Ice fishing is one of those sports that you are often going straight into the teeth of winter. When you are faced with bitter cold, wind, snow, ice and slush you need gear that can stand up to the test and keep you both warm and safe. Luckily for us anglers, there have been a lot of fantastic new products coming out to do just that.
I want to start this with a disclaimer: I know nothing about fashion, looking good or any of the variations. However, I am quite familiar with the feeling of being wet, cold and miserable.
It is really a new age of ice fishing. I am astonished by how much the sport has changed just in the past few years. We have gone from 2 stroke augers to 4 stroke, propane, electric and even cordless drill powered. Custom rods have taken over the shelves. Float suits and other bibs and coats that are not only designed to keep you warm, but to help you win against Mother Nature. Today, let’s elaborate more on that.
As an avid deer hunter, I felt more than prepared for ice fishing when it came to the clothing aspect. Sure, I might not look the coolest out there in camouflage, but I’ve got some incredibly warm bibs and coats that have kept me warm even on the coldest days in the stand.
I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong. The biggest challenge I ran into was with my bibs. After nearly every day out ice fishing, the slush from holes, snow or just standing water in the portable shack if I was running the heater all day would soak through my bibs and my sweat pants underneath would be wet and cold.
These bibs have done so well for me hunting, why are they failing me out on the ice? I thought about it and when I’m out in my tree stand, my knees never touch the ground. Well that’s no excuse, when I’m in the ground blind or on foot I kneel down all the time. The kicker is when I’m kneeling it is often on frozen ground, dry ground or if there is snow or water I do my best to clear it out of my blind area.
Out ice fishing, I spent all day kneeling in the snow, slush and water. Of course this will fail. Determined to stay out longer, I was ready to make a switch. I did my research on brands, pricing and the elements of each option. I also reached out to my buddy Chris Seylar and told him that my biggest complaint was water seeping through. Chris had already made the move to Striker Hardwater bibs. He said to me, “I fished late ice while there was 6 inches of water on top of the ice, I didn’t have one drop get through the bibs.” Trusting my buddy, I made what has been my best ice fishing purchase to date: my Striker Predator Bibs.
The Predator bibs offer several key features that you’ll test everyday when out on the ice. They are waterproof, wind proof and very well insulated. They also will float should you find yourself in the ice angler’s worst nightmare. Though I thankfully have never tested the floating feature, I can personally attest that after owning the same pair of bibs for 5 years, I still have yet to have a drop of water soak through.
The fantastic thing for us anglers though, is there are so many options on the market now. There are several varieties of the Striker bibs on the market. I prefer the Predator bibs, while Chris has had great luck with the Hardwater bibs. Chris’ father enjoys his Climate bibs. Striker also offers the Prism bibs, a model designed specifically for women.
There are also several other companies that have some excellent products on the market as well. Vexilar’s Cold Snap suits, Ice Armor suits, Strikemaster suits and more are all available for anglers. Mason Propst also has had great success with his Simm’s bibs for both open water and ice season. Compare prices, try them on and read reviews, you’ll be certain to satisfied with your purchase.
As you shop, I have a couple tips for you to maximize your budget.
Consider your style of fishing.
If you are a run and gun angler who is going to be spending more time on the auger than you are the rod, you are going to want something that has extra padding in the knees. If you’re like me, kneeling next to those hundreds of holes you are going to drill can be tough. At the end of the day, that padding goes a long ways!
Consider how warm or cold you get.
This should be easy right? Ice fishing is cold. Not necessarily though. There is a lot of hard work that can go into ice fishing. Drilling holes is the #1 thing that will make you sweat. Personally, I’m looking for bibs that have a lower level of insulation than other options. I often find myself sweating when drilling holes, walking from hole to hole or chasing tip ups if I’m in the shack. Sweating when it’s cold out is a recipe for disaster, so I personally favor bibs and coats with less insulation.
Bibs, coat or all of the above?
This entire article I’ve referenced “bibs”. If the budget is there for only one item, bibs are the way to go. In fact, I still get away with my hunting coats when I’m out on the ice. Because my coat isn’t touching the ground, it isn’t getting wet and soaked through. While an entire suit is sure awesome, I’ve been very happy with pairing a good hunting coat with my ice fishing bibs.
What’s on the outside looks cool, but what you layer is key.
While I say my Predator bibs were my best ice fishing purchase, my best overall purchase has certainly been good pairs of base layers. Like ice fishing suits, there are a wide variety of base layers out on the market. They also come in different levels of insulation.
I mention above I get very sweaty when I’m drilling holes or walking. Base layers are a warm, but breathable layer that can make addressing this sweat astronomically easier. I have three different levels of insulation for my base layer pairs and when I”m out hunting or ice fishing these have really made a huge difference for me.
Don’t forget the hands and feet.
For many anglers, it is often the hands and feet that get the most cold. A pair of waterproof and heavily insulated boots are key for this. I’ve had great success with my Arctic Sport Muck Boots. Their waterproof feature has been key when drilling holes and they’re insulated enough to keep my feet warm even when sitting on the ice all day.
A good pair of gloves or mittens are also vital for an ice angler. Particularly when drilling holes, I’ve found my hands can go absolutely numb. Having a pair of gloves that can keep you warm when out in the elements are not only critical for your comfort, but your safety. I know, I know, we hate fishing with gloves on. This is why I use gloves that can flip up and expose my fingers. I’ve found as long as my fingers can touch the rod and reel, I’ll be good to fish.
The times are changing in the ice fishing world. Gone are the days of the chore bibs and hunting bibs playing double duty. There is no better time to decide you’re going to step up your game and improve both your comfort and your safety. Good fishing!
Related Reading
One of the most rapidly changing markets is the ice auger market. There are so many different types of augers available, it can make shopping overwhelming for ice anglers. Learn everything you need to know to find your next auger in All About Augers.
Your ice rod is your connection to you and the fish. Learn about the types of rods you should select for your presentation in Selecting the Right Ice Rod for the Job.
Line twist is a small issue that can really have big impacts on your presentation and catch rates. Learn about the ways you can reduce line twist and ensure your baits are presenting like they should in Reducing Line Twist for Increased Ice Success.
Give the Gift of Fishing!
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