Tip and Tricks for Ice Fishing....why didn't I think of that sooner!!!

[Far-I]

Ring the dinner bell when pan fishing. Rig a pole with a huge shinie spoon or rap. Sunnies get currious and come in waves to check out all the commotion. This is really effective if you have a underwater cam. Once you draw in a large school quickly swap rods with a panfish rig...and let the fun begin.

Same thing, but for me Chubby Darters work great for thise technique. Great way to keep the school from moving when you are comfortable and dont feel like chasing just yet

[FrontenacPike]

Far-l, couldn't agree more. I do that all the time while on our yearly fishing trips to LOW..sleeper shack. When deep fishing I usually find a bright color and make a lot of erratic movements. As soon as I start marking lookers I switch sticks.

[Far-I]

If you are running and gunnin for late ice crappies its nice to put a handful of minnows in one of the large bait pucks with a little water so you dont have to carry the whole minnow bucket.

I carry my vex in a 5 gal. bucket lined with 1/4 inch adhesive foam. It is a snug fit and added insurance when traveling. I have that lid that is a tackle box snapped on top of it to carry my larger tackle, and keep my small jigs in a small case in my pocket.

Also, just thinking outloud, how do you guys keep the ice and snow off of your auger when its very cold?

Would a butane torch be overkill?

[deadeye]

If you guys use glow in the dark stuff NOTHING charges them better than a UV light. I use one that I had in the tool box for checking automotive fluid leaks with UV dye. I think it was like 25$ but it charges those jigs like no other.

[FrontenacPike]

I got this tip from the guys @ StrikeMaster---if you're having icing problems on your auger, spray it with cooking oil such as PAM or something similar. I have yet to try it, but it sounds like a good one.

[sanka]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do it, but I don't see many other weirdos like me sitting out in the open on a bucket in the middle of the winter.

Take your favorite pole and cut off the tip. Buy one of those fix it kits, but make sure it's a big eyelet. All the last eyelets on my poles are 3/4". Never had an ice up problem since I did that.

[Ed Carlson]

The BIGGEST "Why-Oh-Why lord didn't I think on it that deal first thing" in my book....just has to be the..

I mean...like...DOH'E.... how could I ever have missed that?

[hydro]

Does anyone have any tips for spooling new line on a reel to get rid of its memory? Nothing worse than your first outing with new line and it goes shooting out as you flip the bail.

Some good tips posted above. In addition, when filling the reel from a new spool of line laying on the floor, wind up a few yards then drop some slack and look for twisting. If you see loops develop, the line is going on the wrong way you will see it right away. To fix this just flip the spool on the floor over to unwind in the other direction. Check every once in a while. I like the idea (posted above)of putting the freshly loaded spool in warm water as well. The line will soak up some water and take a set to the reel spool.

[hydro]

Another reel filling tip, Due to the extremely high cost of the new superbraid lines, I fill my reel spools with a backer, then just put about 75' of line on top. For ice fishing this is more than enough for a season and I can spool up several reels from one spool of line. I use a small diameter inexpensive old style braided line for the backer.

[hydro]

If you guys use glow in the dark stuff NOTHING charges them better than a UV light. I use one that I had in the tool box for checking automotive fluid leaks with UV dye. I think it was like 25$ but it charges those jigs like no other.

I saw pocket size "UV" LED flashlights at Ax Man in St. Paul yesterday very inexpensive and just the right size. Also, shopping at the Ax Man store is a great way to find just the right stuff for your next project or experiment!

[JEK]

Here is a good tip, don't take your cellphone out to use it inside your tent-shelter-icehouse-once they hit water there done. They will work under water,but they are hard to retrieve,never done this but have heard of quite a few that tried to use there cell for bait. Not a good idea. Jerry

[Far-I]

Red Rock Wilderness Store have a product for charging jigs. $25 as well, but looks kinda cool.

[FrontenacPike]

This was wrote by Wanderer on a different topic about a year ago. Definitely worth adding here

Put literally whatever you want in a vacuum bag, seal it and you can reheat it in a boiling pot of water on your heater/cooker.

