another newbie question for some advice.

Hi guys, my son and I are going to try out ice fishing to see if he enjoys it or not. He’s eight years old and he is some what interestd in it but has never gone before. A friend gave me a shelter to borrow so I can take him out but I need a few items. I need an auger but I am not sure what to get into. I was thinking of getting a 8 inch Kdrill but I also would need to get the proper drill that they require to operate it. By the time I spend the $500 for that set up that would be around the same price as many different gas powered augers In which I don’t have to worry about a battery going dead either. I quess I am looking for any advice that would help me make up my mind incase my son doesn’t like ice fishing and I have to sell some equipment. Thanks Justin

Id say go with a hand auger to start, yes its not the fastest or easiest way to drill holes, but you can see if your son enjoys it then spend more money on a power auger later on

Justin, please a location to your profile …makes it easier to help members out.

I have a Strikemaster gas auger I dont use that runs great with new blades last winter I would part with cheap..PM me for details before you say NO !

i would ask the friend that loaned you the fish house if you could also borrow his auger

Yes location would be great I am in Black River Falls, WI if your anywhere near there I would be happy to meet you out on the ice and handle the hole drilling along with anything else. I am sure other guys on here would do the same.

Great that your getting your son on the ice. My guy is six and he is good for about 2 hours on the ice but he seems to like ice fishing more than being trapped in a boat, well that is what he says.

Anyway good luck I hope he likes it.

I would say a hand auger is fine… Electronics are very important for success. A vexilar fl8 or humminbird ice35 is an affordable start. Can’t catch what isn’t there.

Take him on a couple of guided trips if your budget allows. Most of the guided trips will include the use of all the equipment you will need.

Most important is keep it simple, short (relative), bring snacks and the guided trips should up the success immensely which will hopefully get your boy hooked for life!

Have a great time!

If your close enough I would suggest Red Lake for a couple of guided trips. Also I would suggest Bear Paw guides on Red Lake.

Hey Justin

I used to live in Sioux Falls and have a few friends down there that could take you and your kid out. If you don’t want to explore that option, I would suggest going with the kdrill for 2 reasons.

1 they work just fine and you shouldn’t have any problem selling it if you and your boy decide ice fishing isn’t your thing.

2 if you don’t like ice fishing you have bought yourself a nice cordless drill that you can use around your house.

I would try to go with a guy who has all the fun tools. He is also going to know a good spot to fish. I guarantee if you go and catch fish he will like it and want to do it more. If you get a hand auger, no heater and primitive equipment and then on top of that not catch wish it will be a bust for sure. My favorite part of Ice fishing when I was his age was the treats grandpa brought along.

Hey Justin, I recommend you find a used gas auger or a Mora hand auger. I was skeptical about a hand auger but I found they work great on thinner ice (4 – 6 inches).

I applaud you for taking your son ice fishing. It will make for great memories.

#1 – Go to a place where you will catch fish, even if its 4″ sunnies. Nothing more exciting for a first timer then seeing something come up thru the hole.
Make it comfortable for your boy, if he goes out and freezes his butt off he won’t want to go again.
Stop at the bait shop and let him see the minnows and the pictures on the wall of the “big ones” and tell him that’s what your going to catch.
Then let him pick out some candy bars and soda pop.
That’s what my Dad did for me 50 years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Go somewhere you can catch some sunnies or perch, and keep a tip-up out for pike. Don’t let him freeze or get hungry. Thermos of hot chocolate goes a long way. Play catch with a nerf football if it is nice out. Leave him wanting more.

You have the house, so I would get a flasher before a power auger if budget is a concern. I started with a friend’s FL-8 and it got me hooked. As others have stated, it won’t be fun for either of you if you aren’t marking fish. Also, if you go out on early, clear ice, you can use the flasher to shoot through the ice to find fish before you start drilling, by hand if necessary.

I would also echo the recommendation of finding a good panfish spot or something that will keep your kid busy. For my son, walleye fishing is too slow, and he loses interest. However, continually reeling in pannies (even small ones) keeps his interest for a few hours.

Also, if you go out to a local hole with others around, someone SHOULD be nice enough to drill you a couple holes if they see you with a kid and a hand auger. I’ve always tried to take the time to offer if I see a family out with a hand auger. Take 2 minutes of my time, and usually saves that person a lot of time. It’s all about getting your kids hooked early, right?

Thanks everyone for the great tips and ideas. I modified my Lowrance elite 7 so I could use it for ice fishing for this season. If we decide were going to keep ice fishing I will pick up a flasher at the end of the year when the sales hit. I am going to the local bait shops ice fishing show in a few weeks, there will be a lot of speakers there and ice fishing venders to talk to.

Looks like the auger advice is covered. Tips for the kid’s enjoyment experience, some good ones already mentioned, but:

1) Snacks. Bring plenty. (I usually sneak in a snack(Hostess, candy bar) that Mom typically would frown on, but up to you-my kids at least enjoy the rebelliousness of it.
2) Keep him/her warm. Bring a heater if you can, or bundle and layer, then bring a blanket to wrap, just in case.
3) GLOVES. I gave up trying to keep my kid’s gloves dry-just won’t happen. Started just bringing at least one, usually two spare pairs per kid. Pays off.
4) Hit the bait shop, look at the minnows, the wall mounts, the whole shebang-build the anticipation. (Pro-tip: Bring along a small bucket or cottage cheese container-throw a little water and a few minnows in it for them to just worry over and play with-I’m amazed how much entertainment they can get out of this.)
5) IMPORTANT: Be prepared to be done for the day on a moments notice-the second they start to get cold, bored, tired, have to poop, whatever. Cut the trip BEFORE they get any of those things and they’ll be raring to go next time.
6) Go some place they’ll catch fish-size and species don’t matter. My best lake for my kids is chock full of small pike-they can chase tip-ups all day and occasionally get a pike or two to keep. They love action, and even small pike look big to a kid.

Ice(all) fishing is for FUN FIRST! Plan for it that way, be open to distractions and exploring that have nothing to do with catching a fish and it’s a ball. My own kids are 6, 8, and 13 and they’ve become absolute maniacs about ice fishing…that’s right, I’m lucky!!
-Rev