Ice Fishing Craze

MtnGiant · #1 04-12-2013, 07:15 PM

I asked several fishing stores about their sales this year....

All of them said it was a crazy busy selling year.

Some stores had to re-order up to 3x from the supplier and in some cases the supplier ran out.

Each store said it was much much busier this year than last.

Did any of you notice the increase in popularity?

Also....Fishing in general is getting more popular each year I have noticed over the past 30yrs.

No wonder conservation and catch n release is so prevelant.

My Mother in law just called tonight and said she just bought a full ice fishing outfit w/ flip up tent, gas auger and hand auger and 2 rods and supplies and an ice suit.......Here's the kicker......SHE"S NEVER ICE FISHED IN HER LIFE!!!!!! hahahahahaha WTFrigg!!!!!!!

H380 · #2 04-12-2013, 07:39 PM

Either the number of ice fisherman has grown OR people are going farther afield in their ice fishing adventures . I live right next to a popular fishing location here in southern Alberta and I've met a lot of guys that I've never seen here before . Trouble is , some of them have more success than me !

Wes_G · #3 04-12-2013, 08:58 PM

I cant comment on sales volumes for gear, but it was a great season of ice fishing for me!

BeeGuy · #4 04-12-2013, 09:05 PM

The baby boomers are retiring and the gen x'ers are spending all their oil boom money.

Can't say I was lighting up the debit machine much at the fishing stores.

Some hooks, bait, thats about it.

HunterDave · #5 04-12-2013, 09:25 PM

I never noticed a increase in the number of people ice fishing......same as every other year. Perhaps the weather was nicer this winter and people were out more often???

EZM · #6 04-12-2013, 09:31 PM

20 years ago - you did not see one tent on the lake, it was rare to see a gas auger, specialized rods etc....

We went fishing with a hand auger, used home made rods/jigging sticks and carried a white bucket to carry our stuff out on the lake that happen to make a nice seat ....

Cal · #7 04-13-2013, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZM

20 years ago - you did not see one tent on the lake, it was rare to see a gas auger, specialized rods etc....

We went fishing with a hand auger, used home made rods/jigging sticks and carried a white bucket to carry our stuff out on the lake that happen to make a nice seat ....

Probably alot of truth to this. The number of fishermen may not have changed as drasticly as the sales would indicate. The amount of gear that people feel they need to catch fish through the ice however has multiplyed drasticly.

WillyOneStyle · #8 04-13-2013, 09:44 PM

Well, I am part of the new crew.
After many years of summer fishing I decided to make it a year-round hobby. I didn't spend too much though, hand auger for $60, little rod, reel and ice line for $30. Outside of bait, that was it. I managed some perch and rainbows, probably made 8 outings two different locations in central Alberta, and really enjoyed it.
Here's the hut I made:
hut.jpg

next year, black tarps

lannie · #9 04-13-2013, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtngiant

I asked several fishing stores about their sales this year....

All of them said it was a crazy busy selling year.

Some stores had to re-order up to 3x from the supplier and in some cases the supplier ran out.

Each store said it was much much busier this year than last.

Did any of you notice the increase in popularity?

Also....Fishing in general is getting more popular each year I have noticed over the past 30yrs.

No wonder conservation and catch n release is so prevelant.

My Mother in law just called tonight and said she just bought a full ice fishing outfit w/ flip up tent, gas auger and hand auger and 2 rods and supplies and an ice suit.......Here's the kicker......SHE"S NEVER ICE FISHED IN HER LIFE!!!!!! hahahahahaha WTFrigg!!!!!!!

Maybe your mother in law just wants to spend more time with you. Wouldn't that be grand? You and your pals and the Mil spending all that quality time together! lol

MtnGiant · #10 04-13-2013, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lannie

Maybe your mother in law just wants to spend more time with you. Wouldn't that be grand? You and your pals and the Mil spending all that quality time together! lol

Hahahaha...ya it crossed our minds....and me thinks ur right ole swammy wise one

pickrel pat · #11 04-14-2013, 07:47 AM

Actually.... Fishing decreased in popularity over the years.

Walleyedude · #12 04-14-2013, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZM

20 years ago - you did not see one tent on the lake, it was rare to see a gas auger, specialized rods etc....

