It’s the little things that can make a good day on the ice a great one. So don’t forget to pack the little things!
Things like your Rapala pliers, Mini Charge ‘N Glow, Mini Digital Scale and Fish N’ Fillet® Knife.
“Before I embark on the ice, I always make sure my Rapala accessories are tucked away in my Polaris,” ICE FORCE Pro Tom Neustrom says. “Pliers and such might not be the first thing you think of when talking ice fishing, but you’ll be kicking yourself when you need ‘em and don’t have ‘em.”
Stainless Steel Pliers [Product 'Stainless%20Steel%20Pliers' not found!]
When a school is biting hot and heavy, for example, you really miss your Rapala pliers if they’re sitting at home rather than beside your hole.
“With pliers, hooks come out quick and easy and you can get your bait back down the hole to another fish,” Neustrom says. “Forget your pliers and you’re wasting valuable time with your bait above the ice – whether you’re waiting for your buddy to bring you his pliers, or struggling to remove a buried hook with just your hands.”
Made with soft-grip handles, and a leaf spring, Rapala pliers [Product 'Stainless%20Steel%20Pliers' not found!] allow anglers the precision of a surgeon but offer enough backbone to be able to pop a big treble from a toothy mouth. A built-in split ring tool means you can switch out hooks in an instant without having to deal with a separate tool. Add in a side-cutter for thin wire, line and hooks, and you’ve got a perfect tool for multiple fishing situations.
Mini Charge ‘n Glow [Product 'RMGC' not found!]
Another pocket-size accessory that pays off big time is a Mini Charge N’ Glow [Product 'RMGC' not found!].
“Again, it comes down to time management,” Neustrom says. “The better the light source, the longer your glow baits keep a charge, and that means the more time your bait is in front of fish, rather than on top of the ice. Forget camera flashes, lanterns, cell phones and head lamps, a Charge N’ Glow keeps jigs glowing longer.”
Although pocket-sized, the Mini Charge ‘n Glow works well for small and bigger baits alike. A mere 10 seconds in the spring-loaded case with its four LED lights will make your jig a homing beacon for the bigguns.
Rapala Mini Digital Scale [Product 'RMDS-25' not found!]
Your rod doubles over as you lay into a fish of a lifetime. When it drops on the ice, your jaw follows.
How big is it?
What, you forgot your scale? Good luck convincing your buddies that fish is as big as you know it is!
“Prevent this scenario by remembering to pack your Rapala Mini Digital Scale [Product 'RMDS-25' not found!],” Neustrom says.
Sized to handle anything from a trophy bluegill to a monstrous lake trout, you’ll have to drill a lot of holes to test its 50-pound max weight. Reliable, and accurate, you’ll own bragging rights over your buddies with weights down to the ounce.
Fish ‘n Fillet Knives [Product 'Fish%20n%20Fillet%20Knives' not found!]
You’ll see more Fish ‘N Fillet® Knives [Product 'Fish%20n%20Fillet%20Knives' not found!] in cleaning shacks all around the country for one reason – they’re the best.
“Over 40 million sold speaks volumes about what fisherman think of the industry’s most respected fillet knife,” Neustrom notes.
The comfortable and classic birch handle make gripping the knife easy and safe. The progressively tapered, flexible, full-tang blade of European stainless steel stays laser sharp, stacking pounds of fresh fish before the next sharpening is required.
“When you’re fishing for eaters, you’re going to want a Fish ‘N Fillet,” Neustrom says. “The last thing you want to do is wreck fillets you worked hard for, by using a sub-par fillet knife.”
Four blade sizes make it the right tool for the several situations.