Ice Fishing basics / gear / etc.. help a brotha out!

[shawarma]

I'm leaning towards doing some ice fishing this year and with that comes, you guessed it, gear that i need which i don't have. I've never ice fished before.

I can search the web, and i will, but from seasoned ice fishermen/women like yourselves.. what equipment do i need and is a must have? If there are some "nice to haves" that you can't live without.. throw those in there as well.

I'd rather start my purchasing of equipment now gradually then wait until the day before.

[MichaelAngelo]

MuskieBait helped equip me well for ice fishing. I'm sure he'll chime in.

Last season I devised a neat system for "run and gun" ice fishing. I have my 3 rods and 2 plano tackle trays all zipped up together in the Rapala soft rod case. My bucket (with a soft lid to sit on) stays in the sled and I have wire rod holders that attach to the bucket lip. With this system, all I need to do to change spots is grab my fish finder and throw the rods in the rod holders or soft case and zip it up. At the new spot I drill, throw down my transducer, and unzip my soft case while I watch the fish finder for any activity.

I also like wearing knee pads, it keeps your knees elevated a bit out of the slush.

[MuskieBait]

Very busy this weekend...but will reply. If I forget, PM me next week.

[Eli]

The most important thing is a good pair of boots. The rating should be to -100C if you want to be comfortable for a full day on the ice.
Warm clothes aside, the second most critical thing is a flasher. This will make your ice fishing a lot more fun and successful.

[OldTimer]

At least one of these - Stanley 1.4 litre stainless steel double wall thermos:

   

Filled with scalding hot coffee or tea or soup.

A bag of Schneider's pepperettes is good too............. smile.

Cheers,

OldTimer

[shawarma]

I think for my first time (hah), i'm going to rent a heated hut lol. Sounds like i could focus on the fish more and not freeze my ass off too much.

[shawarma]

So much stuff to buy.. so little money! I need a 2nd job to support my fishing adventures.

[OldTimer]

If you're renting a hut a lot of places supply enough gear to get you fishing, and the bait is usually free............ just add a few enhancements as you see fit.

OT

[MuskieBait]

If you are going to start with a rental hut, then at least know how to dress...

http://ontarioshorefishing.com/forum/Thr...Icefishing

Like OT said, rental huts often provides gear for you (sometimes more crude like tip-ups, handlines...etc). Holes will be pre-drilled for you so you don't need an auger.

Before you jump into it (there is quite a bit of investment), I'd suggest to take a few trips in rental huts to decided whether icefishing is fun or not...before making the investment.

Other option is to go with a friend who is already outfitted, and then learn from them what you'll need, before getting your own gear.

[shawarma]

That's what i was thinking too, Muskie. Try out a rented hut with equipment and see if it's for me first.

Thanks for the tips gentlemen!