Icefishing Gear Wish List?

[SkunkedAgain]

Speaking of rods, I have always chuckled at guys using those teensy "ice rods" out on the open ice. They were invented for use in ice shacks and tents where there's damn little room. If you fish sitting on a bucket out in the open, there's zero need to handicap yourself with one of those rods. It IS smart to use special ice line, however. Just fill a spare spool and use your regular ultralight rod.

I too have given up ice fishing; sold all my gear a couple years ago. Good thing, as trying to slip slide around on this gimpy leg would now be out of the question anyway.

Rocky, having used both long and short rods, I find that a nice 32-40" rod is optimal for fishing from the ice hole depending on species I'm after... A regular length pole (6-7') has you too far away from the fish when you have to help it through the hole, so you need a shorter rod to keep you where the action is... I do have to fish a shorter rod when I'm in the tent, (24-26") but on the open ice, I like what you probably still think is a teensy one, but when you have to be able to see micro nibbles you don't want to be fishing with a 2X4.... So I'll still vote for the shorties whether in the tent or on the open ice... Later Jeff

Oh PS.... I have to modify my earlier "not going to buy anything new" statement.... I should stay away from Matt this time of year... Matt showed me a great price on the Piscafun 4 man copy of the Eskimo 450 open door tent... It was on Amazon for $236, it's usually a $450 tent.  Since I was looking for a 949i, this gave me the new style tent for less than the old style 949 and it's insulated... Plus Matt showed me how they are connecting these to the X-200's and making room for gear and a lot of folks in the same tent... Makes it so if I fish with company we can spread out but still be close enough to BS.... But now I'll have to be looking for the side door skin for my X-200 so I can connect the two... That one will have to wait for another year... J