Wondering what you guys have for the ice that you are really glad you bought. I’m not talking shelter, auger, heater, flasher, or all the other main stuff but wondering about something random or fun that has really “made your day.”
If you are not going to whole hop and plan on sitting in a shack for an extended amount of time I would grab some rubber floor mats.
Fireball
Still fishing related, but pistol grip pliers. Love them!
Bloody Mary ingredients
Line Cutterz zipper pull (fishing line cutter that attaches to your zipper or lanyard)
Ice Defense (yes they are worth the $$, especially with set lines)
Omeals MRE’s. Taste better than the others on the market and you just add any water (I use lakewater), the food is sealed in a separate pouch so you really could use any liquid, and the heating element is activated by the liquid. 10 minutes you have hot food that tastes pretty darn good for an MRE.
I think having a frisbee on the ice is really fun. Always liked tossing around a lid.
A bottle of apple pie is a must have while ice fishing.
Garbage bag to toss stuff in. I usually just leave it in my Otter console but it is so much nicer to grab a bad and dump it. Plus I find others treasure and grab them as well. No one needs to leave trash on the ice. I use a heavy bag for fish. I put the bag in the tub when I am done. Keeps it cleaner the entire season.
Smaller Tupperware for getting water for minnows. I swap out water once a day if I can. Tupperware cup is awesome for this and they are almost unbreakable.
Headlamp and spare batteries.
Towels and milk crates. I pack everything in those!
Fireball
Ding ding. I also enjoy Jameson and busch lite.
We also carry a football for the days we are tip up fishing.
I always pack a backup pair of gloves and socks. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. When I do use them though I extremely glad that I packed it.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
FireballDing ding. I also enjoy Jameson and busch lite.
We also carry a football for the days we are tip up fishing.
We should all be friends.
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<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
FireballDing ding. I also enjoy Jameson and busch lite.
We also carry a football for the days we are tip up fishing.We should all be friends.
It tastes pretty good but I get the worst heartburn from that stuff. I typically have a jar of apple pie, bourbon, or silver bullets.
The rubber floor mats are nice as already mentioned. Having previously played the constant game of “did I remember my head lamp/lantern and if so, does it have fresh batteries?” I’ll say that getting an integrated/permanently mounted hub light this year has been a nice upgrade.
i found these completely rubber coated lined gloves made by “the 3 legends” fishing company. like bill dance, roland martin, and jimmy houston i think. defunct company i believe now.
best fishing gloves i’ve ever used. warm and completely water proof. found the at scheels. bought a single pair. my dad went to iowa city (the closest one) to visit someone in the hospital i made him go back and buy 3 more pair.
I recently found a must have….
A Camp Chef Stryker 200 Multifuel
Super easy meals on the ice like Ramen noodles, Velveeta cups, oatmeal, cowboy coffee, boiled brats, hot chocolate, etc, etc, etc.
Melt a little snow, add something to it and voila!
Hell, you could probably fry fish in one lol
The isobutane cans work okay down to about 20 degrees, but for colder weather one pound propane tanks work better. The isobutane tanks are super compact and fit inside the system along with the burner and stabilizer. If you’re in a heated portable they’re the way to go for compactness.
Don’t know why I’ve waited so long to get one. Best thing I’ve bought in a long time! They’re only like $60 at Walmart
The Camp Chef Everest Stove is awesome as well! (great for camping and bigger meals). It blows any other camp stove I’ve used out of the water.
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Garbage bag to toss stuff in. I usually just leave it in my Otter console but it is so much nicer to grab a bad and dump it. Plus I find others treasure and grab them as well. No one needs to leave trash on the ice. I use a heavy bag for fish. I put the bag in the tub when I am done. Keeps it cleaner the entire season.
Smaller Tupperware for getting water for minnows. I swap out water once a day if I can. Tupperware cup is awesome for this and they are almost unbreakable.
Headlamp and spare batteries.
Towels and milk crates. I pack everything in those!
Totally agree with the garbage bag. Somehow I always end up with trash in my sled or in my cooler since i forget the bags.
Depth weights…literally dozens of them stashed all over my clothing, gear, trucks…
I would recommend the ice well live well it works great to keep your fish from freezing and easier to clean the fish when you get home.
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Cold Snap Toothpick hook remover – get the 5 inch model – works excellent for getting hooks out from small bluegills – even treble hooks that they manage to swallow.
A spring bobber in the correct weight for the lure you are using. Allows you to see super light crappie bites, and since the lure keeps tension on it, it even allows you to see the notorious up-bites that can’t be felt in the rod.
Air activated disposable hand warmers. Keeps the hands warm and can also be used to keep batteries warm. I find it hard to fish with gloves on, so these allow me to fish bare handed in reasonable conditions.
Warm balaclava works better for me than a hat or hood. It covers the head, ears and neck – nice if there is any wind. Try to get one that can be worn either over the mouth or under the chin depending on your preference and the temp.
A small towel or old T-shirt to wipe off the hands. A small forceps or the Cold Snap hook remover mentioned above. Something to flash your glow baits. I use a lot of glow especially after dark for crappies.
TP has come in handy more than once.
Windup/rechargeable radio,for me almost as important as my Vex,next would be my blue tipz tipup indicators.
Weathertech floor mats are on the list to purchase!!
Long angled forceps
Lighter of some sort
Velcroed coat hooks for in portable house
Light bar
Minnow scoop – keep hands out of cold water
Hot hand packets
Higher end ice cleats
5/10 lb propane tank to save money on 1 lb tanks
Fart blocker.
You wear it inside your bibs so when you get those nacho cheese taco bell farts the bibs don’t carry that full aromatic straight to your nostrils, at times, making ya tear up, not allowing full concentration on your locator.
I actually don’t know where to find one, or if its even invented, but if it could be in either capacity pls let a guy know.
Forgot about the Glo Ring from Vexilar. That thing glows up anything with glow better than anything else I’ve used.
I use a small pail with lake water in it…
Big fan of my bass khang power shuttle. Powers phones, speakers, and portable lights. Also glad I finally bit the bullet and bought the LED otter lights. Thought $70 was outrageous for a lighting system but they’re much, much better than anything I could have done DIY.
Also bought a little portable stove like what B-man mentioned. Perfect for coffee and a hot ramen lunch. Did fry a fish dinner out on the ice once with it too.
TP has come in handy more than once.
Always have tp in a dry bag
My otter monster box and digger auger carrier, makes moving so much faster and I can carry even more stuff now.
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