Right now I have about 8 pre-packaged meals made from left overs that are ready to go. I just take them out of the freezer as I need them for trips.

Currently my next hot lunchs will be chicken alfredo.

Cut the bag open lengthwise and dig in with your fork or spoon. When you're done just put it in your trash bag and rinse off your utinsel in your hot water and put it away.

All done.

_______________________________________________________________________________

This was wrote by Ronindoc on a different topic about a year ago.

Omelettes in a bag are great, easy too - bring up a large pot of lake water out of your hole to a boil (or as large a pot as you can handle safely). In the meantime, take a large ziplock bag, throw in a couple eggs, onions, bacon, sausage, cheese, and whatever you'd like in the omelette. Mash it up with your hands once the bag is sealed (get most of the air out). Place the bag into the boiling water and wait for a few minutes. Presto! Omelette. Eat it straight out of the bag with a fork, or if you're really good, you'll figure out how to make the omelette form into a handheld burrito-type shape. Return the water to the lake once cooled.

To see whole topic click address below

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2137155/What_have_you_cooked_on_your_h

[DonC]

sliced spuds work as well

[jBohmer]

Hmm, on the ice cooking tips. Sounds like the beginning of an intersting new thread.

[mixxedbagg]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I used a sharpie to write a comprehensive ice fishing clecklist on the side of my white 5 gallon bucket so I always have a quick checklist to run through at hand and rarely ever forget anything.

[Notcho]

3 tips for fishing with tip-up's

1. Attach bells to the flags, the kind used for catfishing works great when your in the portable.

2. Mark the hole with those fiberglass poles used to mark driveways and curbs.

3. Paint some if not all of the flag black, stands out way better.

Here's some bonus tips!

Buy the insulated round tip-up's, all the other ones are junk!

Also, when fishing pike and you forgot the bait or ran out use HOTDOGS!

Yes, I said it, they work!

[FrontenacPike]

Hmm, on the ice cooking tips. Sounds like the beginning of an intersting new thread.

Ice Cooking Link

[drwinchester]

do you know where I can purchase Marcum magnified snow shield? drwinchester. Thanks

[FrontenacPike]

do you know where I can purchase Marcum magnified snow shield? drwinchester. Thanks

[email protected]

Send him an email, he will get back to you.

[lutzy]

bump

[Stringerless!]

I put a 1 inch square of reflective tape on each side of my flags. Really makes them easy to see when a beam of light is on them. Another trick since I have not come across bells yet is I set a bucket next to a tipup and when the flag pops up it slaps it. That is my audible till I find bells.

[3pronghook]

I add DOT refelective tape to tip ups. Red on the flag and silver to the base. Red and silver horizontal = flag down. Red and silver vertical = flag up!!! another thing i do for cold days or especially overnight is take a 5 gallon pail lid and tape some foam insualtion to one side (used a thinner blue foam sleeping mat) Cut a slit in lid and enlarge the center hole and slide it over shaft of tip up. Kills the light gong down hole and also provides insulation for freeze protection. If out overnight, I will shovel snow on top. Nothing worse than having to chisel a tip up out of the ice with a fish taking line.

[laughterin]

I came across this and found it interesting! Related to the petroleum jelly on auger blade. Surprise! We’ve all been taught that petroleum products are to fish as kryptonite is to Superman. Turns out they’re non-repulsive to neutral, says Prochnow, because their long-chain hydrocarbon molecules are just too big for a fish to taste. Still, we recommend washing your hands after adding oil to the outboard reservoir.

[Creek Kid]

1/8" holes drilled in the conduit on my shacks for hooks made from coat hangers. Along w/ being coat/hat hangers I have eye-screws (completely enclosed-not cup holders) in the end of my rod handles to dangle from hooks. A length of chain in my 1-man flipover keeps it snug to uneven snow & keeps from blowing up. A quarter of a lid from a 5-gallon bucket fits nicely between the flipover bracket & sled to provide a tray w/a lip for waxies, beverages, small jigs etc. A small hole drilled in my sled w/a small dia. rope to tie the flip over tarp tight to keep from opening when loading into the truck. I put a piece of masking tape or paper between the reel and rod when I put new line on with the type of line and date.