Hey guys, so I don’t know if you have noticed but it’s getting really cold outside lately! That means a lot of our favorite fishing holes are covered in ice. [Read my top 5 tips to get ready for Ice Fishing!]
I have even heard of some of my favorite spots back where I grew up in northern Utah having 12in of ice, and that was before the most recent cold snap. I am not one that likes very thin ice so having about 5-6 inches of ice gets me excited to get out a try some fishing!
To help combat the ice and the cold, I have put together some of my favorite new ice fishing items that I am excited to get out and try. By new, I mean either newly-released this year or a brand that we just started carrying in the store. Check it out:
Chris’s Auger of Choice
Let’s start in augers. It seems like to me that the new rage in augers is either electric or propane instead of gas. There is a lot of reasons they have become more popular. They are quieter, lighter, and don’t have the stinky exhaust that the gas augers do.
My pick for an electric auger is the ION 8 inch electric auger. Two of the coolest things about this auger is that it has a reverse option and that it only weighs 22 pounds!
This is one of the lightest augers that I have seen! No more packing or dragging that heavy auger across the ice!
Probably one of the biggest questions I had, and others have had, was: Won’t the battery die in the cold really fast?
The answer to that is, NO! The lithium ion battery will cut through 1,000 inches of ice! I don’t know about you but I don’t cut that much ice in a trip. This auger will do everything that you need it to.
Ice Fishing Shelters
As far as shelters go, we carry Clam and Eskimo brands and they both have great things about each one! It really is hard to pick one or the other. This much I can tell you, they both are selling really well right now and a shelter is almost always something you need to take when you go ice fishing! Our best seller is probably the Clam Six Pack 1660 right now!
Back by Popular Demand: Swedish Pimples
We used to carry Swedish Pimple lures, and interest died down. Now people want them back, and so I’ve added them to our ice department!
There are 2 ways I see people using the Swedish Pimples.
One way is just as a lure on its own, putting the bait on the Swedish Pimple hook.
A different way, which seems more effective, is to use the Swedish pimple to attract the fish in. Then, run a line down from the Swedish pimple to a Ratfinkee or a Ratso, and the fish will smell the bait on that.
Try it out for yourself and let me know what works!
Ice Fishing Rod Brands to Watch
I have two fishing rod companies that I think are doing great things! The first one is a local company that many of you have heard of. Christenson Lake Shore Tackle of Manila, Utah has come out with some new ice fishing rods that are tailored to the local Utah fishing market. One of which is a 40″ Lake trout rod. They also come in some cool colors, too!
The next company is 13 Fishing. They were one of the biggest new booths at ICAST last July and they have rods for almost everything. They have ice rods, casting rods, and spinning rods. All of which we will be carrying but their ice rods have done really well and look really good! Check them out and see for yourself!
These are just a few of the new things that I am excited about. There is so many new things out there that it is almost impossible to list them all!
I would love to hear the brands or equipment that you just can’t go fishing without!
