Over the past couple of years of ice fishing, if there is one thing I have learned for certain, it would be that you can add as much to your kit as you would like. I often find myself oohing and aahing at the newest piece of gear when I hit the local bait shop to pick up shiners… and I usually end up buying something almost every trip. Through all of my purchases this year, there have been a few items that really stand out to me for their benefits and ease of use on the ice.
With the ice finally gone in most of the country (there’s still some up in the way north), here are 4 things that I really can’t hit the ice without. Take a look at my top picks from this ice season.
Humminbird Mega Live 2
Humminbird’s Mega Live 2 (on sale right now) has been an absolute game changer for me this year. Paired with their Xplore 10 (which are also on sale right now), it allows me to see exactly what is going on under the hard water. I can see in real time how my tip-up will sit when deployed, where the next big school of panfish are, or exactly where that weed line is that I want to be on the edge of. I had heard rumors of schools of panfish moving or the bite shutting off when fish were hit with the ping of live sonar; however, I experienced nothing like that and truly enjoyed watching the live interaction fish would have with my tackle. The Xplore is also available in 9-inch and 12-inch.
Humminbird Xplore 10 – $1,199.99
Hummingbird Mega Live 2 – $1,499.99
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Summit Fishing Summit Ice Bundle
There are a lot of horror stories about guys trying to set up all the wiring for an ice shuttle to make sure their graphs and transducers are adequately powered, all while trying to fit a large enough AH battery into an easy-to-carry package. So when shopping for an ice shuttle, I made sure to do plenty of research, and a lot of signs pointed toward the Summit Fishing Summit Ice Bundle. I was extremely impressed with the ease of use on this shuttle.
Summit has an almost “plug and play” system, including a pre-set power harness. All I had to do was insert my power wires into their bracket, hook the buddy clips to the battery I bought, and mount my graph. I added the Summit Shuttle Bag for a little more protection for my graph and the convenience of a shoulder strap.
ION Alpha Plus 8″ Electric Auger
This season I made the switch to an 8″ ION Alpha Plus and will never be looking back. I had a couple of my buddies run this auger for a while just to make sure I wasn’t just mesmerized by its bright green color, and they all came back complimenting the torque and speed this auger packs. The variable speed trigger is a wonderful add-on as well, for clearing slush out of a hole or drilling thin early-season ice.
Although this was an all-around impressive auger, I have to bring special attention to the battery life. As I write this article, I just finished my 10th outing since receiving this auger, and I estimate that I drill about 8–12 holes every time I go out—not including what my friends have drilled with it—and the battery is still showing a full charge. I’ve fished with a lot of guys who battle to keep their auger batteries warm enough to last a full day, and that is simply not an issue with the ION.
PLANO Weekend Softsider Tackle Bag
Having a simple and organized tackle storage solution can make all the difference when fishing, no matter the season. For being on the ice, the PLANO Weekend Softsider Tackle Bag is hard to beat. On the inside, it has two built-in sleeves to hold PLANO tackle trays, as well as a main center compartment for any big items that need to be easily accessible. There are also two zip pockets on this bag that I use for holding things like depth checkers and other small accessories.
Lastly, the hard bottom is perfect for keeping your gear dry when there is any water on top of the ice.
Plano Weekend Softsider Bag – $39.99
