Getting started ice fishing

Hello, so im looking at getting into the sport of ice fishing. I do own some small ammount of gear( 2 rods, 3 tip ups, and a handful of tackle) I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out a deacnt auger and fish finder that wont completely break the bank? I am on a low income so cant exactly drop 500 on a lithium 40v auger. Id love to spend max 400 but if i really cant for what i need to get i guess thats how it will be. A recommendation for a shelter for either one or two people would also be nice if you could recommend some things. Thanks

where are you located?

I know it sounds cliche, and maybe you already have but check Craigslist. I’m sure there’s plenty of good used gear out there. Lots of people upgrading to the fancy new stuff. I started with a used FL8 and a hand auger.

Mr. Telander makes a good point about Craigslist. I wish I would’ve looked more at that site when I first got into it; you can usually find things on there.

I was in your shoes about 5 years ago and I worked my way up, building my arsenal with about one big purchase a year. The first thing I got was an auger. There are a lot of things you’ll want over the years but as far as I can tell being able to get into the water through a hole in the ice is pretty paramount.

If you want to save some money to use toward other gadgets I would consider getting a hand auger. I did that when I got into it and I’m just now thinking I’ll get a power auger. You can get a 6-inch hand auger for $40 or less new, or even cheaper on Craigslist. Yeah, you get a little limited with a hand auger, but until the ice gets extremely thick it’s not too bad. If I’m with people we just trade off hand drilling holes, and sometimes it’s not a bad activity just to keep warm. When I watch shows and hear the guy say “the first thing I’m gonna do on this water is drill a bunch of holes to find fish” I know I can’t do that but you can still get the job done. I live in southeast MN so by the end of the season I may run into some 18-24 inch ice but most of the year I can do it. You may hear various opinions but I know a lot of people, myself included, will tell you that there’s not many fish you won’t be able to pull through a 6-inch hole.

The next year I bought a flasher. Between the classified ads on this site as well as CL people are always selling them. I had saved some money and used some rewards points to buy a new Humminbird Ice-55 and that’s the only experience I know, but from what I’ve heard you can get previous models (in Humminbird’s case, Ice-45 or Ice-35) and it’ll still get the job done for you. I know some people might look down at me saying this but having a flasher is huge, sometimes I wonder what the hell I was ever doing without one.

One of the following years I bought a flipover shack. For me, I wanted to get out more often and not be limited to the warmer days, so I needed a shack. I kept my eye on prices and got an Eskimo Quick-Flip-1 at Fleet Farm last year for right around $200, and I actually just saw that FF has them on sale this week for that price. Otherwise I know for a fact that CL and the classified ads here have them a lot.

That’s the order and methodology I used, I’m sure it’s different for each person but I’m happy with the way I did things. I think this year I’m finally going to get an electric auger, but like I said a hand auger has been alright for me for the last 5 years.

Good luck and enjoy. I’m a pretty frugal guy so I’d say doing some research, comparing prices, and listening to guys on here will help you with the best plan.

Sorry for the long wordy response, I just have a soft spot for people in your shoes because that was me not long ago. It’s daunting with all the stuff out there and trying to figure out what you need, what you don’t need, and what you can wait on.

I wonder how many guys have an old 2 stroke auger sitting in the garage collecting dust since they bought the new lithium/propane/4 stroke? I know my old jiffy is since I got the Honda. Probably needs carb work, but I’ll give it to you if you want to come to Mora and pick it up.

I think this is one of the best times to get into ice fishing. If you have a good cordless drill you can have a power auger for very little money. With the introduction of the hub houses you can get an insulated house for under $400 and the older electronics are selling for fairly cheap. One of the biggest things I do is make my big purchases at the end of the year. I got 2 marcum m3 flashers for less than $300 each at the end of last year.
Sometimes you can find stores moving last years stock on Ebay. I got my striker climate suit for under $300 last two years ago.

Sorry for the long wordy response, I just have a soft spot for people in your shoes because that was me not long ago. It’s daunting with all the stuff out there…

Not too wordy at all! This was a really great, encouraging and thoughtful response and exactly why the forums exist. Kudos brother, may God Bless you with more wonderful fishing memories than you may deserve!

A word of advice if buying a hand auger . SMALLER IS BETTER ! When I was a teen I decided to become an ice fisher , being green I went out and bought my first auger , a hand auger,the bigger the better right ?
Wong!
I got a 10 inch hand auger, it didn’t last long, that was 45 years ago, not sure what I did with the beast , but wouldn’t have wished it on anyone .

