Brag up your Set up!

[mjhowe]

Ok every body, the season is just around the corner. Nows the time to share with all your FM friends what you will be taking on the ice this year!! (Fantasy set-ups are allowed but MUST be id'd as such!!)

My set-up:

Frabil XLtwin, 10" Mag 2000 auger, FL-18, MR Buddy heater (or coleman lantern) and everything else tucked away nicely in the Croxton pond bag(If you don't have one of these, what are you waiting for??!!)

If I am going solo, then the XLTwin gets replaced by the Fish Trap Scout. And when (if?) the ice gets thick enough around here the whole mess gets hauled around behind the Yamaha Grizzly 600.

If all this sounds like I was born with the silver spoon, let me assure you otherwise. I work hard and try to buy quality gear that works and lasts, like many of you. Until last year, I was the guy who thought I could get by with home made poles, no shelter, no Vexilar etc. But last year, after spending a little dough and fishing smarter, I found if I was comfortable I could fish longer, and if I was fishing longer, I needed to maximize the results of my time spent on the ice. Thats where the FL-18 comes in. If I punch more holes, and move around, I dont waste any time where the fish arent due to the Vex.

All in all, I feel I now have an ice fishing set-up that allows me to fish anywhere, under any conditions, for as long as I like. Its all quality stuff that will last for years, and much of it is what you guys and gals have reccomended to me thru this site.

Oh yeah, I have a couple of semi-permanent shacks that hopefully will get set up on some lakes this year, and the Glacier 3 for when newbies or kids from church want to tag-a-long. I am also setting up an older LCD fishfinder on a Genz box this year for when someone does not want to stare at a Vex for too long. Some people like to see pictures of fish rather than blinking lights, go figure.

OK I've shown you mine......

------------------
Mike
Kalispell, MT
<<><<
"LOOK ALIVE, MAGGOT!"
(Not you Pal, I was talking to my bait)

[EBass]

Fishtrap Scout (too small)
Fl-18
Mr Heaterbuddy
Black Diamond headlamp
Croxon pond bag that you have to
wee little tackle bag
4 ice rods and reels
Carhardt bibs and jacket
Rocky brand boots (I had to toss in what I wear to make it look like I have more dump )

No wheeler and no auger - kinda sucks kicking out a hole when the ice is thick. J\K I use my friends auger or keep buggin Moby1 to use his.

I want to add rocken reels to my arsenal. An auger and wheeler won't hurt either.

[can it be luck?]

My girlfriend just bought a van. It has a bed, table, etc. I was thinking that if I cut some holes in the floor and added trap doors. Then made a shroud to fit around the outside bottom of the van, I would have a great mobile fish house! In the late 70's, I had an old chevy station wagon with a rusted out floor. I slid a stove pipe through the floor, insulated the sides with towels, and fished in the car. It worked great! Other than that, it was a 5 gallon pail on the ice, brrrr. It was the greatest thing to stay warm the car while ice fishing. The only time it got cold was when I headed home, windy as heck with a big hole in the floor! ...I used lots of floor mats.

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[Bigred70]

Vexilar FL-18
Croxton Pond Bag
St. Croix rod, Genz rod, Gander Rod, Noodle Rod
Fish Trap Guide
Mag2000 8-1/4 power auger
Mr. Heater Buddy
Plenty of Angel Eyes and Glow Devils
'85 Honda Big Red 250 3-wheeler
2002 Polaris Pro-X 440
Pull-behind camper converted to icehouse (fall project)
'92 Chev K1500 W/T 4x4

[Guest]

The beauty of this sport is that the longer you are in the game, the less expensive it is to stay in the game.....I have amassed quite an arsenal over the years. To that point, I don't think I really need to purchase anything new this year. Make that your goal.
My present assault unit is a Shoremaster Jigger. It is equipped with home made Butt Bridge seats which are customized with rod holders, one seat has a self contained 12V electrical system for lights and phone charging. The other seat is customized to retain my Lazer Mag auger to the floor of the tub while in motion. That seat can be rubber bungeed to the floor to keep the auger nailed down. That seat also has a custom shelf that is just made to hold the Buddy Heater and the shelf is easily removable. The lights consist of a three LED headliner unit, a homemade spotlight by the hole with a switch, and another light on the front of the tub in the fishing area. The latter two lights were adapted from the yard light low voltage selection and are only turned on when needed. The LED light lasts forever on the small battery and provides some pretty good mood lighting. Not too bright, not too dim. All are run from a small gel cell that's in a wood box on the "Hot Seat." It has a positive and a negative lug that you can hook anything 12V up to with alligator clips. Along with a couple of Vexilars, (I aquired a second one in the off season) about twelve different rods,(most of which are in a rack inside the truck back doors up by the headliner) jigs/spoons up the wazoo, minnow bucket, hole skimmer, head mounted flashlight, a few Rock 'n Reels and the ever present bottle of "Jet A". When I put the cover on the shelter, she's loaded but not too cluttered and not too heavy. It all fits on a rack I built that slips into the hitch receiver ov my Tahoe Sport(not enough room inside but it goes anywhere). And that whole mess slides onto a trolley and rolls into my garage when I'm done. All designed to be a one man show. All put together, it makes ice fishing a pleasure and that's important because it's THE most significant enjoyment in my life(outside of one other thing or two ;^0). These last few weeks waiting for ice are killin' me!...I feel lucky to have amassed all of this but it took years to refine it. Here's to a good five months of ice!........T

