New to hardwater fishing

[Grmpy]

first year doing hardwater, getting a shelter,have a hand auger (thinking i'll buy a gas powered after christmas). i dont have a snowmobile or quad anymore, sold those and bought a boat. but im wondering how much snow on average is on the lakes, if you cant drive on them do you guys use snow shoes or anything for walking out hauling your gear on a sled? or is it generally not an issue just in boots?

[dutchpirate]

Welcome to hard water! There are so many variables with respect to snow cover, lake access, etc. The conditions present when you set out can also be very different from when you return. It's difficult to give specific answers to your questions. At best I can suggest going with someone else first and see how they handle it.

[PlayDoh]

At the beginning and end of the of the season, it’s walk on only anyways. I have a couple of the sleds from CT that do the trick. Get the big one first, not like me, lol. Yet I have so much crap I need to use both like a train.
A Big Buddy heater would be my next buy after the sled. If your after lake trout a flasher is a must, and quite helpful for everything else. A camera will teach you so much, yet don’t expect the conditions to allow you to always use it.
Put the things you’ll need on your wish list on the CT website/app and you’ll get sale alerts. Keep an eye on the classifieds here, and Kijiji.
I got a gas auger, yet to be honest I could easily live without it. Consider the cordless drill adapter type augers. I have no experience with them, but seen a few ppl use them.
I’d suggest a Jaw-Jacker, a round type tip up, cleats for boots, a good headlamp or 2, a mat for tent floor, good boots and snow pants, water resistant a definite bonus. I got some wicked Baffin insulated rubber boots off one of those Facebook garage sale/marketplace. Seen them on there fairly often.
I use 10-15 pound braid, with a 12” fluorocarbon leader. The braid will ice up at times, so I have another rod with just fluorocarbon.
Hit the Fishin Hole and get help with lures and tackle for what your after. You can also get some info on conditions and such at lakes in AB.
Most important things are safety, and comfort. I almost never blaze trail on quad or truck, and if I do I drill tons of holes to test. And in all honesty I feel like nobody should ever really drive on ice. My local lake has consistent ice where we all drive and there’s trucks driving on it daily, so it’s trust worthy.

[PlayDoh]

Oh, and I’d recommend an insulated shelter. I got an Eskimo Quickfish 3i and it’s perfect for my needs. I’ve had 3 in it, and 2 is fine and alone it’s just right.
If your going to be fishing with 3 or more in any kind of frequency, get a 5 or up.
Flip-ups are nice, but I find them too heavy, and a bit of a hassle setting up. It’s more often than not, real windy, so the the insulated shelter is the only type that won’t drive me nuts with noise, freeze me out, or make me securing things more than fishing.

[RACKER]

Welcome to the hardwater!Its best to get a sled first.Costco had some on sale awhile ago.Talk to the locals and make sure the ice is safe before you ever venture out!Good boots are a must and be sure to invest in some ice cleats as first ice is usually very slippery.Most fisherman have the essential tackle and hooks but in my experience it is nice to carry lighter loads so I cut back on taking the big tackle box and condense the species im after into a smaller one.Having a tent is nice but there are so many options and opinions so pick one thats suits you and one you can afford.For sure get ice pegs as Ive seen lots of tents go for a roll down the ice.

[Grmpy]

Thanks for the tips, I'm already looking at the sleds as I know I will have lots of gear to pull. And I also have a helix 5 but unfortunately doesn't have a flasher mode so I'm going to try just getting the ice transducer and using the sonar, another fish finder isn't in the budget this winter i don't think lol a 5 man insulated tent is on the top of my Christmas list for us and the dog.

[Off in the Bushes]

The more comfortable you are on the ice the more you are going to want to be out there. Invest in quality gear, adopt the buy once, cry once mentality and you are not going to be wishing you have this or that. It really sucks hole hopping with a manual auger when the ice is 3 ft deep thats a lot of twisting especially if you are using an 8" auger. As for going on the ice if you are driving on the ice why put the ice hut up sit in the vehicle and stay warm. If you are using a heater in the shack be cognitive of carbon monoxide poisoning and the symptoms. Don't wear a seat belt if you are driving on ice.