What New Ice Fishing Gear Has You Excited for This Season?

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

I'm curious about FrostBite's rods and may pick one up to try. I've heard a few different versions of who is making them but all are reputable. The Dinner Bells have been good so far, but nothing to get excited about. I mean they work great. But I don't feel like they're doing anything I couldn't accomplish with any of the other myriad flutter spoons out there tbh.

I was thinking the same about the Dinner Bells. The first day I tried them the Walleyes were hammering them, they took them deep (not tipped with minnow head). Tried a bunch of other lures (slender spoon as well) after I lost the only two med sizes DB I had, I could see them on the flasher come up for a look and back down to the bottom they would go.

Was back out on the 1st and had good luck with a lure that Trapper Gord was selling, can't remember the name of it but line can hook to the front of the spoon or in middle. Has a treble belly hook and a single tail hook with a glow bead on it.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Was back out on the 1st and had good luck with a lure that Trapper Gord was selling, can't remember the name of it but line can hook to the front of the spoon or in middle. Has a treble belly hook and a single tail hook with a glow bead on it.

Was that the Mack’s Lure Sonic Baitfish? Sounds similar. I’ve used them quite a bit for lake trout and walleye.

SS

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Was back out on the 1st and had good luck with a lure that Trapper Gord was selling, can't remember the name of it but line can hook to the front of the spoon or in middle. Has a treble belly hook and a single tail hook with a glow bead on it.

It's a Freedom Tackle Minnow Spoon most likely, and it's a must have in your tackle box IMO. It's about the only flutter spoon that darts out to the side more on the lift than the fall. Just like the newly-released Dinner Bells, it's something the fish haven't seen. And it's unique action is killer on neutral to active fish during the daytime.

[JohnB]

Yes it's the Freedom. I need to see if Gordy still has them at the store next time I go by.

[Curtsyneil]

If your interested in supporting a bunch of young guys making really good fishing products then I would buy a frostbite rod!!!

[AlbertanGP]

I'll support anyone making good fishing products, whether they are young or old. What I won't do is fall for a bunch of social media marketing hype. Besides, Alex Peric is annoying as Hell to watch on YouTube. He makes me *not* want to buy FB products.

[Curtsyneil]

Fb makes good fishing rods I own 4 of them there great!!

[Reign_Man]

Got my first fish flasher and used it yesterday at Burnstick Lake. It doesn't guarantee I catch fish I'm sure enjoying it though. Adds a new dimension to my ice fishing

[58thecat]

Just bought a pelican 75, cover and tow hitch.
Sled came with the screw on the bottom runners too!!!
Much more space then my pelican 60 which after 15 years wore through the bottom!


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[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Reign_Man

Got my first fish flasher and used it yesterday at Burnstick Lake. It doesn't guarantee I catch fish I'm sure enjoying it though. Adds a new dimension to my ice fishing

It takes a lot of the boredom out of ice fishing to at least know something is actually down there.

[trophyhunter]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Just bought a pelican 75, cover and tow hitch.
Sled came with the screw on the bottom runners too!!!
Much more space then my pelican 60 which after 15 years wore through the bottom!


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What’s your opinion on quality/durability after setup? I’m assuming this is the package Costco is offering?


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[SamSteele]

Picked one of these up on sale today. Hoping to try it out for lakers soon.

SS

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

Picked one of these up on sale today. Hoping to try it out for lakers soon.

SS

Let us know your thoughts after you try it. I'd think I would stick with the butter smooth drag on the Stradics/Vanfords for lakers. But I have seen guys rig inlines for big fish online...maybe they're on to something.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Let us know your thoughts after you try it. I'd think I would stick with the butter smooth drag on the Stradics/Vanfords for lakers. But I have seen guys rig inlines for big fish online...maybe they're on to something.

Yeah, we will see. I thought it may be nice for working the water column, rather than flipping a bail.

SS

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

Yeah, we will see. I thought it may be nice for working the water column, rather than flipping a bail.

SS

That's the advantage I was thinking it may hold.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by trophyhunter

What’s your opinion on quality/durability after setup? I’m assuming this is the package Costco is offering?


