If you could only have one...

[cowdisciple]

Would you keep your flasher, GPS w/ Lakemaster chip or power auger? I have none, but I'm thinking of buying myself a present.

[eyebjim]

A flasher is very important. So is a auger. The GPS is too but to a some what lesser degree. You could drill a lot more holes and not know what is down them or you could drill very few and know exactly what is down them. I guess the auger is a little more important unless you know someone you can fish with that can do the drilling. Of course you could cancel your membership at the gym, use the hand auger for a work out and get the flasher and gps.

[JimmyJames]

Auger, no contest.

[cowdisciple]

Oh, my hand-auger muscles are in excellent shape, and sharp blades go a long way. I'm really torn between the GPS and the flasher, though.

[Brad B]

if I had to choose one it would be the flasher. if your looking to buy and are on a limited budget you could always look at used flashers and augers. most used flashers are between 200 to 300 dollars depending on the make and model. used auger can be had for 150 to 250 dollars.

[hamms-scooter]

Get a flasher!!! How often you go to lakes that you dont know? Someone can tip you as to where to go or just look at the crowds and stay on out skirts.Sometimes this is a good way to catch fish that get spooked off. Flasher is everything. If theres no fish there why sit over the spot.Will tell you more then a gps.And unless you have 1ft contours for your lake you fish it is just an old dnr map anyway not a lakemaster upgraded topo.

[HNTNBUX]

I would not ice fish w/o a flasher.

[servocam]

Flasher!

[harvey lee]

Auger.

[bikeoutback]

Me personally GPS would be the last thing of the 3 (in my case it is the last). You can use a combination of the dnr lake maps, purchased maps or a lake book to get topos and get a pretty good idea of where you want to be on the lake and then use the flasher to fine tune your depth. I also found the Sportsman's West Metro Area Fishing Map Guide as a used book store for $8. They had others for other counties also, this one had the counties right around me so I picked it up. Basically there are alot of very cheap options for figuring out where you want to be, just my .$02

[Sonicrunch]

Auger.

[NCLaker]

Flasher ... no doubt. Plenty of fishing partners have augers and/or gps that I fish with, but not an extra flasher.

[cowdisciple]

Hmm, the consensus seems to be flasher. That's the way I was leaning. Thanks all!

[firedew]

I've been fishing along time and finally got a gps.The flasher is the #1 choice.

[Phred52]

Flasher!! I don't need to hand auger a hole to check depth. Shoot through the ice, hey!! There's fish down there too! Drill a couple holes. Phred52

[cgorman]

Catch more fish with a flasher, but need a auger to get the fish, but my choice is a flasher.

[79LumaCraft]

Flasher, without a doubt. Anytime I'm fishing within eye sight of another angler they'll come over and drill holes for me after they see me using the hand auger.

[hamms-scooter]

Flasher, without a doubt. Anytime I'm fishing within eye sight of another angler they'll come over and drill holes for me after they see me using the hand auger.

I knew that was the mentality of some hand auger users!j/k

[cowdisciple]

Ha, that's always a good ploy. I can frequently get a lot of holes drilled for me for one or two 70 cent beers. Everyone wins!

[gritsnham]

Flasher you can fish so much more effectively with them but power auger is a close second because many times you need to drill a few holes before you are on the fish. Combine the two and you are golden with GPS coming in third a long ways out in my opinion unless you fish alot of big water. Start witht he flasher and you will soon want the power auger to go with it so saving that extra money will be a little easier!!!

[Fred_Bear]

For panfish it's a toss up between the auger and the flasher but I'd have to go with the flasher and a very nice hand auger.

For walleyes definitely the gps with lakemaster chip if you plan on fishing big bodies of water.

For lake trout I'd go with the power auger for sure.

You're choice depends on the style of fishing you do.

[jwmiller33]

flasher

[Ed Carlson]

Given that choice..a Vexilar for sure.

I can cope with a hand auger, I'll just consider it a bit of "Cardio-exercise"....but guessing if there is a fish down that hole or not...all day or night, well that just wears on my on-ice serenity too much.

But in a different situation...lets say if I was primarily a Tip-Up fisherman...than a power auger it would be..I can watch for flags from anywhere...different game plan.

[zamboni]

auger

[pulleye16]

AUGER all the way...if not, have fun hand drilling those holes in feb and march. lets say you hand drill three holes, no fish, three more holes, no fish...I don't know but I'd throw the flag as that gets tiring as H E double hockey sticks. Flashers are awesome but they only tell you if fish are down there..they don't place fishing down there!