I sharpened my own with a diamond hone sharpening set I got off Amazon.
I have the same thing going on only it’s my buddy that does the sharpening for me. I have 2 sets of blades and when one st gets dull I swap them out and he sharpens them. Works pretty slick. I want to invest in a sharpening kit like he has and do it myself. He says they only take like 10 min to sharpen so i think that’s worth it.
That is a valid point Andy. I prefer to see the bite when fishing pannies and feel the bite for walleyes. It’s all personal preference and that’s the beauty of all the rod options we have today.
Rj, did you end up bringing the tickle stick back for the st. Croix avid?
If you think the tickle stick doesn’t have a sensitive enough tip I think you are in for a rude awakening. They are about as sensitive as you can get. I have the 27 inch lite which is the “heaviest” action rod the tickle stick comes in and I never have a problem detecting bites …
JD I am using the 8 inch Ion and it weighs 22 lbs. It comes with the auger extension which I would imagine would add 1/2 lb. … maybe? The only thing that would steer me away from the strikemaster is the cost of the unit and the cost of replacement batteries at 250 bucks. Just doesn’t seem that much better than the Ion for the money. Although I did buy my 8 inch Ion on clearance for 425 bucks. I do not have the reverse model. Really no need for that anyway.
I don’t know much about the nils but if it were me I would go this route
http://icefishingtoday.com/ice-fishing-products/k-drill-electric-ice-auger-system/
At least then you have another power tool in your arsenal for the off season 
I would buy the drill when Milwaukee does their sale and sells the drill with 3 batteries. Then you won’t have to ever worry about running out of juice. And talk about light weight and small package.
I have re drilled old holes that were not in a permanent shack. The Ion drilled through old holes just fine but when completely drilled through I found that I had to stop the auger and then pull it out of the hole. For some reason if I kept the auger spinning I couldn’t pull it up out of the hole. I can’t explain what was happening at all … I just learned quickly to stop spinning the auger and then pull up. This would only be an issue when trying to clear slush from the hole with the auger I guess. Scoop works fine for me
I actually think that pushing down so hard on the Ion is a bad thing. It has what I call “shaving blades” and the blades are meant to pull the auger through the ice on their own. I think pushing down would actually cause more stress on the drive system and actually slow the auger and drain more battery. I agree that the test could have been done better. Not to mention the guys from ice force are sponsored by StrikeMaster. We could get totally scientific on the hole thing (yes I meant to spell the word hole lol) but I really don’t think a second or two per hole is that big of a deal. But that’s just me. When I bought the Ion I was more focused on convenience. (as in no mixing gas or changin oil or having to go buy 1 lb propane canisters) I will say with the Ion being only 22 lbs it is awesome for first to early ice. You will never have to worry about running out of battery and you probably will never use a hand auger again.
I think they would do fine against bigger fish as long as you had your drag set appropriately and proper line. I have never used them as I have other panfish rods already but have had thoughts of picking one up for hole hopping because I like the larger guides for when I have to deal with line freeze. I currently use a 13 fishing tickle stick which I absolutely love for light bites. But it has small guides and when it’s cold and line freezes it can be a PITA. I thought of picking up an avid for hole hoppin’.
But I do have my doubts about an electric in a winter like last year where even with my auger extension I was down to the handles. I could not imagine being satisfied with an electric in that scenario if I were running and gunning and wanted to pop 40 holes or more in a day. But I am willing to be proven wrong.
Most ice I ever drilled through was about 34 inches and I drilled 36 holes with the Ion. I will admit if it’s mid winter or late ice and you want to punch a ton of holes. An electric isn’t for you. Unless you want to invest in multiple batteries. But Aaron did say
btw I’m not a huge hole puncher may be 15-30 a time.
If you want a comparison there it is. Looks like they are all pretty darn close to me. I will admit my Ion is the slowest at 14 seconds slower for 5 holes than the propane. But if propane ever has issues starting or running right … Electric would be the obvious winner. But I realize that is an IF …
Lol. What I meant was I can start drilling with my electric before a gas or propane auger is started. It wasn’t meant to be taken completely literally. But I would be down for a race. It would be cool to compare. I’m sure it would be closer than you think. I fish with my cousin a lot and he has a gas jiffy and we “raced” a little bit early ice (although also nothing too scientific or exact) but one definitely wasn’t noticeably faster than the other. But I will again say … I can definitely start drilling before his gas auger is running.
Are you referring to the avid series rods with the orange tip? If so they are nice rods with big enough guides so that if it’s cold line freeze wont be a issue. I know the sale at Fleet Farm right now is a good one and you probably wont find that rod for cheaper. Unsure of the warranty but in less an unfortunate accident occurs you probably wont need the warranty. Just my .02 cents.
I have no problem keeping the battery warm. If my shelter is set up I just leave the auger outside and bring the battery in the shelter and I have never had a problem. Also the battery on the Ion slides on and off with ease. I usually don’t even pull the rubber strap over the battery. If I don’t have the shelter set up I either put the battery in my pocket or put it in the sled just so it is off the ice. I have never had my battery get too cold and just this last Wednesday I fished in 35 below with the windchill. I highly recommend the Ion. You can have a hole or two drilled before you would be able to get a propane or gas auger started. You never have to worry about potential issues where the auger doesn’t start. And if it’s really cold you can get your shelter set up right away and drill your holes from inside with no worries about fumes or any noise.
Muck Arctic Pro’s FTW! My feet can be sweating in these boots and I can sit still for the next couple hours and my feet are warm.
I’m telling you right now I love my ion. Super light … No need for a hand auger anymore. I can punch infinite holes first ice. More holes than I will ever need early ice and I’ve even punched 36 holes through 3 feet of ice with it. I have owned mine for 2 seasons and still haven’t sharpened the blades. Also the customer service is the same as Eskimos excellent customer service because it’s the same company. I drive an f150 so I am not worried about space but I will tell you the convenience of an electric is second to none. Its was hard for me to take the step toward electric but once I did I was happier than a bird with a French fry.
I know this isn’t what you were asking but since you said your not a huge hole puncher I can’t resist … Have you considered electric? I have an ion and I can easily drill 30 holes through 2+ feet of ice. Then you don’t have to buy propane or worry about having to go buy propane all the time.
I “own” a Striker Climate AND the original red/black Arctic Armor … I “wear” the Striker
Is there something you dislike about the arctic armor? or what makes the striker better or more dependable? I couldn’t justify the money when I bought the arctic armor to go with the striker. That is why I ask.
Same deal on the Eskimo 949i from Fleet Farm. I got mine last year. They must run that sale every year. Highly recommend this if your looking for a pop up style shelter.
I know this wasn’t on your list but have you considered The arctic armor suit from I.D.I. Gear? I currently own one and would highly recommend it. Just like the striker suits the arctic armor will float not only you but also 2 other people if you fall through. They currently have the suit on sale if you order black and gold color for only 249.99 shipped … Just a thought. I also typically only wear my bibs because this suit is so warm. Also it’s the lightest suit I’ve found.
Are the electric knives good for pan fish though? I find it hard to believe you can be precise enough to make small cuts with the blade moving back and forth. But I’m willing to be proven wrong.
Well suzuki … since you don’t use the wusthof .. you feel like selling it to me for cheap??? lol
I haven’t heard of the Dexter Russell … I’ll have to do some diggin’ on that one. And I own 3 other Wusthof kitchen knives that I absolutely love. 70 bucks isn’t terrible if I knew for sure it was going to stay sharp and last. It’s just hard to justify it when you can buy 3 other knives for the price of the Wusthof. On the note of staying sharp … How do you guys sharpen your knives?
