So you say you want to Ice Fish

[sjburnt]

.

[slipperybob]

There comes a point when you use what you have available and you learn that hey, could be better and easier if I have this or that, then it becomes more enjoyable. Part of fishing/ice fishing is learning and acquiring skills (and better equipment).

I started with a piece of wood, moved onto a can/bottle...finally bought that plastic fishing pole with a metal line guide on the tip and a 1 bearing plastic reel. Moved up to an rhino stick and a two bearing graphite reel. Upgraded to an Uglystik and three bearing graphite spool with almost instant anti-reverse. For ice fishing, got my first ice fishing pole, an uglystik. Did use a wooden pole, then plastic one too.

We were doing pretty good with five people standing in a two man Icecube. Lucky to sit on a bucket.

Years later,...., got my own hand auger, my own flasher, a few poles, my own portable, ice cleats, an actual minnow bucket, got the metal ice scoop, a sled, Just this year I added a Big buddy heater, Arctic Armor, Reel Weeds and two Thorne rods. I'm hurting in the credit dept, but I sure don't hurt while I'm on the ice. You kind learn from your own experience and from others, to acquire the next useful skill or equipment.

[Sandmannd]

I don't know Dtro, but have ready many of his posts. I can tell he's a good guy and would be great to fish with. I don't think his list is unrealistic, but not everyone can do it at once. Piece it together. I started a while back in ND with just a hand auger and a stick rod. Didn't fish on ice for a while then three years ago a buddy bought a portable. Went out in that and thought it was cool (ended up buying it from him because he wanted bigger). Got a couple of cheap rods at Fleet and was set. Last year I bought an auger off Craig's list and modified my portable. Got a flasher of Craig's as well. Look on this site and others and you will find good deals. You don't need new at all. This year I added Arctic Armour and a new strikemaster. Sold my auger for 20 bucks more than I bought it for last year. If you take care of your stuff you can buy used and resell for what you paid or more. Find deals and have fun. Find someone to take you out your first few times to see if you like it. I've always got room for someone and an extra rod. Maker sure you like it before investing hundreds. I still don't get on a ton of fish (still learning), but for me it's outside away from everything and relaxing.

[Coach Dog]

I was in this situation a few years ago when I wanted to get more into ice fishing, as before I would tag along with people and use their stuff. What I did was set out a plan and buy something decent every year. The first year I bought rods, tackle, Mr. heater/cooker, and a hand auger. The 2nd year I bought a vexilar. The 3rd year I bought a Strikemaster Power auger and a portable. The mistake I made is that I bought one of those cheap portables (like $150 suitcase) and have regretted it ever since. The 4th year I bought a Lowrance H2OC. Next,I want to get a Clam Yukon or something simlar, but have a remodel project going at home and bought new vehicle for the wife so my money has been put elsewhere this year. So next year I'll probably get the Clam and then the year after an underwater camera.

Coach Dog

[Ray Esboldt]

I guess my thought on ice fishing, is I use it until it breaks. I do buy new things that come along (i.e. Arctic Armor - corrects my inability to float in cold water). I used a Vexilar I bought in 1988 until 2002. I used a Fish Trap I bought in 1989 until 2003. I used a previously used Jiffy auger for 10+ years. When they broke or wore down (or I found a really awesome deal on a better product), I bought a new one. If you were just starting out, you can get buy with some essentials. Plus, try to take advantage of guys that like the latest and greatest. Used gear comes available hear and elsewhere.

I've always thought of ice fishing as summer fishing's cheap cousin. It's fun when it's around, but I'm never sorry to see it leave.

[looneyducer]

The looneyducer list of ten suggested acquisitions for the beginning ice-fisher, in order with reasons attached:

1) Someone who already ice-fishes and has gear to go with. If that has to be a guide, so be it. If you are going out there to figure it all out by yourself, well, ice has a learning curve second only to fire. I wish you the best of luck.

2) Two rods, a bucket, and some warm clothes. The rods are to fish with, the bucket is to sit on, put your fish in, and store your stuff, and the warm clothes are to keep you from looking like an (Contact Us Please). At this point you can go fishing with your buddy -- you know, the guy who owns the auger. Borrow a Swedish Pimple from him.

3) An auger -- this will allow you to fish independently, where you want to fish -- and some type of sled to drag your stuff around in. Eventually, if you get into it, you're going to want a hand auger and a power auger (and a little sled and a house sled) for early-early and mid-winter ice, but at this point you should pick one. It would probably be realistic to choose between a high end hand auger you will keep forever and a low-end power auger that you will upgrade at a later date.

4A) Choice time. If catching fish is the most important thing, you are now looking at buying a fish-finder, be that a Vexilar or a Marcum or a Lowrance or a whatever.

or

4B) A shelter with a heater. That would be the proper decision if being somewhat comfortable precedes catching fish on the grand scale of importance in your life. This is the way I went, mostly because I went a little cheap on #2.

5) 4A if you bought 4B; 4B if you bought 4A.

