11-14-2012, 06:20 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Snicker, chortle, hoot and guffaw. Man, what a bunch of spoiled sissies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My first ice fishing trips were on Utah Lake...before other lakes in Utah were even open to ice fishing. Equipment and techniques were a tad bit differment in those "olden days". No ice sleds. Went out on the ice with a bucket, one "pole", an axe to whack a hole in the ice, some lures, hooks and some worms.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Used the axe to take my weekly shower while chopping a sloppy hole in the ice. Brrrrr. And it was a stone axe at that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My pole was the same six foot spinning rod and reel I used for all Utah species...on all waters. Same line, etc. Lures were either Dardevle spoons jigged up and down...or a worm sent down with a split shot...just like fishin' in the cricks for silly trout.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No sonar to check for depth or to watch the fishies. "This looks like a good spot". And no frequent moves until you found fish. Too much trouble (and cold showers) to keep whacking new holes in the ice with the stone axe.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So special ice fishing rods, reels, lines, fancy trinkets or special baits. Waxworms? Never heard of 'em. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That tackle and approach carried over to Willard Bay and later Yuba Reservoir when they opened to ice fishing. Don't remember exactly when I got my first hand-cranked ice auger but it was sometime about the year when Deer Creek opened to perch fishing only...no trout allowed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also started developing more specialized ice fishing jigs and learning more about depths and presentations. But still just used plain old spinning gear and did just fine thank y'all.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Today I got most of the "necessities" for ice fishing...sled, 2 power augers (1 electric and 1 gas), about 30 specially build ice rods and reels, PVC holders (what else), etc. Since I do not fish in a tent I don't see a need for the short stick ice rods. I use mostly 42" to 48" ice rods...both spinning and baitcasting. Really not into shoulder separations while trying to set the hook on a fish 30 feet down with a footlong rod. Silly.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have gone through a bunch of different sonars and currently use and enjoy a Showdown dual. But I don't watch it until my eyes roll back in my head. I use it mainly to check depth and to verify fish in the vacinity. After that I may not look at it very often and then only to double check that there are still fish around. If not, I move. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Y'know. I can remember a lot of trips from the past when I probably caught more and bigger fish with my "old school" stuff than I do on most trips I make today. Must be because the fishing was so much better then...not because of anything to do with skill or equipment.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Do you need special ice fishing reels? Hoo haw! You just need to stay away from Fish Tech, Cabelas and Sportsmans.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My first ice fishing trips were on Utah Lake...before other lakes in Utah were even open to ice fishing. Equipment and techniques were a tad bit differment in those "olden days". No ice sleds. Went out on the ice with a bucket, one "pole", an axe to whack a hole in the ice, some lures, hooks and some worms.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Used the axe to take my weekly shower while chopping a sloppy hole in the ice. Brrrrr. And it was a stone axe at that.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My pole was the same six foot spinning rod and reel I used for all Utah species...on all waters. Same line, etc. Lures were either Dardevle spoons jigged up and down...or a worm sent down with a split shot...just like fishin' in the cricks for silly trout.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]No sonar to check for depth or to watch the fishies. "This looks like a good spot". And no frequent moves until you found fish. Too much trouble (and cold showers) to keep whacking new holes in the ice with the stone axe.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]So special ice fishing rods, reels, lines, fancy trinkets or special baits. Waxworms? Never heard of 'em. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That tackle and approach carried over to Willard Bay and later Yuba Reservoir when they opened to ice fishing. Don't remember exactly when I got my first hand-cranked ice auger but it was sometime about the year when Deer Creek opened to perch fishing only...no trout allowed.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Also started developing more specialized ice fishing jigs and learning more about depths and presentations. But still just used plain old spinning gear and did just fine thank y'all.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Today I got most of the "necessities" for ice fishing...sled, 2 power augers (1 electric and 1 gas), about 30 specially build ice rods and reels, PVC holders (what else), etc. Since I do not fish in a tent I don't see a need for the short stick ice rods. I use mostly 42" to 48" ice rods...both spinning and baitcasting. Really not into shoulder separations while trying to set the hook on a fish 30 feet down with a footlong rod. Silly.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have gone through a bunch of different sonars and currently use and enjoy a Showdown dual. But I don't watch it until my eyes roll back in my head. I use it mainly to check depth and to verify fish in the vacinity. After that I may not look at it very often and then only to double check that there are still fish around. If not, I move. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Y'know. I can remember a lot of trips from the past when I probably caught more and bigger fish with my "old school" stuff than I do on most trips I make today. Must be because the fishing was so much better then...not because of anything to do with skill or equipment.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Do you need special ice fishing reels? Hoo haw! You just need to stay away from Fish Tech, Cabelas and Sportsmans.[/#0000ff]
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