I see lots of Canadians using frozen/salted minnows (probably due to regulation and convenience as opposed to effectiveness?), has anyone given that a shot around town and if so have a recommendation for places to get them? I’ve used them regularly on LOTW, but seems to not be considered very much south of Red.

The story I heard from the locals was that when the watershed was originally dammed up, the raised water level ended up covering farm land from some local farmers. This land was then being demanded back by the farmers. That, combined with the huge winterkill they had was enough to convince the DNR to lower the dam and thus lower the water level.(all hearsay) I can confirm the good pike fishing that was happening there as my profile picture was taken on Pelican!

I have been out to Koch’s Korner on 55 and 19 and always found them to be a great place to stop and get bait. Haven’t stopped at any of the Waconia or Victoria places, but I’ll keep those in mind!

I have however run the fish tank approach before (you can usually get a whole setup off of FB Marketplace) and agree with RynO that shiners will eat flake fish food. Also, should anyone want to take that approach, they make a product that you pour into the fresh tap water that removes the chlorine and other stuff so your minnows(or goldfish) don’t die when you put them in.

Sounds like I’ll probably have to go and bulk buy some minnows from the nearest shop and set up an aerator in the garage from now on. Thanks everyone for the input and let me know if one of you decide to run a seasonal bait shop in the Medicine Lake area!

Yeah, that’s very true. I know that the trend in the industry is to not use live bait, but in cold water situations (fall & Winter) it can be hard to beat at times. I really wish the state would do something to help bait shops like a tax break, etc. Can’t they file as a religious entity? I find myself there many Sunday mornings! RIP Wayzata Bait and Tackle, goes to show, you don’t know what you have till it’s gone.

That’s some good advice Alex, thanks for calling that out. 20mph winds are pretty blustery on that pond. I’ll definitely take that into consideration if I decide to give it a shot. I appreciate the snow reports!

Definitely agree with you Mahtofire. I’ll be using it 80% of the time for seeing things my flasher or rod can’t tell me and definitely understand that when you see vids online, they are in lakes with 20ft viz conditions.

That being said, sounds like your vote is for the more mobile of the two options?

Just remove any rubber or gaskets before cleaning and be careful of any rubber seals. Check where the gas comes into the carburetor float bowl (Fuel Needle). I’ve seen some hidden ones in there before. Then feel free to go crazy. Also, 2x on the safety glasses. That carb spray has a way of shooting back into your face unexpectedly…..

As for fogging. It’s just the process of putting a thicker oil film on your cylinders/intake(depending on how you do it). If you were to leave it sit for an extended period of time (like a year or more) then maybe it would start to show it’s merits. Likely the longer you leave it sitting, the more fogging would be a good idea. However, in the upper mid-west where my boat sits unused for 6 months max, the oil already on your cylinders and inside your engine won’t drip off or go away. So if it makes you feel safer to fog away! You’re not hurting anything, but for shorter periods of time, I really doubt you’d see any difference in engine longevity over the lifetime of the machine.

^Jake, I’d recommend looking up the exact carburetor you’re about to clean. Sometimes people post super helpful videos on the exact thing you need. Otherwise, this video from MC Garage is a good intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44VNddZ7Zc. Just be careful with carb cleaner and rubber seals. It will likely cause those seals to swell and damage their integrity. Also, if you don’t have an air compressor, using a can of compressed air for computer dusting works good for an one off project like yours. Bristles from a shop broom are also a good tool to poke through tiny carb holes and won’t scratch/damage any passageways.

As for fuels, Just wanted to share some things I’ve read/experienced in case people didn’t already know some of this.

#1. About oxy (ethanol) fuels. The ethanol helps to ad oxygen to the combustion (hence the name) and results in a more complete burn. Not necessarily more powerful, but more complete. MODERN engines are designed to use these fuels. You won’t hurt any seals or anything in the engine by using this fuel. I’d recommend using whatever the manufacturer designed the equipment for. Additionally, just using “Premium” doesn’t ensure that there isn’t any ethanol in your fuel. Premium is just a nickname for a higher octane fuel. High octane simply means that it takes more compression to auto ignite the fuel which reduces the chance for engine knock in higher compression engines. Make sure that the pump says, “Non-Oxy” or something similar.

#2. Ethanol gum. Ethanol begins to break down roughly 90 days, but takes much longer to seriously break down under normal circumstances to the point where you will have any problems. To the point of many posts on here, if you have fresh gas in your system in the fall, you will in all likelihood be good in the spring to start it right up. An EVEN SAFER bet, which is VERY EASY to do, is to just run your stuff dry of gas like people have already said.(based on 15 years of anecdotal evidence with boat, mower, leaf blower, weed whip, snowmobile, etc.)

