What New Ice Fishing Gear Has You Excited for This Season (2024 Edition)

AlbertanGP · #1 11-03-2024, 08:25 PM

Seeing as last year's thread was dredged up recently, I thought I'd start a new one for this season.

I'll start it off with a new heater I picked up recently after breaking the ceramics in a brand new Big Buddy up at Bistcho last March (PSA don't lay a Buddy Heater on it's back while travelling). I decided to give the Heat Hog a try after seeing it on Alex Timm's channel and doing a bit of research. I don't have any issues with Buddy Heaters, but just wanted to try something different.
It is deeper than a Big Buddy...especially if you use the tilt feature. Time will tell how it integrates with the rest of my setup. If I don't like it, there's another Big Buddy on the shelf in the shop. It is old and cranky like its owner though and prone to not lighting when it really counts...

SNAPFisher · #2 11-03-2024, 08:55 PM

Well that is pretty darn neat. I would be interested in a mid season how it is going update. I see they have a single 9000 BTU with tilt as well for those smaller jobs. Very interesting, thanks!

AlbertanGP · #3 11-03-2024, 10:28 PM

The smaller 9000 BTU unit is available at Canadian Tire. This larger one I ordered from Amazon I believe. One thing I like is it has a beefy pilot flame on it. Hopefully that alleviates some of the issues I've had with Buddy Heaters. Will definitely post an update this winter.

bradvtown · #4 11-04-2024, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Seeing as last year's thread was dredged up recently, I thought I'd start a new one for this season.

I'll start it off with a new heater I picked up recently after breaking the ceramics in a brand new Big Buddy up at Bistcho last March (PSA don't lay a Buddy Heater on it's back while travelling). I decided to give the Heat Hog a try after seeing it on Alex Timm's channel and doing a bit of research. I don't have any issues with Buddy Heaters, but just wanted to try something different.
It is deeper than a Big Buddy...especially if you use the tilt feature. Time will tell how it integrates with the rest of my setup. If I don't like it, there's another Big Buddy on the shelf in the shop. It is old and cranky like its owner though and prone to not lighting when it really counts...

Best thing I ever bought for my buddy heater was the carry bag. Keeps the snow and crap out of it for riding in a sleigh behind ATV/Sled and holds an extra 1lb propane bottle.

AlbertanGP · #5 11-04-2024, 02:02 PM

Yeah I have the bags for both of mine. Unfortunately they don't provide much/any cushioning. I just use mine to keep my hoses and wrenches with the heaters.

Hunter Trav · #6 11-04-2024, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Seeing as last year's thread was dredged up recently, I thought I'd start a new one for this season.

I'll start it off with a new heater I picked up recently after breaking the ceramics in a brand new Big Buddy up at Bistcho last March (PSA don't lay a Buddy Heater on it's back while travelling).

The real question is...how did you make out at Bistcho and why wasn't there a thread on it? Or am I just blind and missed it?? Lol

WayneChristie · #7 11-05-2024, 09:30 AM

Im curious to know what difference the tilt makes. no fan and the heat rises so it shouldnt go any further tilted or not but im usually wrong

. easier for the pike slime to put out the flame if its tilted

AlbertanGP · #8 11-06-2024, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

Im curious to know what difference the tilt makes. no fan and the heat rises so it shouldnt go any further tilted or not but im usually wrong

. easier for the pike slime to put out the flame if its tilted

It's radiant heat, so I'm pretty sure it will help. I keep my heater on the milk crate carrying the 20lb propane tank, so melting the ice in front of the heater isn't really an issue for me. Again, I feel like is bulkier overall than the Big Buddy. So it's going to have to perform like a champ or it won't be sticking around.

AlbertanGP · #9 11-06-2024, 04:00 PM

Bought a 10" Pistol Bit 2.0 for my e40 powerhead while I was in Edmonton yesterday. The specs suggest it's slower than the ION Alpha and only has 2/3 the capacity. But it was such a champ last year the odd time I tried it that I wanted to really put it head to head with the ION this season.

