Imagine for a moment that you are once again a newbie with $100 to spend.

[Portlis]

What would be your absolute "must have" ice fishing gear?

For the sake of argument, lets say the only gear you currently had was a hand auger. How would you spend your money if you had a somewhat limited budget of $100 or so?

Some pertinent info: Your primary target fish would be crappies, with any potential walleye, pike, or large sunnies/perch as a bonus. Primary fishing area would be anything within about 50 miles of south-central Minnesota (basically the area exactly described in the regional forum for that area).

I'd greatly appreciate any very specific advice/answers. Imagine you were giving answers to someone who hadn't gone ice fishing in 15 years (as a kid) and had never used anything but a bobber, plain hook, and minnow. In other words, dumb it way down for someone that literally doesn't even know what the terms "glow jig" or "gulp" are (or how they work), or that doesn't know anything about any artificial bait at all. Links to the specific products you would purchase would be awesome.

Thanks!

[Whopper Stopper]

A license to start.

WS

[KrabbyPatties]

I'd spend it on SNORG TEES. WOW.

[tunrevir]

Portlis, welcome to the boards! A honeybee doesn't get you very far these days. Specific links to product lines are not typically allowed by forum policy but mentioning brands that you like or have faith in using is fine. That being said, if I were targeting crappies I'd find a decent rod and reel like a Jason Mitchell combo, Spooled with 2-4# bionic ice line. I'd buy a few small jigging spoons like a 1/16th Lindy frostee spoon or 1/16th oz Northland forage minnows, a venom bobber kit, some Lindy micro slick jigs, a scoop of crappie minnows and a box of euro larve and head for the lake.

Tunrevir~

[traveler]

you forgot the beer...he asked about ice fishing, after all!

[pushbutton]

Also would like to welcome you to HSO! Turnrevir gave a nice rundown on some of the basic equipment, but would also maybe try to up your limit just a little and try to get a used flasher as well. They do make ice fishing a lot easier.

[Might_B_A_Pike]

I would recommend trying very hard to find a used flasher. I would rather drill holes by hand, stay out in cold, and use an old jigging stick without a reel on it than go without my flasher.

It is not easy to find a flasher for $100 but if you keep a close eye on the online classifieds or auctions you may be able to make it work, or maybe even look at trading some old toys you don't use anymore for one. I got really lucky on mine, I found a aqua-view VPG (showdown before it was called showdown) for $35 on a-sales-site, it didn't work at the time but I found a wire that was loose and put it back, now I have a nice little working unit for really cheap. plus you can upgrade the old VPG units to the showdown 5.6 for only $50 when you have more money.

Over all, I am a fan of purchasing gear used, that way when I want to upgrade to something nicer I can normally sell the gear for what I paid for it and put it towards something nicer.

Sorry if I rambled by that is my 2 cents.

[mallardnwalleye]

I would get a quality pole and reel and a frabill tipup. For lures a small demon, a large demon, genz worm, marmasoka, size 3 jigging rap, 3/8 oz buck shot rattle spoon. For the Tip up, old skool orange depth sinker, tip up line, sinker, quick strike. I would look for a used shelter or slap something together with a tarp and 2x2' or 2x4's.

If and when you have extra money a flasher/sonar would be the first purchase, A power auger and quality shelter would be next.

[Hawg]

I agree with the flasher, if for no other reason than to know your depth. Actually the phone app for a gps is getting so darn close that might even be better but the flasher serves more than one purpose.

[leech~~]

How are you going to get all your new cool stuff out on the lake? Don't forget to look for a cheap little plastic sled to pull it all out if you are walking and a folding stool to sit on. Ice fishing only needs some pretty simple gear, auger to make a hole, rod, lure, bait. Later as you do it more and have more money to burn you can start to spend it on all the extra usless cr@p like most of us do, that we don't use most of the time!

[Deitz Dittrich]

inexpensive combo

venom or icebuster bobber.

Few nice jigs that catch your eye- few glow, few non glow. few horizontal, few vertical..

Find a bud that will take you with him..

Done.... Repeat.. save up for a flasher as soon as you can.