#3. Ethanol gas and water. Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning that it does absorb water from the air. However, E10 gas will absorb about 0.5% of it’s total volume depending on temp. before “breaking” and causing issues, so that’s not something that any regular joe will have to ever worry about. On the flip side, Non-Oxy gas will not absorb any water. Because of this, if you have a permanent gas tank in a boat, tractor, etc, that could experience regular condensation and only run non-oxy in it, there could be a layer of water at the bottom of your tank depending on where your pickup line is. Ethanol gas’s ability to absorb some water will result in that small amount of condensation being burned up during normal use. So as long as you don’t dump a big chunk of snow or a shot-glass worth of water in your gas, you likely never have to worry about this and it could even be a benefit in certain situations.

Non-oxy gas has a shelf life of around 2 years though, so if you use an engine every other year and can’t be bothered to take care of it. Consider using Non-Oxygenated fuel.

#4. Fogging your engine. Like Grouse said, unless you live in an extremely corrosive environment like the coast, with heavy salt in the air, there’s no need for this. Both 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines already have a light coating of oil on the cylinders from regular use and won’t rust/corrode.

TL:DR is, Ethanol gas is not the devil and in certain situations is preferable to non-oxy. Letting gas sit in your engines for 6 months+ is the devil and should be considered small engine abuse.

I’ve definitely seen the side imaging on a larger screen look much more clear than my Helix7 as well. I thought at the time it must be because it was a newer model in addition to the larger screen, but based on your experience, perhaps the larger screen is making the biggest difference?

If anyone has any knowledge around that I’d love to hear your thoughts!

@FishBlood&RiverMud I suppose I’m making the assumption that as the generations have progressed, the internal tech has been improving both from a hardware and software perspective.

Whether or not I’m correct, I would think that progression in tech would also translate to things like improved sonar reception / interpretation, clearer pictures for side imaging, improved user interfaces, better auto-charting capabilities, and other things like that.

I don’t know what they’ve been working on for Gen 5, you know? Maybe it’s the next big leap in depth finders, maybe it’s not. The point is that if all I have to do is wait till Fall to find out, then maybe I will continue to use my existing unit until then. That’s all I really was considering.

Just wanted to ask around the group since I know there’s plenty of people on here that are really dialed into the industry in ways that I’m not!

Buttons are are a simple, reliable, proven tech which is something that usually gets a +1 in my evaluation of a product. I can use them with gloves on and the presence of water(rain/snow/ice/sleet) on the screen doesn’t interfere with my operation of the unit. My screen also stays clean for longer without my grubby hands swiping all over it.

I could also see the touchscreen being a, “lipstick on a pig” type of scenario as well where the outside looks slick and space age but the design team ended up putting too much money into the screen instead of the guts. (Not saying that I know this to be true or untrue of any models). The Helix7 G2 doesn’t have them, but I know a lot of people also really liked the programmable hot key buttons on the side of the units as well, so buttons aren’t all bad!

If you like the touchscreen then that’s awesome. I’d bet they’ll soon be the industry standard for multiple reasons as tech progresses. That’s what’s so great about having multiple companies competing for our dollars, we get to vote who’s doing the best job and what features we really like!

Flip phones weren’t so bad either to be honest. People sure texted me a lot less when it was t-9, which gave me more time to fish!

I’ve had the Helix 7 G2SI for a few years now. Used it for both summer and winter and haven’t had any issues with it. For the couple hundred bucks I paid for it it’s been excellent in my opinion.

What kinds of problems have you had with yours? I typically prefer buttons vs. touch screens, but ALWAYS prefer the better of the two products.

I was wondering about the Simms insulated challenger jacket. I have the bibs which I got because they are less bulky. So far I like them. The knees have good pads, they aren’t as warm as my old ice armor bibs were, but still good. I dislike that the main zipper only goes top down instead of both ways. And wish there were some zippered chest pockets. BUUUUT, I still like them. I would, however, prefer my jacket to be more on the warm side and possibly modular. Sounds like the striker climate does those things. What do you think about the Simms jacket in that regard?

Hahaha, I know, it doesn’t seem like it should be, but anything with carburetors scares most modern mechanics. I’m trying to find a shop with guys who are the “real deal” and have plenty of experience in this area.

Thanks for recommendations! I’ll give them a call and see what they have to say.

If you’re ok with a tiny bit of DIY, get something like this waterproof warm white 12V LED light strip and then cut/extend the power wires to be as long as you want and put some alligator clips (or power connector of your choice) on them.

Snake them around any pole for temporary placement or zip tie them to a pole for permanent placement. Easy on battery life since they are LED and the warm white really makes it feel cozy in your house vs the harsh white of most LED lights.

