New to ice fishing. Recommendations?

[SomethingFishy*]

Hi all, I am newly registered.I would like to get into Ice fishing a little more than I have in the past. I currently only have a few rods and tipups as I have only been out with friends. What would anybody recommend for a starter "kit"? It will be mainly myself and occasionally my girlfriend. What I have been looking at is a Clam 5600, Strikemaster electric auger (7in) and a Vexilar Fl-8 Ultra pack. I currently have a sunflower heater and a Big Buddy heater. I have a semi-limited budget to work with. Also everything need to fit in the back of a 2002 GMC Yukon Denali (reg size not XL) Back seat is able to fold down. I am also interested in New or good condition Used. Thanks in advance all for your input.

-Josh-

[Rick]

What you are looking at will work fine as a starter kit.

The best items for you will depend on what type of ice fishing you will be doing.

What do you want to fish for?

Do you plan on fishing early and late ice? If so you will likely be pulling your fish house at times and the 5600 might not be the best answer. A Glacier, Fish Trap, or Otter will work better.

How will you transport yourself on the ice -Your truck. ATV, Snowmobile, and/or walking? If you are transporting at high speed you will want to long long and hard at an Otter or a Fish Trap and add hyfax runners.

Give us a few more details and you'll get better answers.

You can get better value on your depth finder by looking at a Cabelas VXR for around $299 it's a slight step up from the FL-18. If you are looking for something cheaper just look for a used FL-8 for less than $100. That will work fine for you at this point.

Your auger choice is good. Those lazers have been very good units.

As for tackle there are a lot of options available and very much will depend on what you like to fish for. As a beginner you may want to stick with panfish. It's better to have action in your beginning stage so Crappies, sunfish and perch will give you more opportunity to stay busy with catching fish.

Get a minimum of proven lures to start with and then explore when you are out on the ice to see what others are using on your local lakes.

I would look at Custom Jigs, JB lures and maybe some 1/16 oz Go Devils as search lures as a starter then go from there.

You're on your way to getting addicted and welcome aboard fishy

[CrappieJohn]

Something...

Welcome to FishingMinnesota.com.

You appear to have a fair handle on the big ticket items. I would stay out of the electric auger arena and opt for a gas 8 inch. Just my .02....never had much faith in the battery operated units.

Actual tackle? Read a bunch of the posting and then go shopping. Get the best that in what YOU and your finances can afford. Don't let what others have set a precedent for your spending. A good place to see what is hitting the water tackle-wise is in the sponsors forum at the top of this forums page. There is lots of info there to use as a simple guideline. Once you get a feel for the direction you want to go hit the stores and actually see for yourself what the markets offer. There is a difference between shopping on-line and actually having something in your hand and I recommend the latter before I fall to the prior.

Again, you have a package idea in place that will work well. Read what the site offers from others. Tackle trends vary from area to area as well as from specie to specie. This site will give you a very good idea of what to pick up for the remainder of you tackle/rigging needs. Again too, welcome aboard!

[SomethingFishy*]

I usually open water fish on Pleasant Lake. Have mainly caught panfish, a few bass, and quite a few northerns. We usually practice catch and release, unless we hit payload on good size panfish. I am willing to catch whatever is willing to bite.

I don't currently own a snowmobile/4 wheeler so I rely on my suv, or walking. I would like to get out early season so something fairly easy to pull would be nice. Tackle usually seems fairly inexpensive so i'm not afraid to try different tactics there.

[bobO]

I would have to say a fish trap guide is your best bet, light and easy to pull, yet warm and great house for one or two people.Sure otters are nice shacks but heavier and harder to pull than a fish trap. Vexilar or Marcum locator are your best bet. Your sun flower or buddy heater would will heat just about any two man house. good luck and welcome to the forum.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Deffinetly need some Go Devils! I don't leave home without the perch one!

Think about getting the flip over portable. I had a 4800 (i think - it was a two man clam anyways) and used it for a couple of years but I'm much happier with my Otter lodge.

