is it worth starting?

[popriveter]

I'm a cheapskate, so I get where you're coming from. I have a $35 hand auger that has served me well for 15 years. When the ice get's really thick and the weather gets nasty, go with friends who have power augers and houses.

If you want to catch fish without a flasher, the trick is, pick a shallow lake (less than 20') and fish for panfish in the bottom foot of the deepest hole. It will work almost every day of the winter on almost any shallow lake. That said, borrow a flasher when you can. I never catch any suspended fish when I'm not using a borrowed flasher.

Everything tastes better through the ice, so don't be afraid to target smaller fish than you would in summer. 6.5" sunfish aren't worth the time it takes to fillet them in the summer, but in the winter, they are awesome! Little bass are great too. Just do the lake a favor and release the bigger ones, eh?

Bait? Here's my cheapest solution- go to an asian market and buy a block of squid (about $3 for a pound.) You'll have 10-15 squid in a block with 8 tentacles each. Take 4 tentacles with you each time you go out and you've got enough bait for 20-30 trips. I tried squid last winter and they produced bites just as much as my waxies and they are tough enough that they don't tear off.

Oh, one more thing. Fish 1.5-2 hours in an outing. Early morning or at dusk. You'll locate and catch fish quicker and you won't give yourself enough time to get super cold.

The last piece of the puzzle- when your friends see how much you enjoy it and the success you have with the little bit of gear you have, they may start to give you some of the toys they aren't using. I was given a house, a power auger and an aqua-vu last winter. Maybe I'll score a flasher this winter. Anyone? Anyone?

Didn't think so.

[robert aldrich]

oh ya it is, i started two years ago and i am now hooked on Ice Fishing.

[Stick in Mud]

Check out craiglist for good gear...there are LOTS of hand augers on there, and you can find some real good deal on flashers, too. Depending on your budget, I'd "splurge" for a used flasher (you can find good ones on a-sales-site, too). If you don't like it after a year, you'll be able to resell for a bit less than you paid. And I odn't want to speak for everyone, but I think a flasher adds SO MUCH to the fun of the sport that it's almost (but not quite) a necessity. If you can swing the $, I'd get one. Just my .02.

[pathogen]

Ditto on a flasher, I've come to depend on mine so much that I feel lost without it.

[robert aldrich]

you have to be carefull on craiglist because people will get something stolen lets say a vexlair and the person who stole it posts it on craiglist and trys to sell it. if the person who had it stolen call the police they will track the person down and take them in.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, there are issues with a-sales-site, no doubt. I don't really know how common it is for people to resell stolen merchandise on there, however. I don't want to hijack the thread, though....I suppose that caution is warranted when buying ANY used equipment, on craiglist or anything else.

[HandGunner]

I got the auger and working on the rod, maybe buy one also, just a few more thing, When should the ice be safe to fish on? and is 6lb mono open water fishing line good enough or do I need ice line

[Brad B]

I got the auger and working on the rod, maybe buy one also, just a few more thing, When should the ice be safe to fish on? and is 6lb mono open water fishing line good enough or do I need ice line

no matter how much ice there is remember this " ICE IS NEVER 100% SAFE". use your best judgement and check with a chisel or auger as you work your way out on to the ice. normally 4 inches of good clear ice is walkable ice but always check if you're not sure. trust your gut feeling. and for line if you do use a summer line go with Berkley XL in 2 or 4lbs test. for bluegills and crappies 4lbs would be the most you need. the ice lines are designed to be limper in cold weather. the price for the berkley micro ice mono versus the XL summer mono is about the same($3.00 for a 110 yard spool of either). I run the 2lb micro ice on my winter bluegill and crappie rods. I have a couple with 4lb on for walleyes and 2 rods with 6lb for catfish.

[HandGunner]

Would anyone like to point me twords some good crappie lakes around ham lake.... And how well does preserved shiners/bait work on crappie and other fish? And 10$ for a ice rod with no reel or 7$ for one of those jig rods that has a reel built in the funny toy looking rods? Looking to catch crappies and hopefully wallys

[Norm1980]

Can't help any with lakes in your area. With the bait it depends on how your going to fish, if you plan on jiggin most of the time dead bait or even plastic bait will catch you fish. However it doesn't sound like your going to be using any type of Flasher so I would suggest using a slip bobber a majority of the time, and with a slip bobber rig I would HIGHLY suggest using live bait (crappie minnows etc.)

As for a rod/reel if you check out one of the big sports stores in your area for $20 you can find one that will work just fine and last you many many years.

Ice conditions as stated above always vary, 4" of ice in one spot can be different than 4" in another. My basic rule is to wait till you see people out on the ice for a day or two. Also bring a buddy with or if you go alone stay with in shouting distance of others.

[amateurfishing]

.....and stay away from HT products, do some research on this site in past posts regarding what ppl like to use, go get a handful of jigs/lures and give it a try.

[HandGunner]

What about fish finders??? What are the dif between fish finders and flasher and depth finder sonar thingy majig mabobber? Cant i just take one off a boat to use to locate fish?

[Brad B]

What about fish finders??? What are the dif between fish finders and flasher and depth finder sonar thingy majig mabobber? Cant i just take one off a boat to use to locate fish?

summer time "fish finders" are normally lcd display and are designed to be used when the boat is moving. some models of these do have a flasher screen on them. to get them to work as a ice unit you would need to buy a ice transducer and a additional power cord. some people do use them since that is what they are use to. modern flashers are LED and are designed for stationary use. they give you a picture of what is right under you. a guideline is the angle of the cone at the bottom of the lake is 1/3 of your depth. so here is a example you are in 12 feet of water and you would be able to see fish out about 2 feet on each side of your hole. as the fish get closer to the center of the hole/cone it will show up as a stronger return. summer unit would just show the fish as a straight line as it comes in.

