is too heavy. Remember that you are fishing directly over the fish, usually in 25 feet or less of water. A fish in cold water does not fight as strongly as in the warm seasons, and heavy line will dramatically reduce the number of strikes you will get. The water below the ice is extremely clear, and effective presentations are slow and subtle. Fish will take a longer look at your terminal rig, and will shy away if they see the line. I use no heavier than 2-pound test line for panfish, and 4 pound test for walleyes on my jigging rods. Of course, I will use heavier line on my tip-ups, which I usually bait with large minnows.