First Impressions:

When I first got the package it seemed too simple to be true.  A couple of round magnets, a couple of bolts and a couple of washers.  Oh, and a set of instructions and a template to use on your auger cover.  As an engineer, simple is nearly always better, so I was impressed right out of the gate.

Setup:

I figured setup was going to be a pain, but I was dead wrong.  Simply cut out the template, put it on the inside of your auger cover, mark the places to drill the holes and drill.  From there it is simply placing the magnets in the holes and attaching the hardware to secure them.  10 minutes and you are in business.

The auger blade cover system in action:

there are 2 things that jump out at me as to why this is a great system to use.  First, taking the cover off is as simple as putting your foot on the cover and pulling the auger away.  No taking off your gloves, freezing your hands and removing the cover.  And reassembly is even easier than that, simply place the cover on the ground and put the auger back down.  As long as you are pretty close the cover will find the right way to align and the magnets do the remainder of the work.

Final Take:

Obviously this is not a MUST have item.  You could simply use the factory system for putting the cover on and off.  But trust me, if you use this even 2 times per year it is well worth the investment.  The time savings and lack of hassle from even the first trip will be evident.  I would recommend it myself and will absolutely be using it going forward.

The concept of the rod strap is pretty simple.  Hold your rod while you set it down.  In the winter this is very common as we can have 2 lines down in the winter here in Minnesota.  My usual setup is for a jig rod that I actively fish with my flasher and either a dead stick or a bobber rod which I have set down.  It is for the 2nd rod that the rod strap was invented in my opinion.

First Impressions:

Before getting out onto the ice I opened up the rod straps and gave them the once over.  The nylon sheathing is quality made and should last a while.  They are lightweight, which would be a good thing for the modern ice angler who is perpetually on the move.  And finally, the price is very good, $5.50 including shipping for 2 of the straps is a bargain in just about anyone's book.

Thoughts while out on the ice:

The velcro was easy to use and allowed for me to put the strap just about anywhere.  My thought was to use it for my bobber rod and that is where I started.  The first day I had a hard time getting the strap to stay where I wanted to on my metal poles of my portable.  I have a Clam flipover house that is a few years old and the poles are a reasonably small diameter and so the strap wanted to go with gravity, not where I wanted it.  I'm pretty sure with the larger diameter poles of the portables of today this wouldn't be an issue, but it was with me.  Thankfully i had a small roll of hockey tape with me in the car and placing this on the pole worked great to keep the strap where I wanted it.  Removing the ice rod when a fish hit was pretty simple with the pink strip of material and I thought it worked for what is intended.

Final Take:

Advantages:

Inexpensive

Quality made

Allows you to save up valuable floor real estate in your portable house

Lightweight and collapses down for easy packing and transport

For the run and gun fisherman that uses a bucket this would be great

Disadvantages:

Slid on poles of portable

My final take would be this is a pretty good deal, especially for the run and gun angler.  I think that I still prefer the rod rocker 2 and found myself going back to that often especially when dead sticking, but among what I have seen on the market I think this is a solid product at a square price.

As discussed earlier in the week with the Ice Trekkers review, ice fishing cleats are a must have for the modern ice fisherman who is on the move constantly and chasing fish until he find them.  The modern ice angler will have all the latest and greatest ice fishing gear, but only the stuff that actually helps him stay on the ice and catch more fish. Nothing ends an ice fishing season faster than a major injury, and slipping on the ice is the most common way to cause such an injury while hard water fishing.

So let’s look specifically at the cleats now.  The due north traction aids are not the cheapest option out there, but at around $20 per pair they definitely are not the most expensive either.  They come with 6 spikes per boot and has a couple of replacement  spikes with them.  Tungsten carbide is what the spikes are made of and having them be replaceable allows for years of use out of the same pair of ice cleats.  The cleats go out from the boot about ¼” and afford quite a grip on the ice.  And the system is very easy to put on and take off your boots.  Something that would be nice for the angler who has a nice wheel house that he doesn’t want to screw up the carpet, but wanders out with a portable or outside during the day.

The main detractor for these cleats to me is that they are a little uncomfortable on hard surfaces (the places where the spikes are lead to pressure points on the bottom of your boots).  Other than that I think these are a solid pair of cleats.

