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Ice Fishing Fishing Hardwater

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Old 10-28-2011, 01:47 PM   #1
Rockfish9
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Ice fishing sytems : Gear tranport.

Seeing as John R has been kind enough as to give us an Ice fishing forum.. we might as well use it...

I'm going to put up a series of interactive threads covering gear transport..gear( tip uups jig sticks, augers and spuds as well as terminal tackle etc.).. clothing.. fish/structure.. and any other related topic we deem needed for everyone to add on to so we can quickly build a data base for both novice and vetrans to use..

I use the term system because, most ice fisherman tend to morph their gear into specific parts of the season...of coarse there are exceptions...at this writing I have no pictures of my various "systems" here at work.. I promise to get them up over the weekend..

Ice fishng is a simple sport .. all that is required is a hole in the ice and some method of enticing a fish to strike a lure or eat a bait..but.. in my experience. it never stays simple for very long..

some fisherman just pile gear in a bucket, sling a pick or auger( I've seen axes used here..scarry!) over their shoulder and are good to go.. others use said bucket (s) in a small plastic sleds.. some have store bought sleds made for the purpose.. some like a pack basket... then there are the home made sled crew .. some of these are real works of art and engineering.. I used to belong to that fraternaty but no longer have the desire to drag a heavy sled over deep snow or load it into my truck... some do as I do and use something from each method.. I've gone modular...as i said pictures latter..

Early season.. if Im just going to jig for a few hours ( trout are suckers for a jig).. I'll load a few jigging rods, coffee and snack and terminal tackle in a pack basket carry my chisel ( also called a spud) and go.... it's light and allows me to "stick and move" I'll also use this last ice to get in a little fishing before dark after work as the days get longer..

I'f I'm going to spend the day and fish bait.. i'll bring ,my sled, loaded with cooking gear and depending on ice thickness.. hand auger or power auger.. I have removable auger mounds on my sled in case i go to man made power...

once the snow gets deep.. it's back to the pack basket... in it goes the tip ups... thermous and terminal gear.. the bait bucket is light enough to ride in the sled with the layes of clothes I keep peeling off.. the auger goes over my shoulder...a few years back I sold my 3hp 30lb+ auger and opted for a 2hp 20 lb model.. and went from a 10" hole to an 8" hole.. 8" is more than I need most days.. it sucks yto get old.... the last few season I've had to wear snow shoes on most of the trips.. they are a godsend when you have 12 or more inches of snow and 12" of slush... it seems to have been the norm the last few season..

I've packed terminal tackle in each of my sysyems... thus, I never remove my hooks or weights from my sled, basket or buckets.. ditto for the hook outs and pliars.. having multiple set ups allows me to be on the ice with out ever wondering if I forgot something..

I'll post pictures latter.. I'm looking forward to see what you guy's do.. as no two icefisherman rig up the same..

A good run is better than a bad stand!
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Old 10-28-2011, 02:03 PM   #2
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http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ng-sabbit.html

This is what I came up with a couple of years ago....thing glides over the ice.....but found out the hard way that it sucks in the snow. Picked up a Jet Sled last year and am probably going to rig it up for gear. I hear you about lightening up the load.....I can't wait to see your modular setups.

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Old 10-28-2011, 02:07 PM   #3
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Right now I have all my gear in a bucket. Two tip ups, a couple of jigging rods, cleats, ice picks, scoop and a box of jigs and stuff. I have a 6 inch hand auger and a really nice spud that my friend Jake made for me.

The important box carries a Coleman stove, a frying pan, a coffee pot, and other cooking accessories. I usually bring dogs, rolls, relish and mustard, as well as coffee and cocoa fixings.

Whenever you go out on the ice, be sure to bring a coffee cup, as someone always has a pot going.

