Best Homemade Gadget You Take Out On The Ice...

[uncleshorty]

... not counting Smitty Sleds & tip ups.

For me it was my DIY spud bar made from 3/4 inch iron pipe and a piece of sharpened leaf spring.  Version 2, however, will have a T handle since Version 1 did not and now rests at the bottom of Glendale Lake...

[Big Ice Hole]

My father inlaw's gaff.

[Reinert]

My girlfriend,homemade by her parents,does that count??

[fishyholes]

I tuned out my Jetsled Jr with an auger holder and a raised flasher mount that is at eye level. It saves my neck and back as I am more of a standing person than a bucket sitter. I then built some 40" long rods for the height. The package is less bending over and hunched body positions which allowing me to fish longer and more comfortably through a 12h day of fishing. All the components of the sled break down to flat with a pull of a pin or a turn of a knob.

[Ice Scratcher]

Might be a spud bar my Dad made for me 1983 (tool and die shop), when I started ice fishing..

<°)))>{

[GasBlaster]

Fish whistles .

[WYIfish]

Not a gadget but a ritual that works a "pike dance" ceremony to get the bite going. Mr. Pikey doesn't  like the dancing on the ice in his shallow weed lines so  he runs right into the minnows on the tip ups.

[Iceassin]

Hole covers

[Drifter_016]

All of my rods.   

[Nessmuck]

My 30-30 lead sounder....it has other uses too....

[Big Ice Hole]

My 30-30 lead sounder....it has other uses too....

Wish I was in New Hampshire, I'd share the sounder with ya! 😉

[skifisher]

A rope “throw-bag” I carry with my gear. It was made with a recycled stuff sack and 40 feet of rope with bowline loops tied on both ends. Haven’t used it yet, but it’s good to know it’s there if I need it.

[Nessmuck]

Wish I was in New Hampshire, I'd share the sounder with ya! 😉

..
LOL

[AndyJ]

And I know a big gal who would wear that as an earing.

[Spider1]

My Smitty sled.

[Unclegillhunter]

my spud made by a guy that lived across an alley from me 22 yeas ago.
Keep it safe! JDL

[captain54]

I always have my sounder made out of a 44. Mag shell but never use it any more. lol   Vex does it. I made a lure retriever that works well even on tiny panfish jigs. Real handy when fishing brush piles or beaver huts.

[DLB]

 Going thru a bunch of stuff in the garage attic last year I found the fly rod my Dad bought in 1930.  The section where the reel attached had cracked almost in half and for some reason, I never threw it out.  Bought a cork handle from Jans Crafts and turned the upper section into an ice fishing rod.  I use it jigging for walleye on Saginaw Bay.

[aquarium234]

I second the hole covers as the best thing I've ever made....never chip any holes any more :0) its amazing. Though I got to say the creative way I've made tow bars for snowmobile over the years. When you tow 4 sleds out...somehow tow bars  tend to get abused.... Amazing what you can do with spare parts......

[Spud_bar]

She aint pretty, but it's incredibly useful. I've also added a few features since I took this picture.
- Sled is used as bench seat in my pop up style fish house.
- Seat backs that are hinged with paracord, so they lay flat when not in use
- A 1" PVC rack that fits in holes of the sides (on top, to stand vertically) to help keep stuff from falling off the side. These holes also work as rod holders

[uncleshorty]

Nessmuck, is there a skunk out on the ice or is that a byproduct of another "homemade" project......

[ByteN2it]

I made a little wind powered jigging machine that hooked a few up last year & I plan on using it again this season.

[tbern]

I made a little wind powered jigging machine that hooked a few up last year & I plan on using it again this season.

.    Nice idea!

[Figure ate]

My 30-30 lead sounder....it has other uses too....

Sweet! I made a few jigging spoon bodies out of empty rifle casings. Shine them up with a wire wheel and seal with epoxy.

[filetandrelease]

Some jigging spoons for eyes and perch and a little steel wool just Incase they need buffing up , and a tie down for my flip incase the winds come up

[jethro]

I made a tow bar for my jetseld with electrical conduit and some Simpson hold down plates.

[DrCro]

Sweet! I made a few jigging spoon bodies out of empty rifle casings. Shine them up with a wire wheel and seal with epoxy.

I bet you can catch a nice pike with that!

[Nessmuck]

Nessmuck, is there a skunk out on the ice or is that a byproduct of another "homemade" project......

when fish and game pulls up to the portable Shack on their snow mobile...I tell them it got sprayed by a skunk....hasn't failed me yet......

[Nessmuck]

I know............

[poot_818]

Made these last season, both made from 1 inch rebar, busted hammer heads and a cutting edge! They are heavy and solid!