6) A mapping GPS. I realize you're still walking, but at least this way you know where you are walking to. Now that I own one of these, I am tempted to move it up to right after #3, calling it even more fundamental that a finder or a house, but the truth is you can drill enough holes to find the structure you are looking for with a finder and an auger, but a GPS even with a map has yet to show anyone an actual fish.

7) Whichever auger you didn't buy for #3, be that power or hand, for the reasons I stated back there.

8) A method of transport for early and late ice -- Snowmobile, 4 wheeler, dogsled, whatever ...-- and a trailer to get it all to the lake. By this time you're committed enough to start buying into the argument that it's all much cheaper than a new boat anyway.

9) Updates and upgrades of everything, slowly, and in the same order as this list, skipping the stuff that has performed so far beyond your expectations as to become like family, at which point it becomes a part of the family and can never be replaced. My Dad has an old Jiffy auger in this category. He was fishing with it the day the first three color flasher hit the ice on Devils Lake, and everyone quit fishing to watch the little jig dance on it.

10) A wheeled, insulated, hard-side ice house to retire in. Some people start here and stay here, but they really miss out on the mobility needed to search for fish. Some people never get here, insisting mobility is everything, and miss out on the ability to claim a small section of a good piece of structure all to themselves.

There you have it. By the way, the Looneyducer is at #7 on the long slow build, and #8 is years away, but I think it's a good list, and a doable list. Each step gains an ice-fisher access to more water in more conditions, incrementally. The bigger trick, however, is to go through the list without giving up too much fishing time to fund it. Time on the ice, even sitting on a bucket, is worth more than any Vexilar. You don't want to end up like all those summer-fishers, working overtime to pay for the boat sitting in the driveway.

[McGurk]

There's a lot of good stuff in there, looney, and a lot of good sense attributed to it. I'm a bit further on the list (by the grace of God) and what you have written for each step is really what it boils down to when at that step. Looking back, I wish I would have had a list like that when I started getting serious about ice fishing. And the truth is: I enjoy ice fishing so much more now that I am able to be comfortable and confident while out. It seems like a lot of wasted money, but it will never come close to what a serious soft water fisherman will pay to get to this level. That is not a slam to summer fishermen, but it is much cheaper to ice fish at that caliber.

[Shack]

Looneyducer,

Nice list!

I would say I am at a #9 level. Revamping old stuff this year.

[BigWadeS]

I have the bare minimum stuff but with help from this site and other willing memebers, I am able to get out and see the latest and greatest products and see if those are items I want or just to use since I don't get out a lot anyway right now. I have a list of items I want, some I see I must have (mostly tackle), and some I can do without. I know when the time is right I have my list ready and I constantly am looking for that "great" deal. Thanks again Sandmannd.....working on my next kitchen pass

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

i am at level 9 also... but i have many more years to wait so i can get a permenant... i cant even drive a car yet:) only 6 months till i can drive! then comes the wheel house baby!

[Eric Wettschreck]

Loony, I guess I'm at 10.

I built my #10 however and didn't spend $15,000 on it.

[Shack]

Wait a minute, would having a nice perm on Mill Laces qualify me as being in the 10 category? It does not have wheels though .

[FishingWebGuy]

I bought my FT Voyager a little over a month ago and my LX-5 at the frenzy show. Last year we went on the ice once sitting on buckets in the wind and didn't catch anything. I kept thinking to myself it would sure be nice to get out of the wind and actually know if there is something down there.

I dreamed about getting a flipover and a flasher all last winter but just couldn't make it happen. This year I bought 'em and an AA suit. I've probably spent about 2k so far. My wife was giving me dump about it the other day and I pulled a line from the VISA commercials.

LX-5 $440, Fish Trap $400, being there when my 14 year old pulls his first crappie through the ice ... priceless.

He had such a good time that night and we've already been out 3 times this winter together and I've been out another 3 by myself. You really can't put a price on spending quality time with your teenagers.

My latest purchase was one of those auto inflating life jackets for the boy to wear. I'm looking at it in the store thinking, "if I don't buy this and he goes through the ice I won't be able to live with myself." You can't really put a price on safety either.

He'll get an AA suit when he is done growing

[Shack]

That is a great post!

Anyway you add it up, its worth every penny you spend.

Thats a nice first crappie . Many more!

[Kyle Sandberg]

You guys all rolling in dough if you compare it to me and yet I still have some pretty nice stuff. I'm still in school, have no job, only a part time gig hanging sheetrock with my neighbor, and value my gift cards like they were worth their weight in gold. Last winter, I was gifted with a brand new flip over fish house, the Fish Trap Pro (last years model) for 200$. That was awesome to get out of the cold. That year I also started stocking up on lures and such. This year I got some more goods. This summer/fall I got the Lowarnce x67c ice pack and trolling motor transducer. Later this year as well I got a Ice Armor fishing suit. That was a great buy. Also, I have a 40$ heater and propane tank.

So far this winter, I've put in over 600 on gear and tackle. I'd bet so far I have over 1K in ice fishing gear. Next year I hope to get a Strikemast Lazer Mag to really cut ice fast. It takes time and I'm addicted but it sure is nice to have your own stuff.