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Well it took under 30 minutes to assemble the tow hitch assembly and connect it to the sled, I also ensured all the screws holding the runners in place were tightened too.

Dragged it around the yard and it all worked as advertised but have yet to load it up and drag it out in the ice. Seems very well built and strong.

I know the little pelican 60 was and still is a tuff bugger so I can only hope this one will be too.

Just when two of us go out we have a lot of gear and some goes on the quad but now I can just put it all in the sled and not be so selective in packing etc.

[Soiler]

Picked up the Eskimo 850HD on Boxing Day for the cold snap and I love it. Fished some -40 mornings in the last 2 weeks and it made a big difference. It’s heavier to carry but the tripless door is the cats ass.

[steam26]

Recently bought a Thunderbay IceCube for occasional use. Given the price (really budget!), I'm impressed. Had it on the water perhaps 10 times, in 25 MPH winds on one occasion. It's in as-new condition, except for a little fabric damage on that windy day, where I left the doors open/flapping for hours. The screws are very good.

[AlbertanGP]

So I returned the Cabela's tackle bag I picked up on Page 6 of this thread...sorta...the son wanted it. It was just too big for me, and was for 3700 series Plano tackle trays instead of 3600 series trays. He can spend his lifetime filling it up now.

After looking online for a long time, I finally came up with something to replace my six tray Flambeau AZ6. I wound up with the Plano Soft Crate. It says it holds nine 3600 series trays, but I'm thinking eight and two 3700's is how I will use it. It's designed for kayak fishermen and uses a standard milk crate for a frame...it's actually reasonably sturdy without it. For ice fishing it has an added bonus. You can run it in a milk crate until you get out to your spot and then pop it out of the crate, flip the crate upside down on the ice, and use it to set your Buddy Heater or electronics on. It's really quite versatile, and there are some reviews of it online if you want to see how it rigs out.

[AlbertanGP]

Three more Tuned Up Custom Rods finally showed up today. Just for reference, I ordered these on November 15...before the season even started. They were shipped from TUCR on December 22. Looking forward to trying them out when I get back from my Cold Lake trip.

[Georgias daddy]

TGpG

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Three more Tuned Up Custom Rods finally showed up today. Just for reference, I ordered these on November 15...before the season even started. They were shipped from TUCR on December 22. Looking forward to trying them out when I get back from my Cold Lake trip.

Precision noodle in there?

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

Precision noodle in there?

Replacement Commander (broke last season...incredible warranty), Power Precision, and Deadstick.

I bought an AquaVu QuadHD and Micro Revolution Pro earlier this season telling myself this was going to be the season I started chasing perch, but the trout have been more reliable for me to date. So no Precision Noodle, although I do have a TUCR Fusion and other rods comparable to the Precision Noodle. I think I'll order a Lake Trout Precision this summer and that should about wrap up TUCR for me. I'll have all their "Predator" rods except the Vulcan.

I will say that Deadstick rod and the technique it has been designed for has been absolutely lights out for trout so far. It's like a Jaw Jacker that never misses in combination with the LiveScope.

[Lambo]

https://imgur.com/8JkbRnz
https://imgur.com/8dZjHyP

[Lambo]

https://imgur.com/0cLZlSE
https://imgur.com/TFuDtPY
https://imgur.com/BVcDYu0
https://imgur.com/LED1dFh
https://imgur.com/2FRamsH
sorry, forgot how to insert pictures right into post

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Let us know your thoughts after you try it. I'd think I would stick with the butter smooth drag on the Stradics/Vanfords for lakers. But I have seen guys rig inlines for big fish online...maybe they're on to something.

So I’ve had a few trips using this reel for walleye and one trip for lakers. I have the reel spooled up with ice braid. I like it quite a bit for inside the tent/shack as you can free fall it without issue. You do need to kind of “feather” the drop with a finger on the spool so it doesn’t overspin. I was using 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz baits for lakers.

It doesn’t do very well outdoors with ice braid. I haven’t tried it with mono or fluoro, but it tends to freeze up on the spool so you need to pull the line out by hand which defeats the purpose of the Freefall design.

