Ice Fishing on a Dime: Affordable Gear for Winter Anglers

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

---

Mid-ice fishing season is here with forecasts of hardwater well into March throughout the upper Midwest. So, if you haven’t ice fished this season–or are still on the fence about outfitting yourself with what you need to do it this season (and next), here’s a bunch of great gear that won’t break the bank–and should go down steadily in price now that we’ve hit midseason. 

Like any other sport or pastime, there’s no limit to the amount of money you can spend on ice fishing gear. And while all of it depends on the conditions and how often you fish, what follows are some good bets for average ice anglers just looking to cover their bases without taking out a second mortgage. 

Would you need different gear to fully outfit yourself to fish Lake Winnipeg? Absolutely. No one piece of gear does everything everywhere, but what you find below will more than get you off on the right foot. Over time, if you are passionate about ice fishing you will build a collection of the right tools for the job and whatever the conditions require.

A Winning Combo

For ice fishing versatility, the CLAM Katana ice combo is a great option, especially considering the quality with its lightweight yet sensitive rod and tacky, Tsuka material handle that feels great in the palm whether you’re fishing walleyes, perch, or pans. Part finesse but with enough backbone to wrestle bigger fish, it’s solid graphite. And, compared to other combos out there, the reel is piece-of-work, too, with a lightweight frame, smooth 6+1 ball bearing system and a respectable drag system. And the price for both together? $89

Run A Flag

Depending on where in the Ice Belt you’re fishing, you’re going to want more than one ice fishing rod because you can run multiple lines. In Minnesota, we can fish two, so anglers typically jig with one and run a dead-stick or tip-up as the second. In other states, you might be allowed three, even four lines. What’s a good tip-up for the money? The CLAM Trophy Thermal Tip-Up is designed to keep the hole from freezing and get your bait easily into the zone with a super smooth spool and spindle, an adjustable trip mechanism, and easy-to-spot flag on top. $19.99 - $24.99

Pulls Easily Without a Machine

Fishing inside a portable fish house is fun, especially when it’s cold and windy outside. While everyone in the industry is making great shacks these days, many are designed to be pulled by a snowmobile or ATV and tend to be on the heavy side. So, if you’re fishing by foot, consider Ice Runner’s three different models for one, two, or three anglers. They are super light, easy to set up, and are comparatively inexpensive to much of what’s on the market. The only down-side is that the shacks do not come with chairs, thus reducing weight, requiring you to bring your own fold-up chairs. But sitting inside the actual sled/tub is nice because it keeps your boots off the ice/snow, too. Rear entry for clear access to over 30 feet of fishable space in the Expedition 3-man which weighs right around 60 lbs. $329.99-$549.99

Fish-Finder Value

Fishing without a flasher to check your depth, see your bait, and fish, is difficult. Especially now with the prevalence of LCD graphs on ice, flasher prices have come down. Case in point, Humminbird’s ICE-35, ICE-45, and ICE-55 flashers are being offered at deep discounts everywhere you look. Worried about not having GPS on ice? Download the free OnXFish app for your smartphone and you’ll be in good shape. And, even if you graduate to using forward-facing sonar on ice, there are valid reasons for shutting off the forward-facing sonar after fish have been located and switching to a flasher. Angler experience suggests that pressured fish may become conditioned to forward-facing sonar transducer frequencies, making the standby flasher a trick up your sleeve. $399-$599

Ice Bait Selection

Contrary to most angler buying behavior, you don’t need hundreds and thousands of dollars in tackle to catch fish. And when it comes to ice fishing, there are go-to baits that just always seem to produce fish. Like small to mid-sized spoons for walleyes, tip-up quick-strike rigs for pike, and lead/tungsten jigs with larvae or waxworms or microplastics for panfish. Here’s a great deal on baits for gamefish and panfish that will be more than enough to get you through most days and put some fish on the ice. $34.49

Float Suit for Less

Can you repurpose your Carhartt or late-season whitetail gear for ice and layer underneath? Sure. Or you might even own a quality non-float ice fishing suit, which everybody seems to be manufacturing these days. But during early- and late-ice when ice can be sketchy, making a float suit a must-have. Ice Runner also offers a $199.99 bib and jacket float suit combo, along with a pair of ice picks and a throw rope. Plus, they’re available in sizes up to 4XL for our plus-sized buddies. 

Warm, Waterproof & Built-In Ice Cleats

Ice fishing boots are one piece of gear you definitely don’t want to skimp on. Nothing ruins a day on the ice more than cold feet. And while pac-style boots like Sorels may be good for shoveling the driveway, they lack the water resistance needed in a lot of ice fishing situations, especially those rife with slush. That makes NORFIN Klondike 2 Boots pick a no-brainer. I’ve worn these since for a couple seasons and couldn’t be happier. They’re warm, waterproof to well above the ankle, and come complete with built-in ice cleats to prevent falls on ice. Figure in the price of good cleats and that makes these champion boots an even better value. $179.99

Incredibly Lightweight (& Dual Purpose)

If saving weight and on-ice exertion is a goal, it’s probably time to retire that old gas auger and get on the cordless drill and bit program. Weighing a fraction of a gas auger, another great feature of a cordless drill and StrikeMaster Lite-Flite 8” Lazer Drill Bit is it always starts–and spare lithium drill batteries are easy to stow. Combine it with whatever 18-volt 1/2-inch chuck cordless drill you have–like Milwaukee and Dewalt–and the investment is minimal at just under $200 most places for the bit. And, when winter’s over, pull off the bit, and get back to home projects with your drill. $199.99

New Heater Design

Fishing from a portable shack? You’re going to need a heat source, typically a small propane heater. While anglers have used Big Buddy and Lil Buddy for years, there’s a new kid on block at comparable prices with some added features like tilting heating element to get the heat off the ice pooling water and circulating where you need it, called Heat Hog. In terms of size, I’m pretty amazed with this 9,000 BTU heater for heating up any portable ice house I’ve been in. But faced with super-cold conditions and extremely large hub houses, you could go with the 18,000 BTU model for a few bucks more. $109.99-$159.99

Forward-Facing Sonar on a Budget

The most expensive item on this list, this unit is the gateway to fishing with forward-facing sonar. Released this summer at ICAST, the Garmin Panoptix PS22-IF Ice Fishing Bundle features a 7-inch touchscreen graph and an all-new bracket and rotator (no pole mount needed) to see fish up to 100 feet around you when used in LiveVu Forward mode. Comes with a 7Ah battery, charger, and a portable bag, plus built in Navionics+ mapping. $1,999.99

---