The top ten gifts ideas for ice fisherman are all easily available in several major department store chains or most sporting goods stores. One could also go online to find these products, and they are for the most part inexpensive. However, if you have a loved one who is an avid ice fisherman, but you yourself do not take part in this winter sport, you may have a hard time knowing what kind of equipment makes a good gift at Christmas time. Below are the top ten gift ideas for ice fisherman, easy to understand for those not acquainted with the pastime.
1. Tip-ups
A tip-up is a device that nowadays comes in many varieties and brands. All tip-ups, or tilts as they are also called, are designed to signal the ice fisherman with a flag or some other device when the fish takes the bait. They all have some sort of a reel with line, and they come in so many different models now that no matter which one you buy as a gift, your ice fisherman friend will use it. Tip-ups are not expensive, and you can buy them for about fifteen dollars apiece, maybe cheaper if you go online to various outfitting sites. No matter which brand or style you choose from, you can not go wrong buying an ice fisherman extra tip-ups.
2. Ice Augers
There are two major types of ice augers, used to actually cut the hole though the ice. Hand augers are cheaper, running about fifty dollars for a good one, and are a good buy for someone who is just getting started in ice fishing, such as teenagers. Gas augers can go for as much as four hundred dollars, and if you are going to spend this type of money, you may decide that you are going to get some input from a buddy of your ice fishing friend as to which make or model to purchase. Gas augers cut a hole in the ice with little effort, and are almost mandatory for ice fishermen that live in cold weather states with long winters, where the ice is often measured in feet rather than inches.
These are basically tents that can be easily erected on the ice, but portable enough to be able to be folded and stored in the trunk of your car. Depending on how many people you wish to accommodate with a portable ice shelter, they run anywhere from sixty dollars to about three hundred. They come with a carrying case or bag, as well as ice anchors spikes to make sure that the shelter doesn’t blow away!
4. Digital fish scales
No ice fisherman should have to guess how much the big one weighs, and they won’t have to if you give them a digital fish scale. These range from thirty dollars to about one hundred in cost, and if you really want to impress someone, give them one with a grip that actually holds the fish without harming them while the scale records the weight. Berkley, Cabela, and Rapala all make reliable digital fish scales. As odd as it may seem to the non-fisherman, nothing is more important to an ice fisherman than knowing how much the fish of the day weighed, and a digital fish scale will provide the answer.
5. Bait buckets
Every ice fisherman needs a bait bucket to put his shiners in, and these come in many different forms. Some are galvanized, some are rubber, some come with an attachment that can turn it into a seat, and others come with aerators that help keep the oxygen level in the water up and the bait alive longer. If you are going to buy a bait bucket for an ice fisherman, consider how avid they are. If they go quite often, splurge for one of the aerator types, which will run you between thirty and sixty dollars depending on the make and size.
This gift for the ice fisherman may actually save their life! Ice picks are a pair of sharpened spikes connected by a cord that the user threads through their coat sleeves and out the other side. They can be worn around the neck with no worries, and come with plastic handles. If someone goes through the ice , they have the picks handy without having to worry about carrying them about, as they are right there by their hands. No ice fisherman should ever go out on the ice without a pair of these inexpensive potential lifesavers, which could allow someone to pull themselves out of a hole. For as little as five dollars, ice picks make a great stocking stuffer.
7. Ice skimmers
Another low cost gift, for as little as ten dollars you can purchase an ice skimmer, which is basically a ladle with holes that allows someone to skim the ice from a hole without having to use their hands. Ice skimmers have a tendency to eventually break where the handle meets the bowl of the ladle, so two is definitely better than one.
There is nothing worse than going ice fishing, catching a huge fish, and after you throw it back, you have no way to verify that it ever happened. But with a digital camera, your ice fisherman can prove to the whole world what he accomplished on the hard water. A camera phone is a great idea as well. Imagine being home and your ice fishing friend or loved one sends you a picture of a seven pound largemouth bass! Make this happen for as little as one hundred and fifty dollars for the camera, and less for the phone.
Another perfect stocking stuffer, Ice fishing lures and jigs come in more varieties than I can describe, and no matter what kind you get, they will be appreciated and used. Ice fishing lures and jigs are used on what is called a jigging pole, a small rod and reel set-up that is fished through the ice by hand. These lures and jigs can be purchased in packs or separately, and most cost about two dollars apiece.
10. Warm clothing
You cannot go wrong if you give an ice fisherman anything that is going to help keep them warm. These include boots, long underwear, winter hats, coats, gloves, scarves, and any other sort of outdoor gear that is available. Hand and foot warmers also are a welcome gift for an ice fisherman.