[Fergus Mor McErc]

One thing to keep in mind about the flip over style house; your floor is the lake surface. If you like to have an actual floor under your feet instead of melting snow then the 5600 Clam or something similar is a better choice. If you want to be on the move all the time and don't care about a floor then the flip-over type is much better suited for the task.

[Rick]

If you are going to be hauling the fish house by hand do not get the clam get a flip over house like an Otter Cabin or Fish Trap or a light Glacier 3 might be an even better choice for around $250.

I had the clam and It's a bear to pull around in snow or slush. It does have the floor but you will not likely be inclined to pull it very often believe me.

The three mentioned above are easier to pull and you will be more likely to fish out of them.

Looks like everyone is pitching in with some pretty good advice. I'm sure more will follow.

A lot of friendly helpful fellow ice anglers here.

Enjoy.

[jigginjerk]

t

[Captain B.R.K]

Welcome to FISHING MINNESOTA !!

You've come to the right place to ask for help in your endeavor's to a successful outting on the ice.

Lets start from the top of your post and work towards the bottom.

FISH HOUSE

First you asked about fish house. As stated above, go with a flip over house. It not only easier to pull through the snow or on the ice, it acts as a sled as well. Being more portable will make you a better angler. Ease of setting up is better vs. the regular house styles.

Depending on your budget, the Otter Den or Otter Cabin would make a nice unit for yourself or for when you have someone else along for the trip. If you want something cheaper, I'd look at Frabil Twin XL, Fishtrap Guide. Or something a bit smaller, go with the Fishtrap Pro/Fishtrap Scout (one man).

AUGER

I'd highly recommend you stay away from the electric augers. They don't last real long and to charge them up you need to be close to your car battery. This DOES NOTallow you to be portable. Portablility is key to being a successful angler! I'd take a look a power auger made by Strikemaster or Nils Master. Any models from either of these manufacture's are going to be great.

DEPTHFINDER

There is a great read here Choosing the Right Flasher Unit.. This is a great read and I'll let you figure out the right flasher for you.

This covers most of what you had asked about. All of this, if you go with a flip over/sled type fish house will fit into your house and fit into your vechile.

Good luck and again, welcome!!

[kkippley]

I am new to ice fishing as well and just bought an Eskimo grand caravan for my dad for xmas( I will be borrowing it occosainaly) and looked at the quick fish III its set up like a portable deerblind and it comes with stakes to keep it on the ice I have heard great things about it and its only 159 at Sportsmans warehouse in COON Rapids. Brian there provided a lot of info and great service for a newbie like me.

[BryanL]

Rick,

I saw in an earlier post you told a guy to look for a used fl8 flasher for under a $100.00. I'm really new into ice fishing also and was wondering where you could find one for that price? At this point I just can't see spending the money for a new one. Thanks.

[Captain B.R.K]

Take a look here and search/scroll through the used Ice fishing gear Forum, there might be something there. Otherwise my buddy likes to head over to ebay and search their used items.

[rap]

buy a flasher and use it all the time is my #1 reccomendation

[Doonbuggy]

For a fish house take a look at the Eskimo Traveler. You can see the specs and pics at cabelas.com. It's $180 (might be less here locally) and is a sled-based house so your feet are on the sled portion when fishing. I like it for a few reasons:

1. Affordable

2. Fits two

3. Is tall enough that you can stand up in full and stretch - some you can't.

4. Easy to put together. You drill the holes, your girlfriend can put it together in 90 seconds.

5. Well vented which is important if you're running a heater. Some of them do not allow for proper ventilation or any type of crossbreeze.

6. Is lightweight, folds into itself and then acts as a sled, but is light enough that you can just pick it up and slide it into your Yukon (it fits in my Explorer easily).

Happy shopping!

DB

[TSCTSC]

OK...please tell me how you pack your Traveler (the manual sucks) and how you set it up. I bought one to try and found that setting up and putting down can be a bit of a problem because there is a total of 5 rods that you need to take out before you can do the flipping. Also, do you keep the velcro straps on or off? Lastly, it looks a little messy after putting down. Flaps sticking out everywhere. How do you do it?

Thanks