Final verdict:

If price were not an issue I think I would go with the Ice Trekkers I reviewed yesterday.  However, since these are half the cost of those cleats I think you need to think long and hard about how often you plan to use them.  For the fisherman that is likely to be trudging through the snow and maybe only needs cleats 2 to 3 times a year I think these are the choice.  The $20 savings is too good to pass up in that case.

When it comes to staying upright while on the ice perhaps nothing is more important to have than a pair of ice fishing cleats.  Having seen many people over the years take some serious spills on the ice, a good pair of cleats is a must have, especially for those that like to fish early ice.  As the year goes on snow pack on top of the snow gives a little more traction, but early ice is nearly always sheer ice and slippery as heck!  Here in Minnesota last year after the lakes freezing and then getting covered in a ton of snow, we got some rain that eliminated the entire snowfall and made the ice smooth.  Anywhere there had been a portable ice house was as slippery as I have ever seen it and a good friend of mine took a serious digger.  It wasn’t pretty.  He wasn’t wearing cleats and I was.  I didn’t fall, he did.  But enough about stories and the reason for ice fishing cleats, let’s take a good look at the Ice Trekkers.

Kako International makes these traction aids and I must admit I am pretty impressed with them.  Once on your feet they are lightweight, stay on well and most importantly grip the ice something fierce.  Even if you try to slide on the ice you will stick and not fall over.  The most important thing you can have from a pair of ice fishing cleats.

As for detractors for this product I think there is one main one (the cost) and one minor one (somewhat hard to get on your boots).  Let’s start with the cost.  Much like anything in this world you tend to get what you pay for.  There are ice cleats on the market that are as cheap as $5 to $10 for a pair.  They are also uncomfortable and don’t last very long.  The Ice Trekkers run about $40, so you are definitely going to have to open your wallet.  The difficulty when putting them on is likely a once a season type of problem as you can simply leave them on your boots from then forward.

Final verdict:

All in all I would recommend these for the mobile ice angler that encounters glaze ice every year.  They are lightweight and give you a grip on the ice that is impressive.  If you are an ice angler that shoots for the cheapest stuff available these are not for you, look elsewhere.  I know I will be using them this winter.

Here the rod rocker 2 is attached to a portable shelter

But to be fair, it is much more than that, as it is mainly meant for dead sticking with a second rod.  And when it comes to that, the Rod Rocker really shines.  For those that are unfamiliar with dead sticking, it is simply placing your bait at the place you desire (often this will be within close proximity to the bottom, but if you are fishing suspended fish it can be anywhere in the water column) and then having your ice fishing rod free float hanging over the hole.  It allows for not resistance when a fish takes the bait.  Rather than give a dissertation on dead sticking, I'll just say it works very well, especially for finicky fish.

But back to the Rod Rocker 2.  The first impression I came away with was how well made it is(if you read the Today's Tackle website it say "very durable", to me while descriptive this doesn't do it justice how well made this is).  It is solid metal and feels like it will last a lifetime.  You aren't going to bend this thing even if you step on it.  It is that solid.  The red portion on the top of the Rod Rocker 2 is a rubber similar to what you will see on garage pegs.  It grips the rod, but allows it to rock up and down easily.  And I put it through all 6 different ice rods I own and it worked well for all of them.  It is kind of hard to describe until you see it in person, but trust me it holds the rod so it won't fall, but it easily affords movement.  It is brilliant in its simplicity. And finally, since it goes immediately in front of your reel, it won't let your combo go down the hole when that big northern pike takes your crappie minnow this winter.

Onto the downsides, the main thing for me is that this isn't a ready made solution.  In other words there is "some assembly required".  You will need to get a drill and place the holes where you want the rod rocker 2 to go.  To be fair, that is also a selling point as it is fully customizable.  Still, for the fisherman who wants to open the package and get fishing, this one isn't for you.

Final take

Advantages:

Quality materials
Keeps ice rod and reel combo on top of the ice
Allows for full freedom of movement for dead sticking applications
Grips rod combo, but allows for easily grabbing the rod when it comes time to reel in a fish

Disadvantages:

Some assembly required

My final take?  I would absolutely recommend this for the modern ice angler.  It is inexpensive, quality made, and does what you want it to.

Boots rated to what temperature?