PS - The Eskimo is supposedly much lighter than the ION, so someone remind me to post the weights of each if I forget.

AlbertanGP · #10 11-11-2024, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Bought a 10" Pistol Bit 2.0 for my e40 powerhead while I was in Edmonton yesterday. The specs suggest it's slower than the ION Alpha and only has 2/3 the capacity. But it was such a champ last year the odd time I tried it that I wanted to really put it head to head with the ION this season.

PS - The Eskimo is supposedly much lighter than the ION, so someone remind me to post the weights of each if I forget.

Keep in mind that these weights are without the battery installed. But Jesus is the e40 light! I was really impressed the couple of times I used it last season with an 8" flite. It was noticably smoother than my ION Alpha. The new Pistol Bit 2.0 is basically a red ION Alpha flite as it uses the ION Turbo blades. It's noticably lighter than the ION (my son confirmed before I told him weights or what I was even up to), and in a completely different league from a StrikeMaster. I'm going to run it exclusively to start the season and see how it does for speed and battery life as the ice gets thicker.

A 10" e40 Compsite auger retails for $839 with a listed weight of 14lbs (with battery) and 800" per charge on Eskimo's site. A 10" Lithium 40V Lite auger retails for $999 with a listed weight of 22lbs and 700" per charge on Rapala's site.

Go give your StrikeMaster a hug if you have one. It needs it...

AlbertanGP · #11 11-06-2024, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter Trav

The real question is...how did you make out at Bistcho and why wasn't there a thread on it? Or am I just blind and missed it?? Lol

No thread was created. Fishing was ok...nothing to write home about. Lot's of nice fat walleye around 23-24" and a few pike to 20lbs (which is why I went). Because snow was light last year and the natives plowed the trail in as they bought Tapawingo Lodge recently, access was too easy IMO. That took away from the trip as there were lots of locals from the region at the lake. There were even pickup trucks parked on the hill at the lodge when we arrived. Still a fun trip overall, but I wouldn't do it again unless I knew there was enough snow that you had to sled in 65km or so to access the lake. Then there's also the fact that Tapawingo Lodge burnt to the ground early the spring due to a forrest fire...

Hunter Trav · #12 11-06-2024, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

No thread was created. Fishing was ok...nothing to write home about. Lot's of nice fat walleye around 23-24" and a few pike to 20lbs (which is why I went). Because snow was light last year and the natives plowed the trail in as they bought Tapawingo Lodge recently, access was too easy IMO. That took away from the trip as there were lots of locals from the region at the lake. There were even pickup trucks parked on the hill at the lodge when we arrived. Still a fun trip overall, but I wouldn't do it again unless I knew there was enough snow that you had to sled in 65km or so to access the lake. Then there's also the fact that Tapawingo Lodge burnt to the ground early the spring due to a forrest fire...

Oh wow, I had heard that it had gotten sold but never heard who bought it. Did not hear that it had burnt up in a fire though, thats really too bad. I looked after that place the winter before covid and really enjoyed my time up there. But the camp was getting pretty old and Steve wasn't too interested in putting any money into it to keep it up...

AlbertanGP · #13 11-11-2024, 11:17 AM

So a liitle update on the Heat Hog. I finally took it out of the box about 3-4 weeks after receiviing it on Amazon...just in time to miss the return window. Fired it up and found that it did not light well. The ceramics were covered in a "fuzzy" blue flame and even after two minutes being lit, and there were only blotches of orange where the ceramics had come up to a proper temperature. So I picked up a 20lb bottle from the lake and tried that...no difference.

Now I'm anticipating a fight to get this thing replaced. I called Pinnacle Climate Technologies Customer Care and was pleasntly surprised. They talked to me about what was going on with the unit and the altitude at which I was using it. Then they asked for a screenshot from Amazon showing the purchase date and mailing address. And they told me they'd send me a whole new unit. I asked if I needed an RMA for the defective unit and they said I could keep it as a spare or for parts.

I sure hope the next one works, as they'll have a customer for life.