Ice fishing

[Trent's Daddy]

Does anyone have advice on ice fishing the local Anchorage area lakes. I am trying to get away with using minimal gear at the lowest cost. Is this possible with my summertime pike and rainbow tackle?

[Jktimm]

The ice out here is more than 12" thick! You can drill holes and sit in your car if you like. You may want to try this before it snows, as driving out on the ice now is too easy. No snow to get stuck in. An auger would be nice, but that's about all of the "special " gear you'd need.
Check ADFG website for stocked rainbow lakes.
Good Luck and stay WARM!

[gokorn1]

i tried that last year. I would go look for holes that weren't completly frozen over or take a small hand axe and reopen it. That worked well for a while till the holes got to much ice, or just wait till people left. I found a auger on craigslist.org for 15 bucks and got new blades. after that i was set. as far as a shelter goes... you don't need one. I fished forever with out one and as long as you got some good windproof clothing youll be fine. You can use your standard 6tf+ rod and reel. I still do sometimes. As far as jigs go i don't have good luck with them i stick to shrimp and worms. The only thing i would recommend you spend money on is a auger and some sharp blades. Sharp blades will save you so much hassel and time.

[sayak]

I fished the ice for thirty years without a shelter. Mukluks, then eventually bunny boots, be*ver hat (I got a posting pulled for that word!), warm snow suit like a Walls, and warm mittens do the job. Get a folding chair, and a piece of 2" blue foam works wonders to stand or place your feet on while sitting.
I saw a guy up at Skilak last year who had two 3' poles with a 4' long peice of tarp strung between them. This rolled up nicely on his sled. He also carried a cordless drill with a 1.5" spade bit to drill two holes in the ice, then he put the poles in the holes he had made and had an instant windbreak! Slick huh? He also used the drill to make holes to put the butt end of his rod into.

As for me, I graduated to a folding ice tent last year, and have found that the temperature inside can go as high as 20 degrees above the temperature outside. Not to mention the lack of wind chill and, of course, the darkening effect. Best investment I ever made after a power auger!

[Eggy]

Don't want to hi-jack your thread....BUT.....Is a manual ice auger worth the effort, or should a person just save up for a powered auger? I've also heard about chainsaws and spud bars. REALISTICALLY though, most bang for the buck, which is more practical?

[Daveinthebush]

A manual auger is obviously cheaper. As long as the blades are kept sharp, they are quick and efficient. If you plan on being mobile too, searching for fish, they travel lighter. On thick ice though, you can get a workout. Larger augers, 8" and up are also a work out. A 4" or a 6" are pretty standard. I have seen smaller.

A gas auger or battery (used to be a 12v on the market a few years back) are more expensive and heavier. When you have a large group of people, running tip-ups or the fish are moving around a lot in an area they are the nuts.

For ice up to 18" or so a chipper will work and it was all I had for years. A properly sharpened chipper is quick but the hole tends to get smaller the farther you go down.

I have seen chainsawed holes, esp. for holding pike. I would avoid it though as it can be dangerous for the inexperienced.

If you do use a large auger, and there are some 12" out there, build a berm on one side of the hole for unsuspecting people. A person can easily get hunt in some of the holes people crate on the ice.

You may also need an extension for either kind on Alaskan lakes.

[Alaska Gray]

You can use the same gear as rods. MAny people do this. For hooks I go with the small jig type and add either salmon egg or shrimp. This works pretty good. I usally ice fish otter lake on Ft. Rich.

[Trent's Daddy]

for all the advice. I think in the next couple of weeks I will give it a shot. I guess all I really need is a cheap auger and I'll be set. If anyone is interested in letting me tag along pm me.

[JMH]

just curious, what is the danger in using a chainsaw?

[Daveinthebush]

Chainsaws are like PETA: They attack anyone without waring or provocation.

Kneeling on the ice trying to get a hole deep enough with a machine that is not designed to do the job is not healthy. Yes it can be done with a long enough bar length. Up here by the end of January your gonna need a four foot bar.

The hole left behind by those that do make a hole with a chainsaw are usually so big that a little kid could fall through or a truck tire to sink into. It is just dangerous to make hole with one when there are tools designed to do a better job. Better to use the right tool for the right job.

[AKBighorn]

Not to mention all the water flying out of the hole once you break through. There is a good chance you'll get wet in the process and with recent temperatures, that in itself wouldn't be any fun.

[AlleninAlaska]

Originally Posted by sayak

I saw a guy up at Skilak last year who had two 3' poles with a 4' long peice of tarp strung between them. This rolled up nicely on his sled. He also carried a cordless drill with a 1.5" spade bit to drill two holes in the ice, then he put the poles in the holes he had made and had an instant windbreak! Slick huh?

Steve I'm pretty sure you have seen the Eskimo women sitting inside a cardboard box while ice fishing? Makes a good light weight wind break.

[sayak]

I'll bet it would, as long as the wind didn't get too strong!

[ak_powder_monkey]

a bonfire on the ice is always nice and helps keep your hands warm