[can it be luck?]

Tbone, can I fish with you? Now that's what I call a set-up, wow! No need to "think up" modifications to portables on your own, you covered it all, and them some!

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[fubar]

this year the camper comes off the truck and on the ice.

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 10-23-2003).]

[Guest]

Wow!...TBone! Sounds like quite the set up.

So, my set up......

First off, the new 2003 Chevy S10 ZR2 4x4! Supercharged with upgraded shocks. Picked it up this past summer, great truck. Now I won't have to take the minivan

I go out with either a Fish Trap II or a Fish Trap Pro.

The Fish Trap II has my home made bench system made up of wood and carpet. The bench can be removed and tucked underneath for easy transportation. The Fish Trap II is also equiped with built in rod holders and rod protectors along with storage compartments for my tackle box and other misc equip. The inside floor is carpeted as well for added warmth. I added a lantern holder above me so that the lantern is out of the way.

My Fish Trap Pro is new this year and I haven't fisnished everything yet but here goes. I replaced the seat with a light weight padded boat seat that can be removed or slide around. I added protective tubbing to hold my spair rods that I'm not using, the rods are held tight in the tubbing and won't fall out even if I leave them in when I drive to and from places. I also added a small carpeted table that is bolted above the plastic tubbing so that I can set my tackle box and bait boxs on it. I'm in the process of adding a lighting system too. I'm sure more things will be added but thats where I'm at right now.

Now for other equip.

Strikemaster Xpress 8 inch gas powered auger. Mora 6 inch hand auger. Vexilar FL-8. OVS 500. GPS. Lake maps. One 24 inch light action, two 28 inch light action, one 29 inch medium light action, and one 30 inch medium action Genz Rods. Thorne Bros sweet heart in both panfish and walleye rods. HT noodle rod, homemade 32 inch walleye rod, 28 inch St. Croix, shakespeares, frabills, and others (I have to pick up a new deadstick). Tiny 20's, browning, quantums, guide series, shimano, silstar, a few others (can't think of them of the top of my head) reels. A roll out tackle box (pretty cool) with a few added compartments. Jigs/lures in mass quantity. Lantern. Mr. Cooker heater and a sunflower (depends what portable I use). Tip-ups. Camera And all the other misc equip like ice scoop, etc.

I guess I can't think of anything else. Everything doesn't go every outting. Some rods stay home, one portable stays home, etc.

On my list for this year:
1) New deadstick
2) Finish modifies on Fish Trap Pro.
3) A few more jigs and such at the Sports Show (obvious )
4) If possible, upgrade my flasher.
5) Maybe a new tip-up

Something else will probably come up but thats where I'm at.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[This message has been edited by MJ5 (edited 10-22-2003).]

[irvingdog]

I gotta get a camera.........

Fish Trap Guide ( the perfect one man rig)
2 Genz rods. The rest home made.
2 Cardinal AGULF's, 2 Shimano 500's
2 Polar tip-ups
Strike Sensors (the ugly american ice fisherman)
Heat Buddy and a Black Cat for extra warmth on really cold days
FL18
2hp, 8" Strikemaster express
Princeton Tec light
Garmin RINO GPSr

[Schuler]

I just started ice fishing last year so here goes: (Edit, I've been stocking up)

Eskimo Quickflip 2 deluxe
dynaglo heater (mr heater buddy copy)
7" lazer hand auger
2 frabill round tipups
28" st croix UL avid w/ Shimano AXULSa 500
and 1 lb micro ice
28" st croix ML avid w/ buzz reel and 8 lb
power pro
buzz stick with gander mountain 5 bb
ultralight reel and 1 lb cold weather
St Croix Ice rod case (fits all 3 w/ room
to spare for a 4th and maybe 5th rod)

Here's what I am going to get this year before there is ice:
vexilar or aqua vu

It kind of sounds like a lot, but compared to open water fishing, its not much money

BTW, what are croxon pond bags?

