Gear...

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by JackK

C'mon, I had to!

Great idea though. One thing I do with my flags is add a few flyers of black electrical tape to them. I feel like it contrasts much better when there's snow on the ice, easier to spot.

I have day glow orange flags and red and white reflective tape on the top of the tip ups... cant miss em snow or darkness..

cant blame ya for tryin' someone had to be first!

[Rockfish9]

shown here are a variaty of hooks and use regularly.. note that they are labeled lead free.. I do the majority of my fishing in New Hampshire, whcih has had a ban on lead sinkers for years... also shown is a few things that can make life a little eaiser...one being a clipper with a snarl detangler... Normark made that one.. i've had it for years.. it works great for picking out frozen ( or knots stowed to be dealt with latter) as well as clipping off leader tage ends...I have sets of bells for my tip ups.... I;ll use them whrn I have a lrge spread or I'm fishing with a large group of guy's... the attack eaisily to the flag and leaves no doubt on whos flag just went up.... also with the bells. is a tip up light... these work good for night fishing and one switched on are activated by a mercury switch once the flag goes up...
also pictured is a sounder... these are used to find the bottom.... these weigh over an ounce so are legal by law..

[Rockfish9]

here is a display of leader marterial I carry in that blue soft sided tackle box( with the hooks and asorted fishing "tools")... for most trout fishing for rainbows, which is usualyin 6' of water or less ( usualy ALOT less) I use a short leader ( length of the trap) of 4lb test.. a size 12 hook for single salmon eggs.. a size 10 for power bait or combo power bait egg or multiple eggs...

for fishing the big pond( Winni) I use 6lb leader double the length of the trap with a #10 hook...

for browns and lakers I use 8lb test.. agian the leader is double the length of the trap...

also shown in the pictire is a devise called a minnow dip... I've had it over 20 years.. I'mnot even sure wher you can find them... the spring steel releases any formed ice that would destroy a fabric net.. it is small enough to leave in the insulated bucket if I so desire.
Where I plan on catching bass and pickerel I usualy use a #2 circle hook 10 lb leader double the length of the trap...

My main spool is rigged with a very small button for marking the depth... I splice a 30lb swivel to the main dacron line ( keeping as few knots as possible on the line for snagging puposes) I then tie my leader to the swivel and hook of choice... I usual do not use sinkers on my line, unless zI'm fishing very deep water (over 20') I prefer to have the shiner (or sucke or smelt) swimming a lrge free area.. ocasionaly a bait will keep swimming to the top towards the light in the hole.. if you put the hook lighly through the cartilage on one of the pectoral fins, the bait will swim down... I dont know why.. I onlt know it works...

pictured here is a selection of jarred baits.. mainly power bait and Salmon eggs...on real cold days keep thesein you pocket or they will freeze... thee too are stashed in that blue utility bag..

the last pictureis an array of bait keepers... most run on D sized batteries and will run a whole day on these... I use them to hep transfer bait to and from my fishing area so I can load the bucket wiht bait that might otherwise die due to over crowding on the way to their demise ( being served as breakfast)... you will notice one areator has a 12 volt cord around it.. that can be run to an outlet in the bed of my truck.. it has duel air outlets and is what I use when keeping bait over night in a large cooler when I'm away from home.. it also comes in handy when i am trapping bait...

The one on the bucket is a tri voltage areator... it will run on 120 AC I via a transformer plugged into anoutlet) it also will run with the flip of a switch on the 12 volt current of my truck when the adapter is plugged in... or it will run on two D sized batteries...

[Rockfish9]

here are a few important items that reside in that little blue bag..

most of these items are familure to most of you, except maybe the jaw spreader... it is a godsend when tring to remove a hook from a large pickerel( or even a small one) or pike..

pictured here are a few under water "toys" the blue flash light looking device is a depth sounder.. it will give a digital depth read out when placed in a hole or, if the ice is clear and new... placed in a puddle it will read the bottom...

the fish TV can be a fun and aggrivating devise... it "see's" well down to 60'.. the problem is... watching a fish sit and laugh at your bait or lure ..it can drive you nuts... my fondest memory of this devise was while palying with a bunch of smallish yellow perch on Champlain and seeing a 12lb pike come in scatter the perch and grab my jig.. coolest thing I ever saw... yes i landed the fish( that's how I knew it was 12 lbs)

What I did not picture here is my hand held GPS ..Garmin 765... I let afriend borrow it over the summer ( this reminds me to get it back)

[Rockfish9]

This sounds worse than it is... everyone is aware that any sport on or around water is/can be dangerous... Ice fishing has it's own dangers.. Early and late season falling in is a distinct possibility in these pictures I show a pair of spkies that when fit together can hang around your neck,or kept sepperated and brought out each sleeve in a jacket ... these babies can save your life... even if you cannot pull yourself to safety. you can hold yourself in place until help arrives... with out them. you have little chance... I've gotten myself out of a pickle twice with them .. trust me they WORK.. which leads me to the next devise.. the storm whistle... these things are LOUD.. and wrok even when full of water... clip it to your jacket... they could save you from being the victim of a hypothermia after a bad fall.. which leads me to the creepers... they come in all styles and forms... when i bought these ( I think they are called sta-bils.. just like the fuel treatment) they were the best on the market... I;ve seen some that are even better since then... not pictured here is a 50' length of poly rope tied to a floating seat cushion... that one is self explatory... I once rescued a skater on a pond by using my spare tier and the cable from my power winch... a floating devise of any kind is welcome in an emergency...

to the right of the safty equipment is the contents of an electricians bag it include is a box of water proof matches hand warmers and lip balm.. the lip balm is great for chapped- wind burned lips but being a petrolium product.. it can help light a fire when there is no viable tinder to be had... a candle packed in the kit doesnt take up much space and also can be a fire starting aid... also included are a few tools for changing auger blades ( as well as spare blades) a spare spark plug a few other goodies...such as hand warmers and spare tip up flags...

[nightfighter]

Wow... this is all adding up quickly! Might be cheaper for me to just get this and come watch... I'll pull your sleds

Yamaha classic fun sled

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

Wow... this is all adding up quickly! Might be cheaper for me to just get this and come watch... I'll pull your sleds

Yamaha classic fun sled

it dont have to be Ross... it can be as simple as a spud ( ice chiselz) and broken rod tip inserted into a wooden dowel. a 5 gallon bucket a few hooks and a can of worms ... you know me wel enough that I do all or nothing... I dont know any middle road.

[saltyric]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

Wow... this is all adding up quickly! Might be cheaper for me to just get this and come watch... ]

Still cheaper than one Tiagra 130!!!

[fish4striper]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

Wow... this is all adding up quickly! Might be cheaper for me to just get this and come watch... I'll pull your sleds

Yamaha classic fun sled

I'm just going for the $4.99 Joe breakfast special! Chit, I thought I had alot of different tuna gear, that spreads amazing!

[Rockfish9]

That covers what i have prepared for now... I'm going to do a section on clothing... and cooking... stay tuned...