I need to buy EVERYTHING! help please

[Sark 2]

Hi folks,

I apologize asking for your years of hard earned knowledge....but I have been active helping answer questions for years on the boats motors section.

I have been a soft water walleye guy for 20 years. As winter has always been my busiest time of year I have only been ice fishing twice in the last fifteen years.

My boys are now three and four years old and it seems like ice fishing would be a great way to get out of the house. I am ready to pull the trigger on a 7x20 wheelhouse but I need to do some serious shopping since I only own one ice fishing pole.


Can you please steer me towards your favorite:

--ice auger for drilling 10" holes INSIDE an ice house without throwing ice chips eveywhere
--rod reel combos for walleye
--rod reel combo for panfish
--best fisihng line for inside a house
--is there something I just have to buy?
--What is the best new high tech fish bite detection device that attaches directly to your line?

Also:
--can I skip the flasher if my eyes will always be on the underwater camera?
--is the old fashioned styrofoam bucket still the best way to keep minnows alive?

If you can help with one or two of my questions I sincerely that you!!-Chris

[went522]

Auger...I prfer an 8" but if 10" is the route you prefer...any of them will work well. An auger with a shaving blade will keep from throwing chips everywhere, the chippers throw chunks everywhere. The Strike lite will be nice to keep the fumes out of the house.

Rods and reels...there's a ton to choose from...I like my croxton pond and lightning rods and Abu/cardinal 100 reels...super smooth.

The best bite indicator imho is simply a ultra light rod, I've had the indicators, don't like them, but if you want one, there's a few spring indicators to choose from, they'll work as intended.

I'd never leave my flasher at home!! NEVER! I have a newer camera, great fun to watch, see the fishy's. But I find it to push fish away or SLOW the bite, walleyes anyway. For perch and pannies it's just OK. My camera hasn't been out with me yet this year and probably won't get any use at all this year. Now for the kids, that's a different story, gives them something to watch, may help keep them interested. A flasher is the best ice fishing tool you can buy!!

Minnow bucket...I prefer my Frabill Kool Keeper. Just a hard sided with styro insert. I have minnows in there from FIRST ICE yet, small crappie mnws, I've added to the supply but they're still there and healthy. Just change the water every couple days and keep the bucket in a cool place.

BIRDDOG

[fishingbuddy]

I have been ice fishing for many years an am not an expert but can only give you some advice as to my own experiences. I own a Strikemaster with a 10" auger and have found that this model is good because of the gear ratio. It turns slower than most augers, thus not throwing ice all over if you are in a house. I do have an opinion on underwater cameras. Do you want to catch fish or just go out and watch fish swim around. I personaly think that they are OK for checking out bottom content or occasionaly checking out what fish are in the area, but as far as having a camera down while you are fishing, I wouldn't have it down while fishing. You want the fish to be interested in your bait and not the camera. I hope you you don't find this offensive as far as the camera issue. I use a vexilar and would feel naked without it. If your looking for more info guy, you can e-mail me. Good luck in your ice-fishing ventures.

[WinnebagoViking]

If you're fishing with kids that young, you may want to stick with an 8" hole. They can fit through a 10" -- stranger things have happened.

[Box]

I agree on the 8", less shaving to deal with, not as dangerous for small kids, and less likely for a camera or locator or whatever to fall down :) Plus they are slightly cheaper and lighter. (Though if wheel house, weight isn't an issue for you. I have a Jiffy Model 30, and it cuts great and runs great, but it is a TANK! Next one won't be so heavy, but this one will never wear out... oh the dilema, ha!)

I would suggest the Amsoil Sabre oil mixed at 80:1 or 100:1, if you get two-stroke, it is safe for augers and much less smoke in the house. (I don't have wheel house, but a portable and also a cheap old perm house.)

I would get and use a locator, and my choice (without getting into the why's, there has been plenty of discussion on that) is LX5 first, LX3 second, FL20 third. I have LX5.

I have older Aqua View, and just put Reel Weeds ($14) on the camera cord. Not sure if it matters yet, but it makes sense that having a camera look like a weed is better than it looking like a cable, ha! I also have Reel Weeds Structure on a String (5 lines) that I have used this year, and I think overall they do help, at least with pannies. If you are going to spend money on a camera, I would splurge and seriously look at the Marcum color camera. Man, does it have a nice big and crisp display, and not as heavy as some of the other non-LCD displays. Pretty spendy though, but with kids it would be worth it to see better on bigger screen.