[hanson]

Looneyducer's advice is right on the money if you ask me.

As with most outdoor pursuits, having friends or family to show you the ropes is a major, major, MAJOR benefit!

From there, its all about accumulating gear to make your experience on the ice more fun, effective, efficient, and comfortable.

I ice fish every weekend from Mid-December through Mid-March and sometimes into April. With today's gear, it doesn't matter if the sun is shining, if its 30 below 0, if the ice is 4' thick, if the snow is 2' deep, or if the wind is blowing 40mph. I can get out on the ice and fish comfortably in all those conditions.

For me, it really comes down to maximizing my limited free time and it can be hard to put a price on that sometimes.

Like others have mentioned, my gear arsenal has been assembling for over 20 years now. It might have been simple at first but as the ice fishing "revolution" occurred, I saw the merits in portable houses, flashers, power augers, and mobility.

You guys really don't want me to put a list together, it will be twice as long as Dtro's with 2 of everything. And don't think I'm rolling in $$$ either... 5 years of college that really cramped my outdoors lifestyle followed by many years of hard work, and many more to come. Its all about priorities.

[jwhjr]

Excellent list looneyducer, spot on for how I've been progressing. I've made it to #6, and most of the big ticket items (portables, vexilar) were purchased used so I was able to move down the list a little quicker. I'm able to get my kids more involved now with a shelter as they'll stay out longer if they're not "cold".

[Kylersk]

Not to pick on DTRO but..

Have you ever noticed. Every fishing show, forum, or what ever.. They'll tell you exactly what they used to catch the fish but they will NEVER tell you where they caught the fish.

To me, I'd rather hear exactly where someone caught the fish, rather than exactly what they caught them on. I mean, lets get down to it.. All the equipment in the world wont do you any good if you are fishing a dead sea.

If fish would only sponser their hide outs, that'd open a whole new level of fishing.

There's a slight bit of sarcasm in my post.

[Borch]

Well the equipment we use helps us to stay out there long enough to find those "Spots" as well as being able to be mobile enough to find those "Spots". I could give you GPS coordinates for my spots on URL and it may not do you any good. These are just starting points and it's up to you and your equipment to find where they're hanging on that particular day.

My list is extensive as well. But remember I've been doing this for years and have a family to equip.

Good fishing!

[Scott K]

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I could give you GPS coordinates for my spots on URL

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Ok we are waiting, what are they? j/k

[Kylersk]

Borch, I agree.. The equipment helps find spots.. But I believe time is the biggest advantage anyone can have at fishing. The more time you can put on a lake, the better.

For example, my father-in-law fishes the same lake for 20+ years and he has not one item on any of these lists but he will outfish me everytime on that lake.

And the equipment will cut down the time, but add in time and that's still the biggest advantage anyone can have.

[hanson]

Quote:

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Have you ever noticed. Every fishing show, forum, or what ever.. They'll tell you exactly what they used to catch the fish but they will NEVER tell you where they caught the fish.

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First off... I caught the sarcasm and I like it! Alot of people miss mine and then I get hatemails.

My question to you would be if you would enjoy fishing if someone showed you "the spot" every time out? I sure as heck wouldn't. Most of my enjoyment is derived from learning about the underwater world and the fish that live there. I'm always asking questions on the ice or water, looking at the sky, watching the barometer, watching weather patterns, paying attention to seasonal movements, and trying to put the pieces together to have success on my own. This is why I love the outdoors, my success and/or failure is dependant entirely on my own actions.

The Lindners, quite possibly the best educators of anglers on the planet, never tell you what lake they are fishing. But they are more than happy to discuss patterns and techniques as they relate to a body of water. You can take this info very easily and transfer it to your body of water.

There's my long answer for not giving spots, my short answer is I'll get 10 hatemails in a half a day if I do post a spot!

[Kylersk]

Hanson, I bet 99% of those hate mails are from people that put time in on that lake and know the spot. It's the same people that hate the new GPS's maps because they take away the time others have to spend.

I've yet to run into someone that was upset for saying 'red is the color to use on x lake'.

I personally, would have loved to have my house out on the lake already, but with 3 kids, and a wife that works part time evenings, I have no time to get out. I got out once this past weekend and caught a few sunnies, but that's my extent of winter fishing so far.

I can buy equipment, but time is hard to buy.

So, with that said.. I am heading to Upper red lake for slabfest early.. so email me some spots

[hanson]

Quote:

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So, with that said.. I am heading to Upper red lake for slabfest early.. so email me some spots

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I'll get you pointed in the right direction when the time comes. The fish (crappies) move constantly and what worked last year might, and probably, won't work this year. We've got to gas the augers up and pound holes again to locate the fish. Sounds like I'll be up the week before for a long weekend again so hopefully we can dial something in. And just when we figure it out, the weather will change.

[Kylersk]

Sounds great! I plan on heading up on Thursday.. Not sure if we'll do a stop at LOW or just stop and URL. Either way, I plan on being there for the get together and fishing for my first time on URL. I'm really looking forward to it, cept.. that means its also the end of the season.. =)