Ice Fishing Guide
for Anglers

Available in three sizes, from 21x43 inches to 31x66 inches, there is a sled for everyone. Getting all your gear in one place, at a very low price, in a durable, easy-to-pull sled makes ice fishing much easier. Pack your shelter, rods, tip-ups, bait, and everything else in one easy-to-tow package.

You’ll pay a little more for this sled, but the design is made exclusively for hauling gear across the snow, and pressure ridges on the ice. This is the most durable sled featured here, and though it costs more, the deeper body and upward bow make it a breeze to pull by hand or with an ATV across the ice.

All in one solid construction, with an easy-to-pull keel, and available in three different configurations. This is a sled with many uses on the ice. Big enough to carry all your gear, but light enough to tow easily. Otter is known for high-quality outdoor equipment and the deep design of this sled seats buckets tightly and provides ample space for a variety of equipment.

A little on the longer side at 36 inches, with a universal mount that will seat either a spinning, spin cast, or baitcasting reel. This single-piece, medium power rod is designed for four to 15-pound test line and handles lures from 1/4 to 5/8 ounce sizes. Best of all, it is a quality rod, at a very low price.

This is a heavy-duty rod, designed to catch big fish from deep under the ice. With seven eyes on a thick, 36-inch blank. If you’re after Northern pike, larger lake trout, or Lingcod, this might be worth a look. Take your favorite open water spinning reel and put it into cold weather duty. Heavy 12-pound monofilament line will handle lure weights to one ounce.

A slightly lighter version of the Mega Heavy Jawjacker, this 31-inch medium-heavy rod will handle six to 10-pound test line on a standard spinning reel. Made for work waters with moderate-sized fish like walleye, and perch. This is a quality, high-strength rod that can handle pressure even to 30 or 40 below zero conditions.

This is a revolutionary design that incorporates both rod and tip-up into one assembly. This system works with all rods up to 30 inches long, and with a select few to 36”. The portable system allows you to set your favorite rod in the device, set the strike setting from light to heavy, and then does the rest for you. When a fish hits, it triggers a release that sets the hook automatically and pops a flag so you can see that it went off.

A venerable survivor of days gone by in ice fishing technology, but don’t let the name fool you. It says walleye, but it works for any species you can catch through the ice. This simple design, complete with a walleye flag, has been effective for over half a century. It comes at a hefty price in comparison with other tip-ups, but it delivers outstanding results.

This represents a step back to simpler times with a modern twist. The attached reel rests below the tip-up in the water. This prevents freeze-up and lowers the cost of the entire assembly while retaining high sensitivity to even the lightest strikes. When a fish strikes, it spins the shaft just enough to pop up the flag, giving you time to set the hook. Once the fish is on, just lift the tip-up off the ice, take the reel and retrieve your catch.

A little extra weight in an auger is a good thing, otherwise, you’re just dancing in circles instead of cutting through the ice. Weighing in at 6.5 pounds, with a length from four to five feet, this manual auger gets the job done quickly. Complete with replaceable blades it’s a great addition to pack on your sled.

Just add your favorite cordless drill and you’re ready to quietly cut holes. Bring an extra battery for this 33-inch-long marvel. It’s shorter than standard augers since you’ll be bending over with a drill. If the ice is extra thick, a 14-inch extension can be quickly added to the auger for more depth.

The biggest complaint many anglers have with gas-powered augers is mixing the fuel to get the correct gasoline/oil combination. Jiffy solves that problem with an easy starting auger that runs on small propane canisters. One or two pulls, even at temperatures well below zero is all you need, and there is no need to guess the choke setting since it doesn’t require one.

This two-piece design is easy to carry, and just as easy to connect for chipping ice, or enlarging a hole that is already drilled. The lightweight shaft, with a heavy, sharpened steel chisel is perfect for quickly removing ice, even thick ice, and a good addition to your sled inventory.

It’s back to basics with this chisel. A hardened two-headed steel chisel attached to a single hardwood shaft brings a nostalgic touch to the ice. The design takes you back to the 1950s, but it also chips ice on par with any modern chisel.

Maybe the most versatile single tool you can carry on your sled is this creative combination of ice axe, chisel, and hammer. It cuts and enlarges holes easily, and it drives stakes well when you’re anchoring your tent or sled against those gales so common out on the ice.

A skimmer with a small chisel just below the end of the 20-inch handle makes this a versatile, and essential tool for keeping your ice holes clear. The large ladle effectively scoops up large chunks of ice along with chips left over from your auger on a new hole.

If you’re not a fan of bending over or kneeling all day on the ice, this telescopic skimmer might be for you. Extendable from 24 to 36 inches, with a twist lock you can use even with heavy gloves, this skimmer will relieve your back and knees.

