Raven

Go to Frabill's HSOforum. They are very helpful and can tell you what fits, etc. I have ranger also and wouldn't trade. Have lots of miles on it.

I have had my Vex FL18 for 3 years now and I really do enjoy it. Has a 1/2 in. defination and you don't need more than that. The zoom really lets you know what is going on and you have no problem seeing the flasher in the sunlight. It is a good choice.

Had the same problem with my Jiffy Model 30. Ran it for the first time this year and it would idle fine, but if you went full power, it would start to kill. If you backed off, it ran. I had to use half choke the first time out. It was set too lean. I have a Jiffy Legend 3HP that has ran great for 3 years now. Never had to do a thing to it. I had a Strikemaster Lazer 3HP before but it wouldn't run and took it back - been with Jiffy ever since.

Last year I went with the LED rope lights after checking out the options. They work great in my FRABIL. Just tied them to the frame over my head and use an extra vexilar battery. Last year they went for $15 at Gander Mountain. I guess this year they are a shorter and the cost has gone up. Must work if they can raise the price.

Hey Somedays. I have a 3hp Jiffy Legend 10". Originally I bought a Strikemaster 10" and had nothing but trouble. Took it back. I e-mailed Strikemaster and they said maybe it was too much a machine for me. (I am 6' and about 230# and told them I could probably lift that fellow who e-mailed me over my head) At any rate, a friend recommended the Jiffy and I sure do like it. I did win a 8" Jiffy Legend at one of the fishing derbys but haven't even started it yet. There was an article in In-Fisherman this month concerning size, and the overall concenses was that the 8" was much lighter, and that there weren't too many fish that couldn't be pulled up through that hole. Also was a safety factor according to the article. I just gave my ole one a pre-season fire-up and it took off on the second pull. I have to add this little story too - two years ago I was iceing crappies on a lake near where I live and about five young guys showed up a short distance away. One finally started to walk in my direction. Turns out their auger wouldn't run. Asked to borrow my Jiffy. They punched about a dozen holes or so and when they returned it, I asked what kind of auger they had.....it was a Strikemaster. And this isn't any bull:)

Thanks Jeff. I think I was too aggressive. Will try to slow it down. And I do think the JRs are best for all around. Sure am looking forward to looking down that hole again. This is a good forum and there is some good advise in it.

I think the Angel Eye Jr. is the best all around to have. I prefer the pink glow and the gold. Some days it seems I can do no wrong with the eyes and then other days no luck at all. I can't figure out just what I am doing wrong. Usually have the most luck letting glide sideways and then bring it back in with short jirks.

Was thinking about adding a couple of rods and am curious if the spring bobber really works. Appreciate any feed back you can give.

Appreciate the come backs. I sure do like to use this method of packaging. Just didn't want to mess up my jerky. Thanks again.

Am planning on making some venison jerky again this year. Just wondering if anyone has used one of those vaccum sealers to package jerky for storage? We used one to package chickens this year and they work great. Going to use it for our venison this year too, but was wondering if it would work for the jerky?

Spudhauler- Pls send pics to raven@paulbunyan.net Thanks

I had a Strike Master Lazer and it wouldn't cut ice. Sent an e-mail to the company and they replied that maybe I should use an 8" instead of the 10", thinking I might be too small to use the "big" rig. Told them I could probably lift that salesman over my head! Took that lazer back to Fleet where I bought it. Later bought a 10" Jiffy Legend and love it. Have to add this: was out on a local lake two weekends ago and a fella came walking across the lake towards me. Send my partner on the snowmobile to find out what was the problem. He asked if he could borrow my auger as his Strike Master lazer wasn't working and he needed about 10 holes cut. Of course I was glad to have my ole Jiffy help. Go Jiffy.

I have had both also. Had problems with the sm and e-mailed their company. They suggested that the auger I had was too much for me to handle:) Told them I was over 6' and weighed about 210 lbs and probably could have lifted the responder over my head. Took it back to Fleet and I have a Jiffy now. No problems and love the thing. Any outfit that responds to a problem like that aint going to get any more business from me.

Lake Bemidji has been producing some big Northern and Musky. Bluewater Bait can steer you right on what you should be using. Good folks there.

Hey Ragnar - the next time the Mrs. is in the shack would be a good time to test all these different ideas I prefer to pinch the head off a minnow and kind of squish it a little before I rinse my hands off. Works for me. And a fella I know that guides on LOW swears that WD-40 has to be sprayed on everything. And we caught tons of fish that day. PS - Has the Mrs. had a meal of walleye yet? I saw on the Walleye Retreat HSOforum that they were catching the 17-18 inchers the day after we left

Are glow optics the ones made out of glass? I tried one of them last week (red) and had no luck at all. I switched to a small blue glow and started hitting. Of course the color blue lasts the longest with red glowing the shortest time.

I have a Bearcat which has a tow plate. I tow a Frabill XLTwin. One thing I have added is a safety chain after losing the thing a couple times at night. The tow bar can cause the pin to move up and out of the holes. Even had problems with the hitch pins that have the spring clip. But that safety chain sure ended the problem.

Have a 96 Honda Foreman. There is a push button primer up under the left side of the seat. Give it 2 or 3 pushes and that cold blooded thing will fire off quick. Just have to let it warm up good before heading out. Had to turn it over a long time to start before a mechanic showed me where to find the primer

I was stationed in Milwaukee back in the early 60's and was new to ice fishing. I had tried to learn all I could by asking questions and reading. Thought I would take a drive out to see how it was done. Picked a popular lake nearby and arrived just in time to see this fellow hand-line a large Northern that would have run about 12+ pounds out on the ice. I stopped and watched him try to take the hook out of its mouth. He was having problems with it keeping its mouth closed, so he stepped on the fish just behind the head. Mouth open - he reached inside and released the hook. Mouth slammed shut and he yanked his hand out. Looked like it had gone through a meat grinder. I have to say I learned a valuable lesson that day!

Was at the tournament in Brainerd today and there was a lot of slippery ice. Saw lots of folks hit the ice and some were even wearing various types of ice cleats. I stopped and put on my "Ice Grippers". While I was there several people asked to see what I was wearing. They wanted to know where I bought them and of course I directed them to FM. I pulled a sled out and back and never had any kind of slip. These things work fantastic.

A couple of years ago I ran across a new type of tip-up. Called Artic Warrior, it consists of a frame that you can set your own rod in. Works the same as other ones as it flags when a fish hits. Difference is you can just pick up your rod and set the hook, and then fight the fish. Caught some nice northerns last week on them. I have a light rig on one and a trout rod with Ambassador reel on the other. Both use quick strike rigs I made. Never use my other ones anymore.

I have used my XLTwin for two years now and I really like it. They did revamp the seats. I have the bench. I rigged a net under the seat to hold my rods - works great. I can pack all of my gear into the unit and I put two large bungee bands over the top from side to side. Be sure to buy the cover. It sets up fast and is very confortable. I do like to move, expecially on LOW. That's the beauty of the XLTwin. Good fishing

I bought a Strikemaster about four years ago. Had nothing but trouble. When I e-mailed the company, they suggested that maybe I was too small to handle the 3HP 10" model (honest). I returned the lemon. Two years ago, after talking to a lot of guys, I bought a Jiffy Legend - 3HP 10" and it works great. I'll sure recommend the Jiffy.

Just read in the paper that the MN supreme court ruled that the DNR can check your live well with or without your permission. The article didn't mention ice houses. Anyone heard anything?

The LaCrosse Ice Kings rate as one of the best as far as I am concerned. They are not as bulky as the Mickey Mouse type. Both will keep you warm.