Expensive, but worth every penny. Your thoughts?

[Ihawkangler]

Sorting through my gear in preparation for the ice season that is now upon us afforded me the opportunity to reflect on gear purchases good and bad.  My first ice fishing trip consisted of borrowing a friend's auger and buying a $5.99 schoolie rod and a couple of jigs.  After working up a sweat on a local pond while barely shaving the ice, a fellow fisherman came out of his hut to look at my auger.  He informed that it did not have any blades.  He brought his over and drilled a couple of holes and I sat on a bucket in a 20 mph with single digit temps with no clue what I was doing.  The hole, eyelets, line and my hands were frozen in minutes.  I packed my stuff up and headed off wondering who in their right mind thinks this is fun?

That unproductive first ice experience 5 years ago taught me two important lessons.  # 1:  You need the right gear.   #2 There is unique bond shared between ice fisherman / women that makes the sport unique.  Clearly this first experience did not deter me.  I watched countless hours of You Tube videos and asked lots of dumb questions to anyone I saw in the ice fishing section at Scheel' and of course started to address # 1.

Beyond the obvious answers like hut, flasher, and heater, what have you purchased that is worth it's weight in gold.  The axiom "You get what you pay for" always rings true, but being "frugal" I usually hose myself a few times per year.    Here are a couple of items that I struggled to pull the trigger on, but would not be without today.     

Gas Auger:  I had very little success years 1-2 because I had a manual auger and wasn't a fan of drilling a ton of holes and moving.  I tended to drill a couple holes and watch an empty flasher screen.   

Khatoola Spikes:  I tried every under ten dollars pair of spikes on the market and none kept me from slipping and sliding.  On a trip to Clear Lake when it was glaze ice, I literally could not take 5 steps without slipping / falling.   My friend had a pair of Khatoolas and walked across the lake without any problems.  I had a pair of Khatoolas the next day.  They are pricey and a great item to look for on sale late season, but they do the job. 

[Buckshots]

A good pair of boots.

[Dave R]

A good pair of boots.

X2...........if my feet get cold, I'm done.

[Qceskimo]

Boots and gloves will make or break your time out there.  I'm a big fan of the neck warmers that can go over your nose and mouth.  Helps when it's windy or if the guy your fishing with has bad breath.

[Joe Wayne]

1: Clam Drill Plate - Turns my Nills 8" into a "hole popping" machine! Plus, if/when the batteries run out, i've still got the handle for some manual labor.

2: "Smitty" Sled - After all of the gear I've accumulated over the years and "can't live w/o it". Nothing is more of a chore than dragging an otter sled 100+ yards with all of that friction. The "Smitty" makes that work a breeze.

I could go on but that is probably the two most important things.

[Ice Scratcher]

Lead depth sounder, 32 years old, been with me through all of it...

If you like big gills, the right 1 or 2lb line can make all the difference..

Some days you can use everything and catch nothing, other days you can use anything and catch everything..

<°)))>{

[river rat78]

I would have to say my suit and boots. It's the difference between fishing 2 hours and 8.

[Central Iowa]

A good pair of boots.

I could not agree more!

[Ihawkangler]

Good feedback.   Maybe I should have titled this "What boots are you wearing?"   No doubt if your feet get cold, you are not long for the ice.  The best boots I have found are the Army surplus Mickey boots.  I added some of the thermal insoles from Theisen's for 7.9 9 per pair and they do a good job.    The Mickey boots are $20-$30 bucks vs. $150 for Sorels, etc. 

What boots are you wearing?

[Dave R]

Cabela's Trans Alaskan III Pac Boot. I'm 67 years old and these are the warmest boots that I've ever worn. I was fortunate to catch them on sale earlier in the year.

[dwmiller]

Trans Alaska's x 2. Good clothing is a must!!!

[Fedexguy]

I get by with my UA drop tine hunting boots (1600 gm thinsulate), but I'm fortunate that my feet don't normally get cold. One thing I've learned over the years is to have a GREAT rod in my hand. Bite detection has improved my catch ratio by nearly double. Oh and the occasional BUD LIGHT 

[Ihawkangler]

I was on board with the quality rod part, but jumped off at Bud Light.  Will fish bite if you are drinking that stuff?   Just kidding.

Good call on the quality rod.  I should have thrown spring bobber in my original list.  It is difficult to convey how lite the bite can be to first timers who expect the rod tip to bend.  The St. Croix bobber revolutionized my ice fishing and I don't leave home without the Clam spring bobbers.   IMO, the Clam spring bobbers are by far the best.

