Ice Show

[fishingbuddy]

I just got back from the Ice Show. If that does not get your blood going....... Take the family for some GREAT Christmas presents...

[Captain B.R.K]

Pick up anything good? How about any good deals worth noting?

I'll be there when the doors open Sat. morning!!

[fishingbuddy]

Here is what I saw and liked. St Croix Rod with a spring bobber. The new flashlight that is out by JR it think, and some gas piping that allows you to run a propane lantern and heater at the same time off your propane bottle.....

[Ryan_V]

Hey Capt...I just also got back from the ice show and picked up a GPS. I went with the Lowrance i finder pro. Got a good price on it and I think It will do all i need and more. I was thinking I was going with a Magellan sport trak map, but after talking to people, I think the I finder fits me pretty good. I now have ALOT to learn. thanks for your help in my post asking which gps to buy!!!

[CrappieJohn]

We just back from there and I have to say it was great. Now if a guy had a dozen or so c-notes without a certain destination in his pocket when he hit the doors, things couldn't be better. But even without that option, it was a good time. Northlander, bd110, Surface tension, Brian Rogers, Matt Johnson were all there for talk'ing. Met a ton of vendors and saw piles of new toys for the wish list. I did pick up one of those nifty little 8led lights at JR's.

My darned back is out, but I still had a fun time. This is something that should be seen!

[Guest]

Picked up two new tb rods and reels,lowrance I-finder H2O, new 9-19 ducer and pile of jigs.Couldnt find any ice to buy,guess ill have to wait

[hanson]

Hey everybody! I was going to start this thread but got beaten to it! Its all good anyway.

Couple VERY!!!! notable things worth mentioning that I found.

1- LAKEMASTER MAPS. Lakemaster has been around awhile. Many of you maybe familiar with their maps. They just introduced Lake of the Woods (the US side) & Devil's Lake in their ProMap Series of waterproof paper maps. While talking to Lakemaster at their booth, they just happened to have printed the maps last week and aren't available anywhere in stores yet.

They are both unbelievable. The Lake of the Woods map is worth every penny.

2- NILSMASTER. Check out their booth too. They have a display of all the tackle that Nilsmaster manufactures. Many of the lures aren't available in the US. I was told some stores in Wisconsin carry some of the stuff but the best bet would be to call them and they'll ship out whatever you need. They have some really nice jigging spoons and panfish jigs that have little jewels set into the jigs. They look awesome.

I also got to check out their augers in person. Very nice!

3- Check out Brian "Bro" Brosdahl's snowmobile in the ice team booth! He has his Aqua-Vu, GPS, and Vexilar all mounted on the dash of his Arctic Cat Bearcat above the gauges. There is then a pouch on each side of the gas tank to hold the transducer for the Vex and the camera for the Aqua-Vu. Unreal! If my sled didn't serve dual purpose, I would probably be rigging something up right now.

4- Their was also a thread going earlier about where to find Lindell Rattle Reels. They are available at the show!

Those were definitely a few of the highlights for me, and chatting with this Matt Johnson character I ran into.

So all in all was a good trip. I walked away with a 32" Thorne Bros. deadstick rod, 2 Lakemaster Maps, and 2 Lindell Rattle Reels for my permanent house.

Something else I noticed is the number of retractable wheeled fish house manufacturer's at the show. If you want to have some fun- count how many holes in retractable wheel houses that would be VERY difficult to auger a hole in. I saw a few that would be impossible to cut a hole in without pulling the house forward to do it and then backing it up when you are done.

Have fun at the show everybody!

[Snag]

I got out of there tonight without spending too much. I really enjoyed listening to Terry Tuma's seminar. I can't wait to try some of his suggestions. I wish I could have heard Genz speak.

[BigDaddy]

Went tonight and loved the show. Bought an Auger Mount for my ATV, a new blade for my auger, and for the BIG SCORE...

Cetus SS500

Sweet Thing Plus 24"

Power Noodle 24"

Bring on the ice!

[BD110]

Hey Crappie Tom,

I just back to the Duluth area after a great day at the Ice Fishing show. It was nice bumping into a few from the FM group. I found a few small things that I couldn't live without. Had a good time talking to a few of the vendors. The only way the day could have been better is if we were all actully out ice fishing.

Take care,

Tom (BD110)

[hawkeye43]

I wish I could have gotten out of there cheaper than I did but you got to have the stuff. Great to get to meet Matt Johnson and put a name to a face. Hope you get few fish tomorrow Matt, its always great to get out the first time each year.

[Jex]

My wife, daughter and I spent too much money and not enough time at the show Fri. afternoon. Some great deals to be had. Came away with some rod and reel combos. The led flashlights could be had for $8 and up. Good tackle deals, especially Salmo Chubby Darters for $2.99 at Thorne. Probably would have blown even more cash if we had been able to stick around for a bit longer .

Now I just need a little ice!

[Mykal]

I went down last night. I'll second the Lakmaster software. I pre-ordered the LOW chip. 1-ft contours. Also the all Minnesota surveyed chip will be out in Feb/Mar for around 100 bucks. Most "specials" are tax free deals so it's worth the trip.

[Matt Johnson]

It was nice to finally put a face with some of the names. hanson and hawkeye43, you guys are class acts thats for sure, I really enjoyed talking with you two. hawkeye, it was also nice to meet your son...have fun with the wrestling team again this winter ! BD110 was also there with Nortlander and Surface Tension causing a ruckus And its always fun to run into old faces like CrappieTom, Surface Tension, Northlander, BDR, buzbunni, fishinlagician...the list goes on. (sorry if I missed anyone ) I hope to see a few more people today and tomorrow. I'll be just walking around enjoying the show today, and I'll be back in the Thorne Bros booth all day tomorrow. (I got a few bucks that are burning a hole in my pocket )

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Duffer]

great show got lots of new fun toys cant wait till next year loved the Genz's and terry's seminars great info.

