What's new for your season?

[dubob]

Sounds like you just completely re-outfitted yourself. I've heard good things about the Lite Flight. Are you setting that up on a drill?

Already have the Milwaukee 18vdc Fuel Drill.  I went drill 4 years ago and will NOT look back.   

[IDbasser]

Since posting last season, I now have a livescope, outbreak 650, and an underwater camera

[aza10]

The old lady treated me real nice this season with an otter rod case and a bucket caddy and shack lights for x mas.

I treated me real well with a new otter vortex resort, a few frostbite rods and upsized the buddy heater to the big.  Ice camping this season in the future.

[badger132]

The old lady treated me real nice this season with an otter rod case and a bucket caddy and shack lights for x mas.

I treated me real well with a new otter vortex resort, a few frostbite rods and upsized the buddy heater to the big.  Ice camping this season in the future.

Is Sagle anywhere near Eagle? 

[Kilsdonk]

I treated me real well with a new otter vortex resort, a few frostbite rods and upsized the buddy heater to the big.  Ice camping this season in the future.
[/quote]
Overnight ice fishing/winter camping is a blast! And you cant go wrong with the big buddy!

[badger132]

I upgraded my Ski-Doo Tundra to a model with electric start and reverse, and got an enclosed trailer so I no longer have to deal with slushy covers, and dragging the snowmobile backwards off the trailer. Oh, and I no longer have to figure out how to keep the bolt trailer tilted to load when I am by myself. Also snagged a 2 person flip over from Amazon Warehouse this summer, so when I take my wife she can sit inside and stay warm. She also got electric socks, mittens, and electric hand warmers when they were cheap this summer.

[fishmaster!]

I borrowed my nephew’s snowmobile. Very fast.  Unfortunately, it has no reverse and a tilt trailer with an open front. I did a test drive after Christmas and will be returning it!

[meandcuznalfy]

I borrowed my nephew’s snowmobile. Very fast.  Unfortunately, it has no reverse and a tilt trailer with an open front. I did a test drive after Christmas and will be returning it!

If you unhook the trailer you can drive off the front of it, little extra work, but don't have to try and drag it off the back. We just used to drive them off of the side of a car trailer.

[aza10]

I just picked up my first ice sled myself. 02 summit 600 without reverse, and it does suck yanking it off the trailer.  it goes on a flatbed I use for my buggy, I think I can come up with something to be able to ride it off on of the front corners. 

[meandcuznalfy]

Get the skis over the trailer and it'll drive off, don't need anything, the suspension on them will take the drop

[aza10]

Get the skis over the trailer and it'll drive off, don't need anything, the suspension on them will take the drop

Ill give er a rip next week, work is pulling me away from the ice for a week.

[badger132]

Ill give er a rip next week, work is pulling me away from the ice for a week.

If you can find something to tie the rear bumper to, you can also drive the trailer forward and take it off the back. The tow hooks of the next truck behind you in the lot come to mind.... 

[smitty661]

The old lady treated me real nice this season with an otter rod case and a bucket caddy and shack lights for x mas.

I treated me real well with a new otter vortex resort, a few frostbite rods and upsized the buddy heater to the big.  Ice camping this season in the future.

What bite is good at night besides crappy? I am in CDA and have been wanting to do an overnight trip. Let me know if you are up for company. I have my own shelter to sleep in. I would like to overnight on hayden for pike but it sounds like the pike dont feed at night?

[Kilsdonk]

Ling/Burbot predominantly feed at night and mostly during the winter. Typically people around here don't start fishing till about evening and pull all nighters or camp on the ice fishing.

[aza10]

What bite is good at night besides crappy? I am in CDA and have been wanting to do an overnight trip. Let me know if you are up for company. I have my own shelter to sleep in. I would like to overnight on hayden for pike but it sounds like the pike dont feed at night?

I mainly wanted to overnight just to camp out.  Old lady gets pissed “waking up at 4 am to hunt and fish and she don’t get no sleep”. I’m sure that’ll change to why are you gone all week. I did wanna trip up to bead for burb overnight and I’m sure the pike bite may not be hot but I don’t think your chances of hooking up are completely lost at night.

Was hoping for a lot more cold so I could run the sled out rather than hand pulling all that gear out depending on snow conditions.

[smitty661]

Any size to the burbot on bead?

[aza10]

Any size to the burbot on bead?

