Ice fishing on the Bay

[LlipRipper]

How do you who icefish the bay get yourselves and your equipment to your hot spot from the parking lot? How do you manage to keep your equipment together and in one piece? I seem to see all sorts of things scattered on the ice the few times I have gone and don't want to make the same mistakes. I am sure there are some good ideas out there. Thanks for any input.

[Chuck1]

Man, when the bite is on just haulass! Worry about how much gear you got when you get there LOL. I am one of teh them guys that always loses something, and a couple of times it has been pretty expensive LOL. When you are getting bumped,and jostled around sometimes stuff just gets away.

[pilatusbahn]

the best way is to build a box in the spring or summer that will hold all of your gear and attatch that to your sled or atv to haul out. buy a bracket to hold your auger and you should be all set. or come up with something of your own. i've seen guys that put all their gear into a huge cooler or one of those big plastic tubs and strap that to their atv. whatever works for you, cause for the rest of us its really just trial and error until you find what works best. good luck!

[javelin]

I bought a large hiking backpack. works great no matter how long my haul or how bumpy it is. Fits my heater, rod holder straps in the side, flasher, underwater camera, tackle, scoop, etc.... If I am taking my shanty I will put my chair, minnows and auger on top of the shanty and bungy cord them down.

[Big_P]

Man, when the bite is on just haulass!
Chuck that just became my new favorite saying. Thanks!:lol:

[Blaketrout]

I've got a 2-up snowmobile rigged up for running the bay. I built a rack for the back of the sled that I put my fish shack on (smaller otter). I fasten that down with bungee cords permanently bolted to four corners of the base of the shack. I also got a cover for the shack so that's where all of my fishing gear/fish goes. For minnows I use a water cooler so it could bounce around a lot and not spill. Finally, I built an auger rack for the front of the sled. The snowmobile is the way to go for crossing cracks and dealing with deep snow. I also put some helper bogie wheels and hyperfax on for running glare ice. So far it's the best that I've come up with for fishing the bay.


One other option that I've always thought about is the permanently attached shacks that fit on your snowmobile. A lot of guys run them up by Au Gres. Those are really the most portable/fastest way to stay mobile that I've seen out there.

[LlipRipper]

Some nice ideas, got my mind in high gear thinking up ways to hold my gear. My buddy got me a minnow cooler with a sealed lid and aerator for Christmas, that should keep the minnows in tact and not lose any water. I am getting anxious to build some things and get on the ice. Goona hafta talk with Mother Nature about this weather!! Can't wait to give my Kaw an icefishing makeover. One problem I do have and that is rod storage. Any ideas on that? I hate tangles and broken line/rods/reels.

[Chuck1]

I like the fishing cooler idea, I have a couple big ones for salmon fishing, it never occurred to me to use them. Thanks for the idea. I primarily like to use my ski-doo 2up sled for fishing, but if it is all glare ice its nice to run the quad instead. I sure do feel better jumping cracks in the sled. Please, please, please bring on the ice!

[walleyeman2006]

get a bucket with a top that latches down that way you will hear it when it comes off lol....sleds are the way to go if your going out over 2 miles...most the newer sleds are capable of running a long way on open water if you had to so crossing an 8 foot crack is nothing...but if you want the best safety factor buy an air boat an extremely powerful air boat...many of them with small air craft engines are under powered for ice fishing best ive seen have big v8s and gear reduction takes a lot of power to push a boat back on top of the ice if it goes through

[adam bomb]

i like to stay as portable/effiscient as i can. in saying that i fish outside, i dont use a shanty. that way i can move from spot to spot until i find the fish...and i dont have to drag anything. i dont like to drag anything because it can be tough if you get any amount of snow. plus your always looking back checking on things. thats just me though...to each his own.

i carry all my equipment(except rods) inside my frabill shuttle sled(discontinued). it fits right on the back rack of my honda rancher. i hold it down with two heavy duty rubber straps. inside the sled i carry my vexilar, tackle boxes, flashlights, etc. molded into the sled is a place for a bucket. i installed two eye hooks and a bungee cord to hold the bucket to the sled. inside the bucket is my 2 gallon minnow bucket...everything is inside and you dont lose anything.