[Northlander]

So matt you didnt get beat up yet? I told you that Northlander pin would have made it all good! Nice seeing everyone again and meet new people. It will be a zoo down there today.

[Angler Don]

yup, a lot of stuff all right ! Wife and I took in Dave Genz seminar, that was informative. He sure has done well for himself and the sport . There was no FM booth, nor can I spot an FM'er in a crowd, but maybe someday we'll meet .

The Mrs disappeared for a bit there ( off playing Santa, I think ). I picked up some JimmyRigs for under the tip up. Haven't tried them before, but I hope to soon !

Most of the vendors are there to sell, so there are a lot of opportunities for a deal. Go if you can.

Don

[buzbunni]

It was the second annual show for the buzbunni and the FishinLogician(Oh N0! I'm talking in the 3rd person , what does that mean?), and as usual we had a blast.

I overran my designated budget by a bit..er, I mean quite a bit...um...o.k., alot! My scapegoat is Matt Johnson, I didn't need too much coaxing, but he talked me into two great Thorne Bros. rods(36" graphite Professional spinning; 32" Walleye Sweet heart plus). I popped in a Little Dipper for good measure, and that was it. I had a $50 gift certificate to Thorne Bros. that was burning a hole in my pocket for several months now. Isn't it funny how those gift certificates actually end up costing you more money somehow in the end .

Well, that was it...oops!, guess not, I glanced down and saw a Stone Legacy Revolution and decided to nab that too(free auger strap thrown in to boot...saweet! Now I just have to get the auger). The Logician was peer pressured into nabbing one as well.

A couple more lures here and there, as well as a couple of Todays Tackle Rod Holders, and I was ready to go home(a tad lighter in the wallet I might add ).

One of my favorite displays at the show was the place that sells the Fiskas Lures(balances and jigs) from Sweden. Wow! Impressive stuff. Very high quality. I won't give the distributor because they are not an FM sponser(although they should be. They got some of my cash.

Most importantly, it was nice meeting fellow FMr's. Matt, the guys at JR's(got some of them new rattlin' spoons), and a first face-to-face with hanson. I wish I had tracked more of you down. I guess we'll see you at the I.C.E. Series.

Now...should I go again today? hmmm...... .

[swalleyi]

Did anybody buy a fl-18 there this weekend. My buddy said that there wasn't any good deals on them, he said something about one of the vendors there said that vexlar wouldn't let them wheel and deal. He said some of the vendors got in trouble last year. I no i wheeled and dealed on my Marcum last year. Just curious? I don't think i would go if i couldn't get anyt deals.

[Matt Johnson]

buzbunni,

It was nice to talk with you and the logician again. So, have you talked him into a snowmobile yet? You're gonna like the new rods. Won't be long and you'll be pulling up another catfish out on the Horseshoe. If you do decide to visit the show again today, I'll be at the Thorne Bros booth again See you this winter again at an event!!

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[SteveWilson]

You're right on the Vexilar pricing. If you want good deals on electronics (10%) and gear (20-30%) try Joe's Sporting Good's in St. Paul, they have a sale on this weekend. I went there after the show yesterday and picked up better deals than at the show. Anyhow, I did pickup a 43cc Shark, AquaView Scout, and Vexilar FL8 from Marine General at the show and got a great price on buying them all.

[Ed Carlson]

Quote:

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Good tackle deals, especially Salmo Chubby Darters for $2.99 at Thorne.

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WOW! Jex that is one heck of a deal on Salmo Chubby Darters. That had to be a special Ice Show promo deal from Salmo USA and Thorn Bro's, because that is dirt cheap.

What colors and sizes of Chubby Darters were available, CD-4, CD-5, CD-6's? Were they showing off the new GC-14 Giants? Did they have the new (LOD) or Luminescent Orange Dace?

A great find. That was a great deal, no matter what sizes or colors you chose!

[Jex]

They had 4,5,& 6s in most colors. I didn't see any 14s, but I wasn't really looking for those. I stocked up on several 4s and 5s in Hot Perch, Real Roach and Dace. I don't recall if they had any LODs. Sorta wish I had picked up several more.

[Timber33]

Hi gang. I had a chance to meet a few of you guys around various booths. It was fun. My highlights, the new Cold Snap ice auger cover. Great item. Other deals, Thorne Brothers - Cetus reels. Thanks Josh! And the ReadyRig Ice Pak. That thing is sweet.

[Ed Carlson]

Very good color choices Jex. I would add a Gold/Orange to that selection too. The CD-6 and the CD-4 in Gold produce very well for me on perch and walleye. The Copper Gold and Dace work well for me at early ice when the walleye are up in the tribs off the Red.

The Giants are not for everyone. At 5 ½” they are more of a big toothy critter bait for sure. I do not spear, but if I did, I would sure try them on pike. I plan to target some big tooth critters with the Giants under the ice jigging this season. I have a special rod that I hope will match this Giant for under the ice use. I hope it hold up to the toothy beast that falls for the Giant Chubbys. I caught two Muskie in the 48” range on the rod so it should due.

I had the new Glow out for a test spin Friday night. I was after Goldeye and man did they go after that Glow..Uf-Da! In 2 hours I iced 35 sumo Goldeye and missed a ton more. Goldeye are notorious bait pickers and often hit on the fall so line watching is often the key. I do not eat them but I love catching them. I stock up on Goldeye/Mooneye for catfishing in late winter. I have become a fan of fishing for these sneaky buggers over the years. They are as challenging as a rainbow trout or a crappie and fight like crazy. A fun early ice fish to hunt over my way.