Sounds like you’re set on a traditional flasher, but after switching to a hummingbird helix type unit I’d never go back. Just my opinion

Get him on a good bite of another species; sounds like he’s into agressive, fast action. I was the same way until I got into a hot ‘eye bite, I liked how predictable and agressive panfish are (not to mention you can get a great dinner after ). Anyone who will show you their local spots is a keeper!

Definitely the sienna, but I agree that they benefit from a little TLC right out of the box.

If Doug doesn’t end up taking it I’d be very interested. Just picked up my first boat and unfortunately it didn’t end up coming with co-pilot

I’ve always wondered what those are as well. They were all over Minnetonka last weekend

If you use the 2d view on a helix unit the separation seems pretty darn good to me. Also really easy to tell the size of fish/behavior if you have it dialed in right. I haven’t owned any other units so I guess I can’t compare them, but after using a buddy’s vex for a season I’ll always be using some kind of scrolling 2d sonar.

I’ve had my 949i a couple seasons and it’s held up really well. Gets warm pretty quick and fishes 3 people pretty good (2 gives you all the space you would want). IMO the bag itself isn’t too bad functionality wise and it’s fairly easy to put the house away even if you’re alone. Just get it into the bag about a foot, tip the whole thing vertical and start shaking it. The big issue with the bag is the backpack straps and velcro strips pull off of the bag really easily (easy to repair and mostly makes the bag look kindof crappy). Set up also only takes a couple minutes. Definitely look into some new tacks or a drill attachment to make things a little easier; unless the ice is really soft screwing those in can be nearly impossible. Overall a great house.

I’ve got an ultra light widow maker with the flat tip. Absolutely love it; I’d never pick up another rod for panfish and it has handled a few pike. Doesn’t ice up much even down to -20 fishing outside the house. That said I haven’t tried any TUCR or other customs but can’t imagine it being that much of a life changer for the way I fish. Really a great rod!

Tom Dace wrote:

I will also jig for pike. If you get into a pile of them jigging for pike will be the most fun you could ever have with a jig pole. Jigging is now my preferred method for pike and I’ll run tip-ups for pan fish instead. Still do the dead bait thing a fair amount but having a camera pointed at a large rattle bait with pike swarming around it is as fun as it gets.

What do you use when you jig for pike? I’ve given it a shot trying to re-create summer fishing. Didn’t have confidence to wait long enough for a bite.

I’ve got my best one as my profile pic

Thanks Evan, I agree safety comes first. I’m pretty new to IDO and don’t have any buddies that live in the area so it might be time to make some new friends at the launch

If you’re going for sturgeon does it matter what part of the St. Croix you’re on, and is the ice safe everywhere? I’ve never fished a river hardwater before.

I love the predator; I’ve been out on multiple twelve+ hour days well into negatives (forgot the heater one of those days as well, oops ) with just sweatpants and a sweatshirt underneath and never had any issues with core temperature. IMO boots and gloves are where you’ll really see a difference in warmth.

Thats a monster! As big as most of the walleye I’ve caught this year

Yep, it was pretty packed in the morning. The tempuratures kept everyone in their houses for the most part so if you didn’t look out the window you could almost pretend you were fishing alone . The fishing was pretty tough this year all around and a majority of the people were off the lake by 10. It was basically six hours of looking down the hole and seeing countless trout swimming right past your bait. And yeah, there were a lot of eskimos out there!

wormdunker wrote:

I think you are hearing what I am saying however don’t you think it is also important to know who the person is that is either praising a product or service or criticizing? It just seems these forums have become a dumping ground for disgruntled people.

That’s true. Just read a lot of different opinions, take everything with a grain of salt, and make your own decision from there. I personally like negative reviews because they generally get down to the facts of a product faster than positive ones.

wormdunker wrote:

Now there is a post that is the Ying and the yang of products. Cant just say name 3 products you have had luck with, nope, have to list out a few that you want to roast too.

When I’m reading a review on some new gear, I like to know a couple of the other similar options or cheaper knockoffs that I might want to stay away from. I agree it is a little ridiculous when people swear by a brand a tear apart the competitors, but there’s a place for warning about a product. Just my opinion, hopefully I correctly understood what you were saying!

holmsvc wrote:

I have a predator suit and I am really happy with it. I usually wear base layers and a sweatshirt and jeans underneath. I have always been plenty warm.

X2

I recently picked up some of the Striker Defender gloves. The waterproofing seems perfect, they’re fairly warm, and they have surprisingly good dexterity for the thickness. The leather palms and fingers also give you a solid grip. Definitely the best (and most expensive) pair of gloves i’ve invested in.

Where do you guys go for an accurate pressure forecast? The closest I can get is watching the pressure on the good old iphone weather app for days in advance and getting to the lake real quick whenever the pressure starts dropping.

Awesome! Much more successful than my first time!

I can’t speak for the bullwhip, but I do have one of the flat tip rods by 13 fishing. It’s literally a super nice spring bobber connected to your rod at all times and I’ve never even considered going back.

deftones311 wrote:

Would be awesome if someone could be apart of the team for one day close to the town they came from.

Have you guys done any shows on Minnetonka, Waconia, or any of the other larger metro lakes? It would be cool to see how you approach lakes more familiar to people not wanting to drive north for hours to hit those hot bites!

I’ve got a flat tip widow maker in a 27″ UL and I would guess it’s really similar to the tickle stick. As someone who hasn’t ever used a custom rod before, it’s definitely my go to rod. I fish outside a lot and haven’t had problems with freezing up yet and the tip is really sensitive (a huge upgrade from spring bobbers in my opinion). Also has pretty decent backbone for an UL which helps when fighting the odd pike.

Nice fish!

2.5-3.5″ and fisherman on the four lakes I checked in Chaska. Also about half a dozen people ice skating on round lake right next to the Eden Prairie high school so I would guess good ice there too.

Bass Thumb wrote:

My favorite panfish rod is the 13 Fishing Widowmaker 27” UL with the flat orange tip. I paid $55 for it.

I’ve also got one of those in a 27″ UL and it’s an awesome rod. Handled light biting bluegill and super agressive crappies just great. Didn’t do too bad with a surprise 30″ pike on a tungsten either. 55$ is a great price, where’d you find a deal like that?

Robert Duncan wrote:

With the holidays here and all the great deals, it is hard to keep track of who has what and some of them are just one day only. So if you see a smoking good deal, post it. I know I am currently looking for a great deal on a Striker Suit so PM me if you see something better than 25% off. So there is a site that I watch regularly but they don’t post all the good deals and that is icefishingdeal and that would be .com. Here is what I think is a great deal.

X2 on the Striker Suit

I wouldn’t say it’s a must have, but a nice underwater camera can be a very entertaining and educational tool to have out on the ice. It’s helped my jigging and bite detection a lot, not to mention passing time watching little perch or bluegill during slow periods.

Has anyone had issues with the 13 wicked ice reels? I got one last season and it seems to stick in a couple spots when reeling in. I went back to gander and switched it out and the new one had the same problem. Does it just need to be taken apart and cleaned?