Humminbird ICE 35

The Thrifty Sonar

I have used Vexilar, and Marcum, Lowrance, and Garmin. I have read articles and been in the shops looking at various models. When it came down to it, at the time of purchase, I needed something that had the features I felt I needed and fit the budget I could afford. There was one that fit my needs the best.

The Humminbird ICE 35 was all I needed. It had the luxuries of a higher end model from another maker with a lower price tag. I did not want to skimp on some of the traits I felt important. 

What did I need? I felt I needed a winter sonar (already had one for my kayak) and I wanted something I was familiar with and had seem other people use. Here are the specifics of what I was looking for:

- Duel Beam. This was important as I fish in a variety of depths. Generally from 20-50 feet of water, but sometimes up to 90 feet. The 9/19 degree transducer allows for use in a variety of conditions.

- Large screen. The Vexilar fl8 is a great sonar. But the base model has a small screen and is blocked from some angles by the sun/snow guard. 

- Zoom. You can still see the entire water column!!! Crucial for the high water lakers. Also great for seeing those bottom huggers! Love this type of zoom. They did it right.

- Price point. Look, its not inexpensive. But this sonar provides the most for the buck. 

Any sonar can help you find fish. But this one was right for me. Its a great unit and a great brand. 

The Benefits of an Inline Ice Reel

Inline Ice Reels

Inline ice reels are all the rage in ice fishing. I have been asking myself for a while now if it is worth putting one on a rod and giving it a try. The price line for these reels has come down significantly, since they first came out, making them a pretty easy buy for even someone who doesn't fish every weekend. With that being said, you still want to get the one that will most benefit you, and the one that will last. 

For me, that meant I ruled out the Frabill brand. I have plenty of Frabill logos on my gear, but any reel I have had with that name on it has not worked out well for me at all. I am sure there will be people that disagree, but that has been my experience. 

So, with a little searching, I narrowed it down between the Fiblink and the Eagle Clawl. Both seemed to have similar specs and both are very popular. The Eagle Claw edged out Fiblink in my mind. but I am sure either would be fine choices. 

In general, the reasons to get an inline reel are numerous. So, what makes these inline reels so great? Well, the first thing that you will notice, (as you significant other is pestering you to come in from the garage but you wont because you cant keep your hands off your new reel) is that the line twist is non-existent. Hands down, this is the biggest advantage. Even when running two pound line, there is no line twist. Whatever size line you have on, the last think you want, when presenting a lure, is for that lure to be spinning in circles when you don't want it to be. Having no line twist solves that issue and allows you to present the lure in the way you want it and the way it was designed to be presented. What else gives these reels an advantage?

- The star drag system is easy to learn and can be adjusted on the fly so you can change it as you fight a fish, which is great for fighting those large walleye or lake trout. 

- The free spool release works like a charm. You can control the speed of the drop. It is the smoothest spool release I have experienced.

- The smooth drag is also something that will make the fight go your way.

- 15.75" line retrieve per crank. Enough said!

When it comes down to it, this reel adds a few of the small things that could increase your success rate by a small amount. It wont catch the fish for you, but it might do a few of those minor things that may or may not help you in this endeavor. Either way, its a nice reel and well worth the simplicity and ease and enjoyment. Its a nice reel. 

The price is right for either the Fiblink or the Eagle Claw. I suggest checking them out! Well worth it.

Eskimo HC 40 Propane Auger

Looking for a new Auger?

Is the Eskimo HC 40 is the auger for you? Lets take a dive into this auger.

This propane-powered auger has been out for a few years now and is still looking like a top of the line option. I bought it the first year it came out, which made me a bit nervous as I usually like to wait and see how things pan out before I buy.  But now I have seen a few years of use. I am glad I took the risk. I got the 10" model as it was a mere $10 more than the 8" counterpart. 

Most of the reviews that were negative had to do with shipping; the box being damaged, plastic protectors cracked, so I wasn't too concerned to order this auger. I was really looking forward to propane which would negate the smell of gas in my vehicle and be a bit cheaper to run for the winter. I'm the type of ice fisherman to drill 10-20 holes or more in a trip and I fish every weekend. One or two propane canister lasts me all year. 

The Quantum auger is a great auger. The blades are replaceable (and I never go anywhere without a spare set) and they do need to be sharpened. With my usage, every year would probably work OK, however, if you are fishing for 'bows in shallow water and even touch the sand, or hit a log, the blades are done until they are sharpened. This is the reason I always carry a spare. But, buy a new set every couple of years, keep a spare and you should have no problems drilling through the ice. 

Does this auger to well in harsher conditions? It actually does. The program canisters can act up, and if you have the ability to keep them in a warm space (see the Shappell Wide House blog) that can help. Only a couple of times, in the harshest of conditions, have I had an issue. 

With regular maintenance; replacing the oil, storing it properly, checking the spark plug, you can keep this auger going for, well at least 3 years as mine has been. Hopefully it will be with me a lot longer.  

Non-lead Jig Law and Alternatives

Leaded but legal?

Bay De Noc jigs (leaded, but legal)

Here in New Hampshire a new law has come in to play this hard water season. No lead jigs can be used. Going through the tackle box this fall I found very few lures that did not have lead. Lead core, lead coating, they all had some kind of lead. But then I read the law (note the highlighted areas)....

RSA 211:13-b Lead Fishing Sinkers and Jigs; Use Prohibited.

I.  No person shall use any lead sinker or lead jig for the taking of fish in any fresh water, except as otherwise specifically permitted in this title.

