Im sorta new to ice fishing, can i get some tips?

So, I have been ice fishing once a year,(isnt that sad). I dont exactly have the most money either, I have been finding deals wherever i can. I have two poles, Three tip ups, a very small ammount of tackle, a electric ice auger (strikemaster electra i think) with a eskimo hand auger bit(bought both together for 30 dollars) the ice auger runs, but no clue if its powerful enough to get through the ice. I don’t as of now have a fish finder, however im considering the garmin striker 4 because its fairly cheap, and ive heard good reviews about it. I will say this, ive only ever caught one fish while ice fishing (6 inch bluegill) and it was the greatest thing. I want to try more. Is their anything else i might need to have a good day out on the lake? Could you also give me some tips as to what to try?…… I have done vertical jigging, tip ups, deadstick, etc. Thank you for the help.

You have more than what I had when I started ice fishing. I had a hand auger, rope with weight to find depth, and some fishing line wrapped around some wood. As long as you can get a hole through the ice you are good to go. What type of fish are you trying to target?

(hope your videos are still going well)

Two biggest things my first year.

1. Used Vexilar FL8 from craigslist
2. Pro tips from Dave Genz. Find his articles and maybe even videos. Gave me a great foundation to build on. Used to be on Clam’s site but that was a few years ago.

Tuma wrote:

You have more than what I had when I started ice fishing. I had a hand auger, rope with weight to find depth, and some fishing line wrapped around some wood. As long as you can get a hole through the ice you are good to go. What type of fish are you trying to target?

(hope your videos are still going well)

I am really going for what ever bites. I would love to either get into crappies or walleye. But whatever i can get ill take.
Thanks, yeah im hoping to go out tomarrow and make a couple

patk wrote:

Two biggest things my first year.

1. Used Vexilar FL8 from craigslist
2. Pro tips from Dave Genz. Find his articles and maybe even videos. Gave me a great foundation to build on. Used to be on Clam’s site but that was a few years ago.

Im thinking of the striker 4 because i can also use it on my kayak in the summer time. Since I dont have alot of money i would like to kill two birds with one stone if you know what i mean.

If you have a smart phone get the Navionics app for $10 and you will be able to setup on structure. And should be able to have some success with the equipment you have. If you have any friends that ice fish, going with them will give you a big step forward too.

BigWerm wrote:

If you have a smart phone get the Navionics app for $10 and you will be able to setup on structure. And should be able to have some success with the equipment you have. If you have any friends that ice fish, going with them will give you a big step forward too.

Ive been using that for a bit now. I am hoping to go out tomarrow and try it out. If i like it then ill probably pay the 10 bucks a year lol.

Mine was a one time $10 charge, and then you can download the whole state.

X2

patk wrote:

1. Used Vexilar FL8 from craigslist

You can use the Vexilar on your kayak two. Best thing you could buy. I’ve seen them as low as $100 but usually $150.

hardfishing wrote:

a electric ice auger (strikemaster electra i think) with a eskimo hand auger bit(bought both together for 30 dollars)

That was a steal for $30 ! Just make sure to get a good fresh (New) battery. More amp hours the better. Don’t expect more that about 10 holes. Less as the ice gets thicker.

-J.

Make sure the blades are sharp on the auger as well. You can have all the power you want but if you have dull blades it can take a lot to punch a hole.

Not sure where you live but even with the really cold temps we have right now you still need to be careful out there….find a local bait shop and ask about ice conditions and if there are areas to avoid. Aerators, current in channels etc etc.

Other than that, what was said above….use the app to find a nice break line or piece of structure at have at it. Some sort of sonar/flasher would be at the top of the list for next purchases….it can make all the difference between doing well and going home skunked.

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>hardfishing wrote:</div>
a electric ice auger (strikemaster electra i think) with a eskimo hand auger bit(bought both together for 30 dollars)

That was a steal for $30 ! Just make sure to get a good fresh (New) battery. More amp hours the better. Don’t expect more that about 10 holes. Less as the ice gets thicker.

I was origionally going to use a drill battery that has the male connector that fits my auger perfectly. I have three of them. I know a actual battery is better, i just dont exactly know what one to get.
-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>hardfishing wrote:</div>
a electric ice auger (strikemaster electra i think) with a eskimo hand auger bit(bought both together for 30 dollars)

That was a steal for $30 ! Just make sure to get a good fresh (New) battery. More amp hours the better. Don’t expect more that about 10 holes. Less as the ice gets thicker.

I was origionally going to use a drill battery that has the male connector that fits my auger perfectly. I have three of them. I know a actual battery is better, i just dont exactly know what one to get.
-J.

buckshot wrote:

Make sure the blades are sharp on the auger as well. You can have all the power you want but if you have dull blades it can take a lot to punch a hole.

Not sure where you live but even with the really cold temps we have right now you still need to be careful out there….find a local bait shop and ask about ice conditions and if there are areas to avoid. Aerators, current in channels etc etc.

Other than that, what was said above….use the app to find a nice break line or piece of structure at have at it. Some sort of sonar/flasher would be at the top of the list for next purchases….it can make all the difference between doing well and going home skunked.

I just bought new blades for it, so if they arent sharp im gonna have a nice talk with the company. I would probably have to go to a bait shop anyways to get bait lol. So id ask questions their. As for location im near central wisconsin.

hardfishing wrote:

know a actual battery is better, i just dont exactly know what one to get.

Those augers use the same size/type as a Vexilar. (Or other flashers)

Did you get the power cable that connects to your car/truck battery?

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>hardfishing wrote:</div>
know a actual battery is better, i just dont exactly know what one to get.

Those augers use the same size/type as a Vexilar. (Or other flashers)

Did you get the power cable that connects to your car/truck battery?

-J.

no, this is an older model of electric ice auger, all i have is the female connectors attached to the motor inside.

Good advice here. Obviously people are gonna push the flasher. Dont rule out a cheap camera too if you dont hole hop too much.

If you want to catch fish “blind” I think that live bait is very helpful. Waxies or spikes last weeks if you take care of them, minnows too if you can swap water and keep em cold.

A lot of people get 6×6 popups and move to something else – you can sometimes find them extremely cheap wheras used functional flips seem much harder to find or are expensive.

And as your stuff grows you need a sled of some sort…

hardfishing wrote:

So, I have been ice fishing once a year,(isnt that sad). I dont exactly have the most money either, I have been finding deals wherever i can. I have two poles, Three tip ups, a very small ammount of tackle, a electric ice auger (strikemaster electra i think) with a eskimo hand auger bit(bought both together for 30 dollars) the ice auger runs, but no clue if its powerful enough to get through the ice. I don’t as of now have a fish finder, however im considering the garmin striker 4 because its fairly cheap, and ive heard good reviews about it. I will say this, ive only ever caught one fish while <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing (6 inch bluegill) and it was the greatest thing. I want to try more. Is their anything else i might need to have a good day out on the lake? Could you also give me some tips as to what to try?…… I have done vertical jigging, tip ups, deadstick, etc. Thank you for the help.

I was looking at the Garmin 4 too. Let me know if it works.

Use small jigs and lighter line then you think you need to. Also, in the beginning always use live bait. I also advocate a Spring bobber, or float.