# Practice, Practice & Practice......



## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

_*Never too early to start practicing:*_

. Lacing your boots
. Putting on the Bibs
. Setting the Shanty Up
. Organizing your tackle boxes
. Knot Tying
. Firing up the Heater
. Putting on the Ice Cleats
. Pulling the Shanty around the back yard
. Checking Maps... Searching new areas to hit


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## jmshar (Jul 9, 2011)

IBJ... It won't be long before I see you on the ice again.. Great to see you getting ready for another season on hard water... Be safe as always and catch a shanty full..


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## Poohflinger (Feb 2, 2010)

Getting ready to shake the mice out of my Shappell!


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## CStone (Nov 6, 2018)

Hear that can’t hardly wait!!!


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## doubledipper (Oct 16, 2018)

Practice really !! for portage lakes dink gills !!!


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## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

I have never been ice fishing and i'd love to try it. If any of you gentleman find yourself short of company for a day, please let me know. I'd be happy to pay the bill for a day just to try it out. Who knows, i may like it very much and turn into an ice man.


Youngstown


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## quackpot (May 17, 2009)

$diesel$ post your location so the correct people can contact you.


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## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

Diesel, that's exactly how I got started, back in the day it was gfo and a fellow member was kind enough to invite me along. I caught a saugeye on my regular length ultralite. 
Probably looked like a big doofus dealing that thing in! When it got to the hole I didn't know what to do, it was a good sized fish. The guy just stuck his hand down and pulled the fish out! Pretty cool! I've been out at least once a winter ever since!


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

icebucketjohn said:


> _*Never too early to start practicing:*_
> 
> . Lacing your boots
> . Putting on the Bibs
> ...


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

$diesel$ said:


> I have never been ice fishing and i'd love to try it. If any of you gentleman find yourself short of company for a day, please let me know. I'd be happy to pay the bill for a day just to try it out. Who knows, i may like it very much and turn into an ice man.
> 
> 
> Youngstown


then you'll be spending a ton of money on gear, happened to me a few years back, I have a 17ft tracker deepv and last couple years I have enjoyed ice fishing more.


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

icebucketjohn said:


> _*Never too early to start practicing:*_
> 
> . Lacing your boots
> . Putting on the Bibs
> ...


 don't for get excuse to get out of the house. " i'm going over to Bill's house. He needs some help with water heater". "Why is your shanty on the back of the truck"? AH AH AH It's frozen into the bed of the truck" MY DEAR SWEET WIFE"


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

$diesel$ said:


> I have never been ice fishing and i'd love to try it. If any of you gentleman find yourself short of company for a day, please let me know. I'd be happy to pay the bill for a day just to try it out. Who knows, i may like it very much and turn into an ice man.
> 
> 
> Youngstown


you do not need much.
i started with 2 regular rods 2 bucket's ,one for minows second bucket hold lures or i have chear with packet to hold lures.you need auger,spud bar and scoop and 2 screwdrivers on roap for safety.
if you do not have auger go fishing afternoon and you find holes,if you can not find holes go to fisherman and ask if he will drill few holes for you,they will do that any time.
if you need short rod,take a part 2 piece rod and tape your reel to top part.


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## ltroyer (Feb 6, 2013)

Dang I got a itch... Lol n reading this don't help! trying to find a good used fish finder n gotta get some ice cleats n I'm set.Bring on the ice


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Several fish finders listed in the Market Place.


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## ltroyer (Feb 6, 2013)

Thanks just looking at those.now I don't know anything about flashers but know they really helpful so I'm not drilling holes and fishing where there no fish.what a good brand that easy to use for someone new to flashers


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## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

ltroyer said:


> Thanks just looking at those.now I don't know anything about flashers but know they really helpful so I'm not drilling holes and fishing where there no fish.what a good brand that easy to use for someone new to flashers


Vexilar and marcum are pretty much the standard. But other makes have come a long way with ice flashers/sounders. I use a marcum LX 7 which works great. These are all pretty much plug and and play and you will easily learn as you go. I would bet your first day out you will be marking fish and knowing that your marking fish, and probably watch those fish take your bait haha or at least sniff the bait. They you will wonder why you didn’t invest in one earlier. It’s a game changer bro. Good luck.


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## ltroyer (Feb 6, 2013)

STRONGPERSUADER said:


> Vexilar and marcum are pretty much the standard. But other makes have come a long way with ice flashers/sounders. I use a marcum LX 7 which works great. These are all pretty much plug and and play and you will easily learn as you go. I would bet your first day out you will be marking fish and knowing that your marking fish, and probably watch those fish take your bait haha or at least sniff the bait. They you will wonder why you didn’t invest in one earlier. It’s a game changer bro. Good luck.


Thanks am definitely going to be purchasing one this yr I'm going to try to figure those crappie out


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

Ice flasher will improve your catch rate by at least 98%. To start a vex. fl8 ( under $300 )for a once in awhile fisherman. If going to plan to get into ( which I did ) heavy vex 20, 22 or marcum lx series( $400 plus ), showdown ( $2 to $350. I would go to market place for use or buy new. Reedsports.com ship with no shipping no tax (last time I bought one).


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## Zanderis (Sep 20, 2018)




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## doubledipper (Oct 16, 2018)

the white crappies at Wingfoot are huge. I have some great spots 14 inch crappies.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

ltroyer said:


> Thanks am definitely going to be purchasing one this yr I'm going to try to figure those crappie out


Catching crappie becomes a WHOLE lot easier with a flasher!


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## ltroyer (Feb 6, 2013)

swone said:


> Catching crappie becomes a WHOLE lot easier with a flasher!


Never had luck catching crappie or eyes . hopefully that will be a step in the right direction.would love to fish with someone once I got my flasher to teach me a few pointers on using it and crappie through the ice


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

Post where you are so the right people can try and help you out.


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## ltroyer (Feb 6, 2013)

Im from orrville.Been fishing portage lakes allot.never ice fished Skeeter but allways wanted to.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

YouTube has lots of video, plus I was able to catch on to mine in just a few trys. First success came when I was fishing local reservoir and found were the edge between the mud flat bottom and were the rocks started and could see the red bars moving up. The thicker the red bar the bigger the fish. Had one large thick red bar come in and I dropped my lure down to were the fish was and BAM. 4 lb Walleye! You can see your lure because it's metal and reflects the sonar.


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