I am sure other will add more but hope this is a start. also check out youtube there should be videos on the that cover the difference also check marcums site they have videos explaining their units. vexilar might also.

[HandGunner]

I just failed myself hahaha just baught a HT hardwater Classics 24 light HWS-24L ice rod for $10 at wally world it came with a reel and line hahaha dint realize it was HT brand til I got home wow musta been tired from work or somthing to not notice... IDK whats so bad about HT products? rod seems decent yea sure first one I grabbed the tips line guide eyelet came off grabbed another and just going to put some epoxy on it to make sure it dosnt come off like the other one did. haha funny but im going to just keep it and use it I like the feel of it so what ev's... and about fish finders what about the Hummingbird fishin' buddies 110 model for ice fishing?

[Brad B]

the only problem with HT is their reels. they are garbage. the rods are a okay starter rods but you should look for a better reel. the reels don't hold the line right it wants to get over filled at the bottom and almost empty on the top. That Humminbird unit is design for summer time use on canoes. they are $120.00 for a extra $80.00 ($200 total) you could find a used flasher for ice fishing. a new marcum vx1pro is $300.00 but you could possible find a good used one on C-----list for $150 to $200. I had my first LX3 (non TC model) that I sold for $175.00 2 seasons ago. there are deals out there on used ones just need to keep a eye out.

[-JAKE-]

hey i got some advise on the rod and reel combo, since im seventeen i seem to have a limit on spending money so i was looking around on the internet to order a rod and reel,

If you go to amazon.com and search for dave genz rods you can get a good deal on some pretty decent rods for ice fishing, now when i ordered mine they had both single rods or a rod\reel combo for around like 15-25 bucks depending on what style of rod you wanted , they had a good selection from 18' ultra light sight fishing panfish to crappie or perch rods from numerous lengths , not sure on the walleye or northern rods becuase i usually fish the okoboji area and the water is clear and i fish bluegills so i was looking for ultra light rods, i bought two rods one ultra light which i still have today that has worked well and also a medium light perch rod which has worked well also and it works fine for walleyes as well. the reels have had no problems with them and no eyes have broke off.

just some advice for you to get started off, hope it helps you out! i know i love it when you have a nice fish on the line and fight it to the surface, hope you get into fishing as well its a fun sport all year round

[TroutYammer]

I have ice fished for 40-years and have never used a fish finder. I do however have a Marcum LX-3 to help me find the depth of my holes. In my opinion the fish finider is optional baggage that just adds weight.

[HandGunner]

what about a flasher vs a camera? the video camera thats shaped like a fish one of those things

[Brad B]

cameras have their place but you are limited in when you can use them. once it starts getting dark out the camera is useless. if you have to choose between the two get the flasher first then a camera. a camera shines when you are out scouting looking for the edge of weed lines and for the bottom content(where there is transitions from hard bottom to soft sticky bottom). it is cool to watch the fish take the bait but I don't put down my camera unless I am over a area that has alot of fish around. last season I had a few visits from a couple big northern but they wouldn't bite never the less it was cool to see them.

[popriveter]

The HT combo you bought will serve you well. Most of us fished our first 20 years with jiggle sticks (no reels, you wrapped the line around 2 nails.) If I were you, this winter, I'd use that HT combo (ADD A SPRING BOBBER) 1 tip-up, a hand auger, an ice scoop and 5 or 6 jigs and small spoons. If you find that you actually like ice fishing, save for a flasher. It's the most important expensive tool. If you decide you like the sport enough after a season, load up on some upgraded equipment when it goes clearance in spring. Don't let anyone shame you into thinking you need a high end rod and reel. You won't be casting. With a spring bobber, you can detect the light bites and catch plenty of fish. After using your gear for awhile, you'll recognize what you'd like to upgrade and what is working fine.

[Brad B]

Handgunner just a heads up I seen a Marcum vx1 listed on the classified forum on here. The person wants only $125.00 for this flasher. this is a good deal and would be a good starter flasher for you.

[HandGunner]

I dont understand how fishfinders dont work for ice fishing yet a flasher does... for example a hummingbird 110 fishin buddie it has a transducer in it and all but why wouldnt it work? and found some portable handheld fishfinders and they seem decent enough I need some more input on flashers and fishfinders

[Brad B]

I dont understand how fishfinders dont work for ice fishing yet a flasher does... for example a hummingbird 110 fishin buddie it has a transducer in it and all but why wouldnt it work? and found some portable handheld fishfinders and they seem decent enough I need some more input on flashers and fishfinders

check out Marcum's and Vexilar's and Humminbird's websites they should be able to explain the difference. also search on you tube. there are videos out there explaining the units.

[HandGunner]

A fish finder shows a image of the structure and fish and depths and all a flasher just uses lines to show depth and signal Strengths difedences supose to show fish vs ground and structure and depth ofcourse.... So in all i can use either a fishfinder or a flasher whoever told me a fishfinder wont work was wrond...... And wth is a ice transducer wth is the dif between a transducer and a ice transducer?

[bassfshin24]

I use a Lowrance 522c for ice fishing and i actually prefer it over some flashers.