i carry my auger on the front rack along with my spud. each has its own "holder/rack". they are also attached with heavy rubber straps.

finally i carry my rods in a rod bag that i wear like a back pack. there are many commercially available. select one to fit your needs. i have a rod bag that will carry 4 rods up to 32" in length. that allows me to rig different rods with different presentations. when its time to switch things up i just grab a different rod, put on some bait and send it on its way.

then, when its time to move on, put the stuff in its place a few straps and away you go.;)

with this set up you can cruise across the ice. everything is nice and secure. you wont lose a thing......unless of course you dont strap it down....i dont know anyone whos done that.:whistle: :rolleyes: :lol:

have fun out there.:D

[Southend517]

If my friends want to go I have them carry me and my stuff out there.

[mcanes1]

Some nice ideas, got my mind in high gear thinking up ways to hold my gear. My buddy got me a minnow cooler with a sealed lid and aerator for Christmas, that should keep the minnows in tact and not lose any water. I am getting anxious to build some things and get on the ice. Goona hafta talk with Mother Nature about this weather!! Can't wait to give my Kaw an icefishing makeover. One problem I do have and that is rod storage. Any ideas on that? I hate tangles and broken line/rods/reels.
If the minnow cooler your buddy bought is a Frabil min-o-life. Take it back. They stink.
1. The white "o-ring" doesn't stay in place once the lid area gets wet. You all but have to super glue it to the lid. Even then it's not reliable. It still leaks. I'm talking just by bouncing around. If it tips, forget it.
2. The aerator is junk, it's loud and cheap and won't last long. Mine didn't make it thru the first season.
The water cooler for a minnow bucket is the ticket. I have a 1/2 gallon, a 1 gallon and a 2.5 gallon, for when I'm fishing with big shiner minnows.

[MUSHY1]

Whats the minnows for Again?????? :D ;) :lol: IM a NOMAD, I travel on the ice as light as possible...... I have a sled, but most of the time its my rods, Auger, and Bucket. I do not use a Shanty, as i move around alot until i find fish.....All i can say, if you do not have a Bike or Snowmobile, take the least amount of stuff with ya, you will thank me for this advise. I have a Snowmobile, but do not use it that much. I enjoy walking, its great excercise, and you never sweat in the Cold Crisp Air. Good luck, and keep it light.....

Mushy

[Ralph Smith]

Whats the minnows for Again?????? :D ;) :lol: IM a NOMAD, I travel on the ice as light as possible...... I have a sled, but most of the time its my rods, Auger, and Bucket. I do not use a Shanty, as i move around alot until i find fish.....All i can say, if you do not have a Bike or Snowmobile, take the least amount of stuff with ya, you will thank me for this advise. I have a Snowmobile, but do not use it that much. I enjoy walking, its great excercise, and you never sweat in the Cold Crisp Air. Good luck, and keep it light.....

Mushy

I'm here to tell ya, that a about 290 bundled up and walking over a mile onto to the saginaw bay, even dragging a nice easy pulling sled, this fat boy sweats.:p Especially when there's snow out there. I've got an old sled to get ready for this year, and mounting everything on it. Used have one that I pulled everything with, its o.k., but like mentioned, you have to watch for stuff that may come undone of if the ice is broken up much, they sled may like to end up on its side or upside down:dizzy: been there done that. No more pulling for me, everything mounted on machine and off I go this winter:D

[MUSHY1]

What am I thinking, I sweat too, but try to stay as light as possible when walking......Come-on Ice......Im going crazy just talking about it....