Can’t remember if this was the exact ones that I bought but it’s close and that was 5ish years ago. https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/201341/FLX-10102.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAsNKQBhAPEiwAB-I5zdb2Gvvez7eieG8gqvuxmefPNTzRZ9kzOciAvH_OuSngUTYIBwGfIBoCsEIQAvD_BwE

Hey All,

Just wanted to follow-up on this. I decided to get the Simms bibs and so far have been pretty happy with them. They have good kneepads in them, have kept me warm in zero degrees with a stiff wind and are a little less bulky than some other brands which is what drew me to them in the first place.

Things I don’t like. No two way zippers, so you have to fully unzip from the top to relieve yourself. Also unable to unzip the legs from the top to cool down. Could use some more zippered pockets on the front. Not a fan of the whole gaiter thing happening around the ankles. This seems to be the new thing with all bibs though, so not necessarily a Simms specific issue. I just don’t like having a built in gaiter.

All in all, I’m happy with my choice. Now we’ll have to see if these can last 10 years like my Ice Armor bibs did!

I think Grizzlyhackle answered my question indirectly by saying, “I just wear a set of thermals and a pair of fleece sweatpants underneath them…”

I’d rather not have to worry about what pants I’m wearing when I go out, so sounds like the Challenger Insulated Bibs are more for the 30/40 degree F temp range.

Let me know if I’m interpreting that wrong! Also, if you’re someone who finds themselves getting cold easily, let me know, as I’m just a little bit more on the opposite end of that spectrum.

Thanks!

Hey All,

Appreciate the clarifying questions. There’s a very real chance it won’t happen this year but the lakes will still be there in a year or even the next! We’d probably prefer cabins vs camping but definitely don’t need to be in a luxury resort by any means. If the fishing were good enough we would sleep in the boats!

Walleyes would be the main quarry but pike, bass and muskie are always fun too!

The reason I’m posting the question here is that we’ve gone on a few trips the last 5-10 years and just haven’t had one of those days where we really slayed em.

Appreciate all the insight, suggestions, and jokes!

A great thread going here, I thought I would just add a little general cooking knowledge that I think all of these recopies could benefit from.

#1. Temperature is king for frying fish. Too high of a temperature and the coating will burn before the fish is done, but too low of a temperature and the fish will boil in it’s own liquids and get mushy + soak up too much grease. 350-375 degrees F is a good temp. I generally try to error on the high end before I drop my fillets in so that the reduction in temp leaves me right around that golden zone. A thermometer can be super handy for a few sessions until you get your stove/burner dialed in.

#2. If pan frying, use a good heavy carbon steel or cast iron pan. The reason that the fish usually comes out better in these is because they have a higher heat capacity which will help you to keep the oil at the right cooking temperature when dropping in a few cold fillets at a time. Low cooking temps will result in the fish not frying properly.

#3. Cooking Time: This one depends big time on the thickness of the fillets, but the fish really shouldn’t spend more than just a couple minutes on each side. If you have a big chunk of northern or something that you think isn’t quite done? Pop it into a preheated oven at 350 F for a couple minutes more to cook the internals all the way through.

#4. Oil/Butter: There are a number of different oils that you can try out! Each has it’s own specific smoke point and flavor profiles. I would recommend trying out a few different ones to find your favorite. One thing that I have found to be good is to use a mix of butter AND oil. I try to get a 2-1 or 3-1 ratio of oil to butter. The flavor of browned butter really adds a lot to the final taste in my opinion.

Hope this helps you all get that perfect fillet more often! Happy cooking!

Just an update to finish off this thread:

I called:
Cabela’s – Carry Eskimo, but not the separate auger bits.
Fleet Farm – Carry Eskimo, but not the separate auger bits.
Joe’s Sporting Goods – Carry Eskimo as well as separate auger bits!

Thanks for the tips! Hopefully this will help someone else in the future.

Hey Munchy,

I’m assuming that you’re referring to Reeds up by Mille Lacs or Leech? I haven’t checked there yet as I’m located in the Metro area, although it might be an option considering that I’m headed up to LOTW.

I think it’s along the lines of what Woody said. There are two ways that augers get gas, through the primer bulb which pushes gas straight into the carb mouth, and through the main jet(a tiny pinhole in the carburetor throat) which relies on air intake to lower the pressure in the carb throat enough to pull gas into the engine. This pinhole can get plugged super easily on these small engines and can be difficult to get into and clear since the passageways are so small.

I would guess that either the carb is plugged somewhere, OR it could be getting too much gas through the primer (happened to my Mako), and when you put the choke on, you’re actually preventing some of that excess gas from getting into the engine and keeping the air to gas ratio at a combustible mixture.