Reels, I like the Cardinal 100s as well. I have some cheaper Frabil ones (but heck, these are cheap too) that just don't work as well. Rods, I can't really say, we have hodge podge, some good some not so good. People really like rods from Thorne Bros, but I don't have any.

Good luck! I just jumped into ice fishing the past couple years, so not a "true veteran" here, but fished with others before that, with crappy and unmaintained gear. But I do know not to go the cheap route if you don't have to.
-Box

edit: oh yeah, I keep minnows in "lunch sized" cooler with a hinged cover, and it keeps from freezing and breaking like styro does, and it helps keep water from sloshing around. I use a cheap aquarium aerator when not fishing in garage, and I have minnows from 4 weeks ago still kicking. They do get pale after a while though, but they stay alive, just change water. Good luck, and have fun with the kids out there!

[CI_Guy]

I agree with the 8" auger if you have kids in the house. The whole kid may not fit in the 10" hole but thier feet do. From experience I can garantee they will step into the holes at some point if thier feet fit.
I've pulled some large notherns through an 8" hole with no problems. I've also had Red Lake crappies break the line at the water surface. They would have been able to turn back down the hole in a 10" hole but are easy to grab in an 8" one.

[gear]

if i had the choice between the flasher and camera it is a no brainer take the flasher. It is so much more usefull than the cmaera. I like fire line on everything. So many rod and reel combos to chose from just go look at some and pick out what feels comfortable for you.

[BROKEN OAR]

Ice fishing is not all that different from soft water fishing as far as equpment goes, except the legth of the rods. Buy the best you can afford. Buy a high quaulity medium action rod for walleye - you probably have a spinning reel that would work just fine - I like 10# Fire Line with a 2.5 ft. mono leeder for my walleye rod - Go with a high quality light action rod for pan fish and a small spinning reel - try to balance the rod and reel - 4# mono with a short 2# mono leeder if needed - I like spring bobbers for pannies but those red and yellow soft foam bobbers (don't remember brand name) usually work well to - trim them to the weight of your jig or split shot - a lot of guys run rattle reels in their wheel houses when sleeping - and last but not least - use high quality electonics - I like Vexlar for ice but Marcum and Lowrance make great units to - you may be able to use what you have in your boat - just buy an iceducer and a small battery - most of all make it fun for your kids - enjoy them - they grow up way to fast - fishing is a great way to spend time with the fam
Later
Broken Oar

[Koldfront Kraig]

Check different fishing websites for used stuff in the classifieds.

Get what you need, save a little money.

Most likely you will end up selling some of the stuff and replacing it when you find things that work better for you.


------------------------------------------------------

I work hard at underachieving….. but not too hard


Koldfront Kraig

[Sark 2]

Thanks for all the help.

I think I will wait on the camera. (and satelite dish and flat screen tv) I will have fun shoping for those in the summer.

The salesman at Cabelas was steering me towards the electric auger (eventhough they are sold out.)

[luveyes]

My list for you.

Striketite 8 or 9 inch 4 stroke. Few fumes, ultra lite, easy to use, no mix of gas and oil, and dont spin too fast spewing shaving all over the place yet cut ice like butter.

Thorne or Jason Mitchel rods for high end, Berkley Lightning rods for low/medium end rods.

Abu as mentioned earlier for reels. Also Cabelas and Scheels have their Guide Series reels that are of decent quality for a good price. Ice reels arent getting quite the abuse of open water reels, and generally the lower end do Ok for basic needs.

Any of the tipups available with light braided line and a 10 ft or so flouro leader for all fish. Fun for kids to watch for flags.

If your just getting started go with a flasher. Find a used FL 8 or FL 18, Marcum LX3 or LX5. All of them are decent, just ends up being a price and personal preference issue. The FL 18 and LX5 have a zoom feature which is nice at times, but not always necessary.

[lund115]

One thing I would stress is that a camera would be great for your young kids. Me personaly, I love my flasher and would pick it over the camera, but the camera would keep the kids entertained longer seeing the fish, and make it easier for them to catch them. It is just a little more work to set up the camera compared to the flasher, and I think this is why a lot of people prefer the flashers over cameras. If I had young kids, the decision would be easy and I would buy the camera.
For ice auger, go with an 8 inch. . You don't need them bigger. You can fit any fish up that hole. Like others said, it is just safer, and less likely you will drop something down the hole. I have a Strikemaster, and love it, but again I'm sure a Jiffy does the same thing.
With the little kids, I would make the camera my 3rd "must have purchase" right behind the ice shack and a propain heater to keep the little ones warm.