.......Elvis Lives
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Old 10-28-2011, 03:20 PM   #4
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This is my "old" sled... I have since donated it to someone younger and more willing to drag it...

it was constructed from 1/2" ply wood, divided in the middle with doors on each side, each side would hold 3 30" high tip ups...
the top was also divided.. i built my own tip ups, the spools are interchangeable... some set up for trout.. some for bass and pickerel, some for pike.... . the other section was for terminal gear and jigs...

the runners were doubled and cut from 3/4" ply wood.. laminated, gliued and screwed... the vottom lined with aluminum... a fold down tag along helt the bait.. removable auger perch was on the top... custom jip pole holders were made from 1" electrical conduit... and holders were installed for the gaff and slush scoop.. it's downfall was deep snow and it was HEAVY...
it seved me well for many years... as tiem went on i saw it's flaws...
more pics. latter when I get home..
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A good run is better than a bad stand!
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Old 10-28-2011, 03:46 PM   #5
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Newbie questions...

What is a spud?

Please enlighten me on different reels/gear for different species...

How do you lnow what species are in a body of water/ice?

General guidelines for jigs or bait for particular species?

“Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike the people of other countries, whose leaders are afraid to trust them with arms.” – James Madison.
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Old 10-28-2011, 03:49 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightfighter View Post
What is a spud?

Please enlighten me on different reels/gear for different species...

How do you lnow what species are in a body of water/ice?

General guidelines for jigs or bait for particular species?
I'm going to cover it all in a series of posts.. spud = ice chisel

A good run is better than a bad stand!
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Old 10-28-2011, 05:28 PM   #7
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My spud is made up of two 30 inch pieces of gas pipe. One is 1 inch stuff and has a 2 1/2 inch wide chisel welded to the bottom. The top end is threaded and is attached to a piece of 1/2 inch gas pipe via an adapter. There is a cap screwed onto the very top and through a hole in it is attached a loop of nylon rope. The loop goes around your wrist so that you don't lose the spud through the hole in the ice. It is also used early and late in the season to check for safety. If I can't poke a hole all the way through the ice with a hard jab, it is thick enough to walk on. It weighs about 8 pounds, but comes apart in the middle so that it is easy to transport.

It is less work to chip a 6 inch hole through 6 inches of ice with the spud, than with my ice auger.

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Old 10-29-2011, 03:20 PM   #8
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great thread - ice fishing for dummies. gonna give it a try with the boy this winter.

my 1st wife didn't like me fishing so much
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Old 10-29-2011, 04:01 PM   #9
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Started last year and I really enjoy it.Got the auger right away and that takes a lot of sweat out of it.The first sled I got was an suv size sled that was great. Then I walked into Tom's for shiners one day and fell in love. They had pulled down a dust covered sled that has molded plastic areas for tip ups,a couple 5 gallon buckets, the ice auger, and finally a special molded area for shot glasses and bottle of choice. So now I have two ice sleds.

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Old 10-30-2011, 07:26 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightfighter View Post
How do you lnow what species are in a body of water/ice?
This is a good place to start....

MassWildlife - Pond Maps

Also word of mouth helps a lot...I'm finding that Ice fisherman will give you a heads up on what species are in what pond...w/ the exception of Pike.....they seem to want to take those secrets to the grave.

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Old 10-31-2011, 09:17 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sea Dangles View Post
Started last year and I really enjoy it.Got the auger right away and that takes a lot of sweat out of it.The first sled I got was an suv size sled that was great. Then I walked into Tom's for shiners one day and fell in love. They had pulled down a dust covered sled that has molded plastic areas for tip ups,a couple 5 gallon buckets, the ice auger, and finally a special molded area for shot glasses and bottle of choice. So now I have two ice sleds.
I HAD one like that... my issue was, the molded area packed with snow.. making dragging it by hand akin to pulling a truck... i fitted it with a tow bar... it now only gets used when we use the snow machines ( which don't belong to me)..

I'll work on the pictures tonight .. IF. they restore power... my generator is only 3500 watts... just enough to keep the house warm, and the food cold and light a room...

A good run is better than a bad stand!
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Old 10-31-2011, 09:29 AM   #12
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I'm still pretty much an ice fishing noob, having only done it for two seasons. Previously I used a five gallon bucket to transport everything- tip-ups, a jigging pole, plano boxes, etc. I don't have an auger so it wasn't necessary to have a sled.

This season I'm shifting to a pack basket- Just got a large one from KTP, on sale for $30. I'll put a canvas liner in it at some point, and will sew pockets onto the inside. I'll be able to load species-specific plano boxes into the pockets, fill the rest of the pack up, then load up and go. Only thing I'll have to lug is a shiner bucket and a hand auger (once I get one).
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Old 10-31-2011, 04:47 PM   #13
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Nice to see an ice-fishing forum up here.

