I may be doing it this year

[tacklejunkie]

I may be trying my hand at ice fishing this year. havent done it in ages. my wife gave me a $1000 spending limit. What are the must haves?? Any tips would help

[JigginIsLife]

vexilar/marcum--must

Auger

Portable house

heater

4-5 rods and reels

nice set of lures

ohhh and probabbly some ice cleats or somthing similar

[Pikeslayer]

No. 1 common sense(priceless)No ice is 100% safe! Be carefull!!

[shorefisher]

Auger, house, heater are the big 3. you can get a few rod/reels, tip-up and some tackle for not much money. And if after that you have some for a flasher great but you can fish with out one but the rest are a must to enjoy you time on the ice.

[CSP88]

1. Vexilar (used FL-18) $250

2. Otter Den (close out model) $290

3. StrikeMaster Lazer Mag gas auger (used) $200

4. Buddy Heater $45

5. Jason Mitchell ice rods (4) $120

6. Remaining can be used to purchase ice scoop, jigs, 1# propane tanks, etc.

Chad

[Kylersk]

Quote:

---

1. Vexilar (used FL-18) $250

2. Otter Den (close out model) $290

3. StrikeMaster Lazer Mag gas auger (used) $200

4. Buddy Heater $45

5. Jason Mitchell ice rods (4) $120

6. Remaining can be used to purchase ice scoop, jigs, 1# propane tanks, etc.

Chad

---

I like the list, except he'll be missing one key thing.. Reels.

[maros91]

I think the first thing you nedd is a hole in the ice so the first thing I would get is an auger followed by a vexilar, then a portable fish house, then some rods and rells followed by some tackle. After that you can get the little stuff.

[pathogen]

#1 on your list shouldn't cost anything, but will save you some dough. A good fishing buddy! Could possibly save you the cost of an auger and house the first year---but you're certainly going to want them sooner or later.

[mmeyer]

These lists are good. They pretty much cover what I have and I just started last year. One major thing to remember is to don't buy the cheap stuff thinking you can always upgrade later if you like it. The cheap stuff will most likely not work as well so it won't be as fun using it and you'll fish less often. Buy the important things, buy the best you can afford and add the little stuff later.

I'm sure you know this but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Have fun shopping and fishing!!

Mike

[Smoore]

I would go with the Clam 2000 for a house (around $200) and guide series rod and reel from Gander mountain. The house is small enough to fit in the trunk of a car and I bought a couple of the rods last year and I thought they were a good deal for $20 to $25 per combo. You could find a good deal on a used auger and a flasher on this site. As far as the heater I would go with a Mr. Heater cooker.

[Powerstroke]

Quote:

---

1. Vexilar (used FL-18) $250

2. Otter Den (close out model) $290

3. StrikeMaster Lazer Mag gas auger (used) $200

4. Buddy Heater $45

5. Jason Mitchell ice rods (4) $120

6. Remaining can be used to purchase ice scoop, jigs, 1# propane tanks, etc.

---

That comes to $905

You will still need reels and I think you can get away with just 2 rods depending on where you're gonna start. I think the totals are a little high too, but its a good idea to have in mind. There are augers on sale here for less than that and I think the electronics will start to show up soon.

Also, I think a shack is probably last on the list. I fished for many years without one. It is nice to have occasionally, but I've found its more important to have a quality auger and good fishing gear. You can start with an Otter sled and add the house later if you want. Of course these will start showing up in the for sale section too.

I like having at least one 5gallon bucket to sit on and store stuff. Get a headlamp or lantern for fishing in the dark.

[sirsunnyslayer]

Quote:

---

1. Vexilar (used FL-18) $250

2. Otter Den (close out model) $290

3. StrikeMaster Lazer Mag gas auger (used) $200

4. Buddy Heater $45

5. Jason Mitchell ice rods (4) $120

6. Remaining can be used to purchase ice scoop, jigs, 1# propane tanks, etc.

Chad

---

If your going to get a Vexilar don't forget the earplugs. My buddies old FL-18 sounds like a lawn mower compared to an LX-3. Get a Marcum and keep your hearing.

