What's new this year? What is the latest have to have item out there?
Ice Fishing
New Ice Fishing Have To Have
Displaying 1 to 15 of 31 posts
Just a few I seen this year.the 10 inch screen aqua vue.expensive though!!the floating suits.strike master 40 volt auger.snow drop jig has this crystal like finish,look like a snowcone.the helix ice 5.I really like the k-drill and the Dewalt 20 volt drill.that will be my next thing for sure .frabill had a shack with a cushion storage seat/box thing in a 1 man shack.tucr rods I looked at the Web site and that's as far as the new ice fishing rod went.those rods were a little more then your $20 combo.some of the Marcum stuff with flasher and color camera are nice.so many toys!!k-drill and the Dewalt dcd996 drill are my next must have.that aqua vue is really cool maybe next year it will be cheaper.the camera even has a zoom feature by hitting a button zooms in on your jig.
Well I appreciate all the input. I see there are mixed opinions on the plate vs no plate and drill vs a more traditional auger, etc..
I think the drill set ups are awesome but niche and totally geared toward the hole hopper or run and gun type. Which to be honest is what I fish the most on the ice. I currently have a 6" lazer hand auger, I know it's not very efficient but it's light weight . I just have no desire to spend $300 on a drill that still leaves me at a 6" hole. Cranking a 6" hand auger hasn't compelled me to buy a very expensive brushless drill with very expensive batteries, yet.
I had an 8" Tecumseh powered auger that had some years on it but like a fool I lent it out and it got fried. I want a gas auger again, maybe even propane. Yes, I have experience with both and like both. I'm not sure if I'm totally on the propane wagon. I don't find 2 stroke fuel a factor as I use either TruFuel or VP in a pre-mix can (sans letting someone burn down my auger with straight gas... I should have known better) I just feel they're the more well suited auger if you want to fish bigger holes for northerns or big fish in the harbors. Maybe I'm dead wrong.
lotsa hair splitting here --- why all the fuss? --- WARM batteries and SHARP blades keep them all pretty much equal. Balance and ease of drilling can easily be taken care of by using a good pair of CLEATS. Especially on early hard ice with a thin cover of snow.
Myself I just use the side handle on my MKE18, more then adequate for my needs. Big difference in torque between the 20 & 36V. I once saw a guy using a 36V put down on the ice on Mendota, he got hung up in the hole and was using just the side handle, a good way to sprain or break a wrist or even an arm.
In that case I could see the clam base with its side handles being the unit you would want to use.
"Its not all tradition its about “why do something different when what have is what I like and is dependable”. I use battery tools every day, i know what could happen, an ruin a fishing trip.."
You gotta go with what get's it done, but I have to say that augers not starting, fuel leaks and starter ropes pulling out of power heads has ruined more than a few days out on the ice for me.
To each their own.
I bet that's what they said back in the day before gas augers. I would assume everyone used hand augers before the invention of the gas auger. I can just see the old timers saying "Why would I want to carry around a 40 pound auger when what I have works and is dependable". I'd still call it more of being traditional and resistant to change. Nothing wrong with that though. If it's not broke don't fix it!
And besides, it seems like the new gas augers have more problems than the old ones. They're becoming less and less reliable as the years go on.
"Gas augers will always be around, mainly because people like Skunky won't let go of tradition. But i'd agree, nothing runs like the old Jiffy's. I'll never get rid of mine, I know I always have a backup that'll fire up on the first pull if I need it."
I bought 3 sets of 9" Jiffy ripper blades during Gander's liquidation, just in case. My 20 year old Tecumseh is still ticking.
" As for the clam plate it’s pointless."
The plate allows you to use a trigger, much akin to a standard auger, it also gives the entire set up more stability having two handles and it gives you more leverage and balance ensuring straighter holes. Do you need to have it? No, is it less work drilling holes with one, yes.
The Clam plate is about 70.00, I went with just the drill and kdrill first before adding the plate.
Gas augers will always be around, mainly because people like Skunky won't let go of tradition. But i'd agree, nothing runs like the old Jiffy's. I'll never get rid of mine, I know I always have a backup that'll fire up on the first pull if I need it.
Propane augers are already starting to be a thing of the past. You rarely hear them brought up in conversation anymore. The new ones get some hype early in the year like this, but eventually the excitement of something new wears off. The main benefit of them was no more gas/oil but the electric combos solved that problem. And with the drills become better and auger flights/heads being designed better, theres no need for the plates anymore. Cuts back on cost.
The Eskimo P1-8 and the Mke Fuel 18/KDrill-8 are roughly the same price if you shop for the drill motor.
You don't need the Clam plate. The handle that comes with the Mke drill works very well and the entire set-up is 10lbs. It's amazingly light.
With the Clam plate, you're looking at 15 lbs.
I'm beginning to wonder if the days of gas/propane augers is coming to an end. With the advent of these brushless 18-20 volt cordless drill set-ups, Jiffy, Eskimo, StrikeMaster, they all have to be a bit nervous.
Price points on some of these set-ups is on par with a gas auger as well.
Eskimo has come out with some new augers. They have the F1 Rocket which weighs in at 22 lbs. Wow for a 2 stroke auger that has a high speed transmission and cuts as fast as their Z71, 22 LBS. They also came out with the P1 Rocket which is a propane model based on their proven 40cc propane motor, this has the high speed transmission as well, and weighs in at 26 lbs.
Displaying 1 to 15 of 31 posts