The cliche is true, used gear on craigslist or a forum like this one. Like many others this is how I got my start about 7 years back. I’m still using most of that original stuff.

Auger – no choice, must get one. Hand auger is a good way to get into it and have a bunch of money for other things. Sometimes you can offer compensation(money, beverages, food, etc) and have a good neighbor let you use their power auger.

Shack – technically optional but I had it as mandatory. Again, good deal on craigslist for a used Frabill flip over. Still have it today

Flasher – optional. Given it’s christmas season I put “flasher donations” on my list. was able to get a used FL-8. In hindsight there’s no way I would have had this as optional. Couldn’t believe how much of a difference this made in both success and enjoyment. I’ve since upgraded but have this old one as a spare.

From there the concept of one upgrade or new item each fall works really well. I call it the christmas present to myself.

Buy an ION lithium 40v. It’s an investment, but it is definitely worth it. I bought mine last year and it is so nice not to worry about gas. I’m only a teenager, so I don’t have a ton of money. As long as you store the battery fully charged in a room temperature area during the summer, it can last you up to a decade. I highly encourage you to invest in one, it is worth it.
As for a ice house, Don’t buy one quite yet. I’ve gone on long trips without an ice house and I’ve been fine. I just bought one off craigslist this summer, and patched it up and made it pretty nice. I’m buying a heater for it soon. Focus on an auger before the other accessories!
For a flasher, I reccomend the humminbird ICE-35. Nothing too complex, it gets the job done. You probably won’t catch many more fish using some fancy flasher. It also has a nice big screen, and it’s pretty easy to use.

Good luck ice fishing!!
AW

This is great advice. When I moved to MN I decided to conform into ice fishing around the metro style (I miss throwing out tip ups on empty lakes with friends). I would recommend getting a Eskimo 949 hub or something around that size. Much cheaper than a flip over. Make sure you get a good sled. And then a flasher. After that a chisel or hand auger will make due, until you decide to buy an auger. I did exactly this my first year then bought a k-drill year two and have around $1k invested. I’ve upgraded a few things, but still rock my cheap Marcum flasher.

A flasher will by far get you into ice fishing faster than any other piece of equipment. Depending on your physique, I’d put a power auger of some type next on the list.

Ultimate comfort is a nice insulated house and heater, but you can do a lot of damage with warm clothes, a flasher and an auger. Pick your days so you aren’t out at -20 below, or fish some smaller bays that are protected from the wind.

I love ice fishing, spending time on the ice by myself or with friends. But there is just no way around it, catching fish is more fun than not catching fish. A flasher and 6 hand drilled holes will almost always catch more fish than no flasher and 100 holes.

If just using a hand auger, do your research before hitting a lake, spend $10 on the navionics app for your phone to make a game plan before starting to drill. A 6″ hole represents a miniscule volume of water on any lake, so make sure you are targeting ‘fishy’ locations. You won’t always strike gold, but you’ll be much more successful.

Heck, if you are fishing heavily targeted lakes, just open up other people’s holes with a hand auger/chisel and you’ll save a ton of physical effort.

The only situation I’d suggest not going for a flasher right away is if you are only focusing on pike fishing / tip-up fishing. A flasher is still really helpful to find weedlines and stuff, but you can do quite well with a good map and a bunch of holes. On clearer lakes you can just stick your head down the hole to look for weeds.

Facebook marketplace has become my go to place for used purchases. Here’s a setup that would serve you well for a decade if you took care of it. $300.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/934858473390308/

Always interesting on different experiences and takes.

My ice fishing introduction started at age 3 or 4. For over 30 years I never did anything but fish outside. A shelter and heater were the last pieces of ice fishing equipment I broke down and bought. Even to this day I spend more time outside the portable. Depending on what you’re fishing it’s common to move around. Often times the flip up simply becomes nothing more than a sled. The flip ups do offer some versatility in that you have a sled, open wind break or you can close it a with heater. I also still have no problems using jiggle sticks with hand over hand retrieves. Call it style but I like the simplicity.

I would definitely put a flasher in front of a shack. It’s a great tool to make better use of your time. Doesn’t mean the fish will bite but does a great job telling you where to place your efforts.

patk wrote:

Shack – technically optional but I had it as mandatory. Again, good deal on craigslist for a used Frabill flip over. Still have it today

Flasher – optional. Given it’s christmas season I put “flasher donations” on my list. was able to get a used FL-8. In hindsight there’s no way I would have had this as optional. Couldn’t believe how much of a difference this made in both success and enjoyment. I’ve since upgraded but have this old one as a spare.