Inexpensive, with a 16-inch handle and a durable heavy-duty plastic skimmer, these are ideal for large fishing parties on the ice. Buy a handful and everyone can take care of their holes without wandering back and forth across hundreds of yards of open ice.

What can you say? These are inexpensive, indispensable, and durable. You can pack your lunch in them, carry bait, supplies, or piles of gear and they’re easy to handle, easy to store, and perhaps best of all, you can use them once the ice is off for hunting, camping, or just around the house.

Yes, they cost a little more, but these are the premier utility bucket that ice anglers have relied on for a generation. You won’t crush one of these heavyweight buckets either when you’re using it as a stool on a brisk afternoon. Yeti is a world leader in storage containers and their utility bucket is arguably the best on the market.

It’s a good idea to pack at least one metal bucket in your gear, just in case you need to boil water, cook a meal, or are just looking for something more durable than plastic. This bucket is made of high-quality, 22-gauge stainless steel and will carry, cook, or heat just about anything you need.

Incorporating the three things most anglers look for in a shelter, the Outbreak 450 has an interior height of 80 inches, 75 square feet of fishing area, and is made of a heavy-duty fabric that breaks wind. Reinforced grommets allow you to “nail” this shelter in place so your tent doesn’t become a sail when a gust hits.

Designed for four anglers, you’ll find it much roomier for just a couple of ice fishermen at a time. The insulated walls are set in a “pop up” design that has the shelter ready in seconds. Pull it out of the bag, let it pop into place, and anchor it with the eight included stakes and pull straps.

A mansion on the ice, that’s how this largest of all Eskimo shelters feels with just a few anglers inside. Rated for 9 people, it still weighs just 68 pounds. Insulated sides keep the heat inside from a small propane heater and allow you to brave the elements 24 hours a day.

Garmin offers more than just a method of finding fish under the ice, they’ve created a database of over 10,000 American lakes and ponds that you can download to your fish finder. This enables you to find structure where fish are likely to be. The adjustable seven-inch display is bright enough for the glaring midday sun but can be turned down for nighttime use.

Dual spectrum sonar, a detailed map database, and all of this packed into a lightweight portable package are the draw of the Humminbird Ice Helix. Easy to use, easy to set on the ice, and durable, this device will find its way to your boat during the summer months and produces great images no matter the season.

Dual spectrum sonar, a long-lasting battery, and the ability to zoom up to 16 times onto an object below you are all good reasons to consider this fish finder. The “Cadillac” of fish finders, Humminbird has packed all the bells and whistles you can find into this device, and as a result, you’ll pay a little more for it.

The simplest design, yet arguably the best as well. Hook a rubber minnow or other artificial bait to this jig and go to work. For walleye, a silver and black Gulp minnow with either a black or red colored jig does magic.

Just because it says crappie on the label doesn’t mean it won’t attract walleye, perch, or even a Northern pike. The magic of this design is that it is weedless. There is a wire attached to the head that pushes weeds out of the way as the jig is worked. Many ice fishermen shy away from weedy areas when they sometimes contain the biggest fish.

A smaller jig, weighing just 1/32 of an ounce, is a jig for smaller species such as perch, and crappie, though a big walleye or lake trout will hit this as well. Select a smaller rubber minnow and hook it behind the colorfully painted head and go to work.

Many anglers mistakenly assume that crankbaits don’t work through the ice, but they do. They’ll work in deeper water, on a still lake, and produce even better results if there is a current under the ice. Work them just like you do in open water, except you let them drop, then jerk slightly to simulate a swimming baitfish.

If crankbait has a name, it’s likely Rapala. The first, and still in many opinions, the best crankbait on the market, Rapala is dedicated to quality crankbaits. The DT works well through the ice, with its lip grabbing the water to create a tantalizing image of a baitfish to hungry predators swimming beneath the ice.

Designed to work in shallower water at depths from seven to 10 feet, this crankbait with its colorful pattern is a great lure for those sunny afternoons when live bait isn’t getting the job done. The extended bill creates movement with just the flick of the wrist and the sunlight filtering through the ice reflects off the lure.

The colors are a little exotic, but the action is the same with all eight models Northland has created in this lure. The design resembles a fingerling perch or a shad when it moves in the water. The weight is distributed to enhance the vertical motion that dominates spoon action in still water beneath the ice.

This is an odd-shaped spoon, a little out of the ordinary, but just what you’re looking for if you’re after lake trout, Kokanee, or even crappie through the ice. A leaf-shaped lure with a double hook and a prominent eye, it resembles a shiner minnow in the water.

This is a combination spoon and rattling crankbait with a chamber that creates sonic vibrations in the water. It takes the reflection action of the colorful spoon and adds a little noise to get the fish to pay attention. It has good results with walleye and lake trout.