Gimmicks....

[aquafang]

Is there anything left? Flashers are to the point where they are just fancier. Rods are all personal preference. Ibe had the st. Croix and jason mitchell deadsticks. You know what catches me more fish??? An $9 ice blues rod! Not kidding! Now the craze is in line reels. For what? If u add a swivel above your jig for a few pennies and just know how to use a drag right on a spinning reel u dont get twist in the line either. Just buy some ice line that is designed for cold temps and you'll be fine.

Insulated thermal flipover shacks? Give me a break!

Im not a cheap skate. Just use common sense and dont get caught up in all the hype which 95% of the time is useless.

Dont get me wrong. Some may like some of these items but alot is personal preference and usually not the best.

[OnAFly]

The only thing that has come out which is vastly different is the pop-up shacks. Everything else is just repackaged with a few bells and whistles.

Not that fly reels aren't good for ice fishing, but there were inline reels long before fly reels came out as a ice tool. As far as flashers, I haven't seen anything from high end flashers that makes me think my FL-18 wont work as well. My old Tecumseh SM cuts holes just as well as a brand new one, maybe a little slower, but it still gets the job done 100X easier than my older Mora. Honestly, my big flip over shack is a total PITA just like every other one I've seen. It's nice if it's cold/windy, but as far as mobility goes, it's not great, just like others I've seen.

[highlife4me]

I have to admit I like my cc insulated house. Other than that the rest of my gear is fairly inexpensive.

[MNCPRGUY]

You mean I wasted all my money on my gear when a stick and a string and a bucket would have done just as well? I won't argue that point as my late step-father used to consistently out fish me with braided line and a rusty hook that hadn't been changed in twenty years!

But, I will say this... I like my gear and I have spent hundreds of enjoyable hours reading, planning, saving, assembling, and sorting my gear for the next great adventure. That doesn't even come close to the amount of time I spend daydreaming!

Do I catch more fish because of the gear? Maybe a few, but not many. Could I have bought fish sticks at HyVee a heck of a lot cheaper? Sure. Would that bucket string and stick have brought the hours of enjoyment to me? Probably not! It's not always about the fish count at the end of the day.

[Iambjm]

Look at it this way, we are doing the economy a favor. Look at all the people we are keeping employed, after all the big theme of the election was more jobs. So everytime I buy a lure or tackle or a new fishing rod I am a hero.

PS of course my husband doesn't think so

[hawgchaser]

On balance I'd say fishing equipment catches slightly more fishers than it does fish. That said, there's a couple new lures I'm really anxious to try! I wish the tackle makers would practice catch and release with us fishers. Think of the refunds we could get.

[Rick]

As for the thermal houses, get one and it will give you a break

...yes, 25 degrees warmer does mean you don't have to use your heater as often. Many times not at all.

[Jim Uran]

What fun would it be if this sport wasn't evolving?

[DTro]

How much you wanna bet that aquafang uses a compound bow and not a recurve.

Dang gimmicks...

[showpropserv]

the horse and buggy are great why do you drive a car? karosene lamps work why have electricity? Wood will keep your house toasty why have a gas furnace. You wanna know why? because it is more efficent and makes life easier and more enjoyable

[SunnyFishin]

Darn...you beat me to the punch on this one.

The original post here just sounds like a lot of whining man...why on earth are you using a compound bow in your profile pic?

Why not just chuck a spear in there, that worked for thousands of years (still does in some countries I'm sure).

...and people wonder why the American economy is laughable, when the attitude is, "hey, we're good enough, let's stop here."

[FisH_SLaYer24]

I personally enjoy seeing all of the new products that come out each and every year. I'm not saying some of the products are well over priced, but it's also all about the experience and about having fun. I don't think I would have as great of a time out on the ice if it wasn't for all of the amenities and top quality gear that I have accumulated over the past couple of years. I just enjoy investing in ice fishing to make it a fun and enjoyable sport, even if I'm not catching any fish

[muskE]

Is there anything left...Dont get me wrong. Some may like some of these items but alot is personal preference and usually not the best.

It goes beyond just a hook and a bucket. Sure it works but what makes this sport (and many other activies) great is the experience leading up to a trip. You're a frequent member of these boards by your post count; why are you here? I'll bet for the tips, tricks, and experiences of others. I'll bet you've learned a thing or two along the way and, perhaps, made it a bit easier.

To answer your question about what's left I certainly don't know but I'm excited about the potential for what tomorrow brings.

[blackdog1101]

How about those automatic retrieve fly reels? Pull the trigger and ziiiip in comes the fish.

[dewey1980]

propane auger,propane generator,no gas smell,need i say more?

[mainbutter]

The question with inline reels vs spinning reels:

Why NOT inline reels?

They are a superior design, and it is human nature to improve upon current designs.

Once the cheap chinese dump gets its time in the spotlight and some real engineers get a chance to make some fine machinery, inline reels are going to be the favorite ice fishing reel for a majority in short order.

It's not like they are difficult to build either, so you will be looking at a future of newer, better ice fishing reels, but here's the catch:

They won't cost a ton either!

[fisherman-andy]

The question with inline reels vs spinning reels:

Why NOT inline reels?

They are a superior design, and it is human nature to improve upon current designs.

Once the cheap chinese dump gets its time in the spotlight and some real engineers get a chance to make some fine machinery, inline reels are going to be the favorite ice fishing reel for a majority in short order.

I happen to like the cheap Chinese stuff. They work fairly well. Like the Eagle Claw inline reel. And them raft reels. And the gimmicky smelt rods with auto reel. Maybe if people stop being cheap you'll see quality products being churned out? How bout that? Not just materials, but quality control is big factor on forseeing a good products cheaply priced or not.

[aquafang]

Darn...you beat me to the punch on this one.

The original post here just sounds like a lot of whining man...why on earth are you using a compound bow in your profile pic?

Why not just chuck a spear in there, that worked for thousands of years (still does in some countries I'm sure).

...and people wonder why the American economy is laughable, when the attitude is, "hey, we're good enough, let's stop here."

I use a compound bow only for big fish in deep water when my main bow a 60# martin mamba wont reach. U wont catch me dead with a compound for hunting! My effective range with my recurve is about 20 yards. No release, no sights, and no $12 carbon arrow stuff. Ive watched many big bucks walk by at 30 yds. I could shoot big bucks all the time too if i could shoot with all that fancy stuff at 50 yds. But my satisfaction is taking a deer as close as possible. This is off subject. But in short, i am a diehard traditional bowhunter. I shoot a 45# damon howatt Balboa and 46# kota longbow.

[DTro]

[TyGuy02]

DTro...perfect timing!

Having the equipment gives me confidence. I do agree with you though, to a point. I also believe though that having all the $$$ I do in gear, makes me feel like I have a little "skin" in the game.

[aquafang]

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[DTro]

All in good fun.

[aquafang]

All in good fun.

Agreed.

[silverbulletguy]

Nice DTro! !

Many fish were caught before anyone had a flasher...but why wouldn't you use one if you can?

[aquafang]

A flasher is not a gimmick. Just saying that i havent seen a real innovation in a while. Like a flasher. I just dont believe an LX-7 will catch more fish than a LX-3 or 5. Its just fancier.

Thats my point. I wouldnt go fishing without my marcum (LX-3),

I just dont need a rod holder or beverage holder on it.