With the past few weeks spent working ice fishing shows and most areas except Red Lake having marginal ice I haven’t had much to report.
But since I couldn’t go fishing I can at least talk about ice fishing. It’s pretty cool meeting people from all over and getting to hear about their type of fishing. One more week of shows then it’s time to hit the ice, so I guess I can give you some Christmas ideas for the ice fisherman or fisherwoman in your life.
Since drill powered augers have been all the rage, Strikemaster now has the Lite-Flite available in 6 inch or 8 inch, depending on what type of fishing you do. And with a retail price under $200 they are great for someone that wants to travel light. But personally I have had nothing but great experiences with the 40 volt Strikemaster. It can power my 10-inch bit and drill all day on one battery.
And if you know someone who wants to get into ice fishing without breaking the bank, you can get an Otter cabin hub house for under $300. These new houses set up in seconds, can fit in most cars and, since they are insulated, can stay very warm with a small heater.
And a couple of stocking stuffers that are also great safety products that I highly suggest are a set of ice spikes. You wear them around your neck and they help you get back on the ice if you fall through. And a good set of boots spikes. I personally love the Kahtoola brand -- they stay on and have traction in about every situation. A lot of people cheap out on these, but one slip on the ice and you will really wish you had them.
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Hopefully I’ll have fishing reports real soon. Until then, stay safe out there.