When it comes to ice fishing and boots, you are going to be dealing with cold temperatures.  It is simply the nature of the beast.  Depending on where you fish it can get to -20 degrees F, or even colder.  For sure you won’t be outside long at temperatures less than -10 degrees fishing (even if you were warm enough to fish in that  your ice hole would be continually freezing up), but the trek to and from your ice fishing house can take a toll if you don’t have warm boots.

The Bogs are rated to -40 degrees F.  I have worn these boots, and trust me, they are VERY warm.  Warm enough that you don’t really want to wear them in the house due to being too warm and your feet will be sweating.  For this reason I would highly suggest wearing a smart wool sock or similar which will keep you warm even if they do get a bit damp.  I also got mine 1 size too big in order to allow for air circulation and it has worked well in that regard.

To be fair, these boots are not rated nearly as low in temperature as many other ice fishing boots.  Many are rated to as low as -200 degrees F.  If you want protection like that you don’t want to even consider these boots.

Comfort of the Bogs Ultra High Boots

I think the best reason to buy these boots is the comfort.  Simply put they are very comfortable to walk in and provide very good support for arches and your feet.  The soles allow for a cushioned blow when you walk and keep your feet happy all day long.

How much do the Bogs Ultra High Boots weigh?

A common question for those that are going to be walking large distances.  Lighter boots simply allow for longer walking with the same amount of energy expended.  These boots are pretty light when compared to many ice fishing boots.  Coming in a 4 lbs for the pair you can see that they measure up well against many others.

Are Bogs Ultra High Boots waterproof?

One of the most underrated reasons to buy ice fishing boots is that they are water proof.  You are going to come across water, or at least some form of water (ice, snow, etc) while out in the elements.  The Bogs are made of rubber and neoprene and are 100% waterproof.

Final Conclusion

I have been very pleased with these boots.  I would suggest them to anyone looking for a lightweight, warm boot for ice fishing in most applications.  If you want a boot that will keep you warm in the arctic circle you should look elsewhere, otherwise give them a look.

Please feel free to browse the great selection below

NEW MARCUM LX-3TC ICE FISHING SONAR FLASHER FISH FINDER    US $339.99

Marcum LX-3tc Ice Fishing Sonar System / Fishfinder - LX-3tc    US $339.95

Marcum LX-3tc Ice System Fishfinder    US $369.95

·· Used Marcum LX 3 For Sale ·· Best Deal on Marcum LX-3 TC Flashers ·· Marcum LX3 Fish Finders··

Browse The Full Range Of Marcum LX-3 Flashers HERE

All orders are processed through Ebay for the best possible customer service

Our list of reviews on the ice fishing flashers take a front and center look at the Marcum LX-3 fish finder.  The Marcum fish finders are well known to be quality flashers with a great reputation and a long list of features for your dollar.  The LX-3 is the middle unit in the Marcum line of ice fishing flashers.  It builds on the great baseline unit the Marcum VX-1 and adds functionality for the ice angler who is a little more discerning in his ice fishing gear.  Without further blabbering on my part, here is the LX-3 review.  For those looking for my other Marcum flasher reviews please see the following:

Marcum VX-1 Review
Marcum LX-5 Review

Key Features of the Marcum LX-3

Again, most anglers can get by with a baseline unit, but if you want a few more features you are going to have to step up in price and in the flasher line.  The biggest difference noticed by ice fishermen is from no flasher to a flasher, but for those that are well versed in the flasher game the LX-3 does offer some nice features.  In addition to the great features on the VX-1 such as a 3 color sonar system,  that shows the difference between small, medium and large objects (small or far away objects are shown in green, medium in yellow and large fish are shown in red) you get more power, better target separation and an adjustable zoom.  The VX-1 has an impressive 1,000 watts peak to peak power, but the LX-3 brings it to the next level and goes to 1,500 watts of peak to peak power.  While the VX-1 has a bottom zoom where the bottom 6 feet is shown in more detail, the LX-3 has an adjustable zoom that allows you to zoom anywhere in the water column.  This can be especially important when ice fishing crappie and a little less so when you are ice fishing walleye since crappies tend to suspend over deep water and walleyes tend to hug the bottom.  When compared to the Vexilar FL-12 (the mid point Vexilar unit) you get a lot more features for the same money.

