Hard water season is just around the corner ...

[Fishhound]

[size 1]Ok, there have been a few posts on ice fishing lately. And, since I've just unpacked my few ice fishing things(or almost complete lack thereof) from storage, I can see I need to address the upcoming hard water activities a little more seriously now that the weather is turning.

Let me confess here at first that I am not an avid hard water angler. I am a hack - at best. In the past I have only gotten out a couple of times a year and I am one of those "poor fools" that sits out in the weather on a bucket for the few fish I can catch. This year, I would like to do a little more ice fishing than what I have done in the past, and perhaps, even enjoy a little more success.

The reason for this thread is to get some input from those here that are hard water specialists - I know you are out there folks.

Currently my equipment is probably quite inadaquate for good success. My gear is this:

Rods: Silver eagle med action 30 inch spin rod.
South Bend light action 24 inch spinning rod.
Oddly, the light action seems much heavier than the medium.

Reels: I use my standard spinning reels spooled with regular Trilene XT in 4 or 6 lb. I have tried my casting and line counter reels, but, they are always spooled with much heavier lines from the soft water fishing I do earlier in the year.

Tackle: A box of iceflies and small(16th and 32nd oz.) jigs with plastics and a couple of Kastmasters and a Swedish Pimple or two and a couple of double hook jigs in rainbow and perch patterns. I usually tip those with what ever bait that is left over from soft water fishing - like minnows or perch meat. I have used meal worms and wax worms when I plan in advance and pick them up at one of the tackle shops.

Electronics: I have a fishing buddy that gets iced up but works ok when I keep it cleaned off. I also have a Humminbird matrix 37 that is currently mounted for my water craft that I have not tried on the ice yet.

Accessories: A metal ice scooper to keep the hole clear of ice. Ice pick for chipping away at the ice. I have usually borrowed someone's hand auger to make a hole.

Habitat: I use my skiing gear - I have lots of that and can keep warm and dry in any weather. I also sit on the bucket that I haul my stuff in - it is fairly uncomfortable and I generally end up standing around the hole instead of sitting.

I am hoping you all can give me some ideas on what you have been using in the way of equipment.

My questions are these:

What rods and reels are recommended for the ice ? Do you use spinning or casting rods/reels ? Does it matter ?

What fishing line do you use ?

What kind/size of auger(most likely the hand type) and what brand would you recommend ?

What kind of light/cheap wind break/sled/hut/tent work well ? I would have to haul it without a snow machine or ATV.

Do you use tip-ups and why ? If so, what kind ?

What kind of electronics would be recommended specifically for the ice ?

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. [/size]
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[davetclown]

sounds like you are already loaded for bear...

your rods and reels sound good. I would sugest you pick up a few spare spools for your reels, on one put on 1lb or 2lb ice line for gills and perch, on another spool put on 4lb ice line for crappie bass trout and cisco.

you can pick up a tub of wax worms fairly cheep. two tubs run around 15 bucks at bass pro shop. keep them dry and cool and they will keep for the better part of your season. just keep pulling out the dead ones so they dont rot. get a skoll or bubble gum can to put your wax worms in when going out on the ice.

trun your bucket upside down when sitting or get a seat for it. Gander mountain has an extra tall bucket with a padded lid and a built in minow bucket. I do sit a little bit but in all honesty I like to stand when I am ice fishing, I am allowed to use two lines when fishing so if I have two rods set I tend to run back and forth between them, I set them about 15 -20 feet apart. different riggs for diffrent species. I do have to modivate a bit when the crappie start up. I work my gill rod and like a set line with a minnow for crappie and perch.

I do use tipups for trout and pike. steal leaders for pike.

as for electronics they are ok but I dont depend on them much for locating fish. I find I make them come to me better than me chasing after them. I usualy drill about 6 holes for my self till I find a couple good ones then I use the same holes the rest of the season. finding a good structure and working around it pays off much better than any electornics. I do have a bottom line protable I can take out with me to find my geographical location. then I mark it with my gps for the rest of the season.

from what I see in your post you could do well with a nice 3 horse jiffy power auger or a nice 6 inch lazer hand auger. and pick up an extra set of blades when you get your auger. it is well worth the effort and will save tons of time...

if you are going to target walleyes you might want to get a heavey acton rod. though the ice they tend to be a tough coustomer.

there is a tone of things to talk about, putting it all on one post isnt easy...

we have a couple weeks before ice on so jump right in here and pull up an ice block and set a spell....
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[Fishhound]

DTC, Thanx for the info !

Usually, I carry everything in a bucket on in a backpack(if I am skiing in to the water), so I don't think a power auger is in the picture yet, but I will be getting a sled and a hand auger this winter.

