The simple & useful tips thread for ice fishing...

[sausageman]

When using a heater (Big Buddy, Buddy, heater/cooker) in a hub/style or larger flipover shelter place a piece of plywood under the heater so that the plywood extends out in front of the heater about 20" to 24".

This will eliminate the large pool of melted snow and ice that gathers in front of the heater when fishing for longer periods of time.

[Hoffer]

This may not be a great one...but worth mentioning for space saving purposes. I mainly tip up fish. They make a 5 gallon bucket with the built in styrofoam bait cooler in the bottom. They arent too spendy. I find between the bait container and the top of the 5 gallon bucket cover you can fit 3 tipups. I also replace the hard cover on top that it comes with and buy a swivel padded seat that snaps over it. So when all is said and done you have a 3 in 1 container. Bait bucket, carry all for 3 tipups and a nice swivel seat. Additionally, when I get home I just leave the bait bucket in the garage by the door and it is cool enough to keep my bait alive for a week or more with little to no effort. I also use this same thing for deer hunting in the Fall. You can fit extra things inside the bucket like gloves, shells, scents, whatever...and you have a nice seat for the stand that swivels pretty silently.

[KING]

hang your scoop above the heater so that it stays warm and clean

set your depth with tip ups using your sonar, then use a small bobber on main line to keep it marked

sharpen ALL of your hooks and keep a small one with you. Sharp hooks are FREE.

On LOTW, mark 19.5" on your rod so that your not always looking for a measure.

Guidewear melts on sunflower heaters, Carharts soak up water.

Jig.

[hydro]

I have to admit, I spend more time making stuff to fish with than I do fishing and I'm always trying new things. This is the best thing I have come up with yet. Not an original idea, but completely made by me. Just an 18V Hitachi drill and an old Mora 7" auger, but it sure works nice. No cranky 2 stroke motor, no leaking gas & oil, and very lightweight. Last weekend I drilled over 30 holes in 16" of ice on the first battery.

[Hoffer]

I will just add I like to set my depths on my tipups with a larger split shot. It can be squeezed in and out to change depths and offers no resistance - in fact when fish sets the flag up the line starts to slowly sink providing no resistance. I will mention I always have 10 feet of mono for eyes or 10 feet of high test fluoro for Norts, and then heavy braided line after that - so the sinkers are always attached to the heavy braid - no issues with it abrading the line.

[Hoffer]

Hydro

Thats cool. I cant believe that drill battery is strong enough to turn the Mora. I have cranked on the Moras for years and even with fresh blades its not an easy thing.

So this works pretty well?

[hydro]

Hoffer,

Yea, it's pretty cool. It's all I have used this year to drill holes. You don't have to push down at all, in fact I usually pull up a bit to keep it from drilling too fast. At the bottom of the hole, I give a little push to break the ice at the bottom, then give it a spin to clear the chips.

The drill is a Hitachi DV18 brushless with 650 inch pounds of torque, and has a 3 AH battery so that helps.

[g_anoka]

Here are a couple of simple tips that I use. One, for those of us who are experienced (older), the most important piece of equipment to bring along is a pair of "readers". That 2 pound test line sure gets tiny as the years advance. Second, a sewing needle, this is very helpful when trying to thread your line into a spring bobber.

[MyDogRyder]

I have to admit, I spend more time making stuff to fish with than I do fishing and I'm always trying new things. This is the best thing I have come up with yet. Not an original idea, but completely made by me. Just an 18V Hitachi drill and an old Mora 7" auger, but it sure works nice. No cranky 2 stroke motor, no leaking gas & oil, and very lightweight. Last weekend I drilled over 30 holes in 16" of ice on the first battery.

What did you use to actually attach the drill to the auger? I would like to do this to my mora auger. Also, whats with the cord around the drill?

[hydro]

MyDogRyder,

If you look at the big fishing stores there is an adaptor that you can buy to do this. The Mora auger has a 1/2-20 UNF thread and the adapror will screw into that. I would cross pin through the threads to keep it from unscrewing when the drill is reversed. The strap is to save the auger if it unscrews or the chuck comes loose.