I would recommend changing out the whole carb. The carb seal&gasket kit is almost as much as a totally brand new carb and unless you really enjoy messing around with carb cleaner it’s worth it to spend $10 extra bucks for a brand new one. I typically recommend buying from the manufacturer because then you’ll have their customer service if something goes wrong http://www.geteskimo.com/search?q=300428 but if you are a risk taker you could save a few bucks https://www.ebay.com/i/121935783841?chn=ps .

It’s rumored that next years phones will be accurate up to 30cm…..so it’s going to get super accurate.

That being ignored, I’m typically looking for the most accurate map that I can possibly get, more than I am the difference in the units ability to locate me a few feet this way or that way. Fish roam, their brains are pretty small, so IMO, knowing the contours of a structure that will tend to congregate them is the most important piece of the puzzle.

I use an old Lowrance HDS7-CHIRP unit with a lakemaster chip that seems to put me exactly on the spot if you are interested in a unit that you can use summer and winter. The processor seems a bit under powered though.

Hey Luke,

I Have a Mako and had issues with the engine not running well, and bogging down, and gas leaking all over the place, EVEN THOUGH I ran fuel stabilizer through it and then emptied the tank and ran the carb out of gas for the summer months. I’m pretty familiar with small engine carbs and they are fickle beasts, so when I saw that the carb kits were almost as expensive as brand new carb, I just bought a whole new carb(time is money after all).

After install and upon starting, it still wasn’t running great. I took off the air filter and noticed that at full throttle, the opening for the carb into the engine was only at about 3/4 open, so I adjusted the cable by screwing out the cable connection(gold color) till the opening was fully open at full trigger squeeze which made it run MUCH faster at top speed. I then looked at the side and noticed that the little silver screw above the place where the cable connects wasn’t even touching the piece that rotates. Screwing that screw IN will increase the amount of air+gas that the engine gets at idol, so if your engine is sputtering, and you have to play with the throttle to keep it going, try screwing that in/out.

As far as gas mixture goes, everyone says to use their own preferred mix of special gas and ratio of oil, I can only imagine that helps, but it’s a dangerous game to use less oil than manufacturers recommend, as that’s the only thing keeping the engine running smoothly. Give it a try, but make sure you measure accurately! I’ve always just used regular gas and the special auger oil, I think it’s supposed to smoke less.

Good Luck! Feel free to send me a message if you want any tips with anything.

One good and cheap way to keep the camera directed where you want it is to take a short piece of wood, put three/four screws in the center close together about halfway into the board, and then weave the camera cord between them so that it’s held snugly. Then just set the piece of wood across the hole and give it a quarter turn to turn the camera 90 degrees left or right. Easy and obvious directional conroll.

Also, does the 5+ or any camera have an interchangeable battery pack?

Hahah, better get new Wheaties power pack.

Honestly, if you haven’t tried to use a hand auger in the last 10 years I would seriously entertain the idea. They never run out of battery, they are low cost, they are super light, and a reasonably sharp one will fly through the ice with minimal effort.(like any auger, the pitch and sharpness of the blades is critical)

People probably avoid them because they tried to cut a hole once with an old crappy dull auger and it put a bad taste in their mouth, but they really cut quite well.

Combining comfort and mobility are the two biggest things that have really made the hard water season soooo much more fun for me, with that in mind I think that I’ll never go again without:

1. Great boots – I have been using the Artic Pro from Muck Boots and holy smokes are they awesome. They are expensive, but I’ve been wearing them hard for two years now and will never go back.

2. Ice fishing specific winter suit – I think you can use a number of different brands for this, but I can guarantee you that these make a HUGE difference. It’s like wearing your ice house. 100X better than your run of the mill ski jacket and snowpants from 1994.

3. Gear – You can write a book on your favorite gear and why, but if we are talking about specific fun/cool gear to have, the underwater cameras like the aqua-view have been a blast and have really taught me a lot about the lake, the fish, my lure’s action, triggering techniques, and of course, it’s just so cool to watch the fish swim around! I also like to use high quality rods and reels, because, they. just. work. all. the. time. and look great too!

Anyone have any specific rods they are in love with for Walleye or Crappie or Pike even?

Hey Doug,

That’s exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to know. Are there large currents sweeping through the main lake? Are there springs? Aka, any reason the ice wouldn’t form like normal. (outside of the fact that its more water to cool down)

Hey Evan,

What were you using to measure the draw on your Hummingbird? With the ice season about to start I wouldn’t mind testing my Lowrance HDS7. I used it last year and it was fun and worked great (especially the GPS+chip which was a game changer) but I would love to know what kind of setting will help my battery to last the longest.

Also, lets get out and fish soon.