[LittleLloyd]

What a fun question. Especially since that was me last year. For $100 you are going to be able to participate. That is, get from the top of the ice to underneath, and then bring fish up to the top. A basic hand auger will run you $60 or so, then a simple rod reel will be $20-$25. Leaving only $15 for tackle. Just getting into it I would say geta few 1/32 micro jigs. The ones that look like teardrops. Hook a wax worm on there and you are set. A couple 1/16 jigs for crappie minnows will just about round out your budget.

... . . . . . . . ...

Next,

$20-$40 misc tackle.

a flasher. ~$150 used.

$20-$40 misc tackle

Maybe another rod, a tip up setup $20-$30

A pop up shelter (thou this year is pretty mild) $150-$200

Lil'budy heater and propane $30-50

Misc tackle.

And you still tell your spouse / gf that ice fishing only costs $100.

[NoWiser]

Welcom Portlis,

There is no question I would scour the online sites every day until I could find a used FL-8. If that takes up your budget, I'd start looking for some good old fashioned jigglesticks. You should be able to find them for next to nothing, or maybe even nothing if you can find someone with some old ones laying around. Building your own ice rod with some broken summer rods can work well, too. Armed with those, a handful of cheap hooks and lures, and a spring bobber, you will be off to a great start. Honestly, if it were me, I'd start lookin for a flasher even before a rod and reel. Won't fish without mine.

[hamms-scooter]

Flasher for sure. Can find an old used fl-8 cheap. They go forever too. Problem is most people think even the really old fl-8s are worth 150-200 bucks still. All the above suggestions are a good start. HT make a rod called Ice Blues, they are cheap way to get started and promise it will still be a go to rod in your bucket even when you start getting more gear.

[OnAFly]

I would use a stick and string in conjunction with a flasher before I used a good combo without one.

I bet you can find one towards end of season.

[mallardnwalleye]

MAKE SURE YOU SPEND $10 FOR NAVIONICS LAKE GPS PHONE APP. BEST VALUE OUT THERE.

[Acemac]

gas auger! if you just have a flasher you will drill one hole and find out very fast there is no point in fishing it, but you wont want to drill another hole.

[KidMoe]

I completely disagree with the flasher. Here's what you need.

1. Either Lake map book $15, or Navionics App for smart phone $10

2. 2 cheap rod/reel combos $20 ea

3. Tip-up $15

4. Tackle; depth bombs, tip-up line and quick-strike rig, various jigs, ice-buster bombers $30

5. Propane lantern and propane $25

Simple, useful, and expandable.

[hamms-scooter]

gas auger! if you just have a flasher you will drill one hole and find out very fast there is no point in fishing it, but you wont want to drill another hole.

Water on ice and shoot through with flasher... as good as drilling a hole.

[fitchin_fanatic]

+1 on the flasher. Especially if you are targeting panfish. They tend to suspend in the winter and a flasher will definately help you hone in on them. And like hamms said, you can pour water on the ice, and use your flasher to check depths without drilling a hole. Good luck!

[muskE]

thick ice or you're sunk before you start

[fsnrod]

Don't forget garage sales.

[laportian]

Don't blow your wad on a used flasher. Get all your tackle, rods, tip ups, hand auger etc. If you have a smart phone buy Navionics. If not print off some of the lake maps off the DNR HSOforum that you are interested in fishing. Flashers aint all that. I've had one for quite a few years and they are nice but so many times you get tuned into watching that dam screen vs. fishing. Study your maps. Look for fishy areas. Drill some holes and check you depths the old fashion way. Fish by feel you'll appreciate it. As your budget affords it step up and buy the toys. I used to earn a living fishing and my first serious upgrade was a gas auger. Hand augering thru 20 inches of ice sucks.

[Jim Uran]

Get some good tackle and a decent rod/reel or two! Lindy makes some dynamite crappie jigs, as does Northland. Buy some in assorted colors and get to work checking over an area.

I grew up fishing like that. I had plenty of luck back then!

[that_guy]

I completely disagree with the flasher. Here's what you need.

1. Either Lake map book $15, or Navionics App for smart phone $10

2. 2 cheap rod/reel combos $20 ea

3. Tip-up $15

4. Tackle; depth bombs, tip-up line and quick-strike rig, various jigs, ice-buster bombers $30

5. Propane lantern and propane $25

Simple, useful, and expandable.

I would only add a bucket to this list. Its how I fished for years...