Nuther question if you don't mind. You said you can use 2 lines at the same time in you area. Do you have rod holders ? If so, what kind are they ?

I have something I have made for one, but I'm looking for a lighter design that I can fabricate on my own - that's why I ask.

BTW - The bucket I have is the standard white kind(it was free with the dog food I bought) that came with a lid. I took a piece of an old camping sleeping pad and cut out a circle that fits inside the bucket and place that on top of the lid and sit on that - it provides a little more insulation than just the lid by itself. Usually though, I only sit on it while I am rigging my line or tinkering with tackle stuff. The rest of the time I am standing up.
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[davetclown]

I am a two bucket man my self.

rod holders are realy cheep, most under $3.oo

I know half the fun is making your own. there are wood base verieties simple in design, there is pvc verieties a bit more expencive but cheep if the peices are odds and ends of a plumbing job.

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with a five peices of pvc and two fortyfive degree elbows one T all one inch. cut three peices of pvc to 8 inches two peices to 3 inches. [ol] [li]take your T and glue an 8 inch in to the leg of the T. [/li] [li]glue the three inches pecies in to the arms of the T. [/li] [li]glue one 8 inch peice in to each of the elbows.[/li] [li]set the elbow on to the three inch peice but dont glue yet. [/li] [li]sit down on your bucket and set the stand down beside you. the leg of the T should be pointing upward direction you will have a "V" sitting on the floor.[/li] [li]set your rod in the leg of the T[/li] [li]trun the leg of the T to the disired angle and pratice grabbing your rod. [/li] [li]when you are sure it is in a comfortable position then you can finish glueing you stand together. [/li] [li]you may want to even cut a peice of the top of the leg off once it is glued in place for quicker retrieves.[/li][/ol]

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with a one inch pvc "T" you can make a holder that will sit on the brim of one of your buckets.

holding the "T" in a T position with a hacksaw saw a grove in the leg of the t to set on to the brim of your bucket. on the left or right arm of the t cut or grind the top half off but not so far back that when your rod is laying in it the end of the handle sits under the other arm of the "T".

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wood block ground stands are cheaper in cost to build but heaver and takes up more bucket space.

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Dont forget the coustom paint job. those white holders tend to vanish in the snow. and while you are at it dont forget to name those home made devises, they seem to catch more fish after they are named...LOL

my bucket is a standard 5 gallon paint bucket I baught for $2.50 I cant remember how many years ago. I place all my fishing stickers on it. so now I have a bigfishtackle fishing bucket. and every body on the ice knows my bucket at a glance, it is the one with the fish piled around it...LOL[sly]
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[Fishhound]

DTC, Thanx for that great design idea !

I have a bunch of PVC creations for bank fishing, float tubes, pontoon boats and other fishing applications, but, all of mine are much bigger and bulkier than the one you gave me. I have lot's of PVC to work with that was left over from some plumbing projects that I will use to make one of those for ice fishing. Thanx again !
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[davetclown]

your are quite welcome, if ya got the time I made a post on this board called fishing tip of the day, It will take hours to read...LOL

Ya just gotta love that pvc stuff, I had an 11 inch peice of 6 inch pvc that layed in the middle of my yard for years that I had been kicking around between mowings and just last week It turned in to a project. Using a bunch of equipment laying around the house cause I never throw any thing away I built an exray machein for examinating the progress eggs in my incubator. total cost was 5 dollars, (the cost of a 75 watt incodecent light blub)

My project this week is a brooder box made from scraps my neighbors was throwing away... Granted I could have used a cardboard box to brood the chicks that are due to hatch on monday. But there aint no fun in that... so far I havent spent a dime on this project. my frame is from aluminum doors and windows. the bottom is 1/2 machein cloth, the top is an aluminum framed plexiglass slip in window. I only have to build the walls now, and the ply 1/4 inch ply wood was sitting in my shed for 15 years. I will use vinal to cover the inside of the wall and that came from another neighbors house that burned down 20 years ago...

Did I mention that I am a pack rat? LOL

I wouldnt have made any thing as fancy as I did but I was tearing apart the aluminum doors and was impressed with the craftsmanship and the way it was assembled I thought it would have been ashame to toss it. only took me a day to figure out what I was going to do with it...

my new brooder box will weigh 15 pounds when done, and will hold 150 chicks for two weeks or 75 chicks for three weeks, but will colaps right down flat when not in use, and It can double as a hot bed for tomato plants in the spring...

I will post a pic of it next week hopefuly with freshly hatch chicks if any one is intrested

by the way the aluminum doors were pella made. disasembled cut and hacked and pot rivited back together by davetclown....[sly]

I wonder what my project will be next week?[]
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[Fishhound]

Yea I can relate to the pack rat syndrom - I'm a hoarding hound myself. I can't get myself to toss something that I know looks usefull or might be good material for something. Like the PVC I mentioned in my other post - I've had it for at least 10 years and been stumbling over it the whole time.

Your brood box sounds like something I would put together - parts is parts - aint they ?
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[Coldfooter]

LOL, I'm an ol' "do it yourself'er" and "rat holer" from way back. Not being born with a silver spoon in my mouth I find it hard to toss something way I made need 20 years down the road. Of course when moving time comes I often wonder "what ta he!! did I keep that for"! But in time it gets used for one project or another. Besides, moma always preached, "waste not, want not".
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[Fishhound]

Hey DTC,

Dang dude ! I just read you Fishing tip of the day thread - it took several hours to do so. Great stuff ! Great way to spend the morning when I am stuck in the house ! Thanx for all the info on there - that was a lot of work for you.
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[davetclown]

Thanks, one day when I get stuck in the house posibaly during the rainy part of the ice season I may get around to finishing it....[sly]

hope it gets the hobiest in you motivated to gearing up for the season.... Me I wont start till after turkey and pie season...
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[davetclown]

well I finished my brooder box this morning, I put the final touches on it, "the heating eliment" I used an old machanic's clip on lamp, I lost the aluminum funnel and clip clamp 20 years ago,

the door knob came off the lid of a saus pan, the screw wouldnt hold to the presures of opening closing the door so I drilled a hole all the way though and then riveted it.

I did not get done any time to soon, I had to close the lid on my incubaiter yesterday and cant open it for three days, I looked in though the window and saw one of my eggs was moving on its own. Wont be long now, I cant believe its been 21 days already. seems like it was just yesterday.

the attachment is a pic of my brooder box, I aint going to bother countin my chickens before they hatch...
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[chiefpanfish]

[cool][cool]Hey Dave, I didn't know you were into chickens, I have fifty right now a mix of breeds and also about 8 roosters. They seem to be pretty well manored with having so many I've had some roosters in the past that all they wanted to do is attack. One day one had Cathy cornored for about 20 minutes!!! Have you ever seen a feathered football. That rooster turned into fox bait. Is raising chickens funn? NO!!! but I do like having animals around and we get a return for our output. Chief
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[davetclown]

LoL them roosters can put a nasty welt on a man sole if given the chance. they dont just bite, they bite and twist like a shark....[shocked] I cant count the number of weasles and possoms I found dead in the hen house pecked to death, the mice well there was nothing left of them when the fowl had thier way withum...

I just love the sound of chickens crowing on a clear morning and hear the eckos passing through the hills. to me it is a joyfull a sound as a phesant crowing on a crisp october morn.

I used to love geting up in the morning before dawn just to beat the chickens to the rise. my reward was hearing the rooster crow. then about 9-10 am the hens would start singing thier I cant believe I layed the whole thing song.... once in a great while we would find a double yolked egg... Passin that sure was raisin a fuss about.... Remindes me of he old fog horn leg horn cartoons on bugs bunny... LOL

Yep I sure do know what you mean about fethered football, when I was a kid we had the neighborhood bully, I swear he wasnt right some times. he picked on every thing including me and my farm animals, he was 5 years older than me and 6 inches shorter, I was forbade from settin him right, (to bad for him as later years have proven) I would have to put up with his abusess.

That was till one summer day...

I had this one rooster that hated any thing red, didnt like the compition, couldnt keep another for the sake of this one. he wanted to fight any thing with a red comb.

I was out working under the apple tree one afternoon when he showed up spreadin more of his good humer, and proceeded to spat lugies at my chickens thorugh the fence. well O'l red was standing just a couple feet away from him on the other side of the fence. (old red was what I called him mostly because he was red in color and he would atack anything red.

I had my share of bites from him, especialy in the winter time when I was usin plastic milk jugs with red caps taking water in to the hen house. that ol rooster would make short notice of that red cap and waisted no time in making his presence noticed. the days when I forgot my gloves were a bit rough on my hands. His jumpin and a bitein and a wantin to spur was enuff to intimadate almose every one from wantin to walk in to my hen house... My brothers and sisters wouldnt go any where near the hen house for no amount of money.

I was getting a bit ticked off, yet there wasnt any thing I could do about it. That was when I noticed o'l red standing there, then the Devil made me do it, I double dirty doged daired him to piss on the chickens. and sure enuf he did, O'l red cocked his head sidways and looked up at that flash of red and with one hop he pecked the red headed pecker right on the head....

I started laughing,. I laughed so hard I fell of my ladder rolling on the ground nearly splitted my gut I laughed so hard, That boys face turned reder than the chicken and that made the chicken even madder.... frotunately for that boy there was a fence between him and the chicken.... Then he started ballin and stomped off home yellin I am tellin my mama on you, still tryin to hold in the laughin I just had to see this. so I followed him home and we got to the kitchen table I was still looking that the cat that swallowed the canary he told them that my chicken bit him..... well his gramp's was sittin there his unkle his momma and paw, brother and sisters. they all turnd and looked at me and asked is this true,

With tears rollin from my eyes from laughin so hard I said he sure did, and they said what? then I told them about how and where he got bit and they all started bustin a gut them selves.... It wasnt two days before they went and got a dozen chickens with a mean ol rooster for them selves. now I cant say for sure but I heard that O'l red drew blood on the day of the double red dawn....

finaly I had a way of keepin him out of crew cut hair. all I had to do was open the door to the hen house and bouy howdy did he turn back around in his tracks and bee lined streight back to his room....

to this day that boy (now 50+ in age) cant look at a chicken dinner with out remembering that summer day of the red headed pecker pecker.....

so are chickens fun?,,,,, you bet your bottom night crawler they are!!!![sly][laugh]

chickens do have thier benifits around the house too, Eggs for bakin fryin boilin and feedin the dog. chicken crapp for my garden. Feathers for fly tyein. chicken for dumplins soup fryin bakin stewin BBQin and a bully chasein[]
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[davetclown]

the first one hatched right when the coalts officialy won the game, Black with a white stripe across his head. the second chick is all white. Both came from brown eggs.

hope my black one turns in to one of them blue wyondots.... they sure would make some nice ice fishing flies.

the white ones are nice cause you can die them any color, but you dont get that sheen you get from naturaly colored feathers.

what surprizes me is my husky isnt going bazerk over the peeping... sounds like spring at my house and almost looks like it too, whe had a major wind storm yesterday that blew trees down every where. It only took one down in my neighborhood. right across the road blocking in those anti fishing people in so they could not get out.

I didnt know that the chicks screamed bloody murder when they first pop out of their shell.... Ya talk about calling in your preditors.... man alive. I could hear them all the way on the other side of the house and I am deef.... I guess dumb too cause I am hatchin chickens in november...LOL

any way it is good to hear from ya again, I was beginning to wonder what if any thing happened or if you were down south helping out with the mess down there....
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[chiefpanfish]

I've been around but I have a new illness it's called new Boss and it's a pain in the a## more paper work and not as much time to get the posts in.Chief
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[davetclown]

ouch, aw man that could really put a damper on a mans' ice fishing for sure...

Ya might get lucky and find out he likes ice fishing as much as we do and take mercy on the pen.
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[Fishhound]

Hey DTC,

Great looking brood box ! I also liked your story of the rooster ! I grew up on a farm(about 900 acres in southern Missouri - the Ozarks) and we also had a variety of animals including chickens, geese, ducks, pheasants and quail - we raised them. I help make the brood boxes and dealt with the eggs as a child. Had my share of getting chased by roosters on the prowl and by ganders with attitudes. I carried a big stick to enforce my position as caretaker - often though, I relied on my hound to distract the bully birds so I could make my rounds.

Post up a photo of your babies when you get a chance.
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[davetclown]

they are not all hatched yet, one is drying in the incubator and one is hatching at the moment, the first 5 decided to pose for you, and of corse there is a clown in every bunch, I got them to line up for a family photo and at the last second the one with the red hair turned around to moon the camera... LOL
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[davetclown]

5 more hatched on wensday leaving 6 eggs in the incubator. and a total of 11 hot chicks running around my house in thier birthday suits.

I still have the brooder box sectioned off because of the cold temps. I didnt want to run the big heat lamp. my potenciomiter from my old incubator went on the fritzs. it is only 20 years old. I busted it apart insted of taking it apart, I found a sodered wire came disconected at some point in time. had I took it apart easy and not broke the plastic molding I could have re-soddered it. So now I am in the market for another one, Ya know of any housed coming down any time soon? LOL

yep that's right we are getting back in to colder weather again tonight, 30 degreese tonight. snow just a hundred miles north of me, (Lonehunters neck of the woods) I might have to get out and turn my rowboad upside down tomarow, (ya know the fishermans' golden rule, dont do today what you can put off till the day after tomarow,)

you getting any closer? I saw the national weather from my house but ya know how weathermen are, thay have a hard enuff time getting it right at home let alone in some one elses town...LOL what they said was idaho was getting snow. parts of montana too....
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[davetclown]

I forgot to ask,

What is every one else doing to pass the time while waiting for ice on, I have another whole week before deer season opens here... good thing I got new chickens to help pass the time....[sly]
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