Gizmos and Widgets

[Hookey]

Just wondering what kind of simple Gizmo's or Widget's you all have invented to make your life easier on the ice. I am not talking sled mod's or extreme shack makeovers. Just simple items.

Here are a three of mine !

First off drill a hole in each of two clothes pins attach them together with a string and you have a simple way of hanging hats and mitts over the support poles in your portable to dry.

Second: Disassemble PC Hard Drives and inside you will two of the strongest magnets you will ever find. Tie one to a cord and keep it with you. It will lift around 10 lbs under the water. Car key's , Tackle boxes, Cell phones , Eye glasses, Fishing Poles, dippers ,flashlights and you name it fall down the hole. Be prepared to retrieve them !

The third is my Million Dollar Idea. Take two of those same magnets and epoxy or screw them to the bottom of the protective cover for your Ice Auger and do away with that rubber strap. The magnets allow you to remove the cover with your foot and also allow you to attach the cover hands free. Position the magnets so they will not damage the cutting edge of the blades.

( Attn: Strike Master ) feel free to send me a check .

[Team Otter]

Hookey,

Wonderful idea for a post. I'm sure an interesting discussion will develop from this.

As for an idea, it's not much of one but it's all I can think of right now: When fishing outside in colder temperatures, I sprinkle some of my wax worm or euro-larvae "saw dust" in the hole to help prevent freezing.

[TimBuck2]

Excellent Idea on the cover!! I just broke the strap for mine the other day. Thanks!

TB2

[Enginejet]

I've tried to keep weight down in my portable as much as possible. For a coat rack I tie wrapped a modified S hook behind each chair on the upper support, it turns just enough so it is not in the way when the tent is put down for travel. Hooks are on year three now, a good .78 cent investment.

[Mankato-Ice-Man]

I guess its not a gizmo or widget, but I bought a fairly inexpensive calf sled from a farm supply store. Just as sturdy as any ice fishing sled out there, if not more and must less money. I keep all my "stuff" in there, get the house set up, unlead what I have to, leave the rest in the sled. This allows my auger to be off the ice, my tackle boxes to never have to sit on the wet ice when I am setting up or taking down, etc. Then when its time to go, pull the sled up to the door, load the stuff in there, and off I go.

[Hookey]

What is it in the dust that would keep the holes open ?

[yamydude]

Another computer trick is to take the cooling fan and use it to move heat off the ceiling of your permanant house they use very little juice and move a lot of air

[smnduck]

I use some of those (I'll call them giant close pins) at the hardware store for 50 cents and keep a half dozen in the portable. They hold up coats and gloves and fishing rods to the poles. They also hold lights and things like that to the support poles and you can move them where ever you can clip them to. There is a lot of different sizes and are cheap. I also clip a clear plastic bag next to me with pliers, depth weight, flash light, line clipper and stuff like that so they are off the ice and easy to get to.