December 28, 2010 • Page 9 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Effective ice fishing gear to use BY GARY HOWEY Hartington, Neb. In years past, those outdoorsmen and women that spent time on the ice fishing had to be tough or somewhat crazy about the sport. You could find them out on the ice, staring down a small dark they had chipped through the ice using a Gary heavy spud hand Howey bar or Their auger. only comfort might be a five-gallon bucket they used to carry their gear out onto the ice and sit on as they patiently waited for their bobber to slip beneath the surface. It made for a cold hard day and you really had to love it in order to spend much time out there. Years ago when my brother A.J. got into ice fishing, our equipment was very basic. Our depth finder was a sinker tied to the end of our line, giving us some idea as to how deep the water was, to cut through the ice we used a heavy steel sharpened rod to create a hole large enough to get our bait down. Rods were made from broom handles and the tackle we used was the old hook, line and sinker tipped with a minnow. Over the last several years, ice fishing has become more of a science, with the electronics industry leading the way. The new fish locators/sonar units and underwater cameras making it much easier for fishermen to locate and catch the fish. The newest ice augers are now powered by propane and battery power, while the ice houses and sleds allow us to be more mobile and to fish comfortably. These along with the new lures help ice fishermen to be more affective a catching fish through the ice. Sonar/Locators Fifty years ago, in 1960, Vexilar came up with a locator that was used on the water as well as on the ice. Their new FL-22HD is the state of the art locator. What makes their FL22HD so special is that the FL22HD is the first flasher sonar system that matches the depth range you've set to the resolution on the display so you see every possible detail in the water below. It also features a night fishing mode that allows the angler to cut the brightness of the unit by 50%, allowing you to view the display in complete darkness without affecting your night vision. With the Vexilar units, your able to not only watch your bait as it descends; you’re also able to see fish that are between the ice and the bottom. www.vexilar.com. Ice Augers There are several new augers on the market that help you to get through the ice quickly. Jiffy, has came up several new augers, one is the new Jiffy PRO 4, Model 40 which is a 4-Stroke OHV engine powered by the small 16.4 oz. propane canister. Since it’s propane powered, the auger is clean with no gas smell or smoke. The 4 stroke motor is powerful yet quiet. It’s easy to start so there’s no need to prime or use a choke with this auger. The heavy-duty clutch and gear ratio give this auger the powered needed to cut through the thickest of ice quickly. www.jiffyonice.com. Fishing Shelters There are a lot of ice fishermen out there that prefer to use the run and gun method when on the ice. This portable method of fishing IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR YOUR FEET. In stock. 6” & 8” styles. FREE SOCKS Available in Safety & Non-Safety Toe Boston3rd • Yankton •to Boots Shoes 665-9092 312 W. Coyote Mens’ Basketball Tuesday, Dec. 28th • Tipoff 7pm USD Men vs. Midland Lutheran Warriors Youth Basketball Night – All youth basketball players that wear their team jerseys receive admission for ONLY $3! Thursday, Dec. 30th • Tipoff 7pm USD Men vs. Doane Tigers Call (605) 677-5959 or visit www.USDCoyotes.com for ticket information. Get your seats TODAY! All Home Games Played At The DakotaDome! allows the angler to move from spot to spot looking for active fish and not be stuck in one place in an icehouse or having to wait for the fish. Anglers that want to head out to locate the fish use portable shelters, allowing them to go out and find the active fish. The Otter Pro Ice Cottage is a portable fish house that’s geared for the angler who spends hours on the ice and prefers to do it in comfort and style. The Ice Cottage is taller and wider, giving the angler more room for their locators and heater. Their easy-to-handle, flip-over style top, flips up or down easily, folding neatly around the edge of the sled in under a minute! The unit has several features allowing the angler to fish comfortably, these features include; HeavyDuty 900 Denier Polyester Shell with a Black-Out Interior, two sealable top air vents, interior draft skirt with extra long perimeter skirting to keep the wind from blowing in on you, its crack-resistant, removable windows and covers give you enough light inside to fish in low light conditions. These and other features make the The Otter sleds ideal for those anglers that want to be portable on the ice. www.otteroutdoors.com Ice Fishing Lures For years we’ve used micro lures to take fish through the ice, newer larger lures recently developed have helped ice fishermen to attract and catch fish through the ice. One of these is the Lindy Darter's with a unique rattle chamber that mimics the sounds of a distressed baitfish; attracting fish from long distances The Darter has an erratic darting action that evokes savage strikes from walleye, sauger, pike and other predators. With the 2004 Nissan Maxima Pwr. win-drs-locks, tilt, NEW tires, white $ 10,495 Darter there is no need to add minnows or wax worms to the lure. Their new holographic, never before seen on a hardwater finish lure colors gives the Dater the life-like appearance that will attract and catch fish. The Lindy Darter is available in three sizes and 11 colors, giving ice fishermen a new weapon in their ice-fishing arsenal. www.lindyfishingtackle.com These are just a few of the new ice fishing products on the market that will help to make your excursions out on the ice, more comfortable and productive. Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb., is a former tournament angler and hunting/fishing guide. His Outdoorsmen Adventures television series can be seen throughout the upper Midwest on Fox affiliates. 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