• Ice fishing takes quite a bit more training than usual fishing, so you should start planning your trip a few days in advance.

• The first thing to think about is whether you wish to camp out on the lake side or not. Ice fishing for catfish is always best if you can stay out on the ice for some time.
Confirm you have plenty of food and drink, including whatever hot drinks you may want. A flask full of coffee or hot chocolate is always a nice idea. Check to make sure that your propane heaters work.

• Take ample of warm clothes, and always overpack clothes. It's better to have too much and have to strip down, then to get out there and freeze your butt off because you didn't bring enough.

• It's also a fine idea to rig your rod beforehand. There is a lot of set-up concerned in ice fishing, and this will save time. It's also a pain rigging your rod with cold fingers.