IceLeaders Sponsor NEWS

[Deitz Dittrich]

FishingMinnesota.com with it's sister sites, HotSpotoutdoors.com, and Iceleaders.com are proud to say that we are the #1 web site on the internet in regard to outdoor information. In light of that, we would like to thank our top-notch sponsors; without them, this site could not run as smoothly at it does and would no longer be the free site that it is.

When you are making a purchase in the future, please keep in mind that buying something from a sponsor also helps support this great web site, indirectly.

It is my pleasure to share with you the IceLeaders sponsors for the

2007 ice fishing season:

Ladredge Outdoors

LaDredge Outdoors brings structure with you wherever you fish. Reel Weeds

Structure on a String is easy to use and very effective. Everybody knows

that fish like to hang out in structure. By having Structure on a String,

you can create your own weed bed. It holds fish in an area longer, allowing

you to catch more fish.

I had the opportunity to use the SOS last year, and you will often find me

"planting" a weed bed on my trips. I experienced one of the best ice

fishing trips of my life on Upper Red Lake using Structure on a String and

out-fished everybody except those who also used this product. It held the

schools of Crappie and Walleye much longer.

LaDredge Outdoors offers quite a few packages on their product of SOS as

well as their other products.

Clip On Structure--clips to marker buoys and anchors, or around your summer

dock.

Camera Cable Structure--clips to your underwater camera cable to make it a

part of your underwater weed bed.

MarCum Technologies

MarCum Technologies was formed in 1991, and has never looked back. A

Minnesota company based in Anoka, Minnesota, I believe it is the top

producer of flasher products in the market today. The LX-5 shines high

above the rest of the competition with 2000 watts of power, true color

display, super fine line resolution that provides .75‰ target separation

without the use of zoom, and a dual beam transducer. On top of that, it

sports a moveable zoom second to none.

MarCum is more than just depth finders, they are underwater cameras as well.

The 580, the top of their line of underwater cameras, is able to pan 360

degrees with the touch of a button. The VS 560 includes on screen displays

for reporting depth, direction, water temperature, and battery status. Its

lighting system incorporates „Darkwater Technology‰ eliminating a majority

of particulate reflection therefore increasing viewing clarity and distance.

It is definitely a tool to use to put more fish on top of the ice this

season.

Nils Master USA

Looking for the top of the line auger? You want to get through the ice fast

without the need for an extension? You want an auger that you can carry

around all day without the fatigue of most heavy augers? Well, look no

further than Nils Master Augers.

Fast (way faster than any stock auger I have ever used) and light, only 22

lbs, it easily converts to a hand auger in seconds for those early ice

situations. This auger sounds almost unbelievable when you take into

consideration the fact that the engine is rated for 600 hours of use versus

the 240 hours spoken of by much of the competition.

I have used a Nils and was instantly spoiled. It was so light, and required

virtually no effort to drill the hole. My next auger will be a Nils no

doubt.

Nils Master USA is more than just augers. They offer an awesome line of

jigging lures and spoons to add to your ice lure repertoire.

Nils Master can drill the hole for you and then bring the fish to the

surface of the ice for you, pretty cool if you ask me.

Otter Outdoors

Otter Outdoors has risen to the top of the portable ice house market. They

continue to come out with new ideas to make their product the best. They

started with the most durable sled on the market, added the most durable

material used, square tubing, and many other things to give you the best

possible product for your money. Otter offers their Pro-Series line of

houses for the die-hard ice angler.

They also offer the Wilderness series for the more budget-minded angler.

Otter‚s product line extends well beyond the realm of ice anglers. Their

products include waterfowl blinds, ATV accessories, Marine and Dock

accessories, and even Kayaks. Otter Outdoors reaches literally every

outdoor need one could have, and more.

I just ordered my new Otter Portable Fish House... have you?

Thorne Brothers Custom Rod and Tackle

If there is a one stop shop in the Metro area for ice fishing. It‚s Thorne

Brothers!

Known for their ability to keep Muskie anglers happy during the summer

months, they morph with the seasons to become the ice angler‚s dream shop.

Thorne Brothers is known world wide for their custom ice rods. Show me an

ultra serious angler who doesn‚t have or seriously want a Thorne Brothers

Sweet heart rod, and I‚ll argue the fact that they are as serious an ice

angler as you might think.

Each affordable, yet truly custom rod is made by hand in the shop.