II.  A person using any such lead sinker or jig shall be guilty of a violation. Notwithstanding RSA 651:2, the penalty for a violation of this section shall not exceed $250.

III.  The prohibition under this section shall apply to interstate waters pursuant to RSA 211:4 and 211:5.

IV.  For purposes of this section, "lead sinker'' means any sinker made from lead that weighs one ounce or less, and "lead jig'' means a lead weighted hook that weighs one ounce or less. Prohibited fishing tackle shall include lead sinkers with a total weight of one ounce or less and lead jigs with a total weight of one ounce or less, regardless of whether they are painted, coated, or covered by some other substance or by attached skirts. Lead sinkers and lead jigs shall not include lead fishing related items including but not limited to lead core line, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, spoons, poppers, plugs, or flies.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am in favor of this new law as it protects fish eating birds like loons, which would otherwise die if they ingest any lead. And that's no joke, they would die. A healthy ecosystem equals a healthy fishery, so I am all for those top predators being there. 

Bay de Noc, Chartreuse Swedish Pimple 

HOWEVER, you can't imagine my excitement to know that I can continue to use my favorite lures (seen right). Since the Swedish Pimple is a spoon, not a jig it is still legal under this current for of the law. A jig is defined as a leaded hook. From the fisherman's perspective it has been tough finding new jigs to test out so I am happy that the Bay de Noc brand and their Swedish Pimple with chartreuse color, can still live in my tackle box, for now.

I'm not hear to make judgment, as you can see, I am excited to use my old spoons (not jigs, even though I will be "jigging" with them), but this is a loss for loons and the people who made this law happen. It is also difficult for the law enforcement to regulate this as there are many hybrid lures that look more like a spoon but have a hook connected to them.

 With the vagueness of this law, I still wanted to find some alternatives. I have, literally, been emailing individual companies about their jigs. I mainly fish for lakers and they can be pretty picky. 

I wanted to put together a couple of options for you to pick from. If you live in a state where this law hasn't affected you, it could be coming soon (and will, hopefully be more clear). As much as I enjoy looking for new gear, it is a costly endeavor to have it happen all at once.

Hopkin Spoon

Hopkin Spoon: So far, these are getting the best action for larger fish. They seem most similar to the "leaded" lures above. It seems that the smaller sizes have a bit more movement and are preferred by the lakers. Size may matter, but that is far from proven. I would suggest getting the size you are most comfortable with.

Backcountry Tackle Tungsten Rain Drop: This is not for my laker counterparts, but if you are looking to do some perchin' or panfish hunting, this is the teardrop for you. Perch is a great color!


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Shappell Wide House 5500

5 Points on why the 

Shappell Wide House 5500 Hub Ice Shelter

works for me.

The hub style ice shelters are an ice fisherman's dream. Hub means that at the center of each of the 5 walls (no floor) there is a hub. This allows the walls to pop out and support the structure. There are many different brands, some of them are very similar and some are difference.Shappell WH4500 Wide House is a great setup for me and here is why:

1. First of all, I love to move. I generally walk onto the ice and this fits perfectly into my Shappell Jet Sled 1 - ATC with my auger. It also has straps on the carry bag which allow it to be carried like a backpack. I am 5'8" and carrying this way does not work as it is too long and my heels hit it as I walk. When I have had an overloaded sled, I have been able to carry it over one should with success, more like a duffel bag. However, with a little work puzzling everything into my sled, allows me to not have to carry it. Mobility is important to me.

An hour of marking no fish on the sonar makes me dread the next hour. So I look at the lake chart and make my move. Popping in the hubs and moving is very simple and I can be set up again in just a few minutes. 

2. The windows. Some hub-style houses have very few windows. This one has plenty! Yeah sure, they still fog up, but they have Velcro holding them in. Need to check a flag, not problem even if the window is fogged up.  They are also at just the right height. Sitting on my bucket and looking out is not a problem at all. Doing some night fishing, or too bright to see your sonar. Not a problem as you can cover up each window from the inside. 

3. The material seems to be very rugged. I have had this for about 2.5 years and the outside is still in pristine condition. The inside is black, and their are some light dots showing up where the inside coating is scratching away or where ice has stuck to it during the tow back to shore while it was folded up. It is minute amounts of light and allows no wind to come through. 

4. The trickiest aspect to hub shelters is getting them staked into the ice (via ice anchors) before erecting the entire pop-up. It comes with 4 anchors, which is still all I use today. During windier days I will only stake in three anchors and use the fourth to run a line from windward hub to the fourth stake. I have been out in some pretty harsh conditions with winds gusting over 30mph and it has not budged with that setup. Without that hub staked in, though, a side can get pushed in which can cause some chaos for the items inside nearest that wall.

The base of the shelter has a wide amount of material that extends from the wall, outward. This is great for kicking some snow onto to provide extra insulation from that wind. If there is no snow, the wind will take some of the heat through the floor. I have found that one small heater does the trick to have you sitting in comfort even with the wind. 

5. Hub quality is legit. If one of the hubs breaks, I am not sure it would be worth fixing. I don't treat my toys nice. I bought them to use and that's what I do. The hubs are going strong and I hope they will into the future.The hub-style house also provides a lot of elbow room. 

Is the Shappell WH4500 Wide House right for you? Well, you have to decide that for yourself based on your needs and limitations. I have enjoyed this Shappell WH4500 Wide House Hub Ice Shelter since I purchased it. It is not the least expensive house on the market, but its not the cheapest one either. If quality is important, the few extra dollars is well worth it. The hubs are well built and the material is sturdy. I hope to be warming up in this shelter for many years to come. 

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