Ice fishing starter please.

[cnelk]

Sometimes I need an extension on my auger

 

[timmymac24]

Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are your friend. I found an old fella locally last winter that sold me his Vexilar flasher, 2 man ice hut, and Eskimo auger for half of they cost new. I went all in after fishing a few local private ponds/lakes. As someone stated you really never ever quit adding to your collection of gear. I bought the bibs/parka that float as well plus have Hoffman double insulated pac boots cold isn't an issue now. Good luck man it's an addiction for me now. Just got out this past weekend on our first ice and caught enough bluegills for dinner Saturday evening.

 

[Centralcoastca]

I used to ice fish in utah a fair amount when I lived there and kept it pretty simple and light. Sled, bucket with a padded lid, scoop, shovel if there was much snow, auger, fishing gear and snacks/drinks. Never did get a pop up shack but there were a few days I wish I had one and had I stayed I would’ve. One thing I’ll add that I found useful was a pad like a cheap folding glassing pad to put your feet on especially cold days and then to kneel on when wrestling a fish out of the hole etc… I miss doing that, very peaceful thing to do in the winter.

 

[Marble]

get an auger, an ice fishing pole or two, and a container of wax worms. Sit on an upside down bucket and enjoy!

This is our set up too.. usually. We have a hand auger that we use for 10+ inches of ice.

I usually use a little pile of snow to prop my pole up. But sometimes the rod freezes to it...

A little hand strainer to get the ice out of the hole.

I used to use a little chain saw. But my $60 auger works just fine.

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[Lawnboi]

Nothing beats a pile of panfish on the ice

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Nothing beats a pile of panfish on the ice


View attachment 366374View attachment 366373

Greeeeeat eating. Cold water crappie

 

[Lawnboi]

Greeeeeat eating. Cold water crappie

Winter is the only time I target them. Lucky enough to have a couple lakes within a mile from the house loaded with nice ones.

 

[DanimalW]

Sometimes I need an extension on my auger

That’s a lot of ice considering it’s underneath that much snow.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Winter is the only time I target them. Lucky enough to have a couple lakes within a mile from the house loaded with nice ones.

I come back to Wisconsin every Oct for grouse hunting over by Winter. We fish various small lake and have killed the crappie.

 

[Chromeslayer]

I wouldnt even step a foot on the ice without some sort of flasher

 

[KurtR]

My most favorite thing is a heated cabbed tracked ranger with hole in the passenger floor so I never have to get out and ice troll for walleyes

 

[Spike elk]

X2 on putting a good auger on a good brushless drill. I have had good luck with an 8" Mora and been able to go up to a couple of feet of ice with an extension. You most likely have a drill anyway, Ice fishing is addicting and a great way to spend the off season. It is nice to have some fresh fish to mix it up with a freezer full of venison. Had some surf and turf for dinner tonight. Some WT backstrap with a couple of trout fillets from this weekend. Pick up some rubber mats from Harbor Freight that people put next to a work bench, they are $12 for a pack of four. If you have a shelter they are great to insulate your feet and keep things dry. If you don't have a shelter they are great to put under your chair or just next to a hole for a bit of extra insulation and dryness. Handwarmers in your gloves and foot warmers in packs get a few extra miles out of a cold day as well. Be safe!

 

[Wetwork]

Hmmm....ice fishing....drinking and singing. Each year trying to find a better way to stay warmer, more mobile and really to just drink and sing better. One single caught fish was'a mike drop...chug, chug, chug. But maybe I was taught wrong? I was a west coaster stuck in the Great Lakes for a bit. What did I know?-WW

 

[Gunnersdad49]

This is our set up too.. usually. We have a hand auger that we use for 10+ inches of ice.

I usually use a little pile of snow to prop my pole up. But sometimes the rod freezes to it...

A little hand strainer to get the ice out of the hole.

I used to use a little chain saw. But my $60 auger works just fine.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

My first time with a K drill on a makita was last year. My old butt appreciated the ease in which it worked. Another option is to bring a teenager and bet him $20 he can’t drill 4 holes in 15 minutes. If he does it, money well spent.

A buddy heater is a good help when it is really cold. The thing is, ice fishing doesn’t have to be a $1000 adventure. Get started, see if you like it, and then blow tons of money making it more comfortable.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Sometimes I need an extension on my auger

That be some thick ice. One time on the Mississippi we auger through about four ft. of ice and came up with mud. Had to relocate to deeper water. that sucked, by hand.

 

[cnelk]

Letting the big ones go

 

[Fullfan]

Flasher is a game changer. Drill, drill, drill, drill find fish and get after em. Without a flasher drill and wonder where they are.

Flasher will show you where in the water colum the fish are. You can see your lure or bait also.

 

[IDLassie]

Last year was our first year. We jumped in with both feet.
Bought a auger that is run by a cordless 18v drill from Amazon.
Also bought 2 ice rods and Swedish pimples jigs all from Amazon. Had the fold up chairs. Took off and figured it out with no problems. We only have trout to catch where we've been going.
Went out this past weekend and caught 21 trout. Had a nice day.
Just take a leap and go for it.
Beat way to learn is just to do it.

 

[ThisIsMyHandle]

First step: go to the store, buy a pint of Yukon Jack, package of cheddar wurst and buns.

A foot of ice calls for a camp fire. Cook your cheddar wurst over it.


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[MTPipeliner]

When targeting perch and other small panfish one of the most common things I see people do it fish too large of gear. They often bite extremely light and too stiff a rod won’t show the bite, the fish also feel the resistance and won’t take the bait very well.