[Lip_Yanker]

Anyone use, or have opinions on Croxton ice rods or reels?

Read some decent reviews on their stuff, just wondered if anyone had real world experience with their products they could share.

Also, opinions on a good manual auger to buy? My son and I are just starting to venture into ice fishing, and will mainly be targeting the pannies at least for this season.

Thanks for any info.

Also, I was not impressed with any of the ice reels I had my hands on- From Frabil, Shakespere, Berkley or HT. They all did not feel like they were smooth at all, had a heavy feel when reeling them- am I expecting to much from them perhaps? :?
.

 

[Darth Wader]

Tica cetus Gold sb500 is the best ice fishing reel ever IMO.

Mine has served double duty between ultra light open water fishing and ice fishing for 5 years.

But they are a lil more pricey than the one's you were looking at.

My Mora ice auger has served me very well...couldn't be happier=)

 

[junglejim]

Most serious ice fishermen take their reels apart and remove all the grease and replace it with a very fine grade oil. The grease tends to thicken as the weather gets colder. I have had good luck with Zebco closed faced ultra lite trigger spin reels. Open faced reels are great if you are fishing in a shanty but if you lay the your pole down on the snow/ice the open face reels tend to collect snow/ice and freeze up.This doesn't happen with a closed face reel. I have a 6 in. strikemaster lazer auger and its cuts thru ice, up to a foot thick, very quickly.

 

[oldsalt]

Get the lazer auger,the black one ,not the blue oneYou can go threw old holes with the lazer,not with the blue one,this comes in handy when the ice gets thick

 

[Lip_Yanker]

Allrighty, thanks for the info.

Got an auger ($20!) from my dad's friend who decided he was getting to old for "all that work", and bought a gas auger last week. I should have it this weekend. It's a Mora, 7"- only 2yrs old and he said he drilled maybe 20 holes total with it.

Still undecided on what ice rods/reels yet, and I don't want to drop a bundle on gear. Might go with a Berkley set I saw at F&F- had a ML and L rod, reels and 2 spools of 2lb line for $25. Probably be good enough to get us started.

.

 

[WrenchingnFishing]

if your looking for cheap gear, check craigs list. but if you want some tip-ups I have over 25 of them... But only use my 3 let me know if you need a few, I have a good deal ready to go, spooled up and no knicks or kinks, if there is, I will spool them up again. But the line might be a little dry unless if I but some new line. Out of all of them I have, there is fore sure 7 or 8 good ones ready to go! I love tip-ups and try to targer monster pike. PM me, I have about 8-10 im willing to spare for a friendly fisherman of WCF. I'm located in Schaumburg and can possibly meet ya on a lake if wanted since I fish every other day if possible...

Dave

 

[Lip_Yanker]

Well, cheap is a relative term I suppose. Thanks, but don't need any tip ups at the moment, still just plan on jigging pannies and maybe an eye if we're lucky.

Got the auger in hand now, it's a blue colored Mora- are they not good?

Currently holding off on rods/reels- hopefully will find a few good sales next weekend after Christmas.

So we have the auger, some small jigs/plastics, warm clothing, a bucket to organize things, a chipper dipper and an old kids sled for dragging gear around.

I think we're set other than the rods/reels eh? Anything else I may be missing?

.

 

[WrenchingnFishing]

possibly a clip on weight for checkig depth and some small bobbers for crappie minnows, you sound like your ready to go.

Good Luck out there

 

[Big Bass Lee]

Don't spend much on ice fishing gear. I have 2 rod reel combos for 20 bucks each. Ice fishing rods were left over broken rods.