Welcome aboard...
And welcome to the world of ice fishing. [cool]
Like Fuzzy said, make sure to have good warm clothing. Multiple layers with some kind of a snow suit, beanie, good gloves (2 pairs), good socks (I wear 3 pair, and bring extra just in case), and good insulated, waterproof boots are a MUST. If there is one thing that will make you hate ice fishing right off the bat, it's getting cold.. or falling in. [
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After you have all of that, you'll want to make sure that you get or have access to an auger with good sharp blades. My personal favorite is the strikemaster. Many people prefer the Eskimo brand. 8" will probably be best for the lakes you mentioned.
Tube jigs(1"-4"), curly tails(1"-3"), Ice Cutters, paddle bugs, marabous (1/32-1/8oz), jigging spoons, and ice flies are the most common things you'll find in my tackle box on the ice. Chartreuse, glow, pearl, and white seem to be the most common colors of success. Sometimes I will go with darker greens, purples, pinks, orange, and yellow. Let the fish tell you what they want.
You want to tip your jig with some kind of bait. Crawlers, minnows (red side shiner, fathead, and chub), sucker meat, wax worms, and meal worms. Some people tip with Powerbait and salmon eggs as well.
Keep an eye on the forums for reports about the waters you want to fish. Most guys are more than willing to share specifics with you... depth, jigging, location, etc.
I plan on hitting the Berry a lot this winter... If you are interested, let me know, and maybe we can figure out a time to get up there.
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