I said I’d GIVE you an auger! Hardfishing, where are you?

If I were you, id go with a cordless drill, adapter, and hand drill. its worth it. As for a flasher, Scheels has the Vex. FL-8SE for $280. It was my first flasher and I love it still. As for shelter, try bisman, craigslist, or facebook marketplace.

Seriously giving an auger away that needs minor work. Why is everyone trying to sell this guy on buying fancy $hit when he Is clearly trying to get into this on a budget. $500 here, $400 there. How about free?

hardfishing wrote:

Hello, so im looking at getting into the sport of ice fishing. I do own some small ammount of gear( 2 rods, 3 tip ups, and a handful of tackle) I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out a deacnt auger and fish finder that wont completely break the bank? I am on a low income so cant exactly drop 500 on a lithium 40v auger. Id love to spend max 400 but if i really cant for what i need to get i guess thats how it will be. A recommendation for a shelter for either one or two people would also be nice if you could recommend some things. Thanks

I have my first ice house which is a pop up eskimo fits 2 people, I used it maybe three times two winters ago before I got a bigger one as a Christmas gift, and honestly I never use it anymore. id give it to you for 75 dollars if you wanted it. its basically brand new. PM me if your interested.

Dan wrote:

Mr. Telander makes a good point about Craigslist. I wish I would’ve looked more at that site when I first got into it; you can usually find things on there.

I was in your shoes about 5 years ago and I worked my way up, building my arsenal with about one big purchase a year. The first thing I got was an auger. There are a lot of things you’ll want over the years but as far as I can tell being able to get into the water through a hole in the ice is pretty paramount.

If you want to save some money to use toward other gadgets I would consider getting a hand auger. I did that when I got into it and I’m just now thinking I’ll get a power auger. You can get a 6-inch hand auger for $40 or less new, or even cheaper on Craigslist. Yeah, you get a little limited with a hand auger, but until the ice gets extremely thick it’s not too bad. If I’m with people we just trade off hand drilling holes, and sometimes it’s not a bad activity just to keep warm. When I watch shows and hear the guy say “the first thing I’m gonna do on this water is drill a bunch of holes to find fish” I know I can’t do that but you can still get the job done. I live in southeast MN so by the end of the season I may run into some 18-24 inch ice but most of the year I can do it. You may hear various opinions but I know a lot of people, myself included, will tell you that there’s not many fish you won’t be able to pull through a 6-inch hole.

The next year I bought a flasher. Between the classified ads on this site as well as CL people are always selling them. I had saved some money and used some rewards points to buy a new Humminbird Ice-55 and that’s the only experience I know, but from what I’ve heard you can get previous models (in Humminbird’s case, Ice-45 or Ice-35) and it’ll still get the job done for you. I know some people might look down at me saying this but having a flasher is huge, sometimes I wonder what the hell I was ever doing without one.

One of the following years I bought a flipover shack. For me, I wanted to get out more often and not be limited to the warmer days, so I needed a shack. I kept my eye on prices and got an Eskimo Quick-Flip-1 at Fleet Farm last year for right around $200, and I actually just saw that FF has them on sale this week for that price. Otherwise I know for a fact that CL and the classified ads here have them a lot.

That’s the order and methodology I used, I’m sure it’s different for each person but I’m happy with the way I did things. I think this year I’m finally going to get an electric auger, but like I said a hand auger has been alright for me for the last 5 years.

Good luck and enjoy. I’m a pretty frugal guy so I’d say doing some research, comparing prices, and listening to guys on here will help you with the best plan.

Sorry for the long wordy response, I just have a soft spot for people in your shoes because that was me not long ago. It’s daunting with all the stuff out there and trying to figure out what you need, what you don’t need, and what you can wait on.

Actually that was very helpful. I guess the reason i havent gotten a hand auger is im from wiconsin, so usually i go north when i fish, and if the ice by the time i get out isnt close to a foot thick you can tell it was a bad winter. Maybe if i get a hand auger, then next year get a 20 volt drill to use with it(i can double duty it and use it for summer projects too) that way i can get a power auger. One issue ive had with owning augers too is i cant ever seem to get the blades sharp enough. Ive tried sharpening them, but never did the job. Thats why i kinda gave up on ice fishing when it would take an hour to drill one hole. As for a fish finder, ive been looking at the garmin striker 4. Fleet farm usually has it for 100 bucks when a sale goes through. I can double duty that as well if i go kayak fishing. Either the garmin or i looked at the hummingbird helix 5. That would be a awesome unit(ive gotten to test it out on the lake before) but i think id have to get into fishing a whole lot more. Shelters i never really looked at because usually i just throw as many layers on as i can and go out. Ill take a look at craigslist for a used shelter. Thanks so much for your help

Jeff Telander wrote:

I said I’d GIVE you an auger! Hardfishing, where are you?