Thorne Brothers also has a full line of ice rods, lures, fish houses,

electronics, and a superior staff willing to help you be as happy as you can

be on the ice this winter.

http://todaystackle.com/

Ahh, the inventor of the Ice Buster Bobber. I have to admit, I jumped on

the Ice Buster bandwagon only a couple of seasons ago. I laughed at people

who bought the silly yellow bobber made out of a swim noodle. I will go to

my grave trying to make up for lost time. If you have not tried the Ice

Buster bobber yet, I can only say: Don‚t wait as long as I did. To my

knowledge, they are the only bobber that allows you to customize its

buoyancy through just a trim.

The Ice Buster Bobber is not the only great invention by Today‚s Tackle;

they make a myriad of great ice gear, including some of the best rod holders

on the market. The Rod Rocker and Rod Rocker 2 are rod holders for dead

stick situations. They can be portable or you can mount them in your fish

house, or even on a bucket. Today‚s Tackle Icewell can keep bait fresh for

days in your permanent or can be used to keep today‚s catch fresh.

Today‚s Tackle even helps in keeping your tackle box organized. The Tackle

Pouch is a recent addition to the line up by Today‚s Tackle, this can be

used to keep jigs handy or rods organized so they don‚t get tangled.

Fish House Supply

http://fishhousesupply.com/

Fish House Supply is your one stop shop if you are looking to build or

repair your fish house. They literally have everything you need; if they

don‚t have it, you don‚t need it. Check out their web site where you are

sure to find something you never would have thought of. Fish House Supply

provides wind generators, heaters, frames, lights, and outstanding customer

service to boot.

Located in Buffalo Minnesota, check out Fish House Supply the next time you

need parts for your fish house.

JB Lures

http://jblures.com/

It‚s always nice to have one of the leading tackle companies on our side at

IceLeaders.com. JB Lures fills that bill. They have lures to help you

catch every type of fish imaginable from the smallest of panfish lures to

the spoons that catch the big ones.

If you look in my tackle box you will find a ton of products by JB Lures. My

"go to" lure for crappie and walleye is the Rattling Varmint. This lure has

a one-of-a-kind glass rattle chamber that makes a noise like no other lure.

If you are a walleye ice angler and have not heard of the Angel Eye, you are

really missing out on something. This year JB lures introduces the Holie

Angel, a spin off of the popular Angel Eye that looks to be a sure bet in

many ice angler‚s arsenal this year.

JB also has a huge line of lures designed for summer use as well.

32North/STABILicers

http://www.32north.com/

The Company 32North makes a product that all ice anglers need: The

STABILicers. This product attaches to your boots to stop you from ending a

fishing trip too soon. STABILicers are used for traction on those days when

the ice can be treacherous. With these attached to your boots, you can walk

safely. These have saved me many a day, while friends found themselves

looking a lot like the cartoon character Charlie Brown. If you have ever

tried to pull a portable on glare ice without these, you know what I am

talking about. The nice part about STABILicers, is they are easy to put on,

and take off, so you do not ruin your truck carpet or floor of your house.

Stop slippin‚ and start grippin‚!

Stone Legacy

http://stonelegacy.com/

This company revolutionized the ice fishing rod bag when they introduced The

Revolution. This ice rod bag allows you to put numerous rods in each end of

a backpack style rod bag. I use mine to store walleye style rods in one

side and panfish style rods in the other. The middle of the bag is huge and

can hold just about anything from tip-ups to ice scoops, to your large

assortment of tackle boxes. This rod bag has served me quite well for the

last three ice seasons, and will continue to be with me on EVERY trip.

Stone Legacy also has a variety of other rod cases and storage devices. The

Premium case is designed for the run and gun style anger who likes to pack a

little lighter than the Revolution, and the Un-Bucket can be used to carry

all your gear for the person who maybe doesn‚t pack all that lightly. If

you are in the market to protect your ice fishing investments, check out

Stone Legacy today!

Sponsors, Members, staff, thank you all for the continued support! Its you

who have made this web family what it is today!

[Matt Johnson]

Outstanding post Deitz!

I think Deitz really sumed things up well... we definitely have a top-notch group of sponsors here. A huge thank you goes out to them!

Now we just need some ice so we can go out and play with all the toys

[doser]

Matt,

Quick question for you. I was watching some of your ice fishing videos the other night and was wondering what you keep in those plastic coffee cans? I'm guessing not coffee?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Doser- Minnows my friend.. Minnows!

[Matt Johnson]

Yep... minnows. Sometimes dead, sometimes alive, depends on where we're fishing. The top screws on and it compacts into a smaller area and is easier for transporting. No worries about water spilling and all that other fun stuff..

[doser]

Makes sense ! Just curious. It's always nice to find new innovative adeas to share and learn from others. I wasn't sure if you had a big can full of waxies in there.