Who's old enough to remember when we only had spuds and chisels?

[dubob]

A little history lesson for all y'all.  Can I have a drum roll please.

Significant Milestones in Ice Fishing
According to the Red Lake Museum, the modern fishing rod surged in popularity in 1770 and revolutionized fishing techniques worldwide.

Ice fishing peaked in popularity in the 1900s, and the size of the ice fishing rods reduced. The rods were shortened to allow the angler to look into the hole as they reeled in their catch.

In 1873, William A. Clark invented the threaded ice auger, which significantly improved the previous models. Previously, augers punched the holes by grinding down the ice, making for a slow and laborious process. Clark’s auger made it easy to expel the ice reducing the amount of effort necessary to drill a hole through a thick ice patch.

The Jiffy power auger was invented in 1948 and became an ice fishing staple in 1951. The power auger was a game-changer as it allowed anglers to drill through the ice in a matter of seconds. By minimizing the time and effort it takes to punch holes, power augers enable anglers to punch multiple holes and spend more time fishing.

The Beaver Dam Tip-up was invented in the 1930s to allow anglers to cast multiple lines in multiple holes.

The first pop-up portable ice fishing tent was invented in the 1980s by Dave Genz and has gone a long way to make ice fishing fun and enjoyable.

https://icyfishing.com/history-of-ice-fishing/

[Ronnie D]

Saw this thread last night and had to dig this gem out of the basement.
I would spend Christmas vac. on the Keewanaw w/ extended Yooper family as a kid & was hooked on spearing .
Got my first spear from my dad's uncle so dad ( who wont ice fish) p/u a 1976 stat of the art flasher for my 12th b-day.
Well. i didn't have the heart to tell em it was useless for spearing and I wasn't up for hole hopping w/ a spud even as a yut.
Still remember the stale odors of Ben- Gay & Altes beer when cracking the hole back open w/ mull & leaf spring chisels left from da previous day, the fire in da wood burner was always cold because beer & liquor took up too much room on the woodsled and when that was finished so was Uncle Henry.
I tried giving it to my son along w/ his first spear. Da spear left & I've had it on Craigslist for 40.00 & haven't got 1 call
I did use it once for jigging smelt but electronics for sport just aren't for me.
By the way I'm a young 58, so I'll just go to my room & listen to my elders

[bootstrap]

i had to chew through the ice with my wooden teeth. thats how old i am and poor i was.

[perch chacer]

Ya, ice spuds were the thing back then.  How about flour sacks sewn into a 30-50 ft wind break (long enough so you could set it up in a circle if it was real windy); an old paint can setting on bricks to hold your charcoal fire; a two runner sled with a wooden pop crate attached to hold your gear while you pulled it out; spreaders on the end of the tip-ups;  and if you had enough money there were the old beaters that you drove out on the lake and left them on the shore for the next time.   Those were the hard days, not the good ol'days.   

[Rebelss]

Sometimes the hard days are the best. Builds character,so I was told. Had to use yer head back then; no easy-peasy "I'll-look-it-up-on-the internet" answers. We got by just fine. The ol' coffee can with sand and fuel like the army taught ya, or some briquettes, with a suspended smaller can in it with yer grub cooking in it. Then a few briquettes in a can set in the hole to keep it from icing over, wooden crate with cushion to sit on....yup, we got by. 

[Ronnie D]

I just read the entire thread and i have to say one thing that'll never change are the tall tales of roughing it from a veteran slushie. Most youngins would cringe at the thought of the time ya had to kill a deer for the antlers to bore a hole after ya fought of the Indians on horseback just to get to the lake.
Ahhhh memories !?!

[taxi1]

45 Years on the ice and we always had augers with blades.

Only 45 years? 

[SirCranksalot]

i had to chew through the ice with my wooden teeth. thats how old i am and poor i was.

[dubob]

The last line in that skit says it all: "If you tell that to young people today, they won't believe you."

[Rebelss]

The last line in that skit says it all: "If you tell that to young people today, they won't believe you."

If they read it on their iPhones off the internet, they might.........

[dubob]

If they read it on their iPhones off the internet, they might.........

True dat.

[Rebelss]

Remember the old Jon-e Hand warmers? Stinky, but they worked !  Ya could buy one almost anywhere, think I got mine at the Holiday gas stations when they had guns and sporting goods. I still have one NIB, believe it or not. Will trade for a Maserati. 

Vintage tip: bigger hole in the center was to light yer cigarette....

[DR.SPECKLER]

Remember the old Jon-e Hand warmers? Stinky, but they worked !  Ya could buy one almost anywhere, think I got mine at the Holiday gas stations when they had guns and sporting goods. I still have one NIB, believe it or not. Will trade for a Maserati. 

Vintage tip: bigger hole in the center was to light yer cigarette....

damn you found Another item i hoard.i love those things and have one in my pocket all the time.even got the big one with band for the back.

[Rebelss]

damn you found Another item i hoard.i love those things and have one in my pocket all the time.even got the big one with band for the back.

Well, there goes my Maserati.......

https://hoardingmichigan.com/         

[Raquettedacker]

[zcm_82]

I may still have one of those somewhere. Getting those sticks to burn was a serious exercise in frustration.

[Rebelss]

Is that miniature solid rocket booster fuel??    I've never seen those before........

[zcm_82]

Is that miniature solid rocket booster fuel??    I've never seen those before........

I got mine at Kmart in Bemidji, and it was purple. Not sure what the sticks are made of, but they are a royal biatch to light. I used to hold them over the stove with tongs. Using matches or a lighter on them is like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.

[Raquettedacker]

I got mine at Kmart in Bemidji, and it was purple. Not sure what the sticks are made of, but they are a royal biatch to light. I used to hold them over the stove with tongs. Using matches or a lighter on them is like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.

  Always found them to dry out after a while. But put them in a plastic bag and add a couple squirts of butane..

[Ronnie D]

Never saw a solid fuel one.
The one i have around here somewhere uses Coleman fuel on a fluffy mantle like material
Stinks like an auto shop but it did the job

[Raquettedacker]

This is a pack of old fuel sticks I found in my dads stuff after he died.  Kmart and price is 87 cents…

[bogtrotter]

What do you mean "remember"?

All I have now is a spud/chisel.

[badger132]

Remember the old Jon-e Hand warmers? Stinky, but they worked !  Ya could buy one almost anywhere, think I got mine at the Holiday gas stations when they had guns and sporting goods. I still have one NIB, believe it or not. Will trade for a Maserati. 

Vintage tip: bigger hole in the center was to light yer cigarette....

I have about 10 of them- had a full set, and inherited a bunch from my father in law. I have Zippos and Jon-E. My dad had 2 larger ones, and a belt that held them over your kidneys.

[bart]

Don't forget the other end...

[Rebelss]

I won't !  Doesn't seem to work anymore, though.....

[Raquettedacker]

I won't !  Doesn't seem to work anymore, though.....

 That’s a knock off brand…

[Raquettedacker]

Don't forget the other end...
(Image removed from quote.)

 That’s an original…   Had a few myself… 

[Rebelss]

That’s a knock off brand…

Used to work good. Danged Kmart. 

[Corndog]

First jigging rod was two dowels, an eye hook, and two finishing nails. Spud bar made from black gas pipe with a blade made from a hunk of a trucks leaf spring, welded on.
Wish I still had that rod and spud...

[bullpine]

I do.  Seemed colder back then too!