Marcum LX-3 prices

Unlike the baseline VX-1 unit, you are going to need to pony up a bit more scratch to get yourself into a Marcum LX-3.  While the VX-1 tends to be around $300, the LX-3 is another $100 and retails at around $400.

Where can I find the best Marcum LX-3 price online?

The age old question since Al Gore invented the internet, the best places I have found to look are the same places people talk about all the time: Ebay and Craigslist.  I generally point people in the direction of Ebay  for those that want assurances that the unit will work (PayPal has very buyer friendly policies and can make sure you are covered if you get a unit that doesn’t work).  If you are willing to forgo the consumer friendly policies of PayPal for a chance to save some money on shipping and overall cost, craigslist is great place to look, especially if you are in a populated city that has an active CL presence.   If you look around you can at times find small sales on these units (like 5% off to maybe 10% off) at respected retailers like Cabelas and Red Rock Store), but generally you won’t find the best deals at these places.

Final recommendation on the Marcum LX-3

When it comes to ice fishing flashers I think that the Marcum line is a hard line to beat given their features for the price.  I personally steer people towards a baseline unit for the bang for the buck, but if you are looking to get a little more out of your flasher I think that the LX-3 is a solid choice.  In terms of longevity and quality rep it is on par with the Vexilar with one key exception and the price point is the same.  However, it has more features than Vexilar and therefore I generally suggest going with a Marcum even though the Vexilars are fine units in and of themselves.

What are your experiences with the Marcum LX-3?  What would you tell someone that is in the market for a flasher and is considering the LX-3?

Please feel free to browse the great selection below

Humminbird New Ice-45 Flasher Fishfinder Color 407030-1    US $356.99

Humminbird ICE 45 Ice Fishing Flasher Fish Finder    US $404.99

Humminbird Ice 45 Flasher Fishfinder - ICE45    US $359.99

·· Used Humminbird Ice 45 For Sale ·· Best Deal on Hummingbird Ice-45 Flashers ··Humminbird Ice-45 Fish Finders··

Browse The Full Range Of Humminbird Ice 35 Flashers HERE

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When it comes to the ice fishing flashers world, Humminbird is a relatively Johnny come lately.  While well accomplished on the soft water with their impressive line of Humminbird fish finders, the ice versions in the “birds” line have only been around for a few years.  Thankfully their quality reputation is carried over into the ice fishing world.  And to be sure, a flasher is a key part of your ice fishing gear and is not something to be screwed around with!  Many people, myself included, would turn around and not fish if our flasher wasn’t working correctly on the ice.  But on to this specific model, the Ice-45 is the middle version of the ice fishing flasher lineup from Humminbird.

For other reviews please see the following articles:

Humminbird Ice-35 Review

Humminbird Ice-55 Review

Key Features of the Hummingbird Ice-45

Here is where the rubber hits the road.  The Ice-45 has a slightly higher price tag than the baseline units from all the flasher companies (i.e. the Ice-35, Vexilar FL-8, and Marcum VX-1) and therefore would expect some added features.  And this is the case.  A flat screen is standard on these units.  The center of the screen has a digital read out of the depth that is easy to read when hopping from hole to hole.  In addition, the Ice-45 has a great feature that allows for adjustable zoom.  The whole water column is shown on the right hand side of the screen, but the left hand side only show the portion of the water column that you are focusing on.  Unlike the VX-1 (for those interested here is the Marcum VX-1 review) where it is the bottom 6 feet of the water column, the Ice-45 allows you to pick any part of the water column to be zoomed on.  Similar to almost all of the modern flashers on the market, the Hummingbird Ice 45 has 3 colors to depict how big the object being reflected is (green is the smallest, yellow the medium and red the large).

Humminbird Ice-45 Prices

When it comes to buying a flasher this is often one of the first questions that people have.  While the baseline units of all are about $300 to get into the game, the middle tier units also tend to be priced similarly.  The Humminbird Ice 45 is normally priced around $400, if you can find it for less than that you are doing well and should go about it.  If you can find a Humminbird Ice-45 model on Craigslist you are likely still going to pay near retail since these units are so new and widely popular.  Anything for 25% off retail I would consider good.  You can often find good deals for these units from sellers on Ebay that are selling new units for good prices.  I would check their first personally.

