Last week I wrote ice fishing wasn’t for everyone and go ice fishing with friends before you spend money on any equipment. This week we will cover the basic ice fishing equipment and cost for that equipment for those who want to or are considering getting into ice fishing.

By winter, most of you will already have a fishing license, but for those who do not, an annual Wisconsin fishing license is $20 for residents and $70 for non-residents. Michigan license cost $26 for residents and an unbelievable $76 for non-residents.

This is the basic equipment needed and the average price of that equipment, minus the price of a shanty.

AUGER, a manual auger is around $50 but this price can jump to $700.
ROD/REEL. These combos start at $10 for a very low end, to $100, So you can buy a decent combo for $35 to $45.
TIP-UPS can cost between $6 to $40, so depending on the type you like, expect to pay around $25, but you might need two of these, (more on that in a bit).

SLED, you can either carry your equipment in a bucket (more on that later too) or drag it on a sled. A bucket with a top seat, will usually go for $10 to $50 and the drag sleds can run anywhere from $50 to $250. Then let’s say the rest, like the skimmer, tackle, ice picks/rope, ice scoop, $60. SO, if you wanted to start ice fishing it could be as low as $100, without tip-ups. Let say, if you bought the top end of everything above, it could cost well over $1000.

I did not cover a shelter/shanty or ice fishing electronics, because a person can go ice fishing without these two things. If you want to fish in comfort, add $125 to $1400 for a SHANTY  and $50 to $150 for a HEATER.
Then if you think you need a FLASHER, these can run $200 to $1700.

If you’re still not sure if ice fishing is for you, there are ice fishing bucket kits you can buy for $65 to $80 that have the basic equipment needed. This could save you a lot of money if you decide ice fishing isn’t for you, but I have always said, you should go ice fishing with friends, before you buy any equipment, to make sure ice fishing is something you enjoy.

REMEMBER ICE IS NEVER THE SAME THICKNESS ON LAKES, BE SAFE.