Never been ice fishing but my buddy is determined to get us on the ice this year (weather permitting!).

Is there any gear we MUST HAVE???

I ask because these guys are having an ice fishing gear sale and I want to pick up whatever I need cheap(er).

I figure I won't need a drill. Or do I?

OK Buckhunte14r and Phil,,this guy needs your advice..

If you haven’t been before then rely on your buddies for most of the gear. If you like it then the fun and expense comes with all the stuff to get you equipped. Right off you need good warm wind proof winter clothing and warm boots. If there isn’t snow on the ice you will need creepers for your boots. Down the road if you want to get set up you will need an auger (most places will require a power auger due to thick ice). If you are fishing perch a 4 ½” hand auger is fine. If you are looking for pan fish like gills then a 6” hand or power auger is needed. If you are doing tip ups for trout or pike then an 8” to 10” or more is needed and that would certainly need to be a power auger. You will need a sled to pull all the equipment out and possibly a portable shanty with heater if you want comfort. I commercially fish almost every day for panfish and 95% of the time I am outside sitting on a bucket. Rods, reels and lures are always a part of it and can add up to some pretty serious expense. Enjoy your initial trips with an experienced buddy and then you can spend your hard earned money getting your own stuff.

C.I ..thanks for the very informative post.

Question..in most states selling panfish is illegal..and then if it is I would be using a net.I used to have a commercial fishing license.We catch and sell catfish, tilapia and shad..BUT never panfish. Can you net the panfish? If hook and line only that seems like it would take along time to make any real money. How much per pound do you get for the panfish?and better yet..you are sitting out there in the freezing cold.WOW!!Is this a real job or a hobby?

Hi Chuck7, I'm sure CI will post in here to answer you - but he's probably out on the ice right now, as he took yesterday off.
Yes - selling legally caught panfish is legal here in Vermont. As you say - it is not legal in most states, which I heartily disagree with - but that is a subject for another thread.
Lake Champlain is a very fertile lake and there are enormous schools of large Pumpkinkinseed Sunfish and Bluegills - Yellow Perch and White Perch and Bullheads. There is no daily limit or size limit on these fish and there are at least two legal fish buyers near the lake. No you can't net them - they have to be caught by hook and line, and when you are in a big school - it doesn't take long to fill 3 or 4 - 5 gallon buckets, if you know what you are doing like CI does. I don't know what they are paying per pound this year - I will let CI fill that in if he chooses to.
For most folks, it is not a - (as you put it) - real job - but it can be a lucrative hobby. Nobody gets rich doing it and it certainly is not a job for everybody - sitting out there on a bucket in the cold wind - It's something you either love or you don't.
Panfish are the only fish it is legal to sell - no Northern Pike or Bass or Walleyes or Salmon or LakeTrout etc.
There is a daily limit of 25 fish on Crappies as well as an 8" size limit, but you can still sell them.
I have just bought all new ice fishing gear, and went on the ice yesterday for the first time since about 1972, and it sure brought back a lot of great memories.
Take CI's advice on what to buy - he is a pro!!!-

I am planning on ice fishing for brook trout in the morning.. That can be a very slow day as they do not feed as well as the warm water spieces do for the most part.. If not much ice a good sharp ice chisel will do the trick .. That is most likely what I will be using tomorrow with around 6 inches of ice it is easy to carry. What I first used starting out was some fishing line, hooks, sinkers and a few cards.. I used to carry an axe to cut a few alders and stick the alders in the snow and ice made from cutting my ice hole. I would tie my line on the end of the alder that I would place leaning over the ice hole. Drop my line down with the hook and sinker attached to the depth I wanted.. Then tie the line on and around half way down ( from the alder to the ice ) tie half a card to the line so the wind can blow it a little to help keep the hole from freezing up to quickly. We call this set-up a withe but you will need to watch the end of the alder for bounce when a fish has hit it. When carrying the line we normall have the line wrapped around a small piece of wood with hooks and sinkers already tied on. One for each set-up. Once tied on the bush we would wrap what is left on the piece of wood around the bottom of the bush.. This makes for easy carrying and easier to set-up once on the ice. That is the cheap way of getting started on ice fishing.. We use live bait up here on most all our tip-ups.. I have had a hard time up here with bringing some of those white perch up through an eight inch hole so I am using mostly nothing but a ten inch auger. I do use a six inch gas auger for brook trout fishing at times though as it is easy to carry.. As well as most of the brookies are slim enough to come up the hole once started..

Up here it is illegal to sell any fresh water fish you catch.

Good Luck to you..

Thanks guys for the informative post..

Dopwn here where I fish there is a 10 inch limit on crappie..and 2 pounders are not unheard of..11 - 15 inchers are common..

We don't have the pumpkinseed variety..wished we did..I used to live in MD..they are very good.We have one crystal clear lake and the fish from there are VERY good eatting..

Our FL sunfish species are

Bluegill/brime
Red earred sunfish/sheel crackers
Green sunfish/stump knockers
Redbreasted sunfish
warmouth

That is it..our 2 most common..bluegills and red earred.I LOVE CATCHING RED EARS..in our one clear lake they taste like fresh rainbows..honestly..

OH!!!!!Must share an easy way to raise red worms if you have no space..been raising them for a year..they are doing well.

A. Buy a plastic rubber maid box from Walmart...14 " X 20" bu 7 inches deep in which the lid closes firmly.
B. Fill with nothing but peat moss..
C. Put in a few cups of red worms..
D. sprinkle corn meal inside of peat moss.DO NOT LAY ON TOP..draws fruit flies.
E. Dampen peat moss with water..I have not added water in 6 months..the worms are multiplying.
F. before closing lid..put a piece of burlap bag on top..When the food runs out the worms will eat the bag.

IF you happen to draw flies in your soil..Fill a small bowl 1/2 way with vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dishliquid detergent..Your flies will be dead within a week..every one.

Thanks guys. Great info. May just dip my toe in the water (so to speak) this year and go shopping for gear next year.

where i live in Michigan we have no ice!!!!!
you should deffinantly have hooks and sinkers. If you have the money i would buy some tear drops. I use demon glows (preferably green and orange) but i tear the fish up with them. Sometimes when im perch fishing a plain gold hook with a minnow works well. Also a sweedish pimple with is a type of spoon works very well with a minnow or wax worms. Depends on the fishing you are doing and the type of mood the fish are in i would have a light action rod. Sometimes the fish are lethargic and they dont bite very hard so by having a light action rod you can see even the lightest bites. hope i helped. Goodluck on the fishing!!