Knowing the bottom contour is important to knowing where to drill the holes.

You can buy some very cheap ice fishing poles and then use one of your spinning reels.

There are things called pop-ups that folks use when fishing many holes at once.

Personally, I would want at least 6" of ice, but many ice fish with less than that.

I think there's a website called iceshanty.com or something like that where this sub-culture gathers.

Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."