[hardwater diehard]

Clothing in general ...with the advancement in base layers , boots technology and the R&D of ice suits ..it keep you out there and on the move in the harshest conditions and are lighter and much more advanced then their predecessors. 

[graybeard1]

 Switched my 6" lazer hand auger to a Dewalt drill and clam drill plate. Lot easier than dragging my 8" gas auger around. Next to hut, flasher and heater that's been by far my best investment. As long as I've got a floor mat or carpet under my feet, my regular Irish Setter hunting boots work just fine.

[squ1rr31_]

I picked up a 6" Nils this year from FishUSA and got to test it out last weekend. WOW. 6" of ice or so drilled in seconds, and I wasn't even out of breath, haha. I'm definitely happy I picked one of these up. With the upcoming temps I don't know that we'll need power augers for a bit...

[potatoe]

I started with some gear that was given to me, almost the same experience could barley drill a hole

New pole and reel - the one I had was super stiff could not detect bites - I ended up with a meat stick

new auger - the K-drill and Milwaukee drill is incredible

[iceman1267]

  My Striker Ice float suit, I don't fish ice less than 4 inches but that added insurance makes early and late ice a lot better.

[Joe Wayne]

I picked up a 6" Nils this year from FishUSA and got to test it out last weekend. WOW. 6" of ice or so drilled in seconds, and I wasn't even out of breath, haha. I'm definitely happy I picked one of these up. With the upcoming temps I don't know that we'll need power augers for a bit...

Check out the Clam Plate drill adapter on that Nils. You'll need the adapter that goes with it. (http://www.ebay.com/p/Clam-Plate-Adapter-to-Nils-Ice-Auger/1254072021) Your life will never be the same.

[Ihawkangler]

Nice set up.  I am anxious to try my K-Drill / Milwaukee Fuel combo out.  Since it encompasses my birthday, Christmas and next 5 anniversaries, I hope it works as advertised.  My wife mentioned something about hoping I like it because I may be sleeping with it on the couch, but I was too busy reading the manual to pay attention.   

Fortunately my wife supports my love / mild addiction to ice fishing.  I have not pondered whether she really "supports" me, or is happy to have me out of the house and likes fish dinners.   I have only had one nightmare about the K-Drill being used on me while sleeping. 

[Unclegillhunter]

I have some nice stuff, took me years to get what I have. The one thing I have figured out is if you are looking at a particular item don't settle for a cheaper version thinking that it should be just as good as the one you want. It never works out.
Keep it safe! JDL

[Mr.Seaguar]

I have some nice stuff, took me years to get what I have. The one thing I have figured out is if you are looking at a particular item don't settle for a cheaper version thinking that it should be just as good as the one you want. It never works out.
Keep it safe! JDL

Good advice. Things I tell my wife: it's not a bargain if you don't get what you want, it was cheap for a reason, it's on clearance because no one wants it. My wife hates all my hobbies. That's why we keep our money separate.

[Welch251]

Sorting through my gear in preparation for the ice season that is now upon us afforded me the opportunity to reflect on gear purchases good and bad.  My first ice fishing trip consisted of borrowing a friend's auger and buying a $5.99 schoolie rod and a couple of jigs.  After working up a sweat on a local pond while barely shaving the ice, a fellow fisherman came out of his hut to look at my auger.  He informed that it did not have any blades.  He brought his over and drilled a couple of holes and I sat on a bucket in a 20 mph with single digit temps with no clue what I was doing.  The hole, eyelets, line and my hands were frozen in minutes.  I packed my stuff up and headed off wondering who in their right mind thinks this is fun?

That unproductive first ice experience 5 years ago taught me two important lessons.  # 1:  You need the right gear.   #2 There is unique bond shared between ice fisherman / women that makes the sport unique.  Clearly this first experience did not deter me.  I watched countless hours of You Tube videos and asked lots of dumb questions to anyone I saw in the ice fishing section at Scheel' and of course started to address # 1.

Beyond the obvious answers like hut, flasher, and heater, what have you purchased that is worth it's weight in gold.  The axiom "You get what you pay for" always rings true, but being "frugal" I usually hose myself a few times per year.    Here are a couple of items that I struggled to pull the trigger on, but would not be without today.     