------------------
-Zach Schuler

[This message has been edited by Schuler (edited 11-03-2003).]

[Guest]

Schuler,
Welcome to Fishing Minnesota!

The Croxton Pond Bag is a ice rod carrying case. Very nice. Holds your ice rods and reels as well as tackle and such.

Say, are those Icebonz reels made by Silstar?

If you have any questions about portable fish houses, underwater cameras, etc, feel free to drop me an e-mail.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[IceC]

Is anyone else going through withdrawls??

I got a,

Fish Trap Pro with reflective thermal blanket ceiling, a compfy swivel boat seat, lights,and soon to have IceLeaders.com stickers on the tub
A 6" Lazer hand auger,Marcum LX-3,a Paulin 7500 Tough Pup heater, 2 St.Croix Avid rods,1 Genz,2 HT,1 berkley. Abu Garcia and Quantum reels.And Probly more jigs than 1 man should have! LOL I got 8 more today hehehe.Plus buckets,scoop etc.. with much more to come! Hopefully

IceC

------------------
Have an Ice day

[IceC]

Schuler,

Your broken ST.Croix rod has a lifetime guarantee.Take it back to where you got it or contact St.Croix.

Save ya a few bucks.

IceC

------------------
Have an Ice day

[Guest]

IceC,

How do you like the Paulin heater? I've heard about them and saw a few in catalogs but haven't used one.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[Jarrod32]

Here's my setup:

About a half dozen different rods/reels
Croxton Pond bag to carry 'em in
Several tip-ups, though the Frabill Round Thermals are my favorites
Vexilar FL-8 (haven't upgraded yet...)
Strikemaster Lazer Mag 2 HP 8"
1985 Honda Big Red 250 3-Wheeler
A bucketrack for the back of the Honda (very handy)
Frabill Ultra-Light (for hit-and-run fishing)
Frabill Speed Shak (if I know where I want to be for a while)
I also have a small permanent (6x8 Ultra Shack) that will probably be on Otter Tail this year

The ice can come any day now....

[Bushwacker]

T-Bone is right, once you are in the game its a lot cheaper to stay there. When you start you buy 3 rods, next year two, next year two, etc. I now have a lot of rods!

Otter magnum sled with lodge.
Jiffy Stealth 3hp 9"
Vex Fl-18
Croxton Pond Bag
Mr. Walleye tackle bag stuffed to the gills
Butt Bridges-Thanks to TBones blue prints
Mr. Heater Buddy
No Four wheeler, not even a three wheeler
My all time favorite----Auroa LED headlamp!

[Uncle Grump]

MJHowe: Great topic!

TBone: Any chance of you posting some pics of how you've got things arranged?

Also - how can you say "I don't think I really need to purchase any thing new this year"? That's half the fun!

Ok - here's my list....

88 Astro 2wd van <sigh> and utility trailer (if needed)

91 Artic Cat Lynx (assuming we got snow)

Eskimo QF III or Frabil Hideout shelters

Coleman lantern

Mr Heater/Cooker on a flip stand

11 or 20# Cyl w/ dual hose hookup to lantern and heater

A small set of cooking utinsils for making
"gormet" chow out on the ice

Homemade ice chisel made by my father-in-law out of a old IH combine shaft and painted IH red

Strikemaster Mag 2000 auger (7" chipper) or
Lazer hand auger (8")

FL8 (wouldn't leave home w/o it!)

Garmin Etrex GPS

Fuji Discovery 35mm camera

Asst'ed rods
- Genz, Thorne Bros, a couple custom graphite rods, some cheaper stuff

Reels - some Ice Bonz & Tiny 20's, a larger
Silstar, and some other stuff

Croxton Pond rod bag that I found at Gander Mtn clearance priced at $9 - holds rods & reels - nothing nothing else

Homemade rattle reels

Assted Tip-ups - Polar & Beaver Dam

Homemade tackle storage system made from a soft side "brief case" style bag I got at a computer confrence and asst'd Plano 35xx & 37xx storage boxes, filled w/ asst'd jigs, spoons, etc

A "Rubbermaid" type storage box to keep stuff stored in for transit

Keep in mind - not all this stuff goes all the time. Alot will depend on the ice conditions, can I drive out or do I have to
walk, etc.

Wish/Want List: Carhart bibs, FL18, some sort of underwater camera system, a hard side house (some day), more good quality rods, and last but not least - more time to use all this stuff.....