I will say that the drag works quite well. We caught 28” inch walleye, 36” inch pike, and 30” inch lake trout with it and no issues with the drag. Seems smooth.

Hope that helps for others considering them.

SS

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

So I’ve had a few trips using this reel for walleye and one trip for lakers. I have the reel spooled up with ice braid. I like it quite a bit for inside the tent/shack as you can free fall it without issue. You do need to kind of “feather” the drop with a finger on the spool so it doesn’t overspin. I was using 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz baits for lakers.

It doesn’t do very well outdoors with ice braid. I haven’t tried it with mono or fluoro, but it tends to freeze up on the spool so you need to pull the line out by hand which defeats the purpose of the Freefall design.

I will say that the drag works quite well. We caught 28” inch walleye, 36” inch pike, and 30” inch lake trout with it and no issues with the drag. Seems smooth.

Hope that helps for others considering them.

SS

Good to know. I've had one of my Trick Shop Black Betty FreeFall's spools damaged in my rod case somehow. They're ok, but if I could do it over again I'd just keep buying Stradics/Vanfords, especially with the Vanford in a 500 series now. I do wish they'd go back to the folding handles like the CI4+ though. It's only a matter of time before I lose the handle to a $350 reel.

FWIW, my 2500 Vanford with braid was icing up last time out at Cold Lake as well. I think that's a function of the line more than the reel.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

FWIW, my 2500 Vanford with braid was icing up last time out at Cold Lake as well. I think that's a function of the line more than the reel.

I agree, it is the line that causes that however I did notice the trigger freezing open as well. Maybe that’s because of the water coming off the line. I was thinking of trying the Suffix 131 as it’s apparently more hydrophobic than most braids but it’s hard to find and pretty pricey as well.

[Frank_NK28]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

I agree, it is the line that causes that however I did notice the trigger freezing open as well. Maybe that’s because of the water coming off the line. I was thinking of trying the Suffix 131 as it’s apparently more hydrophobic than most braids but it’s hard to find and pretty pricey as well.

So far the best braid I've found for ice fishing is the about the least expensive you can buy...Fireline Crystal. It doesn't seem to absorb as much water as most braids including ice braids do. I bought three Quantum Pulse solid carbon casting ice combos last year on sale to try out. I ended up selling all my spinning outfits and ordering 5 more of the Quantums when they went on sale. The drags are ultra smooth and quiet, you don't suffer line memory like you do with spinning reels and there is no more flipping frozen bails by hand. The only part that has frozen so far is the guide on the level wind where the line passes through and it only takes a second to free it when it does. I now have 4-36"M, 1-28"M, 4-28"MH and two 42"H and all are spooled with braid. The 42's are awesome for jigging for Lakers and Pike with big baits. Oh and the reason I have so many is my wife reels right handed and has difficulty working a lefty so I ordered right handed for her and lefties for me.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Frank_NK28

So far the best braid I've found for ice fishing is the about the least expensive you can buy...Fireline Crystal. It doesn't seem to absorb as much water as most braids including ice braids do. I bought three Quantum Pulse solid carbon casting ice combos last year on sale to try out. I ended up selling all my spinning outfits and ordering 5 more of the Quantums when they went on sale. The drags are ultra smooth and quiet, you don't suffer line memory like you do with spinning reels and there is no more flipping frozen bails by hand. The only part that has frozen so far is the guide on the level wind where the line passes through and it only takes a second to free it when it does. I now have 4-36"M, 1-28"M, 4-28"MH and two 42"H and all are spooled with braid. The 42's are awesome for jigging for Lakers and Pike with big baits. Oh and the reason I have so many is my wife reels right handed and has difficulty working a lefty so I ordered right handed for her and lefties for me.

My justification for the Vanfords is that I pull them off the ice rods and use them in the Summer as well. I do have a couple of baitcasters I use in the summer. But I can't cast for #$%^ with them and can't be bothered to learn. I do agree they are good reels with good drags, and especially well suited to heavier rods for big pike and lakers.