My recommendation on the Humminbird Ice-45 Flasher

If it were my money to plunk down in buying a flasher I personally would either save the $100 and go with a baseline unit (VX-1, Ice 35 or FL8) or step up and get a top of the line unit (FL-20 or FL-22, LX-5, or Ice 55).  This middle unit offers some additional bells and whistles, but there is not enough there to pick it over the Ice 35 for me.

What are your experiences with the Humminbird Ice fish finders?  How would you write your Hummingbird Ice-45 review?

First take aways from the Jiffy Stealth Propane Ice Auger

When you take your first look at the auger it is readily apparent that this is a large auger.  When you lift it up, you have an even greater sense of what I am talking about.  This thing is heavy folks, there is no other way about it.  Compared to gas ice augers it is simply a beast.  I am even talking more than those old school Jiffy Model 30 augers.  Enough about the weight those, it has a great look and the thing fires right up.

Key Advantages of the Jiffy Propane Ice Auger

Let's delve into what makes this unit so intriguing for people.  First and foremost, the propane fuel source is a great option.  Especially for those people that have dealt with carb problems on their gas augers.  The unit uses the 1 lb propane cylinders that many people use for their portable propane heaters.  Once it runs out simply add another, which makes it a better option for the run and gun modern ice angler than a battery powered electric ice auger that can only cut 30-50 holes on a single charge.  One of the other key benefits is the lack of exhaust.  We have all had our share of walking around smelling like a snowmobiler from punching holes with a gas auger.  Even worse when you needed to cut holes inside your permanent ice fishing house.  All of that is gone with the propane auger.  The other noticeable feature that is great on these units is the quiet operation.  Compared to a gas auger it is night and day.

Key Disadvantages of the Jiffy Propane Ice Auger

First and foremost it has to be the cost of these things.  Not only are they expensive to purchase on the front end, the propane costs are going to be high.  Estimates vary and the thickness of ice obviously is a huge factor, but I have heard these things burn through propane.  Given each cylinder costs about $2.50 the costs are likely to be 4-8x the cost of using gasoline.  Even the non oxygenated premium gas!  Another thing we have all witnessed with our propane heaters is the penchant propane has to freeze in cold temperatures (hello, we are ice fishing, cold is a standard feature of this sport).

Final Recommendation of the Jiffy Pro 4 Model 40 Propane Auger

Too early in the game for me to purchase the first propane auger on the market.  Sure it has several plusses, but the minuses (especially price and propane cost) will keep me away for now.

What are your thoughts on the new Jiffy Propane Ice Auger?

Positive features of the Easy Bite Ice Fishing Spring Bobber

I'll start out with the positives as there are several.  First and foremost, this is a one stop shop, everything you need to attach this to your rod and start catching crappies is in the package (my biggest pet peeve with the St. Croix spring bobbers is unless you want to drop $50 on their legend rod you need to go to 3 different stores to create them on your favorite rods!).  A second major positive is the ability to detect light bites.  This thing worked amazingly well for those real light biters you encounter on the hard water.  Without this ultra sensitive piece of ice fishing gear you are going to catch a lot fewer fish.  Another positive I liked was that you can detach a part of the bobber while in storage and not have to untie your lure.  A huge plus as when it is time to fish, no need to screw around tieing on another lure.  A final positive I noted was that the bobber is resilient and able to handle the rigors of winter fishing.  I could see this being a staple in peoples ice fishing arsenal for many year.

Negatives of the Easy Bite Ice Fishing Spring Bobber

I think the first and foremost thing that people would view as a negative is the price.  At around $10 these are about the most expensive spring bobbers out there.  That said, besides the St. Croix bobber I haven't seen one that is comparable.  A second negative for me was that the installation was not as straight forward as I would have liked.  Thankfully it didn't involve any tools to do, so I would file this under a minor one time inconvenience.  The final negative I noticed was the difficulty in adjusting the bobber to ensure that neutral spot.   You need to twist and turn as you are moving it back and forth to find that happy medium.

Final Verdict on the Easy Bite Spring Bobber?

I would give it a thumbs up.  I probably still prefer the St. Croix bobber system, but that is most likely due to my years of successful use of them.  The price is a bit more than other spring bobbers on the market (or you can find ways to make your own), but I feel the quality materials, ability to last a long time and the ultra sensitive nature of the product warrant the price.

What are your experiences with the Easy Bite Spring Bobber?