Noticing odd stuff...

[Minnowhead]

Shappell and a Vex!

[addicted to ice fishing]

Humminbird and Clam here,  not brand loyalty, just looking for quality, affordability, and features. 

[Rebelss]

Shappell and Showdown.... I could care less what other people use. Well made, suits my needs, and I can afford it, that's what I buy.

[Skipper]

Brand loyalty is for chumps these days. I fish with the best stuff I can get my hands on for the price I can afford.

[surflizard]

Drifter Stix
T7 Custom Rods
OTIS Jigs
Ballistic_Nature
Best Money I ever spent ! 

[stpaulslouch]

Didnt realize it until now, but I must be falling for Rapala's marketing strategy:
-StrikeMaster
-Marcum
-Otter
-Thorne Bros. Perch Sweetheart coming soon! (I think all the big names out there have these, they just don't show them on TV....I saw a custom rod at the Thorne shop this weekend that looked unmistakenly like a certain Frabill rod!)

[TIBS]

Have you guys noticed that every Clam guy is a Vex. guy? And whoever is a Frabill (and Otter) is a MarCum guy. I have noticed that ALOT!

Its a Dave Genz wanna be thing.  Thats what he uses, so thats what a bunch of people buy.  I still fish old skool, wooden tipups and beer.  I have a hbird and frabill flip over, which dont see much use.  I have all but lost my desire to jig for anything.  Gimme a permy, some flags and some beers and I'm happy.  I don't even need to catch a fish to enjoy fishing, its all about getting out there.  Hand lining a pike is more manly than using a dainty pole.

[$ignmoney]

"Its a Dave Genz wanna be thing."   Not always Tibs... I got 2 birds, 35 & 45 & a clam scout.  Depends on who has a deal (sale) at the time I'm looking. I'm looking for a new the 1 man flip over now.  If I find something other than a clam for the same money I'm grabbing it. Around here its what the big stores have in stock because it costs so much to ship a hut, and it seams to be clams 

[jaybird62]

vexilar and eskimo here

[LoneWolf]

No brand loyalty here.


Clam .. FishTrap
 
AP Outdoors Xtreme Ice

Hummingbird Ice55

Cabela's Underwater Camera

Otter Sled

Nils Master Auger

[RWD12]

I started off young, but yet started off strong with Strikemaster, MarCum, Northland, Frabill, Little Atom, Fiskas and slowly getting into Custom J and S tails and Bentley jigs. Not to mention St. Croix rods, Frabill rods n reels too 

[Skipper]

Just an observation....

Finding the fish and properly targeting them is MUCH more important than the jiggle stick, hole driller, jig, flasher, camera, and fancy heated underwear you use to catch them. Most of the threads on iceshanty focus on the gear, not the technique.... All the expensive crap in the world won't do you any good if your attack plan is bad.

Hmmmmmm??

[Lavman]

Skipper you hit the nail on the head. I have read all the posts in this thread and I am sitting here thinking this is "vexing" what's wrong with me, I don't know what half of the stuff they are talking about is....must be electronics and whatnot...

Truth is I was raised as a perch jerker. Not too complicated, we would take our little canvas pop up tent, 5 gallon pails to carry the gear (wood handlines with cat gut line and later, mono) and serve as seats, the old Coleman heater, hand auger, brown bag of food and head out for the day. Dad knows where the perch are at and we would move as we needed to to stay with the school and have a blast jerking perch. We always use live minnows, as my Pepe always said "you can't beat live bait".

I have jumped the gap over the years as I have a Frabil Refuge (being 6' tall I was pretty excited to get a portable I could stand up in) and I have upgraded to a nimrod adapter to use my cordless drill for boring holes  and I bought an aerator to keep my bait more lively. Other than that my techniques have not changed and I can go out and catch fish as good as the next guy.

In recent years I have tried my hand at setting tip ups for pike and had pretty good luck so far but there is something to be said for a bucket of perch to go home and fry up

Back before GPS we used to "marcum" the good spots by putting a stick or tree branch in the honey hole so we could find the spot again the next day

[panniehunter79]

I started off young, but yet started off strong with Strikemaster, MarCum, Northland, Frabill, Little Atom, Fiskas and slowly getting into Custom J and S tails and Bentley jigs. Not to mention St. Croix rods, Frabill rods n reels too 

slowly gettin into them. you got one bentley jig and one pack of j and s tails. you say its crazy for the cost of them jigs etc. 

[anderson_dc]

A good fisherman can make use of any piece of equipment, regardless of manufacturer, and put fish on the ice with it.  Too many people get caught up with "my gear is the best" mentality and it's counterproductive.  Obviously we all have gear we have chosen and suits our needs best and that's fantastic.

Also, there is no point in putting down other styles of fishing because that isn't what "we" do.  Different strokes for different folks...

Is it December yet 

[RWD12]

slowly gettin into them. you got one bentley jig and one pack of j and s tails. you say its crazy for the cost of them jigs etc. 

Hence the word SLOWLY, and in a couple days... if i order, I will have 35+ J and S tails... and yet to find a deal on bentleys. Lol

[RWD12]

slowly gettin into them. you got one bentley jig and one pack of j and s tails. you say its crazy for the cost of them jigs etc. 

Also, I dont see you helpin me... Although i have asked u many of times for deals etc. and never get answer I am looking for.

[kevt528]

Hbird 45, clam and frabill flip overs, Eskimo gas auger and a strikemaster hand auger .

[Reel_Force]

I feel like the "odd-ball" here - Cabelas 5600, FL-18, NorMark Fin-Bore auger...