"Gearing up for the Ice Season" by Mitch Bradshaw

[MN BassFisher]

There is a chill in the air, the leaves are turning color, football is back, and holidays are coming up – this means one thing…ice fishing is right around the corner! That’s right ladies and gentleman, in a few short months (or a month for those willing to fish the high country) we will be looking down a hole in the ice and waiting for our rod tip to bounce. Autumn is a great time for hunters and fisherman but around this time each year I start to really get excited for the upcoming ice fishing season. This is the time of the year where you’ll find me re-spooling a lot of my ice reels, going through my tackle to see what I have/need, setting up/sitting in my shack, firing up the power auger (while getting some looks from the neighbors), and actively posting on the local ice fishing forums.

I’m particularly excited to try out 2 new pieces of equipment this ice season, those are: the Eagle Claw Inline ice reel and a new to me Frabill Trekker II portable shack. Last season Eagle Claw released their version of the latest trend in the ice fishing market – straight line reels. These reels are basically hybrids between a baitcast, spinning, and fly reel. Some of the benefits one might receive from using this reel are: no line twist, no jig spin, a “free spool” button, a clicker feature, and a good drag system. I, personally, will be pairing this inline reel with my St. Croix Legend Ice rod (which includes a spring bobber). I think this will be a great shallow water (less than 15 fow) setup that will be able to handle jigs as small as 1/64th of an ounce. I also recently picked up a Frabill Trekker II for those days when heavy winds are forecasted, when I want to stay mobile and move spots frequently, and when I’m going to be fishing by myself or with one other angler. This will be a good compliment to my 6X6 hub style shelter – which is a great inexpensive, lightweight option that will fit in the trunk of a car. The Frabill portable shack will probably see the most ice time this winter between my two shacks but I will still use the hub shelter when I bring a group of people out and/or when I plan to fish in one general area.

For those of you that will be fishing “early ice” – Be Careful! Plan ahead, never go alone, bring ice picks, pack light, spread out when walking on the ice, bring a PFD (as silly as it sounds), and continuously check the thickness of the ice in front of you. Now with that being said, “early ice” trips can be some of the best at times: you can be on the body of water before it sees a lot of pressure, find hungry and large fish willing to play, and find solitude in the outdoors.

What are some of the products you are most excited to use this season?

Here’s to a successful and long ice season! I hope to see you on the ice this winter.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected].