Favorite Piece of Gear You Used This Ice Season?

I can’t stand looking at all this Covid 19 talk anymore. Let’s have some fun. What were some of your favorite NEW TO YOU pieces of ice fishing gear you used this season?

I have three:

1. My Helix 7 that I rigged up on a Genz Box and added a Vexilar Glow Ring and Ice Defense.
2. My Clam Yukon Thermal portable shack. After switching to otter over the last couple seasons I went back to Clam and was very impressed with this portable. Tons of room but not too big, comes stock with a ceiling cargo net and baskets under both chairs. Super warm and comfortable.
3. Blackfish Gale Hoodie. This is a waterproof, windproof, fleece lined hoodie that is crazy warm. Wore it over a couple base layers and rarely needed my jacket most days on the ice.

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I’ve been meaning to add that glow ring. For me, I picked up a few fun products this year. Based on Tom Sawvell’s suggestion I tried out the Clam Frost Ice Braid and really like it for the most part. I also pulled the trigger on a Bullwhip and it’s been a great addition. I also got a LTP but haven’t had enough chances to give it a legit review yet.

moustachesteve wrote:

I’ve been meaning to add that glow ring. For me, I picked up a few fun products this year. Based on Tom Sawvell’s suggestion I tried out the Clam Frost Ice Braid and really like it for the most part. I also pulled the trigger on a Bullwhip and it’s been a great addition. I also got a LTP but haven’t had enough chances to give it a legit review yet.

It works much better and faster than most products I’ve tried to add glow. I also tried the Frost braid but only got to use it once in really cold weather on ML but it felt pretty nice.

2020 Yamaha Kodiak 450 EPS,my knees and shoulder said thank you.

Commander 1000 and the Lite flite

I can run and gun like nobodies business.

First was the noodle rod I made off of a BassKhang blank. Completely changed how I ice fished, by not using a spring bobber any more, and having one rod that could handle tiny tungstens up to smaller spoons. I plan to make a few more for next year.

Garmin Striker 4, put on a genz box. Not the highest end unit in the world, but has accurate gps, lightweight and a fast/adjustable ice mode. You can occaisionally find that unit for about $80-$90, and with a small piece of pvc, can easily use the supplied trandsucer on the ice. I set my son up with that setup last year (before I switched), and mounted his striker 4 to a plastic ammo box I got at harbor freight, that worked out well also.

The one other thing I did, minor but helpful, was put those clamps that hold brooms on walls on both my genz box and my sons ammo can flasher setup for both the PVC setups on transducers and to hold a rod while carrying the setup.

Strikemaster Lite Flite 8″, never even started the jiffy propane and its going up for sale next winter.

Helix 7 Gen 3, TUCR Precision my new to me home brew wheel house.

New baffins, phenomenal boots

I admittedly don’t ice fish much but I got a Blackfish Gale hoody last winter and it is great. No need for my striker coat anymore. I usually have a light weight fleece under it and on the real cold days I wear a Milwaukee heated vest under the Gale. I fish in the boat a winter and it is a lot nicer casting in a jacket that is much lighter and less bulky.

I like it enough that I bought another one one size larger to more easily layer.

My new to me Ski-Doo Renegade 800. It really made long rides a lot more comfortable with the longer track. Another thing that has made wheelhouse life a lot better was adding a WiFi hotspot. Not so much for me but for the kids. No matter how good the fishing is, there’s going to be slow times. Kids get bored and being able to stream Netflix or whatever is great. Although being able to watch NBA and NFL games when it’s slow is certainly a plus.

(1) Livescope Ice Bundle (2) Dewalt Hammer drill/Lite Flite.

Went from owning nothing but a few poles last year to now owning the full set up. The Milwaukee drill paired with an 8″ lite flite was by far my favorite purchase. Super light, no gas/oil, no worry about whether it’ll run appropriately, and cuts like freakin’ butter.

Helix 5 ice transducers and a ram mount for my 1985 Honda bigred for the helix

BrianF wrote:

(1) Livescope Ice Bundle (2) Dewalt Hammer drill/Lite Flite.

Lucky dog!

GARMIN 73cv ice bundle

6″ orange nils and hammer drill. Cant believe the difference compared to gas.

Rapala Cordless Fillet Knife Combo, comes with an extra battery and two blades. Nice to have fish that need filleting.

1. Striker ice climate suit best suit ive ever had by far well worth the money for the boat this winter and ice wow is it beyond nice
2. Strikemaster 8 inch lite flite on my clam plate I already had
3. New polaris sportsman 850 premium…..
4. Amped outdoors lithium battery for my helix 7 super light never got it close to dead even 13hr days on the ice…thanks pete lol

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My new to me Ice Castle, fishing in slippers is REAL nice.

Strikemaster 40v electric auger. Took forever to get to me, as I ordered it online December 2018 and it was finally delivered September 2019 after being on backorder.

I absolutely love the thing. So damn simple. I tell people all the time it’s awesome, after spending over $500, to say that it’s money well spent with no regrets.

Got a used 21′ Ice Castle.

A 40 volt strikemaster 8″ its sooo nice to just push a button!

Bigcrappie built an awesome rod for me complete with purple & yellow thread.

Bought the ice kit for my Helix 7.

Best year on the ice in years!
Also picked up a 36″ TUCR Precision that has become the FW’s favorite.

Sorry for the double pic!

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I really didn’t add a whole lot of new things to the arsenal this year. I did convert my Helix 10 from the front of my boat to a genz box for the ice. I paired it with a Amped 16ah Lithium and put a glow cup on it. I really like the unit, but it is pretty large so I primarily used it for fishing inside a house.

Got a steal of a deal on a Jason Mitchell Clam Yukon at Scheels this winter. Upgraded from the Shapell Bayrunner…. Aside from it being 40lbs heavier than the Bayrunner I don’t know why I waited so long to upgrade. Tons of room and a lot more convenient. My goal is to get a track sled built this summer so I have a motorized means of transport without having to take the pickup out next winter.

1. Side shelves for my Eskimo with quick discs on the ends.
2. Sierra thermal replacement tent (upgraded from nonthermal) and runners
3. Garmin Echomap 7cv with ps22
4. Aqua-Vu revolution 5.0 (sight fishing)
5. Flambeau hard sided rod case
6. Baffin impact boots

Deuces wrote:

New baffins, phenomenal boots

Oh yeah, I got Baffins for Xmas and they’re a game changer. My feet are too warm if anything now

wimwuen wrote:

Garmin Striker 4, put on a genz box. Not the highest end unit in the world, but has accurate gps, lightweight and a fast/adjustable ice mode. You can occaisionally find that unit for about $80-$90, and with a small piece of pvc, can easily use the supplied trandsucer on the ice

I use this unit on my kayak and tried it out as a secondary unit this ice season. Surprisingly decent. I really like your solution with the pvc and genz box with broom clips. Good idea!

8″ lite flite. First electric drill I’ve had, awesome for a wheelhouse or thinner ice. I’m still using the 10″ Lazer Mag for thicker ice and places like Winnipeg and Clearwater though.

Strikemaster LiteFlite. Anybody want a reliable Jiffy 2500? Make an offer…

Last summer I would have thought I’d reply to this post by saying Polaris Ranger, but didn’t get out and use it much.

1. Strikemaster 40V

2. TUCR Fusion

3. Vexilar Flx-28

I echo some of the comments on here.

Game changer for me was the Lite Flite with De Walt 20VMax 996. I cut next to both the strikemaster 40v and Ion and drilled circles around them. Under 7 pounds and when I did need to a couple times I could pop the auger on my Solo 2.0 engine…

Second was the Helix 7 G3 ice unit A Scope. Fun way to fish and I do like the A Scope to eliminate issues when a fish comes on screen right over your jig. I will upgrade that to lithium battery next year but I did get decent run time on full charge on standard lead acid battery.

Third was the Beaver Dam Glass Noodle Rod. For $13 and I fished it next to my TUCR Bullwhip and I did not see a $90 difference. Trust me I prefer to fish with my bullwhip but for the money that is a very good rod and I now have a small army of them for my kids and friends.

Fourth was the ACME hammered tungsten jigs primarily in gold they caught fish in all different water clarity and caught different species…

This is a good thread and I enjoy hearing about the products.