Mushy

[woodsman rick]

get a bucket with a top that latches down that way you will hear it when it comes off lol....sleds are the way to go if your going out over 2 miles...most the newer sleds are capable of running a long way on open water if you had to so crossing an 8 foot crack is nothing...but if you want the best safety factor buy an air boat an extremely powerful air boat...many of them with small air craft engines are under powered for ice fishing best ive seen have big v8s and gear reduction takes a lot of power to push a boat back on top of the ice if it goes through

Let's see, in the last few years I've convinced the loving wife I NEEDED a new GPS, shanty, more rods then I'll ever admit to, power auger, underwater camera, fish locating devise, updates to the wheeler, updates to the ski-doo, different size sleds to pull all this stuff out with, (one was to small, next was to big, ah the third was just right). NOW I have to convince her I NEED an air boat, this will be a fun discussion. I can see the papers now, "Ice fisherman killed by loving wife, police find it justiflable.....:help:
Rick

[MUSHY1]

All that Stuff, and nothing to fish on......:bonk: :bonk: Never thought this would be 2 years in a row for Southern Michigan....Can you say Global Warming...

Mushy

[baydog2]

Start with 2 legs, fishtrap scout loaded with hand auger, rods, heater, takle bag, bucket, and minnows in a water cooler. Hook the trap rope up to a tree stand safety harness that clips in the back and pull. Leaves the hands to use a spud to check ice if need.

[bigbob]

Start with 2 legs, fishtrap scout loaded with hand auger, rods, heater, takle bag, bucket, and minnows in a water cooler. Hook the trap rope up to a tree stand safety harness that clips in the back and pull. Leaves the hands to use a spud to check ice if need. what no air boat :one_eye:

[mcanes1]

I'm noticing early signs "Cabin fever", here.

[The Whale]

Walk !, walk ?, oh hell no ! I am not into this for the physical exertion, just the opposite. Relax, remain calm, and be at one with the fish. :D Besides, when the fish are six miles out on the Bay, I'll be coming back in with my fish just about the time you are getting out there ! ;) :lol: :fish2:

[Blaketrout]

No walking for me thanks!! Sometimes those fish are on the move and moving around on the bay isn't measured in yards but miles. You can travel as light as you want but don't forget these are saginaw bay walleye. There's a good chance your coming in with 30 or more extra pounds. :)

As far as the airboats go check out this sitehttp://www.canadianairboats.com/. They got some pretty neat air boats made for the ice. I thought about getting one before but the air boats only get a few extra days in on the average year. Couldn't really justify the price. Once March rolls around you usually don't have to wander too far out anyway.

[baydog2]

No airboat here Bob.;) Chances are if I owned one I would head for the Everglades where you can get a lot of use out of it.

[UNCLE AL]

I have an old dog sled that I build a box on that holds everything that I take onto the ice. Bracket on top to hold the gas auger, and the box top and sides double as a wind break when I get where I'm going. All pulled with a sled of course. I've found that a wide mouth thermos works perfect for keeping minnows in.

[walleyeman2006]

lmao air boats are way beyond my means but i have freinds lol ....i had a sled 440 air cooled cat was nice ......now im back to using a 1985 suzuki 125 fourwheeler if i take a machine but most of the time i walk

[ficious]

If we ever get any safe ice, I'd like to tag along with somebody. I've never fished the bay for eyes. I'll pick up the bait, etc. Cool that they gave it it's own forum.

Harry

[Southend517]

man, I have the cameras ready to go. I need to get some 2007 action posted.

[kingfisher 11]

If we ever get any safe ice, I'd like to tag along with somebody. I've never fished the bay for eyes. I'll pick up the bait, etc. Cool that they gave it it's own forum.

Harry

Harry
Your always welcome with me. I have everything we need. Many years of GPS coordinates saved too.

KF

[ficious]

Bob,

Thanks, I'd love to give it a shot. I don't hit many walleye through the ice on LSC. It happens, but not often for me. The times I've targeted them, we didn't get hit.

Harry

[mcanes1]

Bob,

Thanks, I'd love to give it a shot. I don't hit many walleye through the ice on LSC. It happens, but not often for me. The times I've targeted them, we didn't get hit.

Harry

Harry, let me know when you guys head out. I wouldn't mind tagging along with you and Bob. I bought a new quad this past weekend and I'm itching to get it on some ice. Just might not be this year.