Ice fishing in the 21st Century

With the coming of fall weather and temperatures growing colder, my mind has shifted towards the hard water season. While I spend November chasing fall muskies, I also dial in my ice fishing system for the coming winter. I make sure my batteries are charged, my auger is running, and my ice houses do not have any holes from mice or any other critters that could get into the canvas. My ice fishing system consists of many parts; Starting out I utilize the Vexilar FLX-28 for my on ice flasher. I use the 28 because I have grown up using Vexilar's; I have always marveled at how simple they are to use. Another plus is how durable the 28's are. There are minimal things that can break on these flashers and because of that, the 28's have a long durable career; you can pick whatever flasher you would like. I have my flasher paired the 7ah battery from Solar Sportsmen. They offer a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery that is not only far lighter than a normal lead acid; but also weighs a hair over two pounds. This battery is more efficient than a lead acid battery--meaning it can charge far faster, and dispense less power while at rest. The 7ah battery goes farther on one charge then batteries I have traditionally used would go on three. The LiFePh battery has an expansive battery life compared to that of the lead acid equivalents. Users are able to draw these batteries to 80% depth of discharge 3000 times; VS traditional lead-acids which only draw to 50% depth of discharge 300 times over the course of their life span. Knowing that the batteries are going to be charged”and will not fail while on the ice is the ultimate confidence booster. The next item in the system is mapping software. Thanks to the Lowrance Insight Genesis program; I have been able to create detailed maps via using sonar recordings from my HDS 7 sonar on the Tin Can. After uploading recordings to the Insight Genesis profile; the software creates up to 1 foot contour maps. There are also features such as the vegetation layer; which tells me what shape and where the weed lines are that I have driven over throughout the year. Genesis offers a bottom composition (hardness) layer, which gives me information on where key structure like soft to hard bottom transitions--are making each hole I drill more effective solely because I already have the knowledge of what is going on below my feet. These maps I have created are run on the same HDS 7 I used to create the map; powered by an additional Solar Sportsmen battery because they are the only power source that can support the draw of an HDS 7 for an extended period of time. I also use the Navionics app on my Iphone; It is effective for lakes I haven't had the chance to get out on with the boat. The next item in my ice fishing arsenal is a Strikemaster Solo Lazer that tears threw ice with a 7 lazer drill. The auger weighs a feather above 22 pounds, which makes it exceptionally easy to drill hundreds of holes chasing basin crappies; as well as following perch schools on muddy flats. A common question I hear is - "why I am using a 7 drill on my auger? “ the reason is I can drill holes faster, it is lighter, and I have yet to have set the hook on a fish I could not fit through a 7 hole. Fish come off in the hole because they are able to turn around and swim down. With the smaller diameter drill, fish are not able to turn in the hole and swim to the top of the hole allowing me to land them. Another critical part of the system I use for ice fishing is the apparel I wear while on the ice. The Striker Ice, Climate suit is far and away the warmest in the industry. By having zip out liners, the suit becomes the most versatile on the market. In the bibs as well as the jacket, I can remove the 175 gram liner quickly going from the warmest suit available, to a suit I can wear in both the fall and spring. Under my suit I wear a moisture-wicking base layer, a t-shirt, and shorts. Even in the coldest temps, if I wear anything else I am far to warm. All this allows me to stay on the ice for longer periods of time, and keeps me on the bite, catching more fish. A really cool function of the suit is the Surefloat material in the shell of the bibs and jacket. Knowing that this suit will help me get back on the ice safely (BECAUSE IT FLOATS) if I do go through the ice; makes me more confident when venturing out on the lake, no matter what time of year. Wearing the warmest ice suit on the market, I rarely sit inside a shelter any more. I cover more water and find more of the giant fish I am looking for. There is still a time and place when a shelter is necessary to hunker down and let the fish come underneath. Typically, right when the sun hits the top of the trees I set the Eskimo Pop up shelter right on type of a key structure; letting the more active fish find my lure. The wide open floor plan that the pop up shelter has is extremely useful. The shelter is also easy to set up or take down if I am by myself “ which not all shelters are. The final key component of my Ice fishing system is the rods and reels I use. Using copious amounts ice rods for any varying situation allows me to be readily prepared for any situation that presents itself. I use a mix of custom, 13 fishing, and No. 8 Tackle rods. My Thorne Brother's custom rods are set up with various inline reels from 13 fishing and No. 8. I have started working in some newer rods into my line up from 13 fishing and No. 8 Tackle Co. They have found a way to make a high volume production rod feel and respond to strikes like its custom made counterparts. They use through handle blanks increasing the sensitivity of the rods. They have duplicated the bite-detecting tip of a custom rod without sacrificing the back bone the rod needs to land trophy fish. The backbone drives the hook into the top of the fish's mouth, as well as fighting fish more effectively. To store these expensive combos I only use the Striker Ice Transporter rod bag. This bag has 5 hard tubes that protect the rods “ 3 tubes on one side and 2 on the other. The bag fits more than 1 rod in each tube if you are cautious, and do not force the issue; it also has room for all of the extra gloves and tackle carried on the ice with, in the very large center pocket. Ice fishing for me is far more than just drilling one hole in the cold and sitting on a bucket; It is a an efficient system that has many pieces. Each of which contributes to my success each time I take to the ice. I Constantly look for advantages I can gain over other anglers as well as the fish. The system I use works for me; everyone needs to find their system which is most effective for them.