Gas Auger:  I had very little success years 1-2 because I had a manual auger and wasn't a fan of drilling a ton of holes and moving.  I tended to drill a couple holes and watch an empty flasher screen.   

Khatoola Spikes:  I tried every under ten dollars pair of spikes on the market and none kept me from slipping and sliding.  On a trip to Clear Lake when it was glaze ice, I literally could not take 5 steps without slipping / falling.   My friend had a pair of Khatoolas and walked across the lake without any problems.  I had a pair of Khatoolas the next day.  They are pricey and a great item to look for on sale late season, but they do the job.

Yes khatoolas are amazing just to try mine out today best money I ever spent!!

[yakker13]

I'll second (or third or fourth) that on Kahtoolas. After reading about these for a couple of years, I took the plunge. Just got mine today and walking on bare ice was like walking on cement. No slippage at all. Worth every penny.

[hemann]

I'll (4,5,6) the Kahtoolas. I was very leery of spending that kind of money but they have been great on slick ice. Going on second season for me.

[spoofhoundicefisher]

Good advice. Things I tell my wife: it's not a bargain if you don't get what you want, it was cheap for a reason, it's on clearance because no one wants it. My wife hates all my hobbies. That's why we keep our money separate.

x2

[RyanW]

I have some nice stuff, took me years to get what I have. The one thing I have figured out is if you are looking at a particular item don't settle for a cheaper version thinking that it should be just as good as the one you want. It never works out.
Keep it safe! JDL

This for the win ^

I've always been a firm believer in just get what you want from the get-go because 9 times out of 10 you will usually regret the "cheaper" purchase either due to the darn thing breaking, not living up to expectations, or just plain ol' buyers remorse. Then what happens??? You go get the thing you should have in the first place. So...Your out time and money from the first purchase and now you're even more in "debt" (remember things we pay for are technically debts) because of the second purchase...Smh lol

Been there, done that.

The biggest expense of any hobby is the knowledge it takes to excel at that hobby. Now a days there are so many options when it comes to gear and supplies that it becomes easy to be pursuaded by "more affordable" options but when it comes to facts, how affordable is replacing a bunch of crap all the time instead of making an INVESTMENT in something that works and will last and at the very least have a possitive resale value? And that's how these types of purchases need to be viewed as regardless if it's a $20 pair of hemostats, a $4 jig, a $1000 camera/sonar unit, or a $15 pair of socks.

Dry clean only doesn't mean it can't get dirty, just don't throw it in the wash with your towels and expect it sustain it's quality for very long.

If the consumer does their job as a responsible owner (minus legitimate accidents, things out of their control) a quality product should last to be passed down a couple generations.

A lot of people don't take pride in owning pricey quality gear (or owning anything for that matter) and usually don't go about properly maintaining it but thankfully the gear can usually withstand the abuse of not knowing any better for a while.

Take care of your stuff and your stuff will take care of you.

[Hooked up]

Striker ice suit, having the floatation built in gives me a peace of mind.  Hated to spent the $400 but if I ever went through and hadn't spent the money to buy one I would be wishing I had. Plus they are a great suit for so many other reasons.

[timl300]

Can't fish without a depth finder anymore. When I first started ice fishing, we used the old clip on depth finder and just set up off the bottom, had no idea when fish were even present. I really enjoy getting a hot school in and seeing them come up off the bottom after the bait. My wife used to complain when I told her we needed more equipment, but after borrowing my depth finder a few years ago, I found myself without one again, so naturally, I had to go buy a new one for myself. I use a Lowrance Elite 5 with GPS. Love it, set it for flasher on the left and graph on the right, used the GPS to find and mark locations. Very good, inexpensive unit that does make fishing so much nicer.

[JWombacher]

Nice set up.  I am anxious to try my K-Drill / Milwaukee Fuel combo out.  Since it encompasses my birthday, Christmas and next 5 anniversaries, I hope it works as advertised.  My wife mentioned something about hoping I like it because I may be sleeping with it on the couch, but I was too busy reading the manual to pay attention.   

Fortunately my wife supports my love / mild addiction to ice fishing.  I have not pondered whether she really "supports" me, or is happy to have me out of the house and likes fish dinners.   I have only had one nightmare about the K-Drill being used on me while sleeping.

long time lurker first time poster here.

you will love the kdrill. I got mine a week ago and couldn't be more pleased. light, powerful, quiet, and most of all multipurpose.