Am I the only one?

[soaknwet]

  Just wondering if I'm the last dinosaur. I see all the post on here about new sleds, new snowmobiles, new atvs, ice castles, insulated shelters, livescopes, hundred dollar rods and all kinds of equipment for ice fishing. I'm not complaining, I think it's great that so much stuff is out there to make ice fishing easier and more comfortable. I feel pretty good about my situation as I pass the bucket sitters while on my 30+ year old 2 wd atv (upgraded a few years ago from a 40+ year old snowmobile), pulling my Clam Green Bay Packers 6800 suitcase hut, which is holding my 40 year old Eskimo auger. I do have an FL20 vex, which I love. I'm at the point in my life where I can sit on the same holes all day, not catch anything, and still go home happy. I've got a great fishing partner(he's old,too), and I guess I have all I need. Please keep posting your plctures of your rides. shacks and other equipment, cause I keep thinking "Maybe someday". Enjoy what you have and keep fishing.

[zcm_82]

I'm not that old... yet  ... but I guess I'm just old school. I walk, my fish house is a suitcase, and I don't use any electronics on the ice. I regeared with all new rods a few seasons back, but none of them are particularly expensive... $10-40 range stuff. Last season or two I actually went back to Schooleys for most of my bluegill fishing.

I still do ok most of the time. I get a skunking now and then, but that's just part of fishing to me 🤷‍♂️ I won't sit a dead hole all day, but I don't move around a lot, either.

[eyeflyer]

Everyone enjoys fishing in different ways, there is no right or wrong way. I have been fishing for over 50 years now and in that time I have accumulated an ice shack, snowmobile, flipover, electronics, etc and a few ice rod/reel combos. Joints can't handle the cold anymore so If I want to ice fish......... and I do, keeping warm gets me out more days and for a longer time. Catching fish is great but the biggest enjoyment I still get is figuring a pattern for the day. I fished tournaments for 25 years and one of the most consistent things I found was that fishing can be slow sometime but some fish are always biting............you just have to figure out what presentation, depth, jigging action, bait they want for the day. I have 6 rigs tied when I go to the lake and am constantly changing rigs, bait, jigging action and depths until I get a bite. One bite doesn't really identify a pattern but two or three bites on the same rig has me using the same rig/bait in both holes. (allowed two holes when ice fishing here.) The underwater camera has taught me a lot about fish behavior and what attracts fish and what repels them.
It is different with the species but the biggest turn off I have found with  walleye is do not jig so much.........just think about all the walleye you have caught when you set the rod down to pour a coffee or have a whiz, or in the summer when your wife out fishes you in the boat while she is reading a book...........don't jig so much.

[filetandrelease]

 Like already said lots of ways to fish , biggest thing if your enjoying your self that all that counts , I have my share of old stuff I still use when fishing
 

[WALL E GATOR]

Didn't start Ice fishing until about 4 years ago so when I went to buy gear I bought the new hotness. I guess in 30 years I can say I am still using all my old stuff but for now I will suffer with all my new gear. I am fairly outfitted at this point so other than bait and maybe some new line I don't think I will be buying any new hotness this year. Had a few ol timers give me crap for some of the spendy poles I bought a couple years ago. Not sure if it was jealousy or if they actually out fish me with an ol broom handle their Grandpa made em. I tried some of the cheaper gear and it works but the Schooly, etc is not as sensitive as my Archangel Rod or my Haat Rod or my GLoomis or my St Croix. I don't have the livescope I bought the PS22 version. I don't have a snowmobile I have a snowdog to pull my Sierra Flip. All outfitted to go whenever I want now so I can go for the rest of my life with the gear I have now. Always gonna be the new hotness gear that everyone fawns over, doesn't make you a better fisherman just a better consumer. Its not the Gear Its the getting out and enjoying the outdoors in winter. Oh I can be a GearJunkie just like the best of them too.

[soaknwet]

  Wall E Gator sounds good. If you're going to do something, do it right, nothing wrong with buying new. Glad you enjoy the sport and hope you have a good season.

[SirCranksalot]

My buds and I walk, drag a clam tobog and only use a 'pop up'(what a misnomer!) when it's blowing a storm! Don't like being confined to 1 hole and like to see what's happening outside---deer wandering on ice.

[gman51]

do what you can with what you have get out on the ice and enjoy what you love to do.... whats worked for you in the past will work in the future. just like a plain jig and minnow will always be on the menu for a hungry walleye.   unless your one of those that has to keep up with the crowd so you don't feel left out or out of place.... then go hard.   

[Splattypus]

I'm hapoy to just be out fishing. And I don't have the disposable income for all the fancy toys. Don't even have a flasher yet. I've got a small pop up hub that I haven't even used yet, and a manual auger. 3 rods in a $50 rod case. A bucket.

Ive got friends with the nicer houses, good electronics, fancy augers, etc. And I'll go with them when I want to fish in luxury. But I'm happy enough with my setup. One day, when I've got the money and time to justify that stuff, it would be nice. But I'm trying to buy a house and get married in this economy, so the luxuries can wait.

[Kobey]

As I get older, I've started thinking about weight more than new and shiny.  Anything that can help make me less worn out at the end of the day is worth it.  Best thing I ever did was purchase a lightweight drill and auger setup.

[Iceassin]

In a nutshell...the older I get, the less I haul, the less hole hopping I do and I pick lakes where it doesn't require a whole lot of walking. Just turned 67 and can feel myself wearing down a bit. It's nature I guess. When younger, I would look like a pack mule going out there. Brought everything. Now? Bare necessities. Sled, drill/auger, locator,  couple of rods, small tackle box and a chair. Good enough.

