In getting started, I suggest you invest in a good sharp ice auger. They really make the sport more enjoyable and also help you be more productive fishing by being able to quickly tap new holes in deep ice where you need them. In most situations you can use a 6 inch or 8 inch auger. They have sharp razor blades on the cutting edges and they cut through ice real fast. Although I haven't used them, you might also consider a portable fish finder with a transducer that will penetrate the ice. I think they are to the point where they work pretty good. I've never used them though because I have always known the structure of where I fished. Then, you will need tip up rod/reel. These can be very inexpensive little wooden tipups for starters. Finally, you will need tiny ice jigs and tiny worms/maggots for bait. Pan fish usually hit much smaller bait in the winter than they do in the heat of the summer so the tiny bait works better. Good luck.

i love seein people get into ice fishin, this is def. my favorite style of fishin. like "dakotaman" said a sharp auger is necessary. i have an 8 inch jiffy power auger, but i would just buy a hand auger if i were you until you see if you like it enough to spend alot of money, a good hand auger runs around $60. oxygen levels change in the winter also, most times my biggest trout are caught only a few inches under the surface of the ice. get some tip ups and set them at all different depths, every where from flat on the bottom to right under the ice, when you get flags take the tip ups out and fish that depth with jiggin poles. i love my fish finder but this is what i used to do before i invested in one. trout are very hard to catch on tip ups and that's why you switch to jiggin poles once you find them. but just about every thing else can be caught on tip ups. we always do best catchin bass and pike 6-12 inches off of the bottom in 6-21 feet of water. trout can be anywhere from 4-60 feet of water so they will be a little harder to find. i don't fish for panfish so i won't be much help there. like skeeb said tippin your jigs with wax worms, meal worms and minnows works very well. but if your usin any kind of vertical crankbait for ice fishin don't tip it with ANYTHING, it inhibits the action of the bait. good luck!