Got one on my wall I caught last year. 42.5 “ 13 lbs

The general catch is a few pounds. Decent eaters.

[FishDoktor]

Nothing too big for me this year. Probably the first time in a while. Past years have seen a new auger, shanty, finder, Bibs/Coat, etc.

I did make 2 ice rods during the off-season. V-line needles. Kind of a medium light. One I call the Glow Stick (glows in the dark of course) and the other the Purple Power. I trimmed the glow down a few inches but left the Purple at 34". Different handles/grips. Glow has a shorter grip and uses bands to hold the reel. Using a 13 Fishing Descent Aluminum spool on that. The Purple has a more standard reel seat and had a 13 Fishing Whiteout. Did just order a Deep Freeze Pro Skimmer too. But that is about it. Absolutely loaded with rods now (something like 15 or 16?). Plenty of lures and all the other items one could possibly need. Now I just need the ice.

[Kilsdonk]

I ended up picking up a jigging jaw jacker... though it was expensive, it was well worth the $$!

[Ratso-jig]

Lots new tungsten jigs.   Just need some ice.  Spend way to much.

[FishDoktor]

I ended up picking up a jigging jaw jacker... though it was expensive, it was well worth the $$!

I bought one like 2 seasons ago. I think I have used it once or twice. I found deadsticking to be more successful for me though I have seen a few fish get caught. On a really cold day, it seems like the batteries give out so fast. Make sure you have good batteries. I'd also think about removing them from the jacker when not in use too. And install them just before going on the ice. One time, somehow, the switch got flipped on my drive to the ice and the motor ran the whole time. Between three hours of running while on the way to the ice, and it being a cold day, they did not last long.

[panfishman13]

A buddy of mine has a few of the jigging jackers, and I’ll say they certainly take some getting used to. They can be great though, once you figure them out. Removing the batteries is a great tip.

For me though, this year is the year I finally upgrade my vexilar. My old fl-8 is showing its age. I’m thinking I’m gonna bump up to the fl-20.

[FishDoktor]

A buddy of mine has a few of the jigging jackers, and I’ll say they certainly take some getting used to. They can be great though, once you figure them out. Removing the batteries is a great tip.

For me though, this year is the year I finally upgrade my vexilar. My old fl-8 is showing its age. I’m thinking I’m gonna bump up to the fl-20.

Two other tips I can give for jawjackers after using them for a few years (some of this may very well be common knowledge but you never know):

These are the best bells I have found work the best for indicating a strike https://www.amazon.com/KISEER-Plastic-Fishing-Bells-Clips/dp/B08K2SY9VJ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2TFMQYZWD5YUE&keywords=clip+on+fishing+bells&qid=1701879386&sprefix=clip+on+fishing+bells%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-5 I clip them on right around the lowest guide and they stay on well. The bright green clip helps to see them if they fall off and they are cheap enough that if you lose one, no biggie. Make it really easy to hear when a jacker goes. I even used them when I was using the jigger. With the wiggle wheel, they didn't make much noise until the thing was set off. With the more aggressive wheels, you would hear a little bit of a jingle but it was different enough from when you got a strike to know what was going on.

The other tip I learned somewhere on this board, is get some of those premade knots for bobber stops. Put one on your line and slide it up and down the line, keeping it just above the reel. I'd set my finder in the hole, pull out line by hand while holding the bobber stop in place and get the depth I want (keeping the rod tip at about the spot where it would sit once set on the jacker). Then that way, when I got a fish, I could easily reset to the same depth without having to grab the finder again. Kind of a pain when you are first setting one at like 20 feet or more but it made things so much faster in the long run.

[muskyon46]

X2 on the lights for jackers. I like mine blue.  I would pack extra batteries also.

[Baloo]

I went crazy this year.  I got a Vexilar FLX-20 pro pack and a Clam C-360 pop-up, and some new lures and jigs.

[Kilsdonk]

Got a Marcum Pursuit HD early for X-mas! I will be recording catching fish by this weekend!
Also got a sweet deal on a bunch of tungsten hand painted jigs. LET'S GO!

[badger132]

I got a wrecked snowmobile last year and got it back running- I think. Have not run it more than a few laps around the pasture. If it works, I got a good deal. If not, I learned another hard lesson about taking on a "project"

[mpiety]

I changed out a bunch of treble hooks for singles. Hope they work.