[MyDogRyder]

I must have an old one... the auger portion doesn't have threads, it just allows the handle to slide in and a twist-in pin secures the two together. Does this matter?

Also, how often do hand auger users sharpen their blades? I assume this would aid in the amount of holes being drilled if attached to a cordless drill.

[hydro]

The adaptor comes with the pin to attach to your auger. As far as sharp blades goes, they do need to be sharp or they won't cut. I sharpen my blades every year or so or whenever they get dull. If they are chipped, replace them.

[fishadb]

Sometimes when fishing with large suckers I cut the tail fin off, they can still swim but not so much that they are pulling the cork down or tripping the flag by themselves.

[mnguy152]

On my tip up i use a small button to mark the depth I am fishing at. And alsways carry a extra lighter and matches with you and in the truck to light the heater.

[Whateverzbitin]

When running tip ups I like to have everything with me when a flag goes up. I carry with a pliers and spreader as well as a packet of spare hooks and split shots in my pocket. I will also carry a bait bucket out to the hole. When using the wheel house my bait goes into a large cooler so I cut a large hole in the side of a milk jug for a few minnows to tend tip ups.

This may seem simple but I have witnessed many people leaving a fish flop on the ice while running back for a pliers, or guys going back for bait after catching a fish.

I do a variation of this. I just make sure to leave my pliers and spreaders next to the the tip-up so when I run out they are already there. If I am managing two tip-ups I just leave them at the closer one so I can grap them on the way past. THis way i don't need to carry stuff around. As far as the rest of the stuff like leaders, sinkers, hooks, whole insulators, tip-up lights, etc. I keep the them all in a small gym bag that I can take from hole to hole when needed.

[hydro]

Here’s another useful ice fishing accessory that I made. I had an old fleece vest that I had burned a hole in with an auger muffler so I took the “fly fishing vest” idea and adapted it to what I needed for ice fishing. It has several pockets of various sizes including cell phone, a loop to hold the forceps, other loops for spreader and depth bomb, and a lanyard UV mini flashlight for charging glow lures. I wear it over my bibs so that everything is accessible out on the ice.

[Jared_P]

I think this thread is really useful and has some great idea's...is there any way that the Admins can keep this one at the top? Just asking...

JP

[graybeard2]

Best thing I've done is cut a slot about 2" high and 7-8" long in the side of a five gallon bucket near the top. I haul my vex in that bucket, and when I set up I put a lid on the bucket, the vex on top, and slide my panfish in the bucket. Much nicer than throwing them on the ice, and easier for an old man to yank the transducer out of the hole. Also bought a couple of those Frabill hooks that velcro around the poles. Keep my clippers, forceps, and skimmer hanging up and easy to find. Also a dry place to hang my coat if I take it off.

[Rube]

Before and during the season I give the smaller dia. poles of my flip-over a nice coating of Johnsons paste wax. Makes them slide easier.

[MyDogRyder]

I think this thread is really useful and has some great idea's...is there any way that the Admins can keep this one at the top? Just asking...

JP

+1

[snoozebutton]

I bring a fat girl to open my beers, and load/unload the truck!

Bonus if she cleans your fish.

[TruthWalleyes]

Take a 20# tank, a sunflower heater, a cookie dryer sheet, clamp, some bungees...and before you know it...you've got something useful.

I'll run the sunflower heater the other direction with a grate too for a little more heat. Grate is adjustable up and down with the clamp.

You may notice the rod bucket next to the heater too. Some PVC and a few bolts...and a bucket can hold 5 rods neatly as well as have an adjustable rod holder on the outside of the bucket for a deadstick.

[gwiff100]

extra propane.... just saying.

[Gordie]

Great idea and are those forceps from icehousebob ?

[hydro]

I think the forceps are courtesy of the Ax Man on University.