Seriously though, get a flasher, auger and house, preferably used off of hsolist or the want adds. The pole/reel combos can be had real cheap but you get what you pay for, and the lures are pretty cheap as well. It can be done for $1000 but you'll more than likely want to spend some more next year, and the next year, and so on.

[hanson]

You're going to need some warm outerwear, boots, wool socks, thermal underwear, etc. You have to keep yourself warm first!

Some of it you may have, some you may not. Most people don't consider this a part of the "essential gear" but it is very essential IMO.

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

yes it gets very costly once you really get into the sport. Corey B helped me out tonight at the Thorne Bros stand at the ice frenzy and talked me into buying one of the custom ice rods. I cant wait to try it out now. Those rods are incredibly light weight. Just a tip on the flasher i as well recomend the marcum flasher. I have the V-1 which i got on sale with a rebate for a very good price. I highly recomend this flasher if you are on a budget like i am!

Ryan

[juggs]

I second Hanson's comment on the clothing. If you don't stay warm you will be miserable and NEVER want to ice fish again. Start with the extremities--boots, gloves and hat. The rest of the body is easy to keep warm with layered clothing, quilted flannel, etc. Now then, learn how to ice fish, which means do your homework or fish with someone who knows what they're doing. Most fisherman don't catch many fish. Know your species and be willing to find them, which means mobility is crucial. If you want to sit over one hole all day, be prepared to get bored. I would recommend a portable shack over a permanent. Something easy to pull and move around. A flasher is huge, too, especially if you fish any kind of depth, which is usually where the fish hang out in the winter.

[Zdaddy76]

Do you get some sort of weekly allowance for brewskies?

---Zdaddy

[katofishingguy]

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[fishinJohn]

I did not have a portable last year and I though having some ski goggles were nice to have. Tinted ones helped with the sun and on a lake the wind blows enough to make you glad your eyes aren't constantly watering. Sucks when the wind gets the top of the 5 gallon bucket though, extreme air hockey puck.

[Blainebob]

I dont think the cost for ice fishing is all that bad! You can get fully set up for less than $1500,which is,at least in my opinion,ahelluva lot cheaper than a boat(then add the accessories!) Must be why I LOVE hardwater time so much.When I tried it 8 or 9 years ago,I started with a couple cheap jig poles and a lazer hand auger,and after a year,told myself if I was gonna continue with it,I was gonna do it right(flasher,power auger etc)Very glad I stayed with it!! Have Fun!!

[fishtank]

Keep in mind that you are just trying your hand at it this year. You don't need to go out and get a power auger. Get the Strikemaster Lazer or a Nils hand auger. That way, if you decide you don't enjoy it, your not out $300 for a power auger. Yes, you can resell it, but for the effort it takes to drill a few holes by hand, it's really a safe investment.

[Zdaddy76]

Then again you might decide you don't like it because you're having to hand auger all your holes. HAHAH

---Zdaddy

[Kyle Sandberg]

I would get the nills hand auger and if you decied you like ice fishing you can but the powerhead and the auger hooks right up.

[looneyducer]

I'd find a good guide -- one that fishes with you and shows you how the technology works -- and use half my money taking the wife on an ice fishing trip. Then I would add her $1000 dollars to start up to my $500 and add a mapping GPS and cold weather gear to the list.

Then I would buy her a 4 wheeler for Christmas.

[Northlander]

Junkie before you go buying a bunch of goodies give me a call/e-mail and I will show ya what ya need to start and can probably save you some cash in the process.

This is what I would do with $1000 to get ya started and you can add to it the more serious you get. Upgrading to new gear is the fun part. Expensive part too.

Everything on sale at ice show or pre show sales in stores

1- 2 horse Power Ice Auger and ice scoop

2- 2 or 3 ice rod combos and a tip up or 2

3- Flasher

4- Ice house

5- Tackle lots of wich you will have from summer

6- Heater and light source

Like I said get a hold of me and we can hit the ice a few times before you go buying a bunch of stuff. Who knows you may be 1 of the few who dont enjoy it.

You should start out by joining us at the fish lake event on Dec 8th (ice permitting) and I can get ya in a house and gear and you can see what ya think.