[Sylvanboat]

I am 68 and just built a smitty sled. Tried it out on appx 2 inches of snow and it pulls considerably better than just my Clam 2-person flip over. Weight is a big deal to me and the smitty sled seems just the ticket.

[Wyo Outdoorsman]

I'am 61, my lady just turned 60.  Both of us did 28 years in the Army.  Snowmobiles are in the shop getting carbs rebuilt.  Just for the heck of it, we put our flip overs in the pickup and went out yeasterday.  Had a great time, made a move out to a island 500 - 600 yards.  Had to stop pulling going out, and coming back to the truck a few times.  Trying to load sleds back into truck was a kicker.  Getting old, and if we do that again will diffently go way lighter.  Day started at -4, and ended at 9 when we got home.  Keeping her warm and happy is my priority.  I saw 3 guys and a gal with folding chairs and a hand crank auger come out.  Reminded me of old times and not having much, but they only lasted about a half hour.

[Ranger619]

I’m old I guess (66) and I told my 2 boys there won’t be nothing left when I get done LOL 😆 I think the new stuff is cool so I got a fair share of it 👍👍👍👍

[SirCranksalot]

To die poor is a real shame, to die rich is very stupid

[Roccus]

To die poor is a real shame, to die rich is very stupid

Agreed- there ain't  no.luggage rack on a hearse- I came I to this world nekkid and penniless- it's my intention to leave the same way..

Seems like most on this thread are about the same age..father time gets us all one day at a time, for me I do what makes me comfortable,  as others have noted in our youth we brought everything but the fish,now we have lightened the load a bit, and look at things through, wiser(and older ) eyes- but I'm still  a sucker for a new shiney gadget!

[esox_xtm]

I'm hapoy to just be out fishing. And I don't have the disposable income for all the fancy toys. Don't even have a flasher yet. I've got a small pop up hub that I haven't even used yet, and a manual auger. 3 rods in a $50 rod case. A bucket.

That's the way I started out. Then Junior came along , his sisters wanted no part of ice fishing. Very early on I'd already rigged a Humminbird Super Sixty for ice. That was a freebee from Berkley for buying a Lightning rod. Drilled mebbe thousands of holes over the years by hand. Then Junior and I placed in a local musky tournament, won $400. Junior's first words were, "I get haffa that, right?" "Sure", I replied, "But I got another idea. Wanna split a power auger for ice fishing?" He jumped all over that and it was fine for a few years until he got his driver's license. Then there was contention.

"Dad, I'm gonna take the auger this weekend. Paulie and I are going on a road trip fishing." Me: "Ahhh, I don't think so." But it's half mine", he says. "OK", I reply, "you can have the bottom half..." "Aughhhhh!" Issues. The next year a guy at work found Strikemaster augers on blowout at the end of the season and bought 'em all with the thought of flippin' 'em for some $$$. He offered me one for what he'd paid for it ($180) as I'd done him some favors over the years. I jumped on that and gave Junior the older 3hp powerhead with the new 10" chipper blade and buddied up the new 2hp with the older Lazer drill. We were both perfectly happy.

Now I've created an ice fishing (and hunting) monster. He's so much fun! And he's got his three kids addicted to ice fishing as well. Even 7 yo Maddie, my grand-daughter. 

Now I'm pushin' 69 real hard and I'm lightening the load. Used to pull a big Otter Lodge flip over, alla my crap and invite anyone coming along to pile their stuff into that giant tub of a sled. Now I'm down to a one man flip or a medium Otter. Might toss a hub on the medium sled. Don't tote anyone elses stuff anymore. Gotta fend for yourself like I always had to. Minimize, thin the herd.

Kinda funny, when my wife passed the girls (both older) had their pick of whatever but they weren't interested in much. Jewelry, trinkets, books, movies, so-called collectables. Sure, any jangles that were worth anything they took but no interest in the rest. When I go, there ain't gonna be anything to interest them but Junior's gonna make out like a bandit...

[Splattypus]

Quite an enterprising lad, very nice.

I inherited so much fly fishing stuff when my dad passed. It was more than I'd ever need, could have opened a store with it all. Siblings wanted nothing, so I took my pick, and we gifted out the rest to friends and fishing buddies. Seemed fitting.

The worst part about collecting all the cool stuff is having a place to store it. I can't afford a big enough house for everything I want to buy!

[Old Goat]

   Just wait to you have to find the thing you know you have somewhere

[esox_xtm]

   Just wait to you have to find the thing you know you have somewhere

We may be related OG! Try moving piecemeal and see where your stuff lands... 

[52isntbigenough]

For me, its all about enjoyment. Ice fishing is my thing. I love it more than open water, so spending money for that enjoyment is worth it. I'm a tech geek and enjoy the fancy locators and equipment.
Hell, we had such a mild winter up in NE WI, I decided to pull the trigger on a UTV. I broke my elbow twice this season, falling and Mrs said, "stop it and go get an ATV".

Nothing wrong with walking, nothing wrong with a hand auger, nothing wrong with not using electronics....do what makes you happy.

[walley_eye]

I have mostly older stuff but an insulated tent and flasher makes fishing bearable and easier but I dont buy into all the new tech and fancy stuff. I learned a LONG time ago fishing is an industry and a lot of marketing.

I chose not to get caught up in all that and just want to be able to enjoy fishing and spending time with friends. Nice to be able to move around and fish different places with a tent.

[Ronnie D]

Saw, spear ,heater, decoy & a fold over w/ hinged floor. I do use a camera for spotting holes & my saw is electric. No need for hauling bait buckets or rods keeps it simple