UG

[IceC]

MJ5,

I just got the heater about 2weeks ago, so I havent used it yet.

But...of course I fired it up a couple of times in the house

I like it. It burns at 4,000btu on low and 8,000 on high. Its small 9 1/2"W, 11"L 14"tall.Lights easy,built in spark igniter.All metal frame and housing,but its light.

I will have to add the aluminum foil wind gaurd to keep the flame lit but thats not a big deal.

Time will tell but I think its going to be a good little heater.

IceC

------------------
Have an Ice day

[Duffman]

TBones shanty is a sight to see, I had the pleasure of fishing with him in it on Medicine last year. I kept expecting him to push the button to open the moonroof and then hit the James Bond ejection seat button to get rid of me.

[slabberknocker]

My setup is as follows:
2002 Supercrew to get to the lake hooked up to a 2004 Polaris Sportsman 600 on a utility trailer with a tilt bed.
Once I am there, the wheeler comes off and the Jiffy 3 horse 9" gets strapped to rear rack. The baitbucket and other pails get put in the bucketrack (a must if you have an atv). The otter den gets hooked up and the FL8 gets put in side the tub.
Once my holes are popped the rods of choice are the Fabil ultra lites with Cetus reels. The tackle box is a softs sided box with four removable compartments fill with glow jigs, Genz worms, fat boys, jigging raps and of couse a bunch of zip lures. I also carry a few Quantum combos and a Michell spidercast on another frabil and an Abu cardinal on another. I also carry 2 frabil round tip ups with me. The heater is a little one pound canister type, cant think of the name.
If I am going out with my wife or someone else all the same stuff goes except the otter. I replace that with a clam 6800. The heater for that is a Mr. Cooker hooked up to a 20 pound cylinder.
Clothing- Usaually a pair or jeans with a pair of insulated bibs and insulated Field and Stream parka. The boots is something I will have to get new this year. I have been wearing a pair of Danners but there is not enough thinsulate in them. I found a new pair of Danners at Gander mountain that I think will do the job.
And like MJ5, if I am fishing in MN a pile of crappies in a bucket or in SD a pail of jumbos.

Slab

[This message has been edited by slabberknocker (edited 10-23-2003).]

[mjhowe]

RIGHT ON!!!

Now you huys are talkin!! See all the catalogs in the world cant compare to some of the homemade, unobtanium that many have or want. I have seen some stuff listed that has jogged my mind about certain things.

I forgot all about getting a "bucketrack" this year, thanks for reminding me about that. I have some great ideas now about some storage/shack mods.

I forgot to mention, I recently got a Magellan Sporttrack Map GPS that I have been playing with. Also the Aurora headlamp which came in handy this year archery hunting. Gonna spend the next month or so (between hunting trips) in the boat with the GPS marking "fishy" spots, structure, etc.

Great stuff, lets keep it goin!

------------------
Mike
Kalispell, MT
<<><<
"LOOK ALIVE, MAGGOT!"
(Not you Pal, I was talking to my bait)

[Dakota Iceman]

Wow....some serious gear being dealt up on this page. Here is my set-up with one question attached.
2001 black chevy silverado ext.cab w/tanneau cover. 4x4
otter magnum lodge and sled (new this year)
jiffy legend lightning 2h.p. (new this year)
2002 honda rancher es.
multiple tip-ups (frabill tube style)
multiple rod/reel combos.
coleman dual fuel lantern w/case
coleman deluxe powercat heater.
rocky snowstalker boots w/retractable cleats.
princeton head lamp. (led)
chains and plow for wheeler if needed.
trailer is 5x6 with ramp.
otter tucks neatly under the tanneau cover (this makes traveling down the interstate at speed limit of 75 a trouble free experience)
have got tired of wasting an extra two months waiting for the missouri to freeze so im going mobile this year....you may see me in a area near you! Iceman out!

[slabberknocker]

Dakota Iceman
Where abouts on the Missouri do you fish? I am thinking that we fish the sme spot. We go to Fort Thompson and had one hell of a year there last year. The guy we go with pulled 4 walleyes out over 10 ponds each last year. The biggest I caught was around 6. A ton of 15-21" were caught. Did you ever get into the crappies out there this past winter?

Slab

[Guest]

Ya. Dat WallEYES character is a sight out there in that thong. What he didn't tell ya was that it's made of black canvas and is battery heated. The biggest problem with it is that his buns always get chapped from sitting right on the ice. When he's dressed like that, I only let him in my shelter until the ice melts off his butt then it's right back outside. Believe it or not, his boys are both normal!........T

[EBass]

I can't wait for the ice gatherings. I know off topic, but I just wanted to add that.