Here is my setup, I bought it two years ago when I got into Walleye fishing because it was too cold out there at night without some kind of shelter. At about 65# unloaded it’s a #$%@! dragging it through the snow but it’s well worth it once the sun sets and the temps start to fall. Typically loaded up with bait, grill, jigging rods, tipups, vexilar, buddy heater, propane and a cooler with some food and drinks. I have a Nils 8” hand auger that I’ll be getting a power head for this season, usually the hand auger isn’t that bad but the last few years we have had in excess of 20” of ice on some of the lakes I fish (which is a lot in CT) and the hand auger just isn’t cutting it (literally!).

For rare day trips of if I'm meeting friends I'll pack much lighter, usually just throwing tip-ups and a jigging rod in a pack and carrying out bait and if needed an auger.
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Old 11-02-2011, 09:40 PM   #14
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OK.. powers back on, and I'm done recuing people without heat and lights...

This set up is for when I go jigging.. it has a self contained seat... a small duffell for snacks and spre clotes and enoughroom for a couple of jigging rods and a box of jigs and terminal tackle.. it's great early and late season when I want to go light or get in a few hours after work on the late winter stocked trout and brood stock... i just add the hand auger or spud....
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A good run is better than a bad stand!
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Old 11-02-2011, 09:47 PM   #15
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This duel bucket set up is for fishing for smelt in my portable o open ice... the insert bucket is marked for my limit (New hampshire).. spare gloves and snacks fit in the bottom of the outside bucket... hooks and weights, and spre lantern parts stay dry in the top.. my jigging rods are sheathed in the side... I need to only carry rhe lantern and spud or auger..most trips it's the spud..
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Old 11-02-2011, 09:52 PM   #16
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This is my deep snow set up... the tip ups in here are moddified 40 ups... every thing stays in the basket, evn the auger whichis a 2 piece 8" strike master.. the only thing that leaves is the blue soft sided tackle box.. that travels with most of my set ups as it containes tools and terminal gear..
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Old 11-02-2011, 09:57 PM   #17
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This is my house sled set up... I use it smelt fishing, on night time trips or at gatherings... most times I leave it home... it tows eaisily and can carry alot of gear if need be... it is very stable but tends to plow loose snow...once again.. the blue soft sided tackle box makes the trip...
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A good run is better than a bad stand!
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Old 11-02-2011, 10:06 PM   #18
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This is the unit I use the most... made by fish trap, I made removable/pinned auger mounts and a removavle pinned rocket launcher to hod my tip ups... I can pack everything for a two day outing on this sled, from cooking geat to bait buckets to power auger and spud as well as my soft sided tackle box and fish TV and it pulls eaisily als long asthe snow is not deeper then my knees...

I made the rocket launcher set up so I could remove them and slide the rig in my truck with the toneau cover on.. it also allws me to bring the tip ups inside so the spools wont freeze on over night trips...

Pictures of the loaded sled in the next frame
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File Type: jpg Sled tip up rack 1.jpg (142.2 KB, 20 views)
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Last edited by Rockfish9; 11-03-2011 at 06:07 AM..

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Old 11-02-2011, 10:10 PM   #19
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all the cooking gear, including a 12 cup coffee pot, and service for 6 as well as fry pan and pots fits oin the blue closed lid container... a soft sided large bag holds the food ( lashed in place with bungies to the eyelets bolted on the sled) ...
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Old 11-03-2011, 05:13 AM   #20
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That sled is pissah....I like the idea of the one gear box to hold all the "Essentials"

I bought a Jet sled last year that I want to make some modifications too before the ice gets here.

Was at KTP yesterday looking at the Ice Fishing stuff....can't wait

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Old 11-03-2011, 05:20 PM   #21
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Quote:
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all the cooking gear, including a 12 cup coffee pot, and service for 6 as well as fry pan and pots fits oin the blue closed lid container... a soft sided large bag holds the food ( lashed in place with bungies to the eyelets bolted on the sled) ...
Nice sled! I always bring a bunch of bungees to tie everything down. Extras just in case...
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