B-man wrote:

I’ve tried them all, owned a few.

My current favorite is the Pistol Bit.

The blades hold an edge a lot longer than Lazer blades, and it doesn’t use up as much battery power as the K-drill (and it’s faster than the K-drill)

Haven’t tried the 2.0 yet, but I like the idea of a center pin (probably makes it safer to use)

Side note, I lost my cover last season and just replaced it with a Cold Snap. That thing is awesome! It took a short learning curve where to place the blades while snapping it down, but I’ll never go back to a bungee one.

If your PB is an 8″, they had a centering point before the 2.0. I think only the very first version of the PB 8″ did not have a centering point (must be what you’re running). The new element of the 2.0 is the Turbo blades.

The gas station right off 94 in Valley City has good minnows (fatheads). Used to be a Tesoro, but I think it is a Love’s now.

Depends where you go, but places I’ve fished have been 7-10″ of good ice

MH wrote:

How much snow do you guys have on the Lakes up there today(12/24/24)?

Little to none

MH wrote:

I did notice that some snow hit yesterday up there which is probably not the best scenario right before it going to get really cold but with low temperatures at or below zero like they’re supposed to be the next few days up there I don’t think it will hurt it that much depending on how much snow actually came down and if it was heavy snow? Thanks in advance for any update!

We only got about 3″ of snow

For anyone wondering, I emailed Norsk about trying to reset the BMS on the battery and was told that only their new batteries that just came out or are coming out have BMS. Any batteries prior to the 24/25 models did not.

Vexilar brand is the only lithium battery I have seen that has the fuse right on the battery terminal like that. Must be a Vex thing

Yep, no complaints here about their customer service! It was out of warranty too.

I plan to try to reset the BMS and see if I can perhaps resurrect the old one.

I probably should have started there . In my head with it being lithium I thought it would be trickier and was looking for advice from someone that had disposed of one before.

It’s a Norsk battery. They are sending me a new one. Asked them if they wanted the faulty one back (hoping they would say yes so I could get rid of it), but they said no.

I am in Eau Claire, WI

Reed’s is great, but their website… not so much. You could call and ask for Justin in the fishing dept – he’ll get you taken care of.

Reed’s has the Vexilar brand 12v 9ah lithium battery and charger on sale right now for $59.99. Otherwise I would recommend Amped. Great customer service, reasonably priced, and 5 year warranty.

B-man wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
Does it absolutely need to be a float suit? The floaty stuff is what makes them bulky and stiff

Doesn’t have to be.

If floatation is not a must, tough to beat the Simms insulated Challenger suit

Striker Apex is by far the best float suit I’ve seen that offers the best of both worlds – very flexible/not bulky/lightweight and very warm.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bigcrappie wrote:</div>
Chinese junk…….

That Piscifun rod looks interesting.

I have had excellent luck with every one of the reels I have bought from them. I actually gave a black betty free fall to a buddy because the piscifun was night and day better. Smoother, quieter, stronger drag etc. No complaints on the reels. I have not bought a rod however.

I’ve had similar experience with their reels. Both the inline and Carbon X. I do not own any of their rods so I can’t speak to that.

Beast wrote:

still debating between the E40 and the Ion plus , both with composite flights, thoughts guys>

Thorne Bros has the E40 composite 8″ on sale for $495. Using the code DW2024 gets it down to $396 plus free shipping. To me the price difference makes it an easy decision.

I’ve owned an Eskimo Shark Z51, original Ion, Ion G2, Strikemaster Lite Flite, Pistol Bit, and the E40. The E40 is without a doubt the best auger I’ve had. I’ve kept the E40 and the Pistol Bit – all I can imagine ever needing.

*I should have included that the E40 I have is the 8″ composite model

Cyclone41 wrote:

Just pulled the trigger on a MAGS rod. I was debating the TUCR fusion or a MAGS and the price made the decision for me.

You won’t be disappointed. Pat’s rods are among the best out there.

Update – customer service replied after 2 days and my glasses showed up a few days later. Just wish you received an email when they ship.

For those of you that placed orders with RLVNT, how long did it take to receive your sunglasses? I placed an order on 11/24 and haven’t heard anything aside from the order confirmation. I emailed their customer service, but have not received a reply yet.

Might be time to get back to the original question – how is da ice looking up nort Wisconsin, der hey?

bullcans wrote:

Great, honest report as I was on the fence for one of these or a Blackfish Gale. You just helped me decide.
Thx Jon

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jon Jordan wrote:</div>

Here is my review after a week of using this pull over. Mostly walking the dog in 25-35 degree temps and putzing around in the garage.

Size XL runs smaller compared to an IDO or Carhart hoodie. No room to layer up. There is no stretch in this pull over. Probably would have been happier with a 2XL (6 foot 200 lbs guy here who does not own any 2XL)

Since there is no room to add layers, this pull over is not that warm. Even on an 2-3 mile hikes in 25-30 degree temps, still a little chilly for me. Will not be using this on the ice for sure.

This is a quality made product with a lot of nice features. Very comfy. I expect to get a lot of use out of this March/April/May.

For $99 bucks, it is a nice pull over. At full retail, I’d probably take a pass.

-J.

[/quote]

I have both. The BF Gale gets my vote

Or Norsk. All orders thru them ship free

At least on the Amped website, they are very clear that should not use the LiFePO4 chargers on the NMC batteries and vice versa.

Charging: All Amped Outdoors NMC batteries must be charged with supplied 16.8V Charger. Using any other charger could cause damage to the battery. Do not use ANY Amped Outdoors charger on a battery without a BMS such as SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries

For Amped Outdoors 14.8V Batteries Only! Do not use with 12.8V LiFePO4 batteries or 11.1v NMC batteries.

tim hurley wrote:

Saw the cover at Joes, they said right now they are only available for the 10”

I got an 8″ from Scheels

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>eyeguy507 wrote:</div>
Someone say sauna?

That’s the strangest pic I’ve ever seen kahbib in

I was thinking the exact same thing!

SDfisher44 wrote:

Shoot, the 25% off must have been a black Friday only? I missed this until today.

Sale is back on at FishUSA. Hurry

SDfisher44 wrote:

Shoot, the 25% off must have been a black Friday only? I missed this until today.

Yes, it was a flash sale.

What size auger flight do you plan to use?

Thanks much for the input and first hand knowledge, guys. Very helpful. And a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Specific machine is a Can Am HD10 with full cab and Apache LT 360 tracks. Mainly fish west central and northern WI.

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