Im so sorry, i didnt click email notifications for the thread so i had no clue anyone commented.

Jeff Telander wrote:

Seriously giving an auger away that needs minor work. Why is everyone trying to sell this guy on buying fancy $hit when he Is clearly trying to get into this on a budget. $500 here, $400 there. How about free?

It would be awesome to get some used gear that works for relitivly cheap or free, but that isnt how it usually works. I am on a fairly tight budget, gotta save for a car. Probably 450 would be my max to spend.

philtickelson wrote:

A flasher will by far get you into <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing faster than any other piece of equipment. Depending on your physique, I’d put a power auger of some type next on the list.

Ultimate comfort is a nice insulated house and heater, but you can do a lot of damage with warm clothes, a flasher and an auger. Pick your days so you aren’t out at -20 below, or fish some smaller bays that are protected from the wind.

I love ice fishing, spending time on the ice by myself or with friends. But there is just no way around it, catching fish is more fun than not catching fish. A flasher and 6 hand drilled holes will almost always catch more fish than no flasher and 100 holes.

If just using a hand auger, do your research before hitting a lake, spend $10 on the navionics app for your phone to make a game plan before starting to drill. A 6″ hole represents a miniscule volume of water on any lake, so make sure you are targeting ‘fishy’ locations. You won’t always strike gold, but you’ll be much more successful.

Heck, if you are fishing heavily targeted lakes, just open up other people’s holes with a hand auger/chisel and you’ll save a ton of physical effort.

The only situation I’d suggest not going for a flasher right away is if you are only focusing on pike fishing / tip-up fishing. A flasher is still really helpful to find weedlines and stuff, but you can do quite well with a good map and a bunch of holes. On clearer lakes you can just stick your head down the hole to look for weeds.

I really want to get out and do more fishing, i love doing it in the summer(even though im terrible at it and cant catch on artificial) and i really want to get into it for the winter months too, as i dont need to worry as much about a boat and the other gear.

Where in Wisconsin are you? Feel free to Send me a PM

Jeff Telander wrote:

Where in Wisconsin are you? Feel free to Send me a PM

Just sent a pm

this has been really interesting to read the different thoughts on how to get into it. Where there is consensus: get a flasher right away. To where preferences are different: shack vs bucket, hand vs power auger

$400-$500 Budget

Option 1
$200 for used vex fl8/ice 35
$50 or less for hand auger
$200-$250 for shack

Option 2
$200 for used vex fl8/ice 35
$250-$275 for used strikemaster auger
Buckets and good clothes

No right or wrong in either of these. $10 for the navionics phone app is a great and economical suggestion.

riverruns wrote:

riverrunsParticipant
Fountain City WI.Posts: 1,654

December 3, 2018 at 8:47 pm
#1814833

where are you located?

I asked this question first.

riverruns wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>riverruns wrote:</div>
riverrunsParticipant
Fountain City WI.Posts: 1,654

December 3, 2018 at 8:47 pm
#1814833

where are you located?

I asked this question first.

Im around the central wisconsin area but i mostly fish north of wausau.

phishingruven01 wrote:

get a cheap sled.
get the nils 4.5″ auger($150). attach it to a cordless drill
buy a used flasher $150 $200 ish
get a swivel top seat for a bucket.
cheap schooley rod.
buy the poster aboves eskimo pop up.

Im not sure about the nils auger, ive heard bad things about it. I was thinking of a HT auger from walmart thats on sale for 39.99 (in my area at least) and just getting a drill adapter. As for fish finder id probably get the garmin striker 4 on sale because thats 100, more i can put into the auger or a shelter.

I’ve seen the blades break right in half on those cheap hand augers. Just be careful. Cheaper now isn’t always cheaper later.

IMO I would look at a hub fish house very reasonably priced and you can lug it around in a car/van/SUV and lightweight. Buy a used hand auger, new blades are cheap for them and you can pay a guy that knows how to sharpen them if your not comfortable doing it yourself. Then you’ll always have a sharp spare when your other set gets dull. And like you said you could buy a drill later on and there’s your battery powered auger. You don’t need a flasher but they are more enjoyable to watch then staring at a hole for hours just dreaming whats down there haha. Also, I would suggest like others have, just pay the 10 bucks for the navionics map for your phone and that will help save time on drilling and more time fishing.