We went fishing with a hand auger, used home made rods/jigging sticks and carried a white bucket to carry our stuff out on the lake that happen to make a nice seat ....

Portable tents are a new craze, they've definitely replaced some of the permanent shacks that used to be stacked on all the popular spots. Gas augers and specialized rods have been commonplace in my experience though for a lot more than 20 years. The advances aren't as big there as they are in other areas.

Ice fishing gear has made some huge leaps in quality and innovation, so I'm not surprised its selling well, it's worth it in a lot of cases. There's a lot of money out there, and people spend money on their passions.

MtnGiant · #13 04-14-2013, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Actually.... Fishing decreased in popularity over the years.

Are you awake yet Pat???
C'mon man.....really????

Cal · #14 04-14-2013, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Actually.... Fishing decreased in popularity over the years.

Maby per capita but, at least here in Alberta, theres no way that theres less anglers on the water than there was 30 years ago.

pickrel pat · #15 04-14-2013, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cal

Maby per capita but, at least here in Alberta, theres no way that theres less anglers on the water than there was 30 years ago.

That is exactly what i meant. The percentage of people who fish is lower than say 25 years ago but the growing population supercedes that. Yes giant i am awake. The percentage of people who fish nowadays is lower. To many video games to occupy ones self today. Of course with a growing population like alberta will you see more people.

pickrel pat · #16 04-14-2013, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtngiant

Are you awake yet Pat???
C'mon man.....really????

Read it again.... Slower.

MtnGiant · #17 04-14-2013, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Read it again.... Slower.

I read your reply.....I get your point now if one looks at population percentages.....I agree.....

the pilot cock · #18 04-14-2013, 12:05 PM

I spent way more than I had planned and the wife was happy with this year. I had dabbled with ice fishing a few seasons with extremely limited success, but when I started attending the wednesday wing night with a group of AO people it evolved. I had always viewed technology such as underwater cameras as unnecessary and a waste of money, but then I went fishing with a few guys with all the toys and the next thing you know, I'm buying stuff I never figured I would. Trouble is, with a camera, I started having more success and could literally see what the fish liked and what they didn't care for, which sent me back to the store to buy more stuff...different lures, different bait, all of which costs money and increases sales. It doesn't take too many similar stories to push sales at the fishing stores way, way up.

I don't really know if there are more people out on the ice or not, but I spoke with a ton of guys this year who had started with a 5 gal bucket and a hand auger last year and were out setting up the pop-up tent, firing up the power auger and figuring out how to interpret what the heck their new flasher was trying to tell them.

And don't get me started on how much money I'm going to drop this year on hunting gear...

waterninja · #19 04-14-2013, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Actually.... Fishing decreased in popularity over the years.

i agree with you pat. 20 years ago there seemed to be a lot more people that were involved with fishing. sales might be on the rise now but i wonder if thats because of all the new toys and gadgets that are available now esp. in the electronics side of things.

Kim473 · #20 04-15-2013, 05:47 AM

Old gear needs to be updated once in a while. I think there is a few more fisher people out now but not many more than 10 years ago.

g_trout · #21 04-17-2013, 09:37 AM

I can saw I spent a lot this year. I fished with my family as a kid and I re-started fishing with my family in the last three years. We bought some rods for summer fishing. We ice fished but it is completely different between bringing people and going myself. I went out at -25C with a bucket, hand auger, and a couple of homemade 'rods'. When we all go ice fishing, we got a manual sled, big tent, chairs, stove, foam floor, table, etc.

In the last month there have been some good deals too which hasn't helped. I picked up a power auger for a$150 off. Waders at $100 off. Vest at $60 off. Wading boots at $90 off. Like my girlfriends says "Don't focus on what I spent, focus on what I saved because I would have bought it anyway".

yeahright · #22 04-19-2013, 12:38 AM

id rather fish a lake ice fishy. sure you know what your doing in a boat, but watching *something* come up and hunt your hook and debate, then come back. its a crazy experience. Saying your in That water clarity.
I made my own Aquarium every second weekend this winter! haha

JReed · #23 04-19-2013, 08:25 AM

I think gas prices keep a lot of people at home too