2022-23 Iowa Ice Fishing
- Thread starter Acylum
- Start date
Not in Iowa but about the same here in south WI for conditions. Some marsges were ice but went back open last week.
I just got back in to it last year and am hoping to get out around the holidays.
I'm about as casual about ice fishing as possible and basically just get outside on sunny days, but I did buy some actual floating ice bibs. I liken it to a down sleeping bag in convenience.
I just got back in to it last year and am hoping to get out around the holidays.
I'm about as casual about ice fishing as possible and basically just get outside on sunny days, but I did buy some actual floating ice bibs. I liken it to a down sleeping bag in convenience.
A six pack of Grain Belt. Outside of that everything else is debatable.
Coveralls/warm clothes.
One or two basic ice fishing reel/rod combos.
Ice jigs and wax worms.
A basic 6 inch hand auger will be good in a vast majority of situations.
It's like anything that you can go down a rabbit hole of miscellaneous stuff but if you just want to dink around for some panfish the above will do.
Add the basic Vexilar Genz Pack flasher and you just described my setup.
Basically heavy duty bib overalls with some form of 'floatation technology' in case you fall in that I'm hoping to not have to test, haha.
Should be much warmer and dry and eliminates having to put on 6 layers.
Where in SW WI? I've been to Governor Dodge and want to check out some WI River backwaters that can be fun in open water.
I've had funny experiences with fish finders. Yep, there they are...and there they go!
Grew up in Montfort, between Dodgeville and Platteville. Blackhawk Lake is a good one. Also the backwaters of the Mississippi are great at Prairie Du Chien, Bagley, and Ferryville. Very safe as it’s only 4-5 feet deep. WI River always scared the hell out of us - we stayed off it.
Great stuff.
I really want to explore the MS backwaters as well.
The WI River has a few sloughs well off the main channel that are fun but in the summer/spring if I'm wading it's with a life jacket. Too deceiving.
A friend and I were fishing on the Iowa river once and upstream from us an idiot cow walked out onto the ice, broke through, and that was that.
I wouldn’t spend that much on a shelter and auger. Not in Iowa anyway. This shelter has been fine for me:
I'd add a drill bit hack to a cheap auger before buying a heavy duty one for thicker ice.
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Agree. Those little Eskimos work great. Hand augers are a lot cheaper. Fish finders are for cheaters.
I would add a bucket, chair, and an ice spoon.
Agree. Those little Eskimos work great. Hand augers are a lot cheaper. Fish finders are for cheaters.
I would add a bucket, chair, and an ice spoon.
You need a shelter, a heater, a friend, and some beer, good times.
I'm also a bit picky so no shelter needed....just a good sunny no wind day, haha.
I started out with a hand auger and a bucket. After freezing to death for a couple seasons I now have a shelter, a propane heater, and a gas auger.
A gas or electric auger is an absolute must later in the season when the ice gets thicker. A hand will get through 4 or 5 inches easily but once you get over a foot it just doesn't cut it anymore unless you like passing out from exhaustion and jsut sitting over a couple holes.
With a gas auger I csn drill 5 or 6 holes all at once and move around a general area.
