With so much more ice fishing gear available these days, Josh Hagemeister says it is up to you to decide on the affordability of ice fishing in your way where you fish.

I fish for a living, so I can easily justify almost any ice fishing gear as business equipment. Even with that potential privilege, I choose to keep everything to the bare minimum to try to remain as portable and efficient as possible. It also saves on the pocketbook, which makes my margins look good to bankers. Remember, I’m running a business—so it all has to make sense at the end of the day. There is a fine line between being productive (catching the anglers a good number of fish) and spending too much on gear that really isn’t needed. So, how do I roll?

Early ice is about getting out as soon as possible, with safety being priority. That translates into lightweight gear. My trusty old 2003 500 Yamaha ATV—which I can move around with one hand—has aVexilar Fl-28 strapped to the rack, a Humminbird Helix 9 for navigation on the handlebar, 3 rods, a tackle box that fits into my pocket, a small cooler for minnows/waxies, etc., and a K-drill combo to drill the holes. The entire rig fits into the back of the pick-up—so no trailer. The electronics are the same units I use all summer long—so again, keeping gear to a minimum and being able to use it all year long is cost effective.

I typically wait for 6 inches of good ice to use this rig. Before that, I’m walking, pulling a small sled with all the same gear—which is very easy and light. And trust me, there are a million good, early ice fishing spots within a 5-minute walk from shore; save the mid lake spots ‘till later!

At this point in the year, I’m leaving the portable flip-over fish house at home. It’s still warm outside, if you ask me! Once the ice hits 8- to 9-inches, I’m placing my single-axle day houses out (self-built years ago for under $4,000) for rent (using the same 4-wheeler)—and they are very light. And yes, clients get an ATV ride to the houses.

As the air temps start to fall and the ice thickens to 12 to 13 inches, that’s when I ditch the ATV and use the pickup truck all by itself. I transfer the Helix onto the dash of the truck. The K-Drill, Vexilar, rods, bait etc., are all neatly organized in the back seat so that when I get to my chosen spot, I fling open the side door, drill a hole, drop the transducer into the hole and fish, using the truck as shelter. This is an extremely efficient, effortless way to scout spots without anybody being able to see what I am doing.

Once the ice has hit my preference of 14 inches, the sleeper houses get set out, and clients can easily drive up to the front door. Safety is key; a fish is not worth anything bad that can happen. Life does get easier when it’s safe to use the pickup truck, as I can move a wheel house in about 15 minutes versus 30 minutes with the ATV.

If it’s an early winter where it takes half the winter to make good, thick ice, then I’m forced to utilize flip-over houses that hold 2 to 3 people (smaller/lighter/less expensive) or hub houses that seat 3 to 4 people (same reasons,) heated with Buddy heaters and a 6-pound propane tank. I tend to stay away from hub houses that seat 7 to10 people; they are not cost-effective or portable, require bigger heating sources, need much more space to transport, and are just no fun to manage in a heavy wind. Smaller is better in ice fishing.

These types of portable systems are still the way to go, in my opinion. In other words, I will never be the person not being able to ice fish because I’ve been programmed to think that bigger is better. Meaning, no tandem-axle, 8,000-pound fish house and a 10,000-pound truck to pull it sitting in my driveway, while I wait for 18 inches of ice. It just simply cuts your ice fishing season in half—unless you live in Winnipeg where it’s winter much longer!

Pick your gear based on where you live or where you spend most of your ice fishing hours. For example, if I lived in Iowa and primarily fished there, a heavy wheel house is not an option due to the cost vs. use ratio. Give me a nice flip-over or hub house and a 4-wheeler all day long, basically because I would be fishing on ice that is much thinner than farther north.

With the ice fishing industry growing at breakneck pace, with new gear continually sprouting up or being redesigned, be wise as to what you think you really need and what you don’t need. Comfort, efficiency, affordability and mobility all need to be considered when spending your hard-earned money on gear that, in most cases, only gets